Club 10/279 – Linlithgow Rose

Match: Linlithgow Rose v Banks O’Dee
Date: 28/08/2021
Venue: Prestonfield, Linlithgow
Competition: Scottish Cup, Preliminary Round
Entry Fee: £7
Travel: £15.30
Miles completed today: 76
Total miles remaining: 42158

A lot has happened since my last outing. Scourie have stood down from the North Caledonian league meaning there are now only 279 clubs to go see and I almost ticked off Raith Rovers until a power cut 10 minutes in led to the game being abandoned. It’s been an unsuccessful two weeks!

After the Scottish Cup draw I almost picked Hawick v Golspie Sutherland but after hearing such good things about Prestonfield the temptation was too much.

I’ll start by saying that the village of Linlithgow is beautiful. It’s clean, friendly, busy and historic – I almost forgot why I was there. That’s not why you’re reading this though so let’s get on to the football.

Preview

Linlithgow Rose last 5
DWLDD

Banks O’Dee last 5
WWWWW

Odds

Linlithgow Rose 6/5
Draw 18/5
Banks O’Dee 6/5

The bookies sat right on the fence with this one. The Dee have been rampant up in the North Superleague and in their last 5 games have scored 10 twice!
Linlithgow’s form has been indifferent however they’re a strong side and this was to be new gaffer Gordon Herd’s first match in charge.
Both of these clubs have raked in the honours in their histories and the scene was perfectly set for a juicy Scottish Cup tie.

The Ground

Prestonfield is an incredible place. On approach you’re greeted by the social club and on a warm day it’s hard to miss with plenty of punters sitting outside in a large benched area.
Inside of the ground is equally impressive including a fair sized seated stand. Admission is a fair £7, programmes are on offer and there are plenty of good spots to watch the match.
I chose to sit in the stand as I rather geekily enjoy watching games from a tactical perspective and a little elevation makes the game clearer.
The team come out to ‘What a Beautiful Day’ by The Levellers – a great song by a great band.

The Match

This was an even game but Rose will be disappointed not to capitalise on their opportunities. Banks started well and controlled the opening exchanges before Rose came into the game. Both teams did their best to create chances and Rose could’ve done a better with theirs – a common theme throughout the game.
Banks took the lead as Henderson poked the ball past the keeper for 1-0. Rose could’ve defended this one better but got back in the game with a bullet of a strike from just outside the area from Halloran.
Although the game seemed pretty even Rose had the clearer of the chances but it’d be fair to say they lacked conviction.
With only a few minutes to go Dee were awarded a penalty. There were a few groans towards the referee from guys behind me but I feel this was more in frustration as it seemed a very straightforward decision for me.
Gilmour sent the keeper the wrong way and the game was won.
Although you have to exit the ground from the opposite end from the stand and changing rooms you can hear the players celebrating and singing. Not sure the last of the home fans to exit that heard it were too impressed. ‘Acting like they’ve won the cup’ said one – but it’s a huge win and I’m sure deep down they understood.

Final score: Linlithgow Rose 1-2 Banks O’Dee

MOTM

I’ll pick a MOTM each game I attend. This isn’t the official MOTM, just who I feel was the standout player.

This was another difficult decision as there were many decent performances and it’d be hard to say any one individual ‘bossed’ the game.
I’m going with Rose #6 Daniel Nimmo. This guy is a man mountain and unsurprisingly won every ball. The Dee did have some success in the game but none of it came from taking on Nimmo.

Afterthoughts

I probably haven’t made this clear enough over how much of a must visit Linlithgow Rose are. The town and club are very welcoming places and Prestonfield has everything a groundhopper wants.
Linlithgow will be disappointed not to win but have to take some encouragement from the fact they had chances to win the game against a strong side. I reckon Rose under new management will kick on and I don’t think it’s any surprise that Dee are top of the Superleague with a 100% record.
If you’re a groundhopper that hasn’t been here yet, stop what you’re doing and get yourself along to see the Rose.

