Friendly

Thursday 17th July 2025

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 18.59

Huntly U20 1 Stoneywood Parkvale 7, attendance 40

26’ 0-1

31’ 0-2

38’ 0-3

56’ 0-4

76’ 0-5

83’ 0-6

84’ 1-6

85’ 1-7

@ Alford Community Campus, 3G Pitch

Greystone Road

Alford

AB33 8TY

No Admission or Programme.

This was played at the neutral venue of Alford Community Campus, around twenty miles west of Aberdeen bypass. It’s a caged pitch with no designated spectator area, but there was no problem watching from inside the fence, although this was limited to just one side of the pitch, but a handful chose to watch from the grass bank alongside, which gave a relatively unobstructed view.

In the end, the Huntly youngsters were totally overran by their North of Scotland League Championship Division opposition, having been well in the game for the first twenty minutes or so. Stoneywood Parkvale opened the scoring with a far post header after twenty six minutes. Five minutes later they added a second, volleying in off the far post, before making it 0-3 before halftime. Huntly hit the post early in the second half, but minutes later conceded a fourth, when a long throw was headed in from six yards. The visitors totally overran them in the late stages, adding two more goals, either side of a curling shot from the angle of the box that hit the post. Huntly did get a consolation with six minutes left, with a 25 yarder that dipped over the ‘keeper, but within a minute the visitors broke away down the right and finished through the ‘keeper’s legs into the far corner to make it 1-7.

Moray & District Welfare F.A.

Mike Simpson Memorial Trophy Quarter Final

Tuesday 15th July 2025

Kick Off 19.30 On Time!

Fochabers 2 Buckie Rovers 1, attendance 97

14’ 0-1

45’ + 1, 1-1 (pen)

75’ 2-1

@ Fochabers Playing Field

Ordiquish Road

Fochabers

IV32 7EX

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight’s game was a quarter final in the Mike Simpson Memorial Trophy, between two teams in the Premier Division of the league, with 2nd hosting 3rd in the table as far as league positions go. It was no problem finding out information regarding the game, as the league website was bang up to date, as were the Facebook pages of both clubs.

Fochabers is a small town just off the A96 Aberdeen-Inverness road, roughly midway between Elgin and Keith. The football club play at Fochabers Playing Field, which is just a basic pitch, which still has the old style square goal posts and has raised grass banking along one side, with mesh fencing lining the path leading to the primary school, which offers a good vantage point. The changing rooms are part of a building that also houses the public toilets, with overhang on the rear, which faces the pitch, but is a good 40-50 yards behind the goal, so not really of use. You’re certainly in luck if churches are your thing though, as there are four visible from pitch side.

It was a cracking game, that could have gone either way. Buckie were ahead after fourteen minutes, when a corner from the right was headed in at the near post. Late in the half they also saw a skewed cross come back off the crossbar, before conceding an equaliser in stoppage time, scored from a really softly awarded penalty, for a nudge in the back that was nowhere near enough to send the home player sprawling theatrically to the ground. Fochabers saw a header, from a free kick wide on the right, come back off the crossbar with seventeen minutes left, before grabbing what turned out to be the winner just two minutes later, when a corner from the left was cleared to the angle of the eighteen yard box, where it was met with a first time shot, that somehow managed to find a gap between defender and crossbar, on its way into the top far corner.

Inverness & District F.A.

Premier Division

Monday 14th July 2025

Kick Off 19.00 On Time!

Black Rock Rovers 3 Loch Ness Thistle 1, attendance 38

18’ 1-0

54’ 2-0

58’ 2-1

85’ 3-1

@ Black Rock Recreation Park (Culcairn Park)

Glenglass Road

Evanton

IV16 9YT

No Admission or Programme.

As I’ve found out on previous trips to Inverness, the fixtures for this league only appear on the league’s Facebook page at very short notice. I knew of one game tonight, thanks to the social media accounts of Maryburgh, who had an away game on the multi pitch set up at Bught Park in Inverness, but at 10 o’clock this morning the league page had all four games shown for tonight and the game at Black Rock Rovers looked more appealing. They play in the village of Evanton, just north of Dingwall. It’s just a pitch in a recreation ground, with a changing room building that had a small overhang on the front and a small car park, but there was plenty of roadside parking too, with a few of the crowd choosing to watch from their cars, rather than brave the elements. Heavy rain was forecast from 5 o’clock through to midnight and sure enough, an hour later than predicted, it arrived. The pitch certainly looked like it could do with a watering, so it was never going to be a problem of whether or not the game would go ahead okay.

The match was 3rd versus 6th (out of 8) in the league table and was an excellent contest from start to finish, with an end to end flow for the full ninety minutes. Black Rock opened the scoring after eighteen minutes, when a cross from the right was fired back across the six yard box and went in off a defender attempting to clear the ball. They almost doubled their lead in the last minute of the half, but the shot came back off the crossbar. They wasted another great chance to increase their lead seven minutes into the second half, but blazed a shot high over the crossbar, when it looked easier to score, but two minutes later they did add a second goal, when a through ball was finished one on one against the ‘keeper, despite the scorer looking to be well offside. Loch Ness were back in it four minutes later, when a quick break down the left saw a shot saved by the ‘keeper, but the follow up squeezed in at the near post. Black Rock saw a mishit cross come back off the crossbar as they looked to make the game safe, finally getting their third goal with five minutes left, when a ball cut back from the left was smashed in at the far post.

