Club 75/282 – Mid Annandale

Match: Mid Annandale v Upper Annandale
Date: 25/02/2023
Venue: New King Edward Park, Lockerbie
Competition: South of Scotland League (Tier 6)
Entry Fee: £3
Travel: £19.90
Miles completed today: 146
Total miles remaining: 33252

I’m of the belief that there’s a good time and a bad time to visit football clubs. Sometimes you can see it a mile off, others require a little investigation but may this entry act as proof of visiting a football club at exactly the right time.
The story of football in Lockerbie is a strange one. A club called Mid Annandale were founded as far back as 1877 but didn’t last to see the 1900’s. More attempts were made to bring football to the village and The Mids even played in Scottish Football League in the 1920’s but it wasn’t until well after WW2 when the current club were formed.
Before entering the South of Scotland league and latterly the pyramid, the club played amateur football as recently as 2003 and with a recent change of ground we get to where we are now.

I’ve been around enough clubs now to understand the importance of the vision and progression on and off the park and it’s glaringly obvious here more than ever.
After moving out of their grass park due to drainage problems and sharing with Annan Athletic until a suitable facility was available back home the new ground is right next to the old one.

The Ground

Other clubs would’ve settled having a shiny and new 4G astro cage to call home but Mids have been a little more ambitious. Others in their league have their SFA license and reap the benefits of competing in the Scottish Cup but it’s important not to underestimate the work and finance involved in this. From the outside looking in we’ll never really know how close they are off the field and in fact, I’m unsure the club have even publicly stated their intentions to get such license but I’m sure pretty certain they are.
Part of the licensing states that a club must have cover for 100 people which explains why there’s a brand spanking new stand with exactly 100 seats (96 + 4 wheelchair spaces). Toilet facilities have been installed and floodlights already exist – it’s a great time to visit. The Mids don’t strike me as a club with money to throw around and a lot of the upgrades have been installed via grants but it’s testament to the committee that they’ve secured/benefited from such funding.

Preview

The South of Scotland League is one I’m still learning about and if you look at the tables from last season and this, they’re completely different. Mid Annandale finished second bottom last term but find themselves in the top 4. Last seasons winners are 9th having won 4 of their 13 games. Get the picture? It’s mental! Still, football’s at it’s best when it’s competitive and unpredictable.
Based on recent form I’d expect the Mids to win this one but I’ve never seen either team play and am not sure what to expect.
You’d think that Mid Annandale and Upper Annandale is a derby but it’s not the case. Lockerbie and Moffat aren’t too far apart and obviously this is a regional division anyway but Lochmaben are the Mid’s main rival.
Here’s to an abundance of goals!

The Match

I was extremely impressed with Mid Annandale. The match ended 3-0 and could’ve (and from the home side’s perspective probably should’ve) been more. The Mids were superior in keeping the ball and looked a little fitter and stronger than their counterparts in blue.
The chances Mid Annandale missed were a real mixed back of ‘should do better’ ‘great save’ or just plain unlucky. Upper Annandale saw their fair share of the ball but too many misplaced passes were certainly taking their toll.
Watson and Hammond often found themselves in enough space to turn and drive at Upper’s defence and it was Hammond’s effort which led to the first goal as his powerful shot was diverted into the net with one touch by Neill. The second half was slightly more eventful but again, mostly in the home side’s favour.
Hammond again driving at Upper’s defence took the ball to the edge of the box and blasted into the opposite corner for the pick of the goals and 2-0. He was to score again from close range after Upper’s keeper (who’d made 2 or 3 good stops) who’s save rebounded into the box and Hammond reacted quickest scoring high into the net.
There were a lot of niggly fouls and frustration from the away side but thankfully this didn’t boil over.

Full time: Mid Annandale 3-0 Upper Annandale

Summary

This trip couldn’t have gone much better. A new ground with new features, exploring a part of the country I haven’t seen much of, a 3-0 win for the home side and I’m back in my bed for 9pm – bliss.
Mid Annandale have come on leaps and bounds on AND off the park even in the last 12 months and they’re still not quite the finished article meaning there’s more to come from these guys. The club have just under 200 players on their books throughout the age groups, 40 of those are girls too – it’s a club Lockerbie can be proud of.
I wasn’t sure what I expected from this trip but I’m sure I got more than I bargained for. Mon the good guys.

