Petershill v Kirkintilloch Rob Roy

Petershill Park

View towards stand at half time

Main stand

50-50

Rabs move down the wing

Peasy No9 tries some fancy footwork

Another high ball

Rabs goalie at full stretch

Where's the ball?

Full Time.

Shaking hands


Petershill FC 1 Kirkintilloch Rob Roy 4

A grey day in Springburn for this West of Scotland Super Premier league match. Peasy looked out of sorts from the start & Rob Roy's superior pace and less convoluted approach paid off, as they went in at half time 3-0 up. Petershill changed things about in the 2nd half and things improved for them. They started to carve out chances and managed to bag a goal. They were a little stretched though and Rabs capped off a good day by sticking a fourth, decisive goal away with about five minutes to go.



Three G's.

Game - (3/5) Rob Roy were clinical, physical and pacy, taking advantage of Petershill's defensive deficiencies with frightening regularity. The game turned around in the 2nd half a bit, but it was too little, too late. Peasy seemed happy to move forward at a snails pace in the 1st half, trying to thread the ball through a packed Rabs defence with zero success. Rob Roy on the other hand ripped into Petershill every time they won the ball in midfield, making them suffer on three occassions. Charles Reep would have loved