Club 9/280 – Dyce

Match: Dyce v Montrose Roselea
Date: 14/08/2021
Venue: Ian Mair Park, Dyce
Competition: North Superleague
Entry Fee: £5
Travel: £60.40
Miles completed today: 320
Total miles remaining: 42762

I’ve been promising a long haul trip for a while. Dyce are the 9th club I’ve visited and the miles I’ve racked up here are more than the other 9 trips combined!
This was a trip into the North Juniors – completely unchartered territory. In all honesty, I’m not even sure I’d even been to Aberdeen before.

A 3 hour train from Glasgow to Aberdeen then a further 10 minutes to Dyce isn’t a difficult trip but it is an early start. I got home 13 hours after I left and there are 47 trips in the pyramid that are further away, a taste of things to come.

Preview

Dyce last 5 (League)
WLWD

Montrose Roselea last 5 (League)

LLDWL

Odds:

Dyce 4/9
Draw 5/1
Montrose Roselea 11/4

Dyce had only played 4 league games and sat on 7 points. Their only loss so far had come against Culter who are one of the stronger sides in the league.
Montrose had 8 points from 7. Their league form had been up and down but their last league outing was a 3-0 win over the only team to defeat Dyce so far.

The Ground

Ian Mair Park wasn’t hard to find but could be described as ‘out the way’ as it lies outwith the residential area of Dyce. The pavilion has character – I love how it looks! It holds the kitchen, dressing rooms and spectator toilets along with a small sheltered area for supporters. The rest of the pitch is railed as many junior pitches are.
The club officials all dress formally for the occasion in shirt and tie and some even had sharp looking Dyce blazers.
Admission was a very decent £5 and not only do Dyce offer a programme they give you it for free!

The Pavillion

The Game

There was a crowd of between 40-50 here to take in this game. I have to admit that this wasn’t one of the better games I’d been to in terms of excitement. Dyce tried to utilise their wingers as much as possible whilst Montrose aimed for the ball in behind.
Both defences were on good form and dealt with almost everything thrown at them.
In the 39th minute a quick and crisp 1-2 put Sam Robertson through on goal and he slid the ball past the keeper for the opener.
Dyce always seemed to have an element of control to the game but at no point looked like running away with it either.
In the second half Montrose looked a better side and missed their best chance of the game after playing a quick, short corner and with the home defence caught off guard a free header from the resulting cross flew over the bar from close range.
Whilst the sides took it in turns to attack, again the defenders were doing a good job to deal with the dangers well.
Dyce did have the ball in the net after Glen Donald scored an excellent header but the play was stopped for a foul on the defender.
Towards the end of the game Montrose pushed for an equaliser but it wasn’t to be.
There weren’t many clear cut chances and Dyce took the 3 points.

Full time: Dyce Juniors 1-0 Montrose Roselea

MOTM

I’ll pick a MOTM each game I attend. This isn’t the official MOTM, just who I feel was the standout player.

This is probably my toughest call yet. There were a number of good performances without anybody really standing out. I was most impressed with Dyce’s Ian Leith in the middle of the park. Leith played deeper of the two central midfielders and was very comfortable in possession despite being pressed with high intensity. I was impressed by his awareness on and off the ball and filled in at the back any time a hooped defender drove forward.

Afterthoughts

I enjoyed my first experience up north. Dyce as a place is a quiet residential part of Aberdeen most famous for it’s airport.
The club are probably one of the smaller sides I’ve seen in terms of stature but they hold their own in the Superleague and they battled well for the 3 points.
There is potentially a Highland League spot up for grabs if one of these clubs are ambitious enough to take it. I believe Dyce will be inside the top 4 come the end of the season.
Montrose will be hoping for an upturn in form however they are currently in 8th place and I think they’ll have more chance of moving up than down on that showing.
I got to see another hard fought home victory and in a game as tight as this it’s all about who can take their chances.
If you’re coming up here for a visit make sure you get some chips from Sea Salt + Sole before you head home.