Club 74/283 – West Park United

Match: West Park United v BSC Glasgow
Date: 11/02/2023
Venue: Huntershill Sports Hub, Bishopbriggs
Competition: WOSFL Division 4
Entry Fee: £5
Travel: £1.70
Miles completed today: 20
Total miles remaining: 33468

Last season, The WOSFL Division 4 was tier 8 in the pyramid. After some positive restructuring and some new blood being introduced the division now sits at tier 10 and is (for now anyway) the bottom rung.
Everyone’s journey has to start somewhere and it was West Park United’s turn to be placed under my microscope as I embarked on a short journey to find out who they are and what they represent.

So my main question was this – “What do West Park United bring to the table?“

I always ramble on about how football clubs should strive to be the heart of a community but it doesn’t look as though West Park need my advice. The club have provided a vital outlet for local youngsters to play football since 1980 and now boast over 550 players on their books and even more commendable, over 100 of those are girls. The youth academy have helped produce household names in Scotland such as Simon Donnelly, Gerry Britton and Tam McManus but they do have a full international (and probably Scotland’s biggest talisman in the last 20 years) in James McFadden!
An issue the club faced was continuity for those too old to play youth football any longer. In 2021 an amateur men’s team was set up (the girls had done this 4 years previous) meaning a player could spend their entire playing career with the club.
In their first season as an amateur team they gained promotion but they’d never have a chance to play in the new division as they’d set their sights slightly higher.
I overheard a conversation between one of the West Park committee and one from Glenafton when the two met in a pre season friendly. West Park’s glory in the amateur set up did not go unnoticed and the bulk of their players were due to be snapped up by teams already in the pyramid who can of course pay the players. The clubs choices were to lose these players and try to rebuild or join the party. Whether they’d have looked to join the senior setup anyway or whether this was done purely out of necessity remains to be seen but their here and they’re flying at the moment

They’ve taken to senior football like a duck to water sitting second in the table with 13 wins and only 1 loss in 14 games. Unfortunately for them, Kilsyth Athletic have been outstanding, currently unbeaten and drawing only once. This leaves West Park 10 points behind but with 3 games in hand with the clubs still to meet later in the season. The only certainty is that West Park cannot afford to drop points if they’re to take the title and BSC Glasgow at home is a must win.
BSC have been steady themselves and are on course to finish higher in a more populous league with more points than last season.

McBookie prices:

West Park United 1/5
Draw 6/1
BSC Glasgow 11/2

I feel the odds are bang on. Most expect a home victory and I’m in the same camp.

The Ground

Huntershill Sports Hub is a fantastic facility with both astro and grass football pitches and some tennis courts if you fancy that. As the club don’t own the facility it’s understandably hard to make their mark with any sort of branding or amenities. Hidden at the back of the facility is the astro cage on which this game would be played. Admission at £5 for adults is fair and there were around 20 spectators in to watch. Before kick off I pondered whether the West Park youth teams also play on Saturday afternoons. With West Park being so new to this level I wondered how many in the local community knew this game was on or if they could let any of the youth teams in for free if the kids turned up wearing their teams colours. This would bring a real sense of interest and showcase the men’s fixtures, especially if they find themselves promoted and play against the more traditional old school junior clubs who have built fanbases over 100+ years.
Maybe it’s not possible and maybe I’m speaking out of turn, but it’s certainly food for thought.
On the whole, this is a basic facility but with West Park’s senior side only existing for less than two years and only a few months in the pyramid time is on their side, I’m just early to the party.

The Game

From the two games I’ve watched West Park play it’d seem they’re only at this level of the pyramid because you need to start from the bottom. I see them as a similar side to last seasons champions Finnart who have held their own in the division above – I’m sure West Park would manage the same.
BSC played fairly well and frustrated the home side for half an hour but were ultimately outclassed by some moments of real quality. Conor Irvine gave the BSC left back a tough time and found himself in behind twice in the first half but lacked the composure in front of goal. West Park identified that Irvine was getting success down that side and tried the diagonal ball in behind at every opportunity and why not, it was working.
In my opinion the two best players on the park were Irvine and Steffan Graham who linked up beautifully for the opener. Irvine’s reverse pass was weighted to perfection and Graham’s run found him with the space and time to float the ball high into the net. This came just after BSC had their best spell of the match – the perfect time to score.
The second came not long after as a corner evaded the masses including BSC’s keeper to fall to Jordan Thompson who headed into the empty net from close range
The second half was full of half chances and nearly moments but there would only be one more goal. A mix up at the back ended with the ball falling to Conor Irvine who eventually got his goal as his strike found the back of the net.
Good entertainment for a fiver and West Park in control for the most park.

