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#Post#: 92289--------------------------------------------------
Re: Caledonia you're calling me
DIR By: JCFC
Date: May 20, 2025, 2:28 am
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The original plan had been to attend the Junior Cup Semi-Final
2nd leg between Largs Thistle and Johnstone Burgh, but it was
not possible to obtain a ticket, so instead £22 secured an OAP
ticket for
Sunday 18th May 2025
Scottish Premiership Bottom Six Thingy
Kilmarnock 0 v 1 Heart of Midlothian
Dan McFarlane; Frank Connor, Paul O'Neill. 4thers Lloyd Wilson.
Having in the past struggled for legroom in the main stand, JCFC
had decided to try the East Stand - and found it worse.
Fortunately he had wisely chosen a seat at the end of a row and
was lucky that seats on his other side were unoccupied, but even
so, a most uncomfortable afternoon was spent sitting sideways
trying to avoid slipping off the seat.
The referee, Dan McFarlane, is not to be confused with the now
FIFA listed Specialist Assistant Daniel McFarlane. His name has
been on the list for many years and he has recently broken
through and received a number of Premiership appointments. His
bird-like features, therefore, are not as youthful as they
doubtless once were.
There was nothing at stake for either side and for the most part
the play reflected this. The Hearts number 35 received a yellow
0card on 19 minutes, but play meandered quietly until the 37th
minute, when JCFC had his first live experience of VAR. Three,
it seemed, players challenged for the ball just outside the
Killie penalty area and two ended on the ground, the Killie
defender beating the ground in a show of pain. When Mr McFarlane
awarded the free-kick to Hearts, the guess was that the
ground-beating was a diversionary tactic. During treatment came
a loud booming announcement, "VAR check for a possible red
card." Uncomplimentary remarks were addressed by home supporters
who feared the worst during the long wait, increasing when Mr
McFarlane headed for the screen. After viewing the evidence for
some time he returned clutching his red card. However, it was to
the Hearts players that he headed and their number 20 was sent
packing. Suddenly VAR (in this case Kevin Clancy) became flavour
of the month, though probably not with the occupants of the
upper tier of the Chadwick stand. TV highlights subsequently
revealed that he had made studs on shin contact, though the red
card split the pundits. For JCFC a thought occurred: it would
have seemed odd, but would it have been correct to show the
card, but leave the free-kick with Hearts? A silly push in the
back by a.Kilmarnock player drew a yellow card on 40 minutes.
The second half saw Killie create chances galore, only to
produce an abject display of shooting. Hearts meanwhile took
every opportunity to slow things down with just the occasional
attack. And yet the sense of foreboding grew - and was
ultimately realised when Hearts grabbed a last minute winner.
After a much less agreeable afternoon than on Saturday, JCFC
chose a different route back to the bus station through Howard
Park, but this only ended in the bleakness of Titchfield Street.
JCFC'S God-fearing Gran would have been pleased that he arrived
back in Ayr in time for the evening service at the West Kirk.
She would have been horrified, though, that the odour of
sanctity had given way to the odour of curry, the new Minister,
the Reverend J D Wetherspoon concentrating on purveying
alcoholic beverages. Still, it is an attractive, if strangely
narrow building. JCFC chose a position facing the colourful West
window, with an added source of interest. Members of the
congregation headed for the toilets through a door on the ground
floor, ascended a number of flights of steps and once purged of
their impurities, were directed into the choir gallery and
thence downward through the pulpit(?) to regain the body of the
Kirk.
#Post#: 92719--------------------------------------------------
Re: Caledonia you're calling me
DIR By: JCFC
Date: June 1, 2025, 2:23 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Hotels in Edinburgh and Glasgow being prohibitively expensive,
it was a quick return to Ayr, though this left a long trip to
Saturday 31st May 2025
East of Scotland League Cup Final
Kirkcaldy & Dysart 0 v 2 Musselburgh Athletic
Blair McAlpine; Stuart Gray, Kevin Quinn. 4thers Calum Foreman.
The match was at Broxburn, so a £22.80 (off-peak with Senior
Railcard) return to Uphall was purchased. ScotRail ran
impeccably to time. The number 72 bus runs hourly from there to
Broxburn and JCFC was happy enough with a half hour wait. When
the 12.16 had still not appeared by 12.28 JCFC began to fear the
worst, but all was well in the end and the delay meant that
there was less time to wait for the gates to open.
Mr McAlpine was young, quite tall, with fair hair and a rather
bland appearance. AR1 was taller and more muscular. He would
have been an intimidating sight were it not for his amiable
demeanour. AR2 was a little older and of medium build. The most
striking figure was the fourth official, small, very young in
appearance, but having refereed the final of the Development
League competition.