Scottish Football League Cup

Group F

Saturday 12th July 2025

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.59!

East Kilbride 1 St. Johnstone 3, attendance 620 (sold out)

7’ 1-0

52’ 1-1

60’ 1-2

81’ 1-3

@ K Park Training Academy

Calderglen Park Road

East Kilbride

G75 0QZ

£15 Admission, booked online

£3 Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

East Kilbride had won the Lowland League four times and finished second twice since 2017, but last season, following back to back championships, they defeated Bonnyrigg Rose in a two legged play off to finally reach the Scottish Football League. Today was their first game at their new level, where they were hosting Championship club St. Johnstone, who are two levels above them. Tickets became available on general sale earlier in the week and were easily booked online, once registering an account and the game was announced as a sell out a couple of days later. It’s hardly surprising though, as the ground only has a small capacity. It will certainly hinder them going much further up the pyramid in its current state. Spectators are limited to just two sides. The home fans occupy the seated stand that has just four rows of backless seats and runs not much more than half the pitch length, whilst the away supporters are behind the goal nearest the entrance, where there’s a four step kit stand, roughly the width of the 18 yard box. There’s plenty of parking available in a field off Calderglen Park Road, which is free, then you walk a couple of hundred yards through the woods down to the ground. Refreshments were available inside the ground, with prices you’d expect, now they’re in the league. The pitch is 3G, although there was never going to be any problem with water logging or frost today. It was absolutely roasting hot, but at least there was an occasional breeze blowing through the stand, which made it much more bearable.

John Robertson had the honour of getting East Kilbride’s first goal as a league club, scoring against one of his former clubs after just seven minutes, when he hit an unstoppable free kick from the angle of the 18 yard box into the top far corner of the net. Six minutes into the second half Gullan levelled the scores for the visitors, with a 20 yard free kick that went in off the underside of the crossbar. Eight minutes later Saints went in front, when Sidibeh intercepted the ball just inside the EK half and ran clear to beat the ‘keeper one on one. Ten minutes from the end they made the game safe, when the ball was given away on the edge of the box and a pass was squared for Kirk to finish with a first time shot.

Having completed level five of the Scottish football pyramid with last night’s game at Civil Service Strollers, today’s game once again re-completed the Scottish Football League, 30 years after a game at Forfar Athletic marked the first time I’d done it.

Friendly

Friday 11th July 2025

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.31

Civil Service Strollers 2 Montrose 2, attendance 112

24’ 0-1

26’ 0-2

32’ 1-2

65’ 2-2

@ Christie Gillies Park

25 Marine Drive

Muirhouse

Edinburgh

EH4 5EJ

£8 Admission

No Programme.

Tonight was an opportunity to visit the only ground in the Lowland League I hadn’t yet seen a game on, with the added attraction that it was against Scottish League 1 opposition. Christie Gillies Park is in Muirhouse, to the west of Edinburgh. It is fully railed and floodlit and has two sections of two rows of seating, but being set so low, sight lines are poor. Both the clubhouse and tea bar, which was serving hot food and drinks, are behind the entrance end goal, whilst the far goal end is out of bounds to spectators.

A long throw in, misjudged by a defender, led to a volleyed finish which put Montrose ahead after twenty four minutes and they doubled their lead just two minutes later, when a through ball was lobbed over the advancing ‘keeper from just inside the box. Just after the half hour mark Strollers pulled a goal back, when a pull back from the right was side footed in via a deflection. Midway through the second half they levelled it up at 2-2, when a one two on the edge of the box was finished left footed into the bottom corner.

Friendly

Thursday 10th July 2025

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 18.57!

Leven United A.F.C. 2 Burntisland Shipyard 1, attendance 68

41’ 0-1

83’ 1-1

85’ 2-1

@ King George V Park

Park Drive

Broom

Leven

KY8 5BL

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight’s game saw Kingdom of Fife A.F.A. Premiership host East of Scotland League Division 2. King George V Park has a fully railed pitch and is enclosed from the larger King George V Memorial Playing Field with mesh fencing. There is a changing room building in one corner, which also housed a tea bar, with hot and cold drinks available.

It wasn’t overly hot tonight, but there was still a drinks break taken during each half and it was just after the first one that a bout of pushing and shoving resulted in a sin bin for each side. There had been few clear cut chances, but Burntisland managed to nick a goal four minutes before halftime and it looked like that might have been enough to win it. They did hit the crossbar midway through the second half, but never looked like adding to their first half strike. Leven equalised with seven minutes left, sweeping in a right wing cross from close range and two minutes later grabbed the winner, finishing into the bottom corner after a one-two on the edge of the box.

Friendly

Wednesday 9th July 2025

Kick Off 19.30 On Time!

