Club 53/283 – Buchanhaven Hearts

Match: Buchanhaven Hearts v Cruden Bay
Date: 30/07/2022
Venue: Raemoss Park, Peterhead
Competition: Grill League Cup, Group Stage
Entry Fee: £5
Travel: £40.30
Miles completed today: 378
Total miles remaining: 35648

It’s time for my first trek of the season. This is my second season of the project to get round every club in the pyramid and I learned a few lessons in the first. One of the biggest was to not to travel too far during the winter months as there’s every chance you’ll get caught up in the weather (and the game might too!).
So here I was, leaving the house before 6am to get a train and two buses to a town almost 200 miles away that I’ve only ever seen on a map. What could go wrong?
Well, a lot actually. I had a rubbish sleep from the night before and slept in, almost dropped my portable phone charger in a Glasgow Central toilet, my bus broke down before it’d even left Glasgow putting the whole trip in jeopardy and the heavens decided to open. Surely I wasn’t going to have a game called off in July?
Thankfully, everything turned out fine. Buchanhaven Hearts hail from Peterhead and are the second biggest club in the town after their SPFL neighbours. I’ve never been to Peterhead before and if not for their football team would I even know the place existed?
Essentially it’s a remote fishing town and is the biggest settlement in the Shire apart from Aberdeen city itself. I’m always a little uneasy about using the word ‘remote’ when describing a place as locals don’t seem to like it but the nearest train station is 27 miles away – it’s not the easiest place to get to.
The first thing anyone notices when arriving in Peterhead is seagulls – my arch nemesis. For context, a few weeks back I walked to Renfrew for a friendly match and was attacked relentlessly along a 2 mile stretch. Thankfully these seagulls weren’t brought up in Glasgow and actually left you alone which was a pleasant surprise. I even saw a guy eating whilst a seagull stood about a yard from him and watched. Now if that was Glasgow you’d be help at knifepoint and the seagull would rip it straight out your fingers.
I had about 45 minutes till kick off so I took a walk round and ended up at a nice spot close to the ground that overlooks the North Sea. There’s nothing but water for miles until you reach Shetland and it was pleasant enough to spend a good 15 minutes here watching the world go by.

Sea and sky for miles

The Ground

Raemoss Park is easy to find, I actually found it by accident! It’s a standard sort of setup up this way, a ringed fence pitch with a larger fence round but the club have some shelter and seats and their very own social club on site. Spectators are permitted along both sides off the pitch but most congregate on the near side. Cruden Bay looked to have brung a few too. The admission is a fair fiver but there were plenty who stood outside on a nearby elevated street and watched the game for free. In fairness, a lot of these people had cleared off by half time so I reckon they were headed to the Peterhead match which kicked off an hour after this.
I’ve said this on a few blogs and I’ve no idea whether this is feasible or fantasy; Can clubs like Buchanhaven Hearts bring forward kick off to attract fans from a nearby bigger club. I believe the Hearties could increase their gate by over 50% if this is allowed with a bit of forward planning as I for one would’ve gone to both today. I chose the junior game so the club got my cash anyway but most will head to the professional game if given the choice.

Preview

This is opening day for most of Scotland’s leagues barring one or two but I knew I wanted to come up north and this for me was the standout fixture.
There is only about 8 miles between the two clubs making this a derby game and as the League Cup groups are drawn at random it’s great that this fixture was pulled out of the hat. I’ll always pick a derby if I can so the game chose itself. The clubs were in different divisions last season with the Hearties playing at a higher level but the two have been amalgamated meaning they’ll play at least another twice this campaign.
It’s pretty cutthroat and there’s no real room for error. Only the group winners will progress to the quarter finals and with the other two sides being Longside (another local team) and Colony Park (probably the group favourites) it’s fair to say there’s a lot riding on this one.
I’d heard that Cruden Bay were traditionally a team that have struggled in the past few years but with a recent resurgence. This aligns with the recent results between the two. The last time these teams played was late 2020 with Cruden Bay the victors. Before that it seemed that Buchanhaven Hearts would dish out a bit of a doing and the fixture was rarely close. On that basis I’ve no idea what to expect, goals I hope.