Full time: West Park United 3-0 BSC Glasgow

MOTM

In what could be a first in the 74 clubs I’ve put into the blog, I’m struggling to pick between any of the 3 scorers. Jordan Thompson is very good off the ball shown by his intelligent run to the back post to score his goal. He was also given West Park’s MOTM.
Steffan Graham was the most technical player on the park and his ability to drift past players and get out of tight spaces with the ball glued to his feet was a joy to watch.
Finally everytime Conor Irvine got on the ball there would be an opportunity to score shortly after. His pace and close control got him into many dangerous areas and for a little more luck he’d have walked away with the match ball and a few assists.
I’ll give it to Irvine based on the impact he had on the result.

Summary

A comfortable win for a team that absolutely needed to. West Park have been massively impressive this season and they’ve kept their title hopes alive. I’m impressed with their ability throughout the team and not surprised at all they’ve only lost 1 game in the league so far. Their consistency is commendable and had more of their chances been converted we could’ve been talking about a 6 or 7 goal game.
BSC played fairly well and in all honesty got closer to West Park and I’d anticipated. The only real disappointment is that they didn’t get a goal themselves.
There’s no doubt a little work to be done off the pitch in terms of getting spectators through the gate but again, it’s very early days on this front and I think the club will be more than happy with where they are.

Football clubs in Scotland’s pyramid all have their own aims and remits but there will always be space for those as committed to developing young players as West Park United and that alone proves their worth.
The last few weeks of this division will be exciting and I urge those reading to follow with intrigue. Even better, should West Park win their games in hand I doubt there’ll be a bigger game in non league football than their upcoming game v Kilsyth Athletic which COULD decide the destination of the title – the club deserve a bumper crowd to showcase their talent to, get along!
it’s early days for the club but the sky really is the limit and if it’s not too much to ask, another James McFadden would be nice..

Best of luck in the title race and Mon the Park.

Club 73/283 – Bridge of Don Thistle

Match: Bridge of Don Thistle v Dyce
Date: 04/02/2023
Venue: Aberdeen Sports Village, Aberdeen
Competition: North Premier League
Entry Fee: £5
Travel: £23.70
Miles completed today: 304
Total miles remaining: 33488

If you ask the majority of the UK to name a one club city Aberdeen will undoubtedly be one of the most mentioned. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Not to mention that Cove Rangers have made their mark in Scottish football in the last few years but lurking in the depths of the pyramid are a whole host of non league clubs. In the shadow of Pittodrie (literally) I was on my way to visit one.
Now I won’t pretend I knew a lot about non league football up in Aberdeenshire, the names of the clubs were all familiar but that’s as far as my knowledge stretched. I’m pretty certain I hadn’t heard of one though, Bridge of Don Thistle. It turns out the club have had a whole host of identities in their 40 year existence being initially formed as Wilson’s XI, then Hillhead, Bridge of Don Thistle, Newburgh Thistle (who I had heard of) and seemed to have finally settled on Bridge of Don Thistle again.
I planned this ground about a month in advance but this isn’t the fixture I had expected to see. Bridge of Don & East End had been pencilled in for this date and they have the closest two grounds in Scotland (yes, beating the big two in Dundee). You can literally kick the ball from one to the other so I thought I’d be witnessing a derby like no other.
The fixture was moved as East End are in cup action so the match today vs Dyce has been moved forward from March. It’s 3rd v 4th in the league and coincidentally Dyce are the only current North Premier League club I’ve visited so far – and I fair enjoyed that.

The Ground

Now that we’re acquainted let’s talk about the ground. Aberdeen Sports Village is like a leisure centre on steroids. The football ground sits at the side of the building an doubles up as an athletics stadium. I have to be totally honest and say I was warned that the spectator experience wasn’t great here beforehand but I have to completely disagree.
The stand is the impressive part here being able to seat around 500 spectators. How many non league grounds in Scotland have that?! Also advantageous is that the stand does give an elevated view. I’ve been to other grounds with running tracks and tried to watch from eye level which is a bit like watching legs but here you’re close enough and high enough to see the shape of the teams and a better view of what transpires.
The club also had the sense to place multiple match balls around the pitch meaning that full backs would no longer have to run 40 yards after a ball when it was kicked out. It’s a little thing that goes a long way.
As I sat in the stand pre kick off I could see what looked like a youth game going on at East End’s Park in front of me (not quite close enough to see the action) and to my right in the skyline was the famous Richard Donald Stand of Pittodrie.
The crowd numbers were almost exactly as I’d expected from my experience of others up here and Dyce brought a good following too. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder that with Aberdeen kicking off 3pm at home if this game could’ve been moved to 12:30 tin the hope of enticing some of the Dons faithful into a double header of football. Even if 15/20 decide to do this it’d raise Bridge of Don’s gate significantly and whilst I have no idea whether this is allowed or not surely any help we can give our clubs at this level, the better?
I believe there’s plans to move from here eventually, where and when I don’t know but this ground in it’s current state is probably not too far away from licensing if that’s something the club wish to investigate.

