East of Scotland League

Premier Division

Saturday 14th March 2026

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.39

St. Andrews United 2 Sauchie Juniors 1, attendance 374

39’ 0-1

69’ 1-1

88’ 2-1 (pen)

@ The Recreation Ground

Langlands Road

St. Andrews

KY16 8BN

£10 Admission

Programme available, but I won’t buy one at any event organised by Groundhop U.K.

After an hour and a half relaxing at my hotel, it was time to head for game three of the day, in the coastal town of St. Andrews, more famous for its golf course (regularly hosts The Open Championship) and university (it’s where Prince William and wife Katherine were educated), rather than its football club. The Recreation Ground is to the south of the town, about a mile west of the beach and I’d arrived early enough to grab street parking right opposite the entrance. The ground is fully enclosed, with the clubhouse behind the south end goal. There’s a small section of covered standing beyond the dugouts, with the changing rooms in the corner at the far end, with a notable slope on the pitch towards here and is obviously floodlit. Kick off was nine minutes late, owing I believe to the later than expected arrival of the circus bus, as their earlier match had been delayed due to problems with the pitch (according to the Referee) which meant it got underway twenty minutes later than scheduled.

The match was 10th versus 16th in the league table, Sauchie having been dumped bottom following previous incumbents Hutchison Vale having won last night. Only a point separates the bottom three, with Glenrothes making up the battle to avoid relegation, as none of these three are likely to catch fourth bottom Whitburn, who are 14 points clear of the drop at present. It was Sauchie who broke the deadlock six minutes before halftime, meeting a corner from the right that sent a looping header over the ‘keeper. The hosts were reduced to ten men on the hour mark, a player picking up a second yellow card, but numbers were levelled up at 10 a side eight minutes later, when a Sauchie player was red carded too. Within a minute of the restart St. Andrews drew level, with a stooping header at the near post from a corner on the right. It looked like heading for a draw, but with two minutes left St. Andrews were awarded a penalty, which they duly dispatched to take all three points.

Kingdom of Fife Amateur League

Championship Division

Saturday 14th March 2026

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.58

Auchtermuchty Bellvue A.F.C. 0 Leven 0, attendance 47

@ Low Road Park

Stratheden Place

off Low Road

Auchtermuchty

KY14 7AU

No Admission or Programme.

The Groundhop U.K. fanfare headed off to Lowland League club Cowdenbeath for their next game. I’d seen them lose 0-1 to Albion Rovers back in September 1993, in what was then a Scottish League Division 2 fixture, in front of a crowd of just 228, so headed elsewhere. Although I’d yet to visit the late afternoon game at Lochore Welfare, I chose to head further east into Fife, taking in a second level match in the Fife Amateur League instead, which would give me time to check in at my overnight hotel and time to relax, before heading further east to St. Andrews, for the final game of the day on the organised ‘hop.

The ground here at Auchtermuchty is just a pitch, roped along most of one side. There’s a raised changing room building, set away from the pitch, but still the chosen viewing point for a few of the crowd. There was a decent backdrop beyond the far touchline and thankfully, apart from a very brief rain shower, it remained dry throughout with occasional blue sky and sunshine breaking through and we even had a late appearance of a rainbow too.

The match was 7th (out of 14) versus 2nd and despite failing to produce a goal, was an excellent contest that kept the interest right to the final whistle. Leven shaded the first half, but going in level was a fair reflection of how the game had gone. Surprisingly, for an afternoon match, everyone stayed out on the pitch at halftime, meaning the interval lasted only five or six minutes. It was more of the same in the second half and despite Leven looking the better side, it was Auchtermuchty that came closest to breaking the deadlock. A header from a corner came back off the post with fifteen minutes left and a minute later a long throw in was met with a glancing header that was cleared off the line.

The draw sees Auchtermuchty remain seventh in the table and although Leven retain second place, they now trail leaders Benarty Astros by three points, having played three more games and are now just three points clear of third in the table Kirkcaldy/Dysart Y.M.C.A. who have two games in hand.

East of Scotland League

Division 2

Saturday 14th March 2026

Kick Off 10.45 On Time!

Lochgelly Albert 1 Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts 4, attendance 303

3’ 0-1

7’ 1-1

13’ 1-2

48’ 1-3

90’ 1-4

@ Purvis Park

South Street

Lochgelly

KY5 9LJ

£8 Admission

Programme available, but I won’t buy one on any event organised by Groundhop U.K.

I’d stopped overnight near Livingston, so it was a half hour drive over the Firth of Forth into Fife for today’s first game, which was part of the organised ‘hop. Despite the usual fear mongering, there was ample street parking within a minute of the ground. On a normal day you’d probably get in the club’s own car park, but no chance today, as the ‘circus were coming to town’.

The pitch is fully railed and set in a bowl. Raised grass banking offers excellent views on all four sides of the ground. You enter behind the goal at the car park end, where there’s a few steps of cover behind the posts, including a few seats, whilst there’s more cover at the halfway line to the left, set behind the dugouts.

The match was 5th versus 7th in the league table, with both still in with a chance of a promotion place come the end of the season. The visitors got off to a great start, when a corner from the right was hooked in from close range after three minutes, just crossing the line before being hacked clear by a defender. Four minutes later Albert drew level, heading in at the near post from a corner on the left. They fell behind again six minutes later, when a ball in from the right was smashed past the ‘keeper at his near post. Three minutes into the second half Swifts made the points safe, heading in again from a corner and there was no way back for the hosts. The final goal came in the last minute, when a shot on the turn found the bottom corner to give the visitors a comfortable 1-4 win.