Club 8/280 – Petershill

Match: Petershill v Vale of Leven
Date: 11/08/2021
Competition: WOSFL Conference C
Entry Fee: £8
Travel: £3.90
Miles completed today: 14
Total miles remaining: 43082

Petershill are one of the oldest and more successful ‘junior’ sides. Founded in 1897 ‘Peasy’ have survived the test of time unlike other local sides Cowlairs & Northern.
Celtic & Rangers brought their first teams to play each other to open the original Petershill Park in 1935 as Struth’s Rangers defeated Maley’s Celtic. Although they’ve since moved on to what is now their 5th home, the club’s history is woven into the fabric of Glasgow & Scottish football.
Before talking about the game itself, Petershill’s website is an outstanding resource covering all aspects of the club. Not too many have a dedicated website and I feel it’s something clubs need to press on with despite the added costs & expertise required.
This resource allowed me to properly research the club with ease and I arrived having gotten a feel for who they are and what they’ve done. If the club admin happens to read this – give yourself a pat on the back!

Preview

Petershill last 5 (League)
WWDWL

Vale of Leven last 5 (League)

LDLLL

Odds:

Petershill 2/9
Draw 6/1
Vale of Leven 5/1

Petershill have had a solid start to the season in mid table with 11 points from 7 games. Vale have had a tough start and find themselves with 6 from 7. All stats point to a Peasy win, although I’m coming here off the back of seeing 2 away defeats despite being favourites. I didn’t feel like this would be an easy game.

The Ground

Petershill have one of the better grounds at the level they play at. A large covered area with around 250 seats (and benches to bring the capacity to around 500) is impressive whilst the pitch is railed all the way along letting you walk round for a different view.
Although this doubles up as a leisure centre and isn’t solely for the club’s use, I’m very impressed with the facilities they have.
The admission at £8 is on the high side compared to other clubs competing in Tier 7, however eight quid is hardly unreasonable either!
The club also sell steak pies – a sure fire way to win me over.

The Game

The first twenty minutes were tight and cagey. This is the game I’d expected. It was good to see both sides play football through their midfield players and both created half chances.
Petershill’s game plan was to utilise the space in behind the Vale defence. Peasy’s forward players were VERY pacey and after a few ‘just offside’ moments they got their breakthrough when Stephen Docherty latched on to a through ball, taking it around the keeper and slotting away for 1-0. Roddy Paterson scored goal of the day with an aesthetically pleasing piece of skill to score with the outside of the right foot whilst facing away from goal.
The ball in behind was causing Vale all sorts of problems. I thought Vale might’ve sat their defence deeper to limit the space between keeper and defenders but it’s a catch 22 as they were chasing the game at this point. The pace of Docherty was too much to handle and he added his second beating the goalkeeper to the ball, lifting it over him before tapping the ball home for 3-0. Davis added a fourth despite the goalkeeper’s best efforts in making what looked to be a decent save but the ball deflected over him and into the net. In all honesty the game was dead and buried long before.

Full time: Petershill 4-0 Vale of Leven

MOTM

I’ll pick a MOTM each game I attend. This isn’t the official MOTM, just who I feel was the standout player.

In the early stages of the game I was impressed by Scott Brodie. A deep lying midfielder who uses space well and has strong technical ability. If I was a scout for a West Premier League side he’d be on my shopping list. However it’s impossible to look past Stephen Docherty for the MOTM award. Docherty not only scored two goals but was involved in almost all of Petershill’s attacking moves. His ability to stretch the game with his pace was paramount in his team’s victory and with the ball at his feet he got by the full backs almost all of the time. It’ll be interesting to see how many goals he gets this season as he’ll be a hard man to keep quiet.

Afterthoughts

In my eyes the result was a fair reflection of the game. I don’t feel like Vale deserved a hammering but also didn’t create too many clear cut opportunities themselves either.
Petershill will be delighted to bounce back from a ‘North Glasgow derby’ (If that’s a thing – if not it should be) defeat against St Roch’s last weekend and continue their otherwise strong form.
Vale may need a pick me up after this but I’d still back them to be inside the top 10 this season.
A ground easily accessible in Scotland’s largest city is a good one for groundhoppers and neutrals to take advantage of and if you have a spare Saturday (or Wednesday in my case) then get along!

