Club 101/285 – Tranent

Match: Tranent v East Kilbride
Date: 28/10/2023
Venue: Foresters Park, Tranent
Competition: Scottish Cup – 2nd Round
Entry Fee: £10
Travel: £15.40
Miles completed today: 126
Total miles remaining: 30188

If there’s one thing I’ve missed this season, it’s the Scottish Cup. The early rounds are my favourite and I love seeing fixtures that you’d never see anywhere else. With that being said, I’d chosen a game with familiar opponents. Two of the front runners of the Lowland League face off for a place in the 3rd round.
Both of these will fancy themselves to have a cup run but for one, the dream ends today.

People from Glasgow are Glaswegians and Dundee are Dundonians but people from Tranent are referred to as “belters”. I know you’re looking for the joke but there isn’t one, it’s bizarrely true.

At the start of the season, I predicted that these teams would be 1 and 2 in the league. In fact, I tipped Tranent to triumph but unbeaten East Kilbride are sitting pretty at the top. This is the cup of course, and anything can happen but Tranent have never actually beaten East Kilbride before…

There are giant killings to be had elsewhere in the cup but I’m here because I can’t call this one – and that’s exciting. Tranent have won 8 games on the spin but East Kilbride have lost 1 game since april, and that was to Hamilton in the Challenge Cup. No shame in that!

Odds:
Tranent 3/1
Draw 16/5
East Kilbride 7/10

The Ground

Foresters Park and the surrounding area has undergone huge changes in the last few years. If you look on Google Maps street view it’ll take you back to 2010 when you could easily saunter into the ground and the grass park next to it. As I turned up, this has been replaced by a 4G astro cage and the ground is now fenced off and not visible at all from the outside. Scotland has been battered with rain and the pitch looks a wee bit heavy but certainly playable, unlike some of the other games in the area that’d been called off. The covered stand has been there for years, but seating has been added to part of this and a disabled section has been built. It’s one of the most accessible grounds I’ve seen on my travels. The main feature is a massive wall that’s been painted in Tranent colours. It reads “Tranent F.C. Lie Forrit.
Lie Forrit is the town’s motto and trying to work out what it means has proved a nightmare. I found an article stating that fans had shouted this at Tranent FC for over 100 years but that poses more questions than answers.
The Tranent ‘ultras’ are among the best in non league. Singing and drumming non stop from about 20 minutes before kick off right until the final whistle. Top class support from the youngsters.

The best way to describe the ground is ‘aesthetically pleasing’ and there’s a big crowd in to watch. Oh, and of the 101 clubs I’ve visited Tranent have a top tier steak pie.

Are you ready to read about one of the craziest games of football I’ve seen?

The Game

I predicted a tight game. Turns out I was miles off it and so were East Kilbride. Mick Kennedy’s soldiers of love were simply blown away in the first half. As good as Tranent were, EK were desperately poor and their non existent defending led to the first goal. Sean Murphy played in Cammy Ross with a simple pass that seemed to completely bypass East Kilbride’s back line and Ross finished emphatically.
Scott McCrory-Irving put a decent ball in behind EK’s defence and Broque Watson, who played for EK assistant Simon Ferry’s Broomhill last season, came back to haunt him cutting inside before lashing the ball home. As I was taking a quick note of the second goal, Tranent scored a third – two in a minute!
Kieran Somerville got down the left and crossed into Ross who scored his second of the afternoon.
He then had his hat trick as he headed a Higginbotham free kick back across goal and into the top corner before adding his fourth and Tranent’s fifth after converting a Higginbotham corner.
5-0 at half time. Wow. Everything Tranent touched turned to gold but East Kilbride were wasteful in possession and second to every ball. It sounds like I’m being harsh but the scoreline was entirely deserved.
Surely EK would be better in the second half? Nope. Watson made it 6 shortly after the restart.
East Kilbride then had their first ‘real’ chance of the game when a short back pass was latched on to by Keir Samson but his shot was saved by Kelby Mason in the Tranent goal.
The final goal of the game was the best. Higginbotham cut inside at the edge of the box and wrapped one over the keeper and into the top corner, bar and in.

Final score: Tranent 7-0 East Kilbride

MOTM

Do you really need to ask? Cammy Ross scored 4, and before half time. A 1 on 1 finish, header and two close range finishes. I’m fairly sure he scored every shot he attempted. Lethal!

