Match: Dunbar United v Haddington Athletic
Date: 09/09/2023
Venue: New Countess Park, Dunbar
Competition: East of Scotland Premier League (Tier 6)
Entry Fee: £8
Travel: £15.40
Miles completed today: 162
Total miles remaining: 30816
When I first had the idea around the project to see every club in Scotland play at home, I made a Twitter account and posted in some Facebook groups asking for advice. That was two and a bit years ago, and there’s one piece of advice that always stuck with me – “Dunbar is wasted unless you do it on a sunny day”.
I knew it was going to be a scorcher of a day but from a project perspective it made so much sense to travel far up north knowing that the game wouldn’t be cancelled but that piece of advice stuck with me.
Once I realised Dunbar were at home I wanted to go. Once I realised they were playing Haddington, I simply had to be there.
The Journey
When most people go to football they park their motor two seconds from the ground, get in for kick off and away home again but they miss out on the adventures. I’m 99% sure I’ve never been to Dunbar before and I wanted to see it. It’s a phenomenal place to take a walk around and kill an hour or two. I took the train from Glasgow to Edinburgh, then Edinburgh to Dunbar. I arrived early so I could explore but still wished I had more time! Just look at the views from the harbour.
Preview
I’d like to see as many grounds and clubs ‘at their best’ as possible. It’s been 5 and a half years since this fixture was last played at New Countess Park and if that’s not an occasion to enjoy I don’t know what is. I was able to look as far back as 2014 and Dunbar haven’t beaten Haddington in that time – could today be the day?
Haddington are the favourites and deservedly so. They’re sitting second in an ultra competitive league and have lost only 2 of their last 10 (winning the other 8)!
It’s been said that Dunbar have fallen off after a strong start but there’s a bigger picture here. After being promoted, if you’d offered them 12 points from 7 games they’d have been delighted with it. Usually when derbies come around there’s one team in the ascendency and the other have questions to answer but in this case, both are flying.
McBookie Odds:
Dunbar United 17/10
Draw 4/1
Haddington Athletic 4/5
The Ground
New Countess Park is just round the corner from Dunbar train station and looks like part of a much bigger sports complex. There have been big improvements here in the last couple of years and there’s never been a better time to visit. The main attraction is their new stand which is the envy of many other clubs at their level.
The thing I love most about this ground is the amount of benches dotted around the ground. I know they have a seated stand already, but this gives the older fans a bit of rest bite if they can’t stand for 90 minutes and I found that very thoughtful. At both entrances to the ground is a flag commemorating their 1961 Junior Cup win. Even better, a few surviving members of that squad were presented to the crowd before kick off – one had travelled from Australia!
To add to the sense of occasion, a Dunbar FC plinth held the match ball and on closer inspection I noticed this had been signed by the players and dated. As soon as the ball went out of play for the first time, it was whisked away by the committee, put in a bad and no doubt will be on display somewhere.
All of the above is well and good but most the most impressive element by far was the crowd. 573 people had descended on the derby – a massive crowd both for Dunbar, and the level.
The Match
Football cliches are annoying, but this really was a game of two halves. Haddington are the favourites and dominated the early stages putting the Dunbar defence under pressure for large periods. A poor clearance landed at the feet of Zach Szemis but it’d take something special to score from the angle. He hit the ball on the half volley back across goal bouncing just before it hit the net – wonderful strike and Haddington had the lead.
The away side were in total control of the match. Dunbar couldn’t make anything stick going forward and to be honest, I don’t think they had a shot on target for the entirety of the first half.
Still. they went into the break still in the game and only one goal down. Their second half performance was much more effective.
Liam Gregory took the ball on the turn and split the Haddington defence open with a wonderful ball to Sean Stewart. As Stewart chased the ball, the angle was rapidly closing but he got there in the nick of time to place the ball in the far corner. It was at this point I forgot just how many people were here as the roar of celebration took me by surprise.
Dunbar continued to push and got their second through a massive slice of luck. Darren Handling was credited with the goal but there’s just no way, it’s an own goal. As Handling tried to poke the ball goalwards, a defender blocked this but the ball cannoned off another defender and looped into the top corner. When your luck’s in, your lucks in but I doubt Dunbar care!
I expected Haddington to throw the kitchen sink at Dunbar for the last 10 minutes but they defended well. Guy McGarry had a chance in the dying seconds as he shifted the ball on the edge of the box to give himself just enough space to shoot, but his well struck effort few narrowly by the post.
For the first time in at least 9 years (correct answer tbc), Dunbar had done it!
Full Time: Dunbar United 2-1 Haddington Athletic
The Aftermath
What a win for Dunbar! I genuinely believe that this was game of the day anywhere in Scotland and although I really should’ve went further for my project, I regret nothing.
I’m unsure exactly which trips would make up my top 5 so far, but I know for certain that Dunbar United are in there. The ground, the comeback, the crowd, the town and more importantly, the pies – honestly, I can’t fault a thing.
Dunbar’s win takes them up to 5th and although it’s a sore one for Haddington, they’re sitting pretty in 3rd.
I’m jealous of the locals who get to come here every week and if you haven’t been to New Countess Park yet, make it a priority.
GroundhopScot 