The Match

Buchanhaven Hearts started on the front foot and dominated the bulk of possession. Their game plan seemed to get the ball forward as quickly as possible and use the physicality of their two front men (probably the two tallest lads on the park) to get a bit of success. Cruden Bay chose to play a fairly high line and the Hearties were trying to make the most of the space in behind and it seemed like a matter of time before they’d get one of these right. The first chance fell to Darren Batty who latched on to a misjudged bouncing ball but with the keeper onrushing to close down the angle, the forward had to take his shot early and his chip bounced wide of the post. The home side suffered a blow when Batty (who looked the most dangerous) had to be replaced soon after due to injury.
Still with the bulk of possession 34 minutes in, Hearts took the lead. Lewis Brown beat the keeper to a bouncing ball and his header bounced towards goal. This was cleared but was judged to have crossed the line by the referee.
Very hard to tell from where I was but my first instinct is that it was in so no complaints here. Cruden Bay hadn’t shown much by this point and the HEarties were in full control.
Shortly before half time the ref had another big call to make. Bay’s Gary Stuart incensed the home dugout with his strong challenge in the corner. He took plenty of the ball but the force in this situation seemed needless and certainly caught the player too. I think there MAY have been a case for a red here but the fact he took so much of the ball probably saved him. Not an easy call for the ref to make but I can understand why only a yellow this time.
Half time and the home side were comfortable. Their only complaint will be not making the most of their dominance and that’d come back to bite them.
10 minutes into the second half and it was game on. An delicately chipped through ball from number 9 Shawn Bruce found the run of Angus Calder who rounded the keeper and slotted home for parity. A great goal to be fair!
This changed the tide of the game a little and the Bay were now giving as good as they got. Hearts were still attempting their ball over the top and it did look like they’d get some success from it but you have to give the away sides defence credit as they always seemed to find a way to deal with the danger. It was a slick passing move that gave them a chance for 2-1 but whilst Ross Walker struck the ball well, Bay’s goalkeeper was equal to it.
Cruden bay then went on to take the lead by a player I deliberately haven’t mentioned until now (don’t worry, I’ll speak a little more about him in the MOTM section). Celmiro Mussunda, who had been starved of much service rinsed both of Hearts centre backs putting himself through to side foot the ball into the net for 2-1. Jake Ritchie in goals actually got a toe on this and did well to do so but realistically had no chance of making the save.
Hearts huffed and puffed but were deflated as Cruden Bay were awarded a penalty. Elijah Ogunwale won the ball deep inside Heart’s half and was wiped out in the box by Mark Duncan. No real complaints from anyone other than Duncan himself, definitely the correct decision but their hopes of salvaging something were kept alive as Jake Ritchie made a fantastic save to deny Angus Calder his second.
Full time and it’s a wee bit of an upset.

Buchanhaven Hearts 1-2 Cruden Bay

MOTM

I tried not to mention him much in the report as I wanted to give him his own section. Celmiro Mussunda is a player I’d have paid the fiver to watch if he was the only man on the pitch. He’s a young lad (18 I believe) and I’m unsure where he was picked up from and even less unsure how he’s playing at this level.
Head shoulders knees and toes better than anyone else on the pitch.
His first touch, decision making, agility and his ability to dribble was an absolute joy to behold and if any other North Junior representatives read this – you’ve been warned. You simply can’t get the ball off him and he will hurt you.
The only real shame if that he didn’t see too much of the ball as Hearts had dominated possession. In the second half he had switched from the wing to the centre forward and despite being starved of much service he’s made something out of nothing and won the game.
He’s picked the ball up from deep, sent two defenders to the shops scored for 2-1. I’ve learned that Cruden Bay have tied him down on a 2 year deal which is extremely smart business as when bigger clubs inevitably take an interest in this lad, Cruden Bay will get some sort of fee. What a player.

Summary

This was an excellent day out. A extremely competitive full blooded derby match on the opening day of the season – this was certainly worth the trip. I’d come to see Buchanhaven Hearts who unfortunately lost the game but that’s football, there are no guarantees.
Raemoss Park and Peterhead are good places to visit so if you ever get the opportunity, do it.
Cruden Bay have stolen the headlines and you have to give them a lot of credit. Stayed in the game when times were tough and got their reward in the end.
There were 100 fixtures close to me, I left the house at 5 to 6 in the morning and got home about 11pm at night but that’s what you do for fitba!
I’ll always remember this day as the time I first saw Celmiro Mussunda dazzle and excite me with his ability on the ball. Thoroughly enjoyable day out and all the best to the friendly people at the Hearties this season.