Musselburgh were favourites, having already won the Premier
Division (though missing out to Clydebank of the WoSFL in the
play-off for promotion to the Lowland League.) Kirkcaldy &
Dysart finished mid table in the First Division, but had seen
off a number of Premier sides in their run to the final. JCFC'S
section of the railings was commandeered by a Musselburgh
supporter attaching a banner. JCFC'S command of the lingo is
clearly inadequate, as it took four goes to get through to him
that he was attaching it the wrong way round. In the first
quarter, the underdogs caused problems for the Musselburgh
defence, which perhaps explains why the over-excitable
Musselburgh boss caused frequent problems for the fourth
official. K&D were unlucky on 19 minutes, a shot hitting the
inside of the post and rolling across the face of the goal
before being cleared. Two minutes later, they were denied by the
keeper's desperate touch for a corner. They beat the defence
again a further minute later, the keeper coming to block on the
edge of his area, allowing a colleague to get back to clear the
follow-up shot off the line. JCFC was making a quick note as
this clearance turned into an attack, ended by a Kirkcaldy foul,
described elsewhere as a possible DOGSO, seeing only a yellow
card for an unidentified defender. This proved to be the turning
of the tide, as the K&D keeper was forced into a block to
concede a corner. There was a curious incident on 36 minutes: Mr
McAlpine whistled, with the ball in the K&D area, called a
player from each side for a warning, showed a yellow card to the
Kirkcaldy number 16 and restarted by dropping the ball for their
keeper. Sadly this was at the far end, so the logic of this
scenario remains unclear. (It was not a case of injury or ball
hitting referee.) Play became a little disjointed, with a yellow
for each side in the closing minutes of the half.
When players and officials took the field for the second half,
Mr McAlpine, ball in hand, did a sudden about turn and headed
back inside. Presumably whistle or card had been forgotten. At
the break, JCFC had decided to move to the opposite side, hoping
to catch the interactions of the fourth official with the
Musselburgh boss, but he was now on his best behaviour as his
side took control. There was a further yellow for Kirkcaldy
before Musselburgh settled matters with two quick goals just
after the hour. K&D continued to fight hard and again forced a
scrambled touch from the keeper. There was a yellow for the
Musselburgh number 15 and on 78 minutes one for the Kirkcaldy
number 5 - his second with attendant red. Though the ten men hit
the corner of the post and crossbar, the result was never really
in doubt and the closing minutes subsided into a succession of
substitutions.
Mr McAlpine's photo on Google seemed slightly blurred, which
matched JCFC'S impression of his refereeing. Despite the cards
issued, he did not convey the same degree of authority as last
year's referee, Rhys Struthers, but did at least manage to raise
a smile or two. The suspicion remains that JCFC'S stentorian
Brighouse friend would have trotted out his favourite adjectives
- insipid and ineffectual, JCFC, of course, is too nice to
agree.
The bus back to Uphall Station (a name etched in Boris10's
memory) was due at 16.22, but was reported as running seven
minutes late. Unfortunately just before the scheduled time, it
began to spit and in the "delayed" time this turned into a
squally downpour and though the bus was only five minutes late,
it was a very soggy old chap who boarded it. He was still damp
when Ayr was reached.
#Post#: 92742--------------------------------------------------
Re: Caledonia you're calling me
DIR By: Microscopist
Date: June 2, 2025, 1:32 am
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Had JCFC been minded to continue his tour of Scottish Kirk’s he
might have taken a 52 bus up the Doon Valley to either Patna or
Bellsbank where he could have met the faithful, but friendly,
few. Not a reverend in sight but the Alloway & Fisherton team
were there helping out with the theme ‘Drawn to Imperfection’.
Alternatively a trip to Alloway or Fisherton would have
considered St Columba, though it is doubtful whether a bus would
have got him to Fisherton in time.
Today sees the ‘Summer’ openings at Alloway Church, where
between 11 and 3 the stained glass can be viewed on most week
days; funerals, weddings and school end of term services
permitting.
Buses around Ayr today are somewhat disrupted due a dispute
between Stagecoach and its drivers.
#Post#: 92744--------------------------------------------------
Re: Caledonia you're calling me
DIR By: JCFC
Date: June 2, 2025, 4:44 am
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I have to confess that I did revisit the West Kirk for Friday's
Fish Fellowship, but have been otherwise engaged over the
weekend.
