Club 66/283 – Glasgow University

Match: Glasgow University v Glasgow United
Date: 11/11/2022
Venue: Penny Cars Stadium, Airdrie
Competition: WOS Division 2
Entry Fee: £5
Travel: £6
Miles completed today: 42
Total miles remaining: 34336

I was never sure how I felt about Uni/College teams when I started this project. Part of me thought they weren’t real clubs but after visiting Edinburgh College last year I learned just how far wide of the mark my opinion was.
Glasgow University are one of Scotland’s oldest clubs and it’s great to see them in the pyramid. They’ve been in the amateur setup, they obviously still compete in the University leagues but their first team have found their place in the second division of the West of Scotland Football League. The Uni have also competed in the senior Scottish cup 37 times from 1878 to their respectable extra time defeat to Albion Rovers just a few weeks back, there’s a lot of history here – one of their ex players (William Beveridge) represented Scotland whilst at the club and not many (or any) at tier 8 of the pyramid can say that.
So how do they get their players? Going back to Edinburgh College last season I discovered that players don’t necessarily need to be enrolled and they work the same way most other clubs do. This doesn’t apply to Glasgow Uni and that makes their recruitment process interesting.
The big advantage is that players of a good standard will always come to play here and why wouldn’t you? Studying (presumably full time), regular training from high calibre coaches with excellent facilities with a squad full of like minded people. The only downside is that the players have a life span of only a few years before they move on to pastures new and rebuilds are needed every other year. Not many clubs operate this way but it’s another quirk of Scottish football.

Preview

Friday night football under the lights (and especially in non league football) is special. We have a Glasgow derby but the game is being played in Airdrie. Glasgow Uni may be based out of their very own Garscube Sports Complex in the city but their first team share with Airdrieonians and as their SPFL housemates matches take priority on Saturdays you can quite often find the Uni here for an evening fixture and that’s the case here.
It’s been a tough start for both. The Uni are 3 points ahead of their opponents from Shettleston but both are lingering around the bottom end of the table. I have some sort of record over the games I’ve been to and teams I’ve seen but I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen either play before so I have little idea when it comes to expectations.
McBookie have the home side down as 1/2 favourites which doesn’t feel very generous based on the current league table but they have faced this season already with the Uni taking a 2-0 victory away from home.
The wind as I left Glasgow was blistering and I expected to see this dictate the way the game is played and hoped for a wind assisted 40 yarder, here’s hoping!

The Ground

After Broadwood, the Penny Cars (or Excelsior) becomes the second ground I’ve blogged twice. My project is to visit every team in the Scottish pyramid playing at home which does mean I’ll have to visit some twice. From Glasgow, Airdrie is easy to get to – £6 return on a train which is actually pretty reasonable – a rare win for Scotrail.
Speaking of Scotrail, would you believe me if I said the train broke down en route and the service terminated at Coatdyke. Thankfully, that’s just a 45 minute walk from the ground and I don’t mind. The weather had calmed and it was dry throughout – it could always be worse.
Just like Airdrieonians, tickets must be bought online beforehand and access if granted through a stewart with a scanner standing by an exit door – no turnstiles in action.
There’s no branding or anything different between Airdrieonians and the Uni playing here but the ground holds over 10,000 and it’s strange being in a stadium of that size with a little less than 100 in the crowd.
The only real disappointment was that there’s nae pies on offer!

The Game

This was a game I really enjoyed. Although it’s been a tough season for both so far there’s 3 points on offer and it was clear that both sides wanted it.
I was pleased to see that both sides can play and were happy to build from the back and keep the ball when need be and for much of this game they’d take turns attacking each other meaning neither team really had a long spell of being on top which you normally see in games.
The first half was a battle of the number 7’s. Scott Davidson for the visitors and Sisi for the hosts.
The first opportunity came from the away side after some outstanding distribution from their trialist keeper saw Scott Davidson in behind the Uni’s back line but it’s easily saved.
Sisi opened the scoring after Wight found him in space on the right hand side and the winger drove to the edge of the box before smashing the ball into the net. It was a wee bit central but I’ll give the keeper the benefit of the doubt as the ball was struck with plenty of venom and a little movement.
At times it seemed that both sides were almost exclusively looking for their number 7’s as they were at the centre of everything. Sisi’s pace was causing problems whilst Davidson is capable of beating 2 or 3 men and rarely gives the ball away.
The second half was feisty. As Glasgow United’s desperation grew and the Uni tried to protect their slender advantage the competitive nature of the players sometimes got the better of them. Crunching tackles, arguments, pushing off the ball and at one point, a mini rammy! I do feel for the referee as he had his work cut out. Multiple cards were dished out (some for dissent too) and one of United’s coaches was sent off.
There was another goal in this for sure but the excitement was trying to guess which way it’d go. With the game drawing to a close the Uni sealed their victory as Adams burst down the right hand side with an overlapping run and cut the ball back to the substitute Strang who tapped home from 6 yards. The scoreline was the same as when the teams met back in September.