Welcome to Raemoss Park

A pitch invader

Club 52/283 – Motherwell

Match: Motherwell v Sligo Rovers
Date: 21/07/2022
Venue: Fir Park, Motherwell
Competition: Europa Conference League, 2nd Qual Round (1st leg)
Entry Fee: £20
Travel: £6.20
Miles completed today: 36
Total miles remaining: 36026

In this episode I go on a European adventure. When starting out last season, Motherwell were part of a small pool of clubs I was most excited to do. I’ll start by saying I am very neutral when it comes to the well. I do not support them, I don’t have a ‘soft spot’ and it really doesn’t put me up nor down whether they do well or not but I will happily admit that they’re a club I have the utmost respect for.
In an age of millionaire owners controlling clubs for an ego boost and personal gain, Motherwell to me have always been the benchmark of a community club.
They’re great campaigners for mental health and lay claim to being the first professional football club to adorn mental health charities on their shirts. More recently the club asked supporters who were able to donate to a fund that would see season and match tickets given to low income households. The support responded and raised an incredible £70,000 towards the initiative.
I’ll also admit to having an admiration for chief exec. Alan Burrows who I believe to be open, honest and transparent regarding how the club is run. If there’s ever a club in Scottish football you can really get behind and be made to feel welcome then its undoubtedly Motherwell FC.

It’s important to realise just how important European progression is to Scottish clubs. Champions League qualification will bank Celtic north of £30m this season. It was estimated that Rangers Europa run last term banked them around £50m whilst Hearts (who are guaranteed group stage football) can expect to see at least £4/5m worst case.
The format of these competitions benefit the rich – there’s no doubt about that. The only way Scotland’s coefficient rises is for Scottish teams to at minimum win the ties they’re favourites for. However clubs like Motherwell by progressing can push themselves to the next level. Progression and the money that comes with it could mean a new player or give them a fighting chance of hanging on to the best of their current crop, it’s not to be underestimated.
Motherwell have been handed a winnable tie in the form of Irish side Sligo Rovers. I’m no expert on football outside of Scotland’s borders but whilst we always complain that we can’t compete at European level due to a gulf in finances, that won’t be the case here. There’s no two ways about it, Motherwell should be progressing but of course that’s not how football works.
I’m not going to get all political on what to call Ireland so I’ll go with UEFA terms. Motherwell have never faced opposition from the Republic of Ireland in a competitive fixture before so history would be made here.

The Ground

I have to credit the club for their sensible pricing structure around this game – £15 for adult season ticket holders is very fair whilst the passing punters like myself can come along for £20. When buying the ticket there was no admin fee or service charge which is a small win for the customer but should be complimented all the same. Like most bigger grounds now, pop your e-ticket into the scanner and you’re in, dead easy!
The Motherwell supporters really blew me away. Even on approach to the ground, hearing the corteo with their songs whilst gazing through the haze of their red and orange coloured flares was a sight to behold. You don’t get much of a perspective of the ground from the outside. It’s tight to the surrounding roads with brick for as far as you can see but once you’re inside it’s tidy, colourful with a great view. I took my seat in the Davie Cooper stand and eavesdropped into a couple of fan conversations (I know you shouldn’t, but we all do don’t we?). They spoke of their excitement and nervousness. I’d describe their mood as cautiously optimistic. It wasn’t long till kick off and the Motherwell support unveiled a tifo and the chanting began. I doubt Fir Park is like this every week but the fans were magnificent.
The Phil O’Donnell stand is clearly the oldest with the other 3 looking quite modern. They’re all fairly tight to the pitch which I think improves the atmosphere.

The Game

So I’ve talked Motherwell up. The club and fans are fantastic! It’s always my remit to talk positively about clubs and I’ve done that but what I saw on the pitch honestly, shocked me.
I mean no disrespect to Sligo Rovers but they looked a limited side. They were compact, well drilled and physical but I didn’t really feel like they were capable of hurting Motherwell.
They sent out an early warning as Karl O’Sullivan found himself in behind the Motherwell back line and his cross found Will Fitzgerald who could only blast the ball over the bar under intense pressure.
Motherwell dominated the ball without creating much. They relied on crossfield balls to create space but too often slowed the game down before running out of options much to the supporters frustration.
It was in the 27th minute disaster struck as Bevis Mugabi’s attempted to head the ball back to Liam Kelly but sold him short and former Jambo Aidan Keena nipped in to lob the onrushing Kelly and send Sligo in to a shock lead. The worst part was that you could really see it coming a few seconds before it happened. The height of the ball, the distance from goal and the positioning of Keena – I’m not surprised it ended in tears.
It was at this point the Motherwell fans began to turn a little. Towards the end of the half Connor Shields missed what can only be described as a sitter. This did however encourage the home support who felt that if they created chances like this then they’d take one eventually.
The issue in the second half was that they never did. Motherwell, dominating and (in my eyes) with better players resorted to lumping long balls in the direction of Kevin van Veen and look to play off the scraps. I feel like this was a bit of a leveller as for the limited side Sligo looked, they were handy in the air and quick enough to deal with balls in behind.
Much to even my frustration at this point, Motherwell would continue to play this way for the entirety of the half and as the minutes ticked by, the quality of the crosses and long balls diminished. I’d go as far to say it was easy for the Sligo Rovers defence to deal. I get that it’s a style of play and something Motherwell have had success in doing but it clearly wasn’t working – why does everything have to be in the air?
By this point the fans had completely turned on the team and I’m not sure I can really blame them. Sligo Rovers held on (comfortably) for a famous 1-0 victory and the sound of the referee’s whistle was greeted with some of the most intense booing I’ve witnessed at a game.