Had finances permitted, I considered staying an extra night and
investing in a Day Rider to allow a little exploration. Given
the news about the problems with Stagecoach today, I am glad
that the inner accountant won the day and I am currently heading
homewards.
#Post#: 92759--------------------------------------------------
Re: Caledonia you're calling me
DIR By: JCFC
Date: June 3, 2025, 2:32 am
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Sunday 1st June 2025
Scottish Junior Cup Final
Tranent 1 v 1 Johnstone Burgh
Cameron Stirling (Linlithgow); Cameron Telfer, Sean Duff. 4thers
Inaudible Wilkie?
The glory days of Junior football were long gone, even before
the mass defection of clubs a few years back, but the Junior
Cup, though not the major event it once was, retains a certain
cachet - and the final is broadcast live on BBC ALBA, hence the
kick-off time of 16.05. With tickets sold through the
participating finalists, there were fears of having to settle
for a lunchtime game at Battery Park and most of the final on
TV. However, an email to the SJFA received a helpful reply from
Kennie Young - to whom my thanks - that if I sent my name, a
ticket would be set aside for me. No sooner said than done. The
only caveat was that it had to be collected by 15.00 or it would
be sold. Unsure of timings and reliability of transport on the
Sabbath, I left Ayr too early and arrived at Broadwood three
hours before kick-off - not a good idea. Tickets became
available over an hour later. The gentleman, oddly, did not ask
my name to check that I had a ticket set aside, but asked who I
wanted to watch. I was neutral, so he gave me a ticket for the
South Stand, charging merely the concession rate of £5. Round to
the South Stand, then, where partial shelter was found from the
heavy showers that arrived. The gate was due to open at 14.45,
but was delayed as an obstreperous group of youngsters, complete
with drum, had defied the rule that every Under-16 must be
accompanied by an adult. I managed to get in eventually - and
subsequently so did they. The stand filled up steadily with many
arriving late and constant coming and going during the game. Had
too many bevvies been taken on the coaches? Fortunately, I had
had the foresight to avoid the section directly behind the goal,
which quickly became standing only - and the source of the red
and white flares that enveloped the stand in smoke at the start.
And so, eventually, to the match. The clubs' links with the
Juniors are nowadays historical. Burgh play in the West of
Scotland League, Tranent in the supposedly superior Lowland
League, that supposition being largely in the minds of
administrators and member clubs of the Lowland League. The first
half was a rather attritional affair, with teams cancelling each
other out with some strong challenges. Mr Stirling, still in his
very low twenties, operated a good triage of what was fair and
what was not. Midway through the half, a ricochet close to the
touchline saw Mr Stirling look back to Mr Telfer for
confirmation of the direction of the throw. Tranent received the
verdict, Mr Stirling received an expression of disagreement and
the Burgh number 4 received a yellow card. On the half hour,
Johnstone received a free-kick for a foul, a Johnstone player
seemed to be having a comforting word with his number 7 until Mr
Stirling took over and had quite a long chat. I have no idea
what lay behind it, but it looked like good management on Mr
Stirling's part. There were a couple of yellow cards, Tranent
number 4 for an attack-stopper, Johnstone number 2 for an
incident off the ball. As half time approached the Burgh keeper
fumbled a catch, a couple of headers causing difficulties before
a defender got the ball out for a corner. Relief was only
momentary, as the corner led to a headed Tranent goal. The final
action of the half saw a good Burgh chance, but they put the
header wide.
It took just 40 seconds after the restart for the Johnstone
number 8 to make a foolish challenge and join the list of yellow
card recipients. Mr Stirling was happy to allow a succession of
strong tackles, but not the reckless one that gave the Tranent
number 18 a view of Mr Stirling's yellow card. The Burgh number
7 was added to the card recipients midway through the half.
Johnstone were beginning to gain the upper hand and just failed
to get a head to a dangerous cross. Another cross followed, this
time the header was .ade, the keeper made a fumbling save,
leading to moments of panic until Tranent cleared it ...
straight to the other end, where the keeper tipped a Tranent
header over the bar. On 73 minutes Johnstone scored a deserved
equaliser. Mr Stirling will probably be pleased that it came
from an excellent advantage call; Burgh were happy with their
goal, but unhappy that the Tranent number 4 had not received a
second yellow - but his foul had very clearly failed to stop a
promising attack. Perhaps Mr Stirling was fortunate that the
advantage had produced the equaliser, the player was certainly
lucky. A neat succession of passes by Johnstone was illegally
stopped by the Tranent number 18. This time there were no
mitigating circumstances and he renewed his acquaintance with
the yellow card, this time inevitably followed by the red one. A
cynical trip brought the game's final yellow - for the Tranent
number 16. Johnstone created further chances, but Tranent hung
on to the final whistle.
