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Haitch

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Brora 0-3 Formartine, Highland League, attendance 160-ish, not including the cheapskates and kids that watched the whole game over the wall at the far end.

This completed the Highland League grounds for me, something I would never have even thought of trying to do until I realised how many I'd picked up through Linlithgow Rose's Scottish Cup ties, pre-season friendlies while up north on holidays and going to games while visiting a friend in Aberdeenshire. It's been thoroughly enjoyable.

It's always interesting watching a team that's low in confidence. Brora played like they felt an expectation to control the game, but every time anything went wrong they took it to heart. In key moments that leads strikers to pull their shots, keepers not to save things they could and heads to go down quickly. So a fixture that was pretty evenly contested ended up with Brora taking another sore result. Two defensive mistakes and a cheap penalty, combined with a complete inability to finish the increasingly good chances they made were what separated the teams.

Nae pies, nae refreshments at all so I'll always have an irrational and unjustified hatred of Brora Rangers for that.

After the game I got an excellent takeaway from Sid's Spice, mooched around a bit in a glorious evening then camped not too far from the car in a nice spot. Those who know it will know it. Today I wandered a bit more, watched the first half of Brora v Kirkwall City in the women's Highlands & Islands League (very much a developmental league) then meandered back down, stopping for dinner at Ballinluig.

I've had worse weekends.

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On 16/08/2021 at 21:48, the snudge said:

Been given the chance to go to Celtic v AZ. Should be interesting but I can't really be arsed with OF.

Just heading up to this the now with a Polish friend who's not experienced a Celtic game and a Celtic supporting friend who's going to keep us right. I've not been since Dumbarton played them in the Scottish Cup in 2006 or 2007. I'm not surewhat to expect tonight. I'm apprehensive at the bigotry shite.

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Kilwinning Rangers 1-0 Cumbernauld Utd.

Loved this game and the standard was very high indeed. It was an unstoppable force against an immovable object. Cumbernauld could barely get out of their own half until the hour mark but were fiercely resolute in defence against waves of intense attacks. That looked like it would come to an end with about 15 minutes to go when the home side were awarded a penalty, but it was saved. Unfortunately they conceded shortly after; until then it looked like it was headed for a classic 0-0. Kilwinning moved to within two points of league leaders Talbot with this result and, having seen both sides recently, I'd say one of them is bound for the Lowland League next season (licence permitting).

This completes the West of Scotland Premier League for me, and with it all 51 tier 6 grounds south of the Tay. I'd been to the Kilwinning's old ground, which was pretty special, and I was glad to see this new Buffs Park already has a bit of character. I assume the stand is from Benburb - if not, they've copied it right down to the rust - which apparently they intend to cover shortly. There's covered standing on all three of the other sides (does it rain in Ayrshire?) and all it lacks is a wee bit of terracing.

The Buffs pie though... Jesus, I don't know what they put in this but it's the best pie in the country by a mile. I would genuinely be happy with one for my New Years Day dinner. 

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20 hours ago, Le Tout P'ti FC said:

Lanark United v East Kilbride Thistle. (Sponsored by HOOF.)

Lanark featuring one of my favourite species of footballer: the moany goalie. Constantly whining at how inept his team are, without making a save of note himself.
 

One of the short list of grounds where you can watch from your car. In fact the first time I was at Lanark I drove right past the gateman thinking I was just going in the car park 😂. Went back and paid though…
A definite bonus in the winter when you can just run your engine for a few minutes…

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One of the short list of grounds where you can watch from your car. In fact the first time I was at Lanark I drove right past the gateman thinking I was just going in the car park [emoji23]. Went back and paid though…
A definite bonus in the winter when you can just run your engine for a few minutes…
One of those cars took a HOOF square on the bonnet last night.

Lanark is an excellent ground to visit. Bags of character.

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18 hours ago, GordonS said:

Kilwinning Rangers 1-0 Cumbernauld Utd.

Loved this game and the standard was very high indeed. It was an unstoppable force against an immovable object. Cumbernauld could barely get out of their own half until the hour mark but were fiercely resolute in defence against waves of intense attacks. That looked like it would come to an end with about 15 minutes to go when the home side were awarded a penalty, but it was saved. Unfortunately they conceded shortly after; until then it looked like it was headed for a classic 0-0. Kilwinning moved to within two points of league leaders Talbot with this result and, having seen both sides recently, I'd say one of them is bound for the Lowland League next season (licence permitting).