Full time: Motherwell 0-1 Sligo Rovers

MOTM

Shane Blaney was outstanding for Sligo Rovers. He dominated the box and the aerial duels and got the better of Kevin van Veen who we all know is a handful. Every ball that was thrown into the box seemed to be met with his head. Full of determination, aggression and always in the right area to deal with the danger – a textbook centre half performance.

Summary

The Motherwell supporters got right behind their team on a wonderful occasion and they were let down by those on the pitch. If you’ve followed this blog for a wee while you’ll know I watch football at all levels in Scotland to a varying standard and that was right up there with one of the worst performances I’ve seen.
To the support, I salute you and my respect towards Motherwell football club remains as positive as ever. The colour, the noise and the passion surpassed my expectations and had Motherwell won it’d be in contention for my favourite trip so far.
On the pitch I fear for Motherwell a wee bit. They’ve still the second leg to negotiate but if a different approach isn’t taken they’ll suffer the same fate. Graham Alexander didn’t have much grace with the Steelmen support for the performances in the second half of last term and this certainly didn’t help his case.
In an ideal world, Motherwell win the second leg, Alexander proves me wrong and Motherwell impress everyone with their football this season – I hope that’s the case. Thanks for having me steelmen!

The fan tifo. Full of colour and noise

The Phil O’Donnell (main) stand

Club 51/283 – Partick Thistle

Match: Partick Thistle v Fraserburgh
Date: 19/07/2022
Venue: Firhill Stadium, Glasgow
Competition: League Cup, Group Stage
Entry Fee: £12
Travel: £2.70
Miles completed today: 14
Total miles remaining: 36062

Welcome to season 2. It was just over a year ago I embarked on an ambitious pilgrimage to see every team in Scotland’s pyramid play at home. If you’re here for the first time, hello!
I’ve chosen to start with an easy trip. The area is somewhere I know really well having walked the canal a hundred times when I lived close by. It is the turn of Partick Thistle for a Groundhopscot visit.
If there’s anything Scottish football does well it’s slagging each other. Partick Thistle supporters have gained a reputation as being rather posh and while it’s all stereotypical nonsense – that’s their place in the patter chain and they’ve to be fair, they’ve embraced it.
I’m of the opinion that every club has a USP or quirk and Partick Thistle’s is undoubtedly Kingsley. Never has a mascot been so brilliant yet terrifyingly baffling and a masterclass in PR at the same time. What is Kingsley? I’ve no idea. A monster of some sort that looks like nothing you’ve seen before but it’s iconic and I’d get more of a buzz out of seeing it than the kids.

Kingsley!

The Ground

Firhill is a three stand stadium that the club have played at since 1909. The main stand is named after lotto winning super fan Colin Weir who gave his fortunes to the club in their time of need. Behind the goal is the ‘tell him he’s Pele’ John Lambie stand and I’d be sitting in the stand named after a man who spent 52 years representing the club in numerous capacities – Jackie Husband. It’s changed a lot over the years, the greyhound track is gone as is the terracing but it’s an impressive size in a convenient location.
One of the first sites you’ll see when walking to the ground is a fantastic painted mural of club legend Davie McParland who made almost 600 appearances for the club. The view was unfortunately obstructed by parked cars so I’ve used a picture I took a few months back when passing. Upon entering the turnstile I was greeted with a table with large cups of water available for all fans to take for free. A club thinking about their fans? That’ll never catch on, but well done Thistle!
It’s the hottest day of the year in Scotland and even walking at a leisurely pace from the city centre had me sweating so whilst the water was a simple thing to do it was much appreciated.
Another bonus of Firhill is their kebab pies. This was a terrific effort and I was more than happy to be lured away from my usual steak. Maybe a wee bit pricey at £3.50 but let’s not split hairs, there’s good scran and free water. 10/10.