Langholm Legion 1 Abbey Vale 3, attendance 60

8’ 1-0

61’ 1-1

66’ 1-2

76’ 1-3

@ Eskdale Sport & Leisure Centre, 3G Pitch (Scholars 3G)

Thomas Telford Road

Langholm

DG13 0BL

No Admission or Programme.

Another start of a Scottish tour, beginning in The Borders, with a friendly between Langholm Legion (Border Amateur League ‘A’ Division) and Abbey Vale (South of Scotland League), played on the 3G pitch at Eskdale Sport & Leisure Centre, which the home club refer to as ‘Scholars 3G’. Unlike the dreadful set ups that blight the non-league game these days, this has an artificial pitch, but without the awful mesh fencing and spectators can view from the entire perimeter. No facilities here though, not even toilets.

Langholm went ahead after just eight minutes, with a 25 yard free kick that beat the ‘keeper low at his near post. Abbey Vale were level just after the hour mark, when a cross from the left was headed in from six yards. Five minutes later they went in front, when a driving run through the centre of the defence was finished with a low shot into the bottom corner from just outside the 18 yards found box. They made it 1-3 with fourteen minutes left, when a one-two on the edge of the box was smashed high into the near top corner.

It was an excellent game. It’s just a pity the midges were almost unbearable, especially during the second half. It doesn’t help that the ground is tree lined on two sides and the River Esk runs behind the dugouts on the far side of the ground.

Friendly

Tuesday 8th July 2025

Kick Off 19.45 On Time!

Sawbridgeworth Town 2 Witham Town 3, attendance 46

1’ 1-0

7’ 2-0

15’ 2-1

30’ 2-2

57’ 2-3

@ Leventhorpe Leisure Centre, 3G Pitch

Cambridge Road

Sawbridgeworth

CB21 9BY

No Admission or Programme.

This was Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division (Step 5) versus Isthmian League Division 1 North (Step 5), played at Leventhorpe Leisure Centre. It’s a standard 3G caged pitch, with spectator access along three quarters of one side.

A near post finish saw Sawbridgeworth go ahead inside the first minute and they doubled their lead six minutes later, when a ball over the top was lobbed over the ‘keeper from the edge of the box. Witham pulled one back after quarter of an hour, with a shot from the edge of the box going in via the underside of the crossbar and they were level by the half hour mark, when a free kick from 25 yards found the bottom corner. There were plenty of changes at halftime for both teams and the only goal of the second half went the way of Witham after fifty seven minutes, when a corner wasn’t cleared and was shot high into the roof of the net.

The journey to Sawbridgeworth was awful. It took close on two and a half hours to drive the sixty odd miles, with the return taking just an hour and a quarter.

Friendly

Saturday 5th July 2025

Kick Off 14.00 On Time!

Stourbridge 4 Dudley Town 2, attendance 586

10’ 1-0

20’ 2-0

22’ 2-1

31’ 2-2 (pen)

52’ 3-2

67’ 4-2

@ Stourbridge R.U.F.C.

Stourton Park

Bridgnorth Road

Stourton

DY7 6QZ

£8 Admission, booked in advance online (£2 saving)

£2 Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

This was a ground I’d passed numerous times over the years, but never thought I’d ever visit to see football played here. This was the first of four pre-season friendlies that Stourbridge will be hosting here and the rare venue meant there were well in excess of fifty groundhoppers here! When heading from Stourbridge to Bridgnorth, the ground is on the left hand side of the A458, just before you reach Stourton. There’s ample car parking, which was good to see was free of charge and there were plenty of stewards directing you to a space. There are four pitches here, with the game played on the main one, which is floodlit and has a large seated stand on one side and raised viewing along the other, where there’s a two storey clubhouse, that has a viewing balcony leading off the bar area. Decent hot pasties, with four varieties on offer, were served at the far end of the ground, which were priced more to cater for the rugby crowds, but were selling well despite being expensive. The playing surface is artificial and as it’s primarily for rugby, the football markings were not so easy to pick out, especially the touchlines.

Stourbridge are in the Southern League Central Premier Division (Step 3), whilst Dudley Town are in the Midland League Premier Division, two steps lower. Stourbridge were ahead after just ten minutes, finishing a through ball with an angled shot low into the far corner and they doubled their lead ten minutes later with a shot from the edge of the box. Within two minutes Dudley pulled one back, when a cross from the right was headed in from 6 yards and nine minutes later they made it 2-2, converting a penalty. Five minutes into the second half, another cross from the right was headed in at the far post to see Stourbridge go back in front and midway through the second half they added a fourth, with an angled shot under the ‘keeper.

The day got off to a bad start, when it took me a couple of minutes short of two hours to get the 37 miles to Uxbridge, where I arrived half an hour late to pick up a couple of passengers for the drive north. It was plain sailing from here though and we arrived just under an hour before kick off, enabling one very relieved passenger to grab himself the second to last programme (you could have pre ordered them via Twitter)! The return south was totally trouble free and I was back home just before 18.30, rounding off an excellent day out, with a cracking ground ticked off.