Summary

The ground deserves more of a mention than I’ve given it, but Tranent have beaten East Kilbride SEVEN-NIL! One of the Tranent amaetur team, who were playing on the astro next door, wandered in part way through the second half. He had East Kilbride on his coupon and the look of astonishment when he found out Tranent were 7 up probably summed up how we all felt – but they deserved it.
I’ve seen EK play a few times and they were desperately poor by their standards but Tranent were absolutely magnificent and this’ll go down as one of the finest results in their history, no doubt about it.
For the pie, the performance and occasion, this was a wonderful trip and the Big T are simply massive.
Good luck in the next round troops!

Club 100/285 – Glentanar

Match: Glentanar v Lossiemouth United
Date: 14/10/2023
Venue: Woodside Complex, Aberdeen
Competition: Inter-Regional Cup – 1st Round
Entry Fee: £6
Travel: £22.35
Miles completed today: 308
Total miles remaining: 30314

Welcome to club #100! When I ventured out to my first game in July 2021, even I didn’t believe I’d get this far.It’s a milestone, and one I can be proud of but it’s not something I thought too much about. I’d been advised numerous times of weird and wonderful plans for my 100th club but none of that interested me, I’d pick this game the same way I always do – geographically! 
I wanted to get up Aberdeenshire another once or twice before the risk of games being called off at short notice in the winter. Something drew me to this game. I don’t know why, but after looking at every game in the pyramid then looking at it again, I couldn’t be tempted away from Glentanar.

The club play at Woodside Sports Complex in the north of Aberdeen. I’d get the bus up from Glasgow to the Aberdeen city centre and walk from there – piece of cake. They’re one of those elusive clubs online where info on their history etc is scarce but I was happy to into this one blind. This is a cup game, and I knew they’d be hard to separate.

Preview

Glentanar have won their last 2 games and go in as slight favourites but it’s worth noting that previously, they were 11 without a win! They’re in the same division and Lossie are ahead, but their recent form hasn’t been great either.
Glentanar done the league double over their opponents last season. 
This is the second time I’ve seen the Glens this season – a defeat at Longside was the first, and haven’t seen Lossie since they spoiled the party at Islavale just over a year ago now. 

Odds:

Glentanar 11/10
Draw 21/5
Lossie Utd 6/5

The Ground

If you’d walked around Aberdeen everyday for your whole life without the use of a map there’s a good chance you’d never have found the place. It’s tucked away in the woods, and the football pitch lies behind it he slightly more obvious rugby ground.
As I walked round a wild black rabbit ran past, which apparently, is extremely rare to see.
Like many of the North Junior clubs, they have a fairly basic setup. This consists of a fenced pitch and a further fenced boundary. The club rely on a bit of honesty here, you can pay to get in (and you should, support the clubs!) but it’s just as easy to stand outside the perimeter and watch the full game for free, it looks as though one or two did that. 
There is a lounge in the same pavilion as the dressing rooms – this is also shared with the rugby club. Pies and drink are served here but I didn’t have a peep into the bar, I rarely do! 

The Game

There was always going to be something special about the 100th club on my project and I don’t think I could’ve gone to a more exciting game anywhere in the country!
Glentanar started well but were dealt a major blow early on when Low saw red for an off the ball incident. Funnily enough, I was watching the ball and didn’t see, but have since heard it was for kicking out at an opponent. 
Glentanar were playing with a considerable wind at their back and the first goal of the game was from fully 60 yards! Beattie, well in his own half tried to play a ball in behind Lossie’s defence but ended up catching the keeper out and flying into the top corner. I’ve never seen the likes! 

See the goal in the distance? He’s put one in from where he’s being congratulated!

Despite some dangerous chances at both ends, it was the side with 10 men that made it two when Brown fired home on the right hand side of the box from a tight angle.
Lossie played well and 2-0 was harsh, but they managed to get one back before half time through Matczak who drilled an effort across goal evading Glentanar’s keeper! Players and staff of the home side were adamant this was offside, but I was right in line and reckon he was on. 
Archibald levelled the game shortly after the restart with a goal eerily similar to Brown’s in the first half. From there it looked like Lossie had the momentum and of course, the wind but that’s not how the game would pan out.
Just minutes later Brown had his second with a controlled half volley which went over the keeper and into the top corner, great skill! 
Matczak then got his second with another low drilled effort but before I could catch my breath Glentanar had made it 4-3! A Brown defected free kick found the bottom corner!
Despite all this carnage, neither team could hold on to the ball in the conditions leaving us with a feisty end to end battle for 90 minutes with tempers occasionally boiling over.
Lossie were awarded a penalty with around 25 to play with their best player on the day – Matczak, netting the second hat-trick of the game!
As full time blew most of the spectators waited nervously to find out if there was extra time to be played but we were straight to penalties.

