WHITBURN JUNIORS (Central Park)

So we finally arrive at my last game of the 2009/10 season and I suppose it's only fitting that it ends in Scotland where I have enjoyed so many memorable trips this season.

After opening the Pandora's Box dipping my toe in the East Region Junior League last week with a top of the table clash at Bo'ness, I thought I'd journey up once again but this time for a game at the other end of the table. Whitburn (which is a small town 20 miles west of Edinburgh) were playing Hill of Beath Hawthorn (from near Cowdenbeath) to effectively decide who will be relegated to the Premier League.

Whitburn were the team in biggest danger as, after their 0-6 drubbing at the hands of Linlithgow on Thursday, they needed to win their two remaining games and hope other results went their way. Hawthorn on the other hand just needed just a point today to guarantee survival.

On a baking hot afternoon, the game was played at a very pedestrian pace and, in the first half especially, chances were few and far between. Whitburn took the lead early in the second half when Scott Gormley headed home. Kevin Byle (great name!) equalised for Hawthorn with a superb dipping volley from the edge of the area after 68 minutes. That was a good as a got. Whitburn pushed forward in the latter stages as it dawned on them they were going down, but sadly for them they barely troubled the Hawthorn goalkeeper, who at the final whistle, along with his team-mates, celebrated their own survival.

Central Park, the home of Whitburn, is an absolute gem of a ground with a massive stand along one side of the pitch. Admittedly it has probably seen better days (as one fellow hopper remarked if it were south of the border health and safety would have shut it down by now) but that is what makes these grounds so special and why they should be treasured. A great way to end the season!

Before I go I must also mention that the pie I ate at Whitburn was not the best I've ever tasted in Scotland, it was a wee bit greasy but as I managed to snaffle the last one, much to the consternation of others, you'll will have to take my word for that, though I was assured that the Bovril was top notch!

So there you go, another season over. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my travels and I do appreciate you taking the time to do so (the thumbs up and comments are most welcome).

That is it until July when we shall start the 'hopping' once more, assuming the government hasn't slung me on the dole!

Thanks again and enjoy your summer :)

  

Saturday 5th June 2010

East Region Super League

Whitburn Juniors 1-1 Hill of Beath Hawthorn

Attendance: 276

BO'NESS UNITED (Newtown Park)

Today it was another journey north of the border and a visit to Newtown Park, the home of Bo'ness United. I have never dipped into the Scottish Junior League before but with it being...

a)the bank holiday weekend
b)a chance to visit on the train with a cheapo ticket
c)a massive game

I thought why not give it a go.

In fact the phrase massive game is a little of an understatement. Bo'ness United were not only playing Linlithgow Rose, their fiercest rivals from 3 miles down the road where there is generally no love lost, but these two teams are the only ones that can win the Super League title. BU's task is a little more simpler than Rose's as they have only one game left, which is today's. Win that and they are champions. Rose on the other hand, because of a fixture pile up and their cup exploits (they won the Scottish Junior Cup last weekend), still have seven games to play and, starting with this game, win them all and they would be crowned champions.

With plenty riding on this game it certainly drew a crowd, which I'd estimate at anything between 2,500 and 3,000. This also included a few other hoppers whose faces I recognised. Today there was even a "Brucey Bonus" of a programme, as Bo'ness usually don't bother.

Bo'ness took the game to Linlithgow from the off and some of the large crowd were still entering the ground when Fraser Forrest gave BU the lead after just three minutes. A corner was not cleared properly and the defender prodded home from 8 yards. Bo'ness dominated the first half and Rose, looking a little jaded, had no answers. It was no shock when Bo'ness doubled their advantage on 36 minutes, a superb header from Steven Ballatine and that was a cue the party to begin as the chants of "champione, champione" started to be heard.

The second half was a more even affair as Rose tried, and failed, to claw themselves back into the game and Bo'ness seemed contented with their lot, having done the job in the first half. Bo'ness did have a third goal ruled out towards the end but that couldn't take the shine of their performance which saw them crowned "top league" champions for the first time since 1969.

The final whistle sparked a massive pitch invasion as the local hordes celebrated their clubs achievement and I'm pretty sure the partying would've continued long into the night.

    

 

BU players inspect the pitch prior to the game

 

 

 

 

 

The Main "condemned" Stand. Extreme close up!!!!

 

Due to health and safety issues this is currently out of use.