Glasgow University 2-0 Glasgow United

MOTM

I’m going to go with a player I didn’t even mention when describing the game. Glasgow United’s Dylan Cameron had an excellent game in the middle of the park. Every time he picked up the ball he always seemed to be in about 5 yards of space and that’s an art! His passing range was impressive whether that be a pinpoint crossfield pass or a delicate chip in behind the Uni’s defence – I really enjoyed watching him play even if it wasn’t his teams night. I feel like that’s harsh on the Uni not to award the MOTM to one of them however I was more impressed with their collective and their effort.

Summary

Having a train break down before your destination to sit in a largely empty stadium to watch a game in cold and windy conditions doesn’t sound like a great Friday night but it absolutely was.
I want to credit both teams for serving up a feisty, entertaining encounter and some extra kudos to the Uni for standing up to their streetwise opponents and taking all 3 points on the night.
Tickets are reasonable priced and despite not playing in Glasgow, Airdrie is a location that’s easily reached and I wonder if Airdrieonians fans know the game is being played as I’m sure some locals are looking for something cheap to do on a Friday night – there’s yer answer!
I’ll most likely make this trip again to watch the students play and it’s great to see one of our oldest clubs still competing in the senior setup after losing so many over the years. With so many weeknight games, I wonder if PG & Dak can get down for a Vlog and give them a little limelight?

Club 65/283 – Sauchie

Match: Sauchie v Vale of Leithen
Date: 01/11/2022
Venue: Beechwood Park, Sauchie
Competition: EOS Premier League
Entry Fee: £8
Travel: £12.60
Miles completed today: 76
Total miles remaining: 34378

October was a complete disaster for groundhopping. Not one trip successfully completed for a number of reasons but we move, and I’ve picked one of my most highly anticipated clubs to visit first.
Sauchie was a club and I’ll be honest, a place I’d never heard of a couple of years ago. It is however the local stomping ground of the Fitba Nomad and he’s always talked up the club so it’s a pleasure to head along and see what all the noise is about.
The club were originally Juveniles before moving into the Juniors and recently joined the mass exodus into the senior setup and the pyramid.
They’ve had two colossal names within Scottish football in their ranks. Alan Hansen at the start of his career and George Connelly towards the end of his. From the outside looking in the club seem to be in a good place. They’re going strong in the East of Scotland Premier Division and are fully licensed so I knew this would be a decent setup but I’d be totally taken back as to how good this actually was.
At Sauchie the same thought entered my head over and over – “This is what football’s all about”. The first time I had this thought was about half a mile away from the ground. I’d taken the train into Alloa and walked along to Sauchie to find Beechwood Park. On the way I spied an old guy braving the showers and the cold draped head to toe in Sauchie gear walking to the ground in a way I can only describe as a brisk stumble. This is his club and his age, distance and the weather conditions have been swept aside so he can lend his support.

The Ground

Beechwood Park itself is a hidden gem. If you weren’t looking for the ground you’d never find it as you take as the view of a football stadium is completely obscured from the main street. Not even the floodlights are visible, nor any signposts – in this moment I realised how much I take Google Maps for granted.
I’d seen pictures of Beechwood before but I can honestly say that none have done the place justice. There is so much space and so much to see. In the non league of Scotland you tend to find a sense of community often missing from the bigger clubs and Sauchie have this in abundance. Behind one of the goals is a large grassy area, not the kind of area you can watch the game from but it’s not supposed to be. It was dark and wet but this didn’t stop a large group of kids having their own game of football before the big game kicked off. It’s great seeing the youngsters at the games. In the olden days everyone supported local. Then came the era of Celtic and Rangers drawing support from anywhere and everywhere but in 2022 you often see kids supporting players rather than teams. PSG shirts because Messi plays there, Liverpool for Salah, Man United for Ronaldo – football’s changed and I suppose we have to accept that but seeing so many gather for a Tuesday night fixture is brilliant and they bring the noise with their drum and much to their credit – vocal support for the best part of 90 minutes.
I was greeted at the ground my Matthew Hollingworth. He’s one of the close knit committee as Sauchie and offered to give me a wee glance behind the scenes. I always feel a bit awkward when clubs go out their way to show me dressing rooms etc purely on the basis I’m a spectator like everyone else and others don’t get to see these parts and I certainly don’t require the fanfare but I really do appreciate the opportunity and as I know Matthew will probably read this I’d like to say thanks – a very nice guy as we spoke Sauchie, groundhopping and Stirling Albion!
It was at this point I became extremely impressed with the facilities Sauchie had. For starters, the stand. Few clubs at this level have something like this and the ones that do tend to have a bigger budget but Sauchie don’t have that kind of cash. The seated and elevated stand is similar to that of Linlithgows Prestonfield and you get a great view from up there. What I didn’t realise is the other facilities that Sauchie boast.
Underneath the stand sits their social club which was a hub of activity. The punters weren’t daft and neither are the club – Glass windows line the stand in the social club beneath the spectator area meaning punters can see all the action without leaving the warmth and some did exactly that.
I was also shown the home dressing room and this is nothing short of fantastic. I’ve seen inside some big stadiums, Hampden Park and Celtic Park for two and although Sauchie’s dressing room is obviously smaller than these multi million pound stadiums they look so much better. The players sit on red leather and every space is partitioned – it looks great.
Just when I thought I’d seen it all I was shown their hospitality lounge which is massive. This isn’t visible when you walk into the ground so I didn’t know this existed, I thought they’d use the social club as a hospitality space but the lounge is a real bonus ball.
They can fit up to about 120 people in the space kitted out with TV’s, a bar and plenty of tables – this is clearly an important revenue stream for the club and something they’ve put a lot of effort into builidng.
I was told of how Sauchie have begged, borrowed and acquired most features of their ground and they must be very good at this considering the funding required to boast the facilities that they have. A couple of the committee are retired builders for example and they rely heavily on community.
Another great example of this is their floodlights which they acquired when Falkirk’s old Brockville ground was demolished. A sheltered area at the far side of the ground came from here too but I think this may have been replaced since?
This would be a good incentive for Falkirk fans to come down and jog their memory!
Overall, this is one of the most impressive setups I’ve witnessed so far, massive props to the committee past and present.