Glentanar won the shootout 4-2 with Gibb in the Glens goal saving the deciding penalty.

And breathe…

Joy & despair in one image

MOTM

As 2 players had a hat-trick – my plan was to give this to whoever ended up on the winning side. Brown’s 3 goals were all so different. A drilled one across goal, dinked volley and a free kick. Simple as that. He was injured late on and still chased down defenders whilst hobbling showing great commitment.

Summary

Do I really need to sum this one up? A read card, 60 yard goal, free kick goal, 8 goals evenly shared and a penalty shootout to decide it. I couldn’t have asked for any more.
I feel for Lossie who contributed so much yet walked away empty handed but that’s football and Glentanar advance to the next round of the cup. 
To play with 10 men for almost the entire game and have the lead 3 times is pretty commendable. £6 worth of entertainment proved to be a bargain on this occasion and I’m not sure I’ve blogged a better match.
The only shame in my eyes is that there were around 30 spectators there to witness it. International duty means Aberdeen are not in action, and I’d like to encourage those fans to get out and about when the team aren’t playing. They missed an incredible spectacle! 

Club 99/285 – Gala Fairydean Rovers

Match: Gala Fairydean Rovers v Gretna 2008
Date: 30/09/2023
Venue: Netherdale, Galashiels
Competition: Lowland League (Tier 5)
Entry Fee: £10
Travel: £18.65
Miles completed today: 150
Total miles remaining: 30622

The best part of my project is that most of the time, I have no idea where I’ll end up. Gala Fairydean were high up my list. The ground is fabled amongst those who get around the country but there are so many clubs in Scotland, I don’t pick my games this way. On Friday morning, my plan was to put the miles in and head to Deveronside until I found out their game had been moved.
I’d actually say I pick my games based on mileage rather than the fixture. I’m sure that’ll change once the project is complete but after scrolling through the fixtures and scrolling through them again, Gala v Gretna caught my eye.
This is known in some quarters as the borders derby which is factually correct but there’s actually 55 miles between the two!

The Journey
Netherdale sits on the end of the train line from Edinburgh towards Tweedbank, which is actually closer to the ground than Galashiels itself, but why get off there when you can take a walk, The train journey is an easy but long(ish) one from Glasgow but I’m disappointed I didn’t have more time. Galashiels is a lovely place and I’d love to get stuck in to any of the numerous woodland/river trails. This gives me a reason to come back though, and you’d better believe I’ll make sure Gala are at home on the same day!
On the walk, I saw some of the most shocking and offensive graffiti I’ve ever come across…

Preview

Gala Fairydean are absolutely flying at the moment – 4 wins and a draw from their last 5 including wins against Broomhill away, Stirling Uni at home and putting 8 past the Strathy Jags last week in the Scottish Cup!Gretna’s struggles have been well documented but every now and then they’ll pull off a cracking result as Darvel found out just a few weeks back.
I was surprised to discover I hadn’t actually seen either of the teams play before which has become a rarity on my travels now. This is particularly embarrassing when both clubs follow me on Twitter and have in some way supported my project (sorry guys, I’m trying).
Just because I haven’t seen the teams doesn’t mean I don’t know the players. I remember Danny Galbraith from Hibs, Allan Smith from Dunfermline, Liam Watt from Airdrie and Jack Beaumont from Cowdenbeath – but there’s two in particular I was excited to see play.
Firstly, Jamie Semple – a striker I really rate but on the Friday evening Gala announced a marquee signing.
Zander Murray is a name that’ll be familiar to most after hitting headlines for being the first openly gay footballer since Justin Fashanu! He’s both inspiring and a role model to the LGBTQ+ community and anyone who’s in the same situation he was before coming out. The real reason I’m excited to see him play is because he’s a level above as a footballer. He’s returning for his second spell after a short stint in the SPFL with Bonnyrigg and it’s quite a coup as he’s already scored over 100 goals for Gala Fairydean in his previous spell! I doubt he’ll start seeing as he only signed the night before but hopefully we’d see him in action at some point.