 

 

 

The "new" Enclosure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bo'ness players enter the arena

 

The first Bo'ness attack of the game, which led to the goal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Linlithgow on a rare attack at goal

 

The Bo'ness faithful

 

 

Saturday 29th May 2010

East Region Super League

Bo'ness United 2-0 Linlithgow Rose

Attendance: 3,000

 

WELSH LEAGUE "DOUBLE HEADER"

ABERTILLERY BLUEBIRDS & NEWPORT CIVIL SERVICE

As the season 2009-2010 draws to its conclusion, it is a time for reflection and there are reasons to be thankful for the appalling winter that has just gone...fixture backlogs! This meant that as we reached the penultimate weekend of May there are still competitive fixtures around and today in South Wales they were in abundance. Combine this with Cardiff City reaching the play-off final and we have lots of early kick-offs and the opportunity of "double headers" Result!

I was not the only 'groundhopper' to spot the double(s) and it was indeed no shock when at least 40 hoppers descended on Gwent with exactly the same idea as me...

12pm Saturday 22nd May 2010

Welsh League Division Three

Abertillery Bluebirds v Garw SBGC 

Attendance: 126 (h/c)

The home of Abertillery Bluebirds, Cwmnantygroes Field, is yet another ground in Wales which offers a quite stunning vista. The ground is basic, just a railed off pitch and a small covered terrace, and it is also bloody hard to find (even with a Sat-Nav). This led to the first 'panic' of the day when it seemed that today's opposition weren't going to show.

As the clocked ticked towards the midday kick off there was still no sign of Garw and, with them cut off at the bottom of the table and doomed to relegation, the majority of the assembled 125 crowd assumed they'd said "stuff it" and stayed at home to watch the Cardiff City game. It turned out they had got lost on their first (and, for the foreseeable, last) visit to the Bluebirds.

After a quick turn around by Garw the game kicked off at around 12.10 and a very one sided affair it turned out to be. A youthful Garw team, showing ten changes from when I visited Blandy Park two weeks ago, found themselves two goals down at the interval and were fortunate it was only two. Some heroic goalkeeping from Anthony Hogg and some poor finishing meant that the damage was limited to a Luke Lewis goal after 17 minutes and a Lewis Davies Own Goal after 32 minutes.

The second half was equally one sided but The Bluebirds added just the two more goals (64 & 80) Owen Goodenough proving he was just that by bagging himself a brace. For both sides this was their last game in Division Three as they both leave in opposite directions, Garw to the South Wales Amateur league and Abertillery, by virtue of finishing runners up in their debut season, to Division Two.

 

It was then the groundhopping version of wacky races as the convoy of cars headed down the valleys to...

2.30pm, Saturday 22nd May 2010

Welsh League Division Three

Newport Civil Service v Pontyclun

Attendance: 96 (h/c)

I arrived in good time to make the kick off after the delayed start at Abertillery (yay!) but not early enough to bag a programme (boo!) despite reserving a copy (double boo!). Newport Civil Service play in the heart of the delightful Bettws estate and the ground is simply a railed of pitch, with the only cover being a converted storage container which has been fashioned into a stand...ingenious! This said stand was today packed full of locals cheering on their team and imbibing various substances and liquids.

It was a big game today as due to re-structuring there is to be mass relegation from Division Three, so despite it being, on paper, a mid table clash there was everything to play for. Having said this even if either side won it could be still out of their hands if other results went against them.

This meant the game was a very tight affair with both sides giving no quarter in the blazing sunshine. There were very few genuine goalscoring chances and the game seemed to have 0-0 written all over it. However, a solitary goal settled the game for the home side after 67 minutes when Matthew Palmer prodded home after the ball had ricocheted around the Pontyclun penalty area. At the end of the game the Ponyclun players looked absolutely devastated as they were most certainly down, whilst the Newport players celebrated like they had won the Champions League. Whether those celebrations are premature remains to be seen as there is still a chance they could go too.

Such is the wacky nature of Welsh Football Re-structuring that it is still not certain how many teams will go down. It was originally the bottom 8, but there are stories that it might only be the bottom 7. South Gower won today, which placed them above Newport in the final table, and put Civil Service into the 8th and final relegation spot...but if only 7 go down then that will be enough for them. An anxious summer awaits!

One thing I can say for certain, it was another great day out in South Wales.

An old storage container now being used as...



...a main stand. That's what I call re-cycling!