And so, thankfully, to penaltiesrather than extra time. Tranent
led the way, but their first was appalling - high,wide and far
from handsome. Their third was saved but Johnstone made no
mistakes and their fourth sealed the win 4-2, prompting a
massive invasion of the pitch by fans of all ages.
Mr Stirling is dark haired, with a rebellious forelock that
required occasional tossing back. From not the best of vantage
points in the stand, his triage appeared very good. What was
clear, though, is that he refereed positively and proactively,
working hard at communication and management. He covered the
ground well, with a fine reverse gear. I should be happy to see
him again, but have a strong suspicion that it would be at a
higher level.
I did not wait for the pitch to be cleared to allow for the
presentations. Instead, I headed to the bus stop at St Maurice's
roundabout. At this time the X3 service is hourly, so it was
good to find that the wait was just 13 minutes and that there
was plenty of room. The Ayr trains were also hourly, so it was
just after 21.00 that I reached my room.
#Post#: 92787--------------------------------------------------
Re: Caledonia you're calling me
DIR By: arabref
Date: June 4, 2025, 6:02 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I watched the game on TV, but would agree with your report. A
cagey first half, but a more entertaining match in the second
half, which was refereed very well by Mr Stirling overall. With
the benefit of TV replays it was clear a second yellow card
should have been issued to the Tranent number 4 as it was
definitely a reckless challenge, however other than that I
couldn't argue with very much.
Being based north of the border I have seen him referee a few
times previously and always been impressed, so I do think he is
destined to do very well.
And finally, Jamie Wilkie was the 4th official. The change to
the new COMET admin system last summer has meant that 4th
officials are no longer listed on the SFA appointments page for
some reason.
#Post#: 93466--------------------------------------------------
Re: Caledonia you're calling me
DIR By: JCFC
Date: July 16, 2025, 8:13 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Lest "I should become a stranger," there have been just a few
weeks since the last Scottish jaunt. The gentle drizzle that had
greeted JCFC'S arrival in Glasgow changed to a downpour just as
he was setting off on the walk back to the station, making it a
rather soggy traveller who invested £6.05 (Senior Railcard) in a
return to Cartsdyke, where fortunately it was back to light
drizzle. The only previous visit to Cappielow (for an afternoon
Development match) had proved fruitless. The gates had been
locked, with no signs of life until a chap appeared, who
explained that the match had been switched to lunchtime at
Woodhall, where the players had actually been spotted warming up
as the train had passed. There were no such problems this time
at
Tuesday 15th July 2025
Premier Sports Cup
Greenock Morton 3 v 0 Stenhousemuir
Peter Stuart; Ian Hart, Jamie Andrews.
It was pleasing to start the match without the usual
fol-de-rols: the officials (in salmon pink) ran out, followed by
the players; the assistants, (smart in long sleeves) went
straight to check their nets, before heading directly to the
touch lines; no lining up for pointless hand-slapping and off we
went.
As indicated on the Appointments thread, Mr Stuart failed to
impress on the one previous sighting, but JCFC was hoping for an
improvement. Morton had a great chance on just four minutes, but
headed over the crossbar. They had only two minutes to wait,
though, before they took the lead. JCFC'S first goal of the
season ... not season because of some pesky late arrivals. On 26
minutes a Morton defensive error gave the lacklustre Muir number
18 possession, but he dithered in trying to get a shot away,
allowing a defender to recover and dispossess him. There was a
yellow card for the visiting number 4 for an attack-stopping
trip and acrobatic saves by each keeper. By now there was enough
fabric for the proverbial Dutchman to acquire a pair of trousers
- and even JCFC'S were almost dry. Morton scored their second on
42 minutes, a cross from the right out of reach of their first
striker, but being comfortably tucked away at the far post - and
this time JCFC had a clear view. In their next attack Morton had
two successive shots blocked by their own players, but added a
third with what proved to be the final touch of the half.
Morton dominated the second half, but found the Stenhousemuir
keeper in good form, while the crossbar played a blinder in
stopping a Morton thunderbolt, so the score remained unchanged.
Despite this, it was an agreeable watch, with no longueurs.
Mr Stuart did give JCFC reason to revise his opinion. Not being
a follower of fashion, JCFC very much approved of Mr Stuart's
lateral movement, rather than the increasingly common up and
down the middle path. His style is quite understated, with good
communication. An early barge as the ball went out for a
goal-kick produced no fuss, but Mr Stuart clearly curved his run
back into position in order to drop a quiet word in the
offender's ear. This was his preferred method, with formal
warnings limited to two occasions other than the caution. It was
not a difficult game to handle and he did nothing to make it
one. He is perhaps unlikely to become a JCFC favourite, but
there would be no qualms about seeing him in action again.