The Ground

Netherdale is one of the most spoken about Scottish grounds in groundhopping circles for their iconic stand with comparisons made to something you’d expect to find in eastern Europe. I knew the stand had recently reopened after a period out of action due to repairs so I’m visiting at a good time. The stand dates back to 1964 (which predates the club in its current guise) and was given a grand opening in a match v East Fife which used to be my local team In all honesty though, that’s all I knew, and as this game was a last minute decision I’d done next to no research. This was evident when I approached what I thought was the ground and saw players in their tracksuits. I didn’t recognise the badges on the tops before realising it was actually rugby and the proper game was being played just a few yards up the road! I got away from there and joined the football queue as quickly as I could and made a beeline for the stand. Despite it’s quirky look, it’s a brilliant place to watch a game. The benches are surprisingly comfortable, provides perfect shelter from the inevitable rain and is where about 97% of the spectators chose to watch the game.
There’s another small seated stand opposite, and a grand total of 3 people decided to sit here, but why would you when a stand so iconic is available instead. At this moment I realised two things. Firstly, the pitch was an artificial surface and secondly, Netherdale isn’t just a football ground, it’s part of a bigger complex with another football pitch, a rugby stadium and numerous other rugby pitches. I believe it’s all called ‘Netherdale’.

The Game

This was only ever going one of two ways. Either a resounding home victory or a spirited Gretna upset and part of the excitement for me was not knowing which of those I was going to get.
Well, that lasted about a minute because that’s how long it had taken for Gala to go ahead. After a corner was swung into the gloves of Jay Kennedy in the Gretna goal it looked to be a routine catch but he spilled the ball to the foot of Cairan Green who had the goal at his mercy for 1-0. Kennedy would go from zero to hero shortly after pulling off one of the best saves I’ve seen all year. A quarter back pass to the back post found Nicky Reid who cut the ball back to Jamie Semple for a tap in but with Kennedy going the wrong way he managed to make a save with his outstretched foot and divert the ball over the bar – Incredible.
Liam Watt hit one first time from about 25 yards that went in off the far post for 2-0 and I thought I’d seen goal of the game but I was oh so wrong. After Gretna cleared a corner to the edge of the box, Watt was there again to hit one on the half volley, cutting across the ball in the process and firing into the same corner he’d scored his first. The technique on this was wonderful and this is so hard to explain via text but when a moment of magic like this occurs, the crowd tend to give a collective ‘aaahhh’ instead of ‘yassss’ – this was one of those moments.
Gretna looked decent in spells but were often caught on the ball or their passes intercepted whilst Gala moved the ball with purpose, broke the press and were able to drive through the midfield at will it seemed. Gretna’s coach seemed to agree as I heard him shout ‘quicker’ on numerous occasions.
In the second half, Semple would get his goal. A short pass back from Alex Potts was intercepted by Semple who fired through the keepers legs for 4-0 and there was a very real possibility the scoreline would get out of hand.
Instead, Gretna put in their best spell of the match scoring one and almost again at the back of it which could’ve meant game on! The goal was excellent as Jay Reilly’s flashing cross from the right found Robbie Ivison at the back post who took all the weight off it cushioning the ball just inside the post and confusion in the Gala defence almost let Iain Anderson in for 4-2 but the ball spun agonisingly wide.
Despite having plenty of time on the clock, neither team were able to add to the scoreline and the game fizzled out but the story of the game was 3 beauty’s and 2 mistakes.

Full time: Gala Fairydean Rovers 4-1 Gretna 2008

MOTM

Liam Watt was head and shoulders the best player on the park. He was given the official MOTM at the end of the game and after scoring 2 goals he’s the easy pick but a lot more impressed me than the goals.
He’s technically unbelievable and I’ll give you an example. In the first half he’s played a first time outside of the foot chipped pass to set Gala clean through on goal. The fact he saw the pass was impressive enough but the execution was different gravy.
The thing that pleases me the most in football is good decisions and even at the top level in Scotland players lack this. Watt always played the right pass, moved into the right areas, knew when play a first time pass to speed the game up and when to hold the ball to let team mates get into a passing position. Top marks.

Summary

No surprises as Gala run out comfortable winners and played well. The frustrating part for Gretna is that 2 of the 4 goals came from their own mistakes and were completely avoidable. Anyone can make a mistake but it’ll cost you at this level – and it did. Gala hit the bar twice and had numerous other half chances and could’ve added to the scoreline but it’s a case of job done for them.
I acknowledge that most reading this don’t have ambitions to complete the entire Scottish pyramid but if you’re making a list of places you must see Netherdale has to be on it without doubt. It’s a lovely part of the country and the borders is somewhere I really don’t know. Make sure you give yourself plenty time to have a look around, try the local cafes, museums and the walking trails.
There are some grounds in Scotland I’ll see only once in my lifetime (there’s no danger I’m going round the pyramid twice!) but I’m 100% sure I’ll be back here. Wonderful town, venue and day.

football > rugby

Teams oot

Liam Watt Ballon d’or

I think this went into the wall

Zander Murray coming on

Welcome to 1950’s Moscow

The newer stand’

If every ground provided team sheets like this (and it’s not hard) my life would be a whole lot easier!