A brilliant half eaten kebab pie

Preview

It’s the League Cup group stages and Partick have given themselves a real chance. After a penalties win v Kilmarnock (gaining 2 points) and a win over Stenhousemuir, The Jags are clear favourites to win the group and qualify for the last 16.
The club have history in this competition winning it once in 1971. An unfancied Thistle side took on a Celtic side full of superstars in the height of their powers… and pumped them 4-1! Highlights of the game are on Youtube with Alex Rae’s opener well worth a viewing.
It’s also the first ever competitive meeting between the two sides. I’d seen the Broch lift the Highland League at the end of last season and they’re no mugs but I’ve been extremely impressed with Partick Thistle’s recruitment so far.
Harry Milne is one of the best left backs outside of the Premiership whilst McMillan, Fitzpatrick, Lawless and Muirhead are all familiar faces returning for another spell.
My only criticism is that the club struggled for goals in the second half of last season but two further additions in Cole McKinnon and Tony Weston on loan from Rangers bolster their attacking options and both come highly rated.

Odds:
Partick Thistle 1/8
Draw 13/2
Fraserburgh 18/1

I fancied a comfortable home win. The Broch are good but Partick look strong and I expected them to put on a show. The group stages tend to draw in lower crowds for all clubs so I’m not expecting a huge atmosphere. It’s essentially an extension of pre season and I doff my cap to the 30/40 Fraserburgh fans who made it down to Glasgow for an evening fixture – it’s some trip! Both clubs will have bigger fish to fry this season and that’s understandable.

The Game

The first chance of the game fell for Fraserburgh and it really been converted. Lewis Duncan’s ball from the left found Aidan Combe and despite the guy directly behinding me loudly shouting ‘aw naw’ the shot was tame and straight at Jamie Sneddon.
Partick Thistle took control of the match shortly after and this became the theme of the game. Kyle Turner had the best of the Jags opportunities coming close twice and despite bombarding the Broch box with corners, they were all dealt with partly due to the aerial dominance of Kieran Simpson at the back.
The opening goal was scored by Bryan Hay in the 33rd minute when he met Jack McMillan’s low cross at the back post but unfortunately for the Broch it was turned in to his own net.
Steven Lawless saw plenty of the ball and looked sharp whilst Thistle looked for the head of Brian Graham but there was no way through for the most part.
Partick should’ve went into the break with an extended lead but both Cole McKinnon and Cammy Smith missed one on one chances.
It was a comfortable half for Thistle but Fraserburgh were still in the game.
The Broch rolled the dice by bringing on Scott Barbour who scored 32 in 34 league games last season but their attacking threat was less than that of the first half.
In a much less eventful half of football we did see another goal. Kevin Holt pulled off the searching ball for Brian Graham that Thistle had unsuccessfully attempted numerous times previously and the big man controlled well before drilling the ball into the opposite bottom corner.
Partick Thistle were in total control and could’ve had a third as Tony Weston got in behind the defence but whilst his lashed effort was a good one, Joe Barbour’s was equal to it in an early save of the season contender.

Full time: Partick Thistle 2-0 Fraserburgh.

MOTM

Cole McKinnon gets both the official and my accolade. The young man is an exciting ‘bums off seats’ kind of player and I think Partick Thistle fans will enjoy watching him this season. He was Rangers B player of the season last term and made his first team debut on the last day. He’s comfortable on the ball, forward thinking and he won’t be short of goals and assists. Should’ve bagged a goal but that willingness to run from deep beyond a striker is a rare, sought after commodity and one I’m sure Thistle will benefit from over the course of the season. An excellent introduction to the Jags faithful.

Summary

The game panned out almost exactly as I’d expected. Partick in control and comfortable for the majority of the match. They can be more clinical but did what they had to do, got the job done and should they beat Montrose at the weekend they’ll be in the hat for the last 16.
Firhill is easy to get to, a decent atmosphere and the club are in a good place on the park. I don’t think they’ll be lifting the Championship title but I reckon they’ll be comfortably in the play-offs and see no reason why they can’t better last seasons fourth place and challenge for a Premiership spot.

If you’re still not convinced to make the trip, come for Kingsley alone!

Finally, credit to the Thistle Archive. An impressive collection of all things Partick Thistle and a site I used to learn more about the club. A wonderful resource.

A view from the canal

A work of art… literally

Old disused turnstiles, a nice feature.

Kick off with the main stand in the background