Opinion duly revised!
A wait at the station of just 25 minutes for the 22.07 train saw
JCFC back in his room at 22.55..
#Post#: 93479--------------------------------------------------
Re: Caledonia you're calling me
DIR By: Microscopist
Date: July 17, 2025, 4:49 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I note from this week's Ayrshire Post that Ayr United have been
given planning permission for some quite extensive
redevelopments of Somerset Park.
#Post#: 93480--------------------------------------------------
Re: Caledonia you're calling me
DIR By: Affy_Moose
Date: July 17, 2025, 5:33 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Microscopist link ---
>
> I note from this week's Ayrshire Post that Ayr United have
been given planning permission for some quite extensive
redevelopments of Somerset Park.
>
--- End Quote ---
The new stand (built for the beginning of last season?) is a
brilliant example of what can be done on a limited budget. It's
really what every non-Premiership side should aspire to have.
The terracing and high-level of land behind it no doubt reduced
costs, but it really is excellent.
#Post#: 93495--------------------------------------------------
Re: Caledonia you're calling me
DIR By: JCFC
Date: July 17, 2025, 10:22 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
If Tuesday's match had been free from longueurs, Wednesday's
unfortunately offered precious little else. It had all started
so well: a splendidly hot small fish and chips at afternoon rate
and an accompanying pint of Ossian at The Wheatsheaf, followed
by a deconstructed millionaire:s shortbread ice cream had gone
down well and left plenty of time for a leisurely stroll to the
ground. A further unexpected bonus was the discovery that the
seats at the bottom of the Frank Beattie stand offered decent
legroom. So JCFC settled to watch
Wednesday 16th July 2025
Premier Sports Cup
Kilmarnock 1 v 0 Livingston
Sean Murdoch; Daniel McFarlane, Gordon McCabe
4thers Daniel Graves (other white wines are available)
Attendance 3430
The officials were once again in salmon. Mr McCabe gained
Brownie points for smart long sleeves, making up for the
fashionable shaven look. Mr McFarlane was his usual dapper self,
despite his short sleeves. Mr Murdoch had given up playing - he
had been a professional goalkeeper - at 32, to allow himself
time to progress as a referee. As such he is approaching 40,
though at a distance it would be hard to tell from which
direction.
Perhaps in deference to the sponsors and their cameras, there
was the ritual hand-slapping rigmarole, but otherwise things
were quickly under way. The pitch was causing some difficulties
with exaggerated bounce - the pre-match watering had been rather
perfunctory, if that is the explanation. For a couple of minutes
Killie seemed stronger, but Livi. then took over and controlled
the first quarter. On 18 minutes the home keeper made a double
save and there followed a spell of sustained Livingston
pressure. There was a yellow card for a foul by the visiting
number 27 midway through the half . On 30 minutes JCFC made a
note that Killie were coming back into it and immediately they
scored. Well, a goal was scored, not that Killie had a great
deal to do with it - a hasty clearance ricocheted off a Livi
player into the net. Just before the break a Livi free-kick was
tipped over the crossbar by the home keeper to end a dullish
first half.
The watering during the break was intense (and more entertaining
than most of the play to date) and the bounce was better in the
second half, though the football was not. Midway through, the
Killie keeper came to the rescue following a Livi corner, while
towards the end the home side did force the Livi keeper into a
save, but more typically the game ended with a chance for Killie
being headed tamely wide. An appropriate ending to a match
between two limited sides, both devoid of finishing skills. Over
the piece, Livingston had slightly the better of the play, but
Kilmarnock ended up with the points. It is likely that both
sides will spend the season at the lower end of the Premiership.
It will have been a good test of the television commentators'
skills: how to make the match seem exciting and convince viewers
that their subscription had not been wasted. As for Mr Murdoch,
he was always in control, and there were no problems or clear
errors. In contrast to the previous evening, he proved very much
an up-and-down-the-middle referee, only really venturing out of
the central twenty yards when the ball was dead. It would be
harsh to suggest that his refereeing mirrored the game, but
JCFC'S stardust detector barely registered.
Taking a slightly different route back to the station, JCFC was
surprised to make the 21.58 train with a couple of minutes to
spare and was therefore back in his room by 22.51. A further
surprise came at breakfast in the hotel, when there appeared two
friends from Huddersfield, who had also been at the match.
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