Preview

I had high expectations for this game. Culter and Hermes are flying and it looks as though one of these will be lifting the title but the race for best of the rest is well and truly on.
Impressively, Bridge of Don had finished second last term behind runaway leaders Banks O’Dee but Dyce are a strong side and I expected it to be close.
McBookie had priced the home side as 4/7 favourites but whilst I wasn’t willing to get off the fence I did think these odds were a little stingy, the game looked tighter than that. This is the first time the teams have met this season but last time out Bridge of Don won 3-0 so Dyce would be out for revenge.

The Game

As the teams battled for supremacy I was making an embarrassing mistake. Bridge of Don’s logo has a black outline and a white background so I thought the team in black in white was them for the first 10 minutes. I only correct my mistake when a few of the Dyce fans voiced their discontent at a refereeing decision and as I looked at them thinking “he’s given that to you” I realised… Oops! Bridge of Don were in their home blue kit and the fact I didn’t know that probably tells me I need to get to games in this league more often.
This game is probably best described as scrappy but I really enjoyed the combative nature of both sides. We had heavy tackles, grapples and even a few kicks off the ball and this was a common theme throughout the 90. When one side decides to play this way it’s poor form but when both do it’s fair game – I’m unsure whether there’s bad blood here or if something had happened in the previous match between the two but this felt like a proper grudge game.
If you’ve read my blogs for a while you’ll know I rather annoyingly stick up for referees rather than slate them but this was one of the strangest performances I’d ever seen. Some of the clearest fouls were not given and the display was summed up in the second half when Dyce cut the ball back in the box but was intercepted by a defender (with no attacker near) but only as far as the initial crosser and the ref blew for offside. He had his work cut out regardless but didn’t make things easy for himself either.
Bridge of Don had the two biggest chances of the first half. Milne found himself through after a deflection fell into his path but his effort was tame and straight at the keeper. Later Muirhead made a little space for himself on the left hand side and unleashed a powerful effort across goal but Cook in the Dyce goal was equal to it again, this time with an outstanding save to turn the ball round the post.
The half ended goalless and this was probably a fair reflection of two evenly matched teams.
Dyce came out the second half flying and dominated the majority. Byars, the tallest man on the pitch was a nuisance up front for Dyce but with his first opportunity to show a bit of quality he took superbly. Receiving the ball with his back to goal inside the box he’s turned the defender giving himself just enough space to rifle the ball into the opposite bottom corner – a top strike for 1-0.
Whilst Bridge of Don would have to hold their hands up and applaud the quality of the first goal, the second was completely avoidable. Robertshaw rushed out of his goals to make a clearance but missed the ball completely giving Garnham the opportunity to roll it into an empty net from the edge of the box.
A disappointing result for Bridge of Don but Dyce’s second half display was excellent and I feel the score was fair on that basis.

Full time: Bridge of Don Thistle 0-2 Dyce

MOTM

I’ll go for Gavin Byars of Dyce FC. In a game where you had to win physical battles the size and persistence of Byars was proving tough to handle. His goal in particular was fantastic and I feel that without that moment of quality we may have been heading for a goalless draw.

Summary

It may not have been Bridge of Don’s day, nor did I see them at their best but this game had it all. I enjoy watching teams get stuck in and paying a fiver to see players at loggerheads with each other for 90 minutes may not be for the purists but it’s great entertainment value. I’d like to give Dyce a lot of credit too as they’re ultimately winners on the day and matched their opponents before taking reigns in the second half – they’ll be delighted with 3 points here.

Contrary to some of what I’d heard I like the ground and it’s absolutely fit for purpose. Still, if the plans are to move and give themselves a home with a little more character then there’s certainly room for that too.
Since the club (under their former name) came into the Junior fold in 2000 the club have won 1 trophy – a Division One East (2nd tier of the region) back in 2015 and I can’t help but think that with the strength of their side at this moment there’s no reason why they can’t add a cup or two over the next few seasons, I’d like to see that happen.

Best of luck and thanks for having me!