Club 7/280 – Camelon Juniors

Match: Camelon Juniors v Dundonald Bluebell
Date: 07/08/2021
Competition: EOSFL Premier Division
Entry Fee: £7
Travel: £12.50
Miles completed today: 56
Total miles remaining: 43096

Welcome to my first trip outside of the west. Ok it’s only as far as Camelon, but it’s still the furthest I’ve been so far.
I always though Camelon was part of Falkirk but it’s a village in it’s own right.
I didn’t have any preference over which game to attend today. I gave each game a number in the east and let Alexa pick one at random. “Number 5” she said and off to Camelon I went.
I didn’t get to see much this time round. There was heavy rain forecast and to be honest I didn’t want to get caught in it. I beat the rain if you’re interested- by about an hour in fact. I do enjoy getting to games early and watching the atmosphere build.

I expected a good standard game between two of the best the east has to offer. Both have been around a long time and play in the Premier Division.

Camelon had 3 wins from 3 in the league, Dundonald were 2 wins, a draw and 2 losses – a steady start.

I recognised a few names in the Dundonald squad. Colin Wilson had both played in the first team at Raith Rovers whilst at right back was Scott Durie, son of Gordon.

The odds were priced as

Camelon 4/9
Draw 5/1
Dundonald 11/4

The Ground

Like Kilbirnie through the week, this was another of my favourite grounds. A proper old school junior park. I keep repeating this but the pitch was in near perfect condition and although I prefer standing at games I was pleasantly surprised with a covered seating area.
Carmuirs Park is also the first ground I’ve been to that sell steak pies which I’m a big fan of. Camelon were high up in my estimations before they’ve even kicked a ball.

The Game

Both sides adopted a similar approach. A high intensity press out of possession and a long ball in behind was the preferred method of attack.
In the early stages they cancelled each other out pretty well but a long ball proved successful as Camelon took the lead with a well taken powerful half-volley into the corner.
The lead didn’t last long as Dundonald equalised before half time. There MAY and I highlight the word may be a little controversy around this goal. The initial shot came from just inside the box and the ball was deflected into the net. Camelon’s defenders claimed it’d been tapped in on the line by another player – which would mean the goal was offside. If the ball was already in then in my opinion the goal is good. I’m glad I didn’t have to make that decision! However the goal stood and we went into half time 1 each.
The second half was much the same as the first. I was confident there would be more goals, but for who? I had no idea.
Dundonald came close as a header from a corner came off the post before the rebound crashed off the bar
Camelon were down to 10 men in the 73rd minute after a second yellow for simulation. This received a very angry response from the home crowd in which the ref and linesman were getting pelters. I’m not sure if he dived or not, but it certainly wasn’t a penalty. I can understand why the referee made the decision but again I’m happy I didn’t have to make it.
An excellent glancing header from a corner gave Dundonald the lead and their long ball approach finally reaped reward as Lewis McKenzie was sent through for a third.

Then… more controversy (or so it seemed). Still incensed at the red card, the home side were raging as a Dundonald player went down easily in the box – this time the ref played on. Again, I’m not sure it’s a dive at all but I understand the Camelon cries for consistency.
If they weren’t already angry enough Dundonald then received a penalty for handball. This set the fans off even more but I’m not sure they can have any complaints about this decision.
4-1 and game over.
Camelon did pull one back via an own goal but it wasn’t enough to spark a fightback.

Full time: Camelon Juniors 2-4 Dundonald Bluebell

MOTM

I’ll pick a MOTM each game I attend. This isn’t the official MOTM, just who I feel was the standout player.

Today’s MOTM is a very easy decision. Dundonald midfielder Lewis Mckenzie walked away with a hat-trick – another first on my travels. He was excellent throughout and scored a header, penalty and a one on one showing he can handle different situations with ease.

Afterthoughts

I should reiterate how much I like this ground and for all you groundhoppers it’s definitely worth a visit. Although I didn’t see a home victory the fact they’d won 3 out of 3 beforehand shows that they’re a good side at a good level. The game could’ve went either way until the sending off and the crowd were as entertaining as the game at times.

Result wise there aren’t many positives for Camelon to take from this one. I don’t think I saw them at their best and they’ll want to move on quickly and will hopefully bounce back.
Dundonald were excellent and ultimately deserved their victory. They also brought a healthy support themselves contributing to a good atmosphere.

On a final note, today I learned that you do not pronounce the club “Camel-on” but “Caimlin”. The more you know.