This completes the West of Scotland Premier League for me, and with it all 51 tier 6 grounds south of the Tay. I'd been to the Kilwinning's old ground, which was pretty special, and I was glad to see this new Buffs Park already has a bit of character. I assume the stand is from Benburb - if not, they've copied it right down to the rust - which apparently they intend to cover shortly. There's covered standing on all three of the other sides (does it rain in Ayrshire?) and all it lacks is a wee bit of terracing.

The Buffs pie though... Jesus, I don't know what they put in this but it's the best pie in the country by a mile. I would genuinely be happy with one for my New Years Day dinner. 

 

I know we’ve had these groundhopping conversations before, but interesting that you’ve just completed 2 leagues where I’m just about the same stage. I’ve been visiting the HL in a fairly leisurely fashion since the old Caley days, and I was at Banff a couple of weeks back, with just Turriff, one of the new ones, to go.


A bonus of supporting ICT, or Livi, County etc for that matter, is you more or less visit all the SPFL as you rise up the leagues. That’s much preferable to going as a neutral because even if the game’s shite, you’ve still got something invested in it.


I had done all the West Prem when it was 16 teams, but now I have to visit the new Buffs Park, Darvel and Bonnyton. I suppose I could wait till Bonnyton inevitably go down and get replaced by the likes of Arthurlie and teams I’ve already visited.
In the east, I think I only need to visit Kirkcaldy and Dysart, and the Swifts’ new park, and that’ll be everything down to level 8, as I spent a long time following Whitehill and Bonnyrigg over the years as my local teams.

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4 minutes ago, Le Tout P'ti FC said:

Bathgate were shredded. Last time I saw them they won the Scottish Junior Cup. A mighty fall into the Tier 8 abyss of Conference X.

I actually did a doublecheck when compiling stats on EOSL clubs in the Scottish Cup as Bathgate unexpectedly had 1 game against them (they lost 3-1 to Lochee Utd in R1 in 2008-09).

As you say they qualified having won the Junior Cup beating Shotts, Clydebank, Pollok and Cumnock along the way.

They were relegated out of East Superleague in 2012, into districts in 2018, then eschewed EOSL while 24 other East junior clubs moved that year, 2 more in 2019, then another 8 in 2020.

Having moved across this year they now sit 2nd bottom of the entire Scottish league system.

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Auchinleck Talbot 3-1 Montrose Roselea.

Trip to Ayrshire today for the first round of the Scottish Junior Cup. Talbot cruising by half time and took their foot off the gas in the second half. Roselea scored a deserved late consolation goal, they never gave up despite being outclassed for much of the game.

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On 20/08/2021 at 21:45, HibeeJibee said:

I actually did a doublecheck when compiling stats on EOSL clubs in the Scottish Cup as Bathgate unexpectedly had 1 game against them (they lost 3-1 to Lochee Utd in R1 in 2008-09).

As you say they qualified having won the Junior Cup beating Shotts, Clydebank, Pollok and Cumnock along the way.

They were relegated out of East Superleague in 2012, into districts in 2018, then eschewed EOSL while 24 other East junior clubs moved that year, 2 more in 2019, then another 8 in 2020.

Having moved across this year they now sit 2nd bottom of the entire Scottish league system.

I look at the fate of Bathgate, Whitburn, Armadale and Fauldhouse, getting beat by Edinburgh College, Syngenta and the second best team in Bo'ness and think, there but for the grace of God...

As recently as 2017 Fauldhouse were in the same division as Kelty.

I'm thankful Linlithgow Rose's committee and members saw what way the wind was blowing and joined the EoS when they did.

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I was having a drink with a Dundee supporting mate. Then it suddenly turned out a mate of his couldn't go and they had a season ticket left over, so he offered a free game to me today. It would have been rude to say no so I went to Dens Park and watched Dundee 2-2 Hibs.

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17 hours ago, GordonS said:

I look at the fate of Bathgate, Whitburn, Armadale and Fauldhouse, getting beat by Edinburgh College, Syngenta and the second best team in Bo'ness and think, there but for the grace of God...

As recently as 2017 Fauldhouse were in the same division as Kelty.

I'm thankful Linlithgow Rose's committee and members saw what way the wind was blowing and joined the EoS when they did.

Having checked - Fauldhouse were the only club below Tay due to contest 2018-19's East Junior Superleague who didn't move that year.

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