Preview

So on to the match. The East of Scotland Premier is an ultra competitive cut throat league and I have the utmost respect for any teams able to compete at this level. Sauchie are currently mid table and only the top two of the league have scored more goals.
On the other end of the spectrum there are many teams in Scotland yet to find their place in the newly formed pyramid structure and tonights opponents Vale of Leithen fall into that category. They had a tough season in the Lowland League and after dropping into the East they’re finding the same fate with just 3 points in 11 games conceding 50 goals in the process. I don’t like seeing teams get a hammering but that’s sort of what I’m expecting and it is what it is.

Odds:
Sauchie 1/10
Draw 7/1
Vale of Leithen 10/1

The Match

I was told that the club weren’t expecting much of a crowd and I understand why. It’s cold, wet and there’s Champions League on the telly but I thought this was a decent crowd regardless. As the rain came down and the autumn leaves of the nearby woodlands glistened on the surface of the pitch it was time for kick off. I’d say this was predictable and unpredictable, that probably makes no sense but I’ll explain. Sauchie dominated from start to finish, in fact I’m not sure I’ve seen a more one sided match. They move the ball with purpose and intensity which impressed me.
They weren’t tested much at the back but the first half especially was shooting practice.
Sam Davidson opened the scoring after receiving the ball on the edge of the box before firing into the bottom corner – great finish.
Vale’s keeper made a loose pass out from the back and after good work on the wing Davidson was presented with a tap in to score his second of the evening.
At this point the drubbing most expected was very much on the cards but it’s fair to say Sauchie were a wee bit wasteful in front of goal. Chance after chance created but chance after chance not converted. The gulf between the sides was clear to see and I’m sure Vale would be happy going in at half time only two down.
One minute into the second half and Sauchie had scored again. Ross Kavanagh this time after a well timed run in behind the defence to net for three. This is something Sauchie are very good at. The timing of their passes in behind coupled with the timing of the strikers run meant they found themselves in behind on multiple occasions and I’d say they were virtually almost all onside. Giving Sauchie a bit of space is a big mistake.
To Vale’s credit, they rallied, improved and competed in the second half to keep the hungry hosts at bay. Sauchie still well on top and dominated but it was less of a siege than the first half.

The final whistle blew and a very fair results that I’m sure both teams would be fairly happy with. The unpredictability in this game was essentially the scoreline.

Sauchie 3-0 Vale of Leithen

MOTM

Sam Davidson got two of the three goals but I was impressed with his strike partner and scorer of Sauchie’s third, Ross Kavanagh. He’s pace and power is evident along with his aggression but this is controlled and uses it at the right time. What I mean by this is that he can get himself in front of a defender to receive a through ball even if he isn’t favourite to do so. He was unlucky not to have scored a couple more.

Summary

Everything I hoped it would be and more. Sauchie are the epitome of a community run club and I feel like I’ve picked up another favourite to add to an exclusive list that I may publish one day! The club have worked unbelievably hard to have the facilities and ground that they do and you have to see these for yourself it really is impressive.
Considering there’s so much local competition when it comes to football in teams like Alloa, Stirling and maybe even Falkirk, the team and support are strong. It’s less a ground that make a football club, it’s the people.