Club 6/280 – Kilbirnie Ladeside

Match: Kilbirnie Ladeside v Rossvale
Date: 04/08/20201
Competition: WOSFL Premier Division
Entry Fee: £8
Travel: £5.90
Miles completed today: 38
Total miles remaining: 43152

This match was billed as a must win for both sides. The WOSFL Premier Division can be an unforgiving place as Kilbirnie and Rossvale have found out so far. Both sides sit with 0 points after 5 games but the good news is that something had to give way and I hoped to see two teams that realised the importance of this and as always I hoped for as many goals as possible.

The game was priced up As Kilbirnie 4/6 – Draw 21/5 – Rossvale 2/1. In layman’s terms this is the bookies way of telling us they’re not really sure but it should be a close game.

This was my first trip to Ayrshire and I’ll admit I’m completely unfamiliar with it’s villages and where they are. This was a pretty easy journey as I live between Paisley and Glasgow. A train into Paisley followed by another to Glengarnock and it’s only a short walk to the ground.

The Ground

If there’s any groundhoppers reading this – Valefield Park is an absolute must visit. It’s an old school ground with lots of terraced areas and 3 covered stands situated throughout. Whilst the pitch was on a bit of a slope it was in great condition. There’s a bar for alcoholic drinks and I was even a fan of the giant Kilbirnie flag in the corner. This added nicely to the atmosphere.
Another healthy crowd turned out for this one, and I couldn’t help but notice the amount of supporters draped in Ladeside colours – particularly replica shirts.
This is obviously a community that get right behind their club and I love to see it.

The Game

It’s a strange game to look back on. I thought both sides were capable of playing good football. Some of the attacking play was excellent however the game was won on the ability to defend. Both sides created good attacks but Kilbirnie’s inability to deal with Rossvale’s attacking exploits was the difference between the 2 sides.

Kilbirnie had changed to their white away kit as Rossvale sported yellow and red hoops.

Rossvale took the lead early on but were pinned back by an outstanding strike into the opposite top corner from Ladeside. 1-1 at half time.

Kilbirnie came out strongly in the second half and had a good 5-10 minute spell but were quickly deflated when Rossvale scored 2 in quick succession. Both teams created chances from then on in but Rossvale were finding ways through with ease whilst dealing with the dangers fairly well at the other end.

On another day Kilbirnie could’ve scored another few if not for good goalkeeping – they certainly had enough efforts on goal and half chances.
However they really struggled defensively and Rossvale were clinical with their chances.
Thoroughly entertaining although not the result I’d hoped for in my quest to support all the home teams!

Full Time: Kilbirnie Ladeside 1-6 Rossvale

MOTM

I’ll pick a MOTM each game I attend. This isn’t the official MOTM, just who I feel was the standout player.

There were plenty of excellent performances to choose from. In fairness it’d be tough to pick a Kilbirnie player for this but on the other side both Young & Kerr scored twice for Rossvale however I’m going with Rossvale goalkeeper Craig Gordon.
Gordon pulled off two of the most unbelievable saves in the second half. The first was to claw a free kick out of the top corner and on to the post.
The second was low down to his right after a close range header from a corner with very little time to react.
He also made another 4/5 saves you’d expect him to make however his ability to hold these efforts struck with plenty of power along with the two wonder saves showed impressive technical ability and provides priceless reassurance to his defence. A top performance in a position that often goes unnoticed.

Afterthoughts

Whilst Rossvale will be delighted, this will be a very tough result for Kilbirnie with the locals voicing their discontent on the way out. In a league where seven are relegated it’ll be tough to see a way back now which is a real shame as the club on size and infrastructure more than deserve a place in the Premier Division.

The club aren’t going to rest on their laurels however – as they have parted company with their manager as I’m writing this!

I was told by one of the locals walking down the street after the game that this is the worst Kilbirnie side he’s ever seen.
As a regular he’s far more entitled to an opinion on this than I am but I don’t think they’re a million miles away from where they need to be on that showing. For me, Kilbirnie were very unlucky to lose by 5, however defensively they were extremely poor and at least two of the Rossvale goal came from basic errors at the back. This needs addressed and fast.

I wish them all the best and sincerely hope their results pick up in the near future.
Ultimately, I’d definitely recommend a visit here. It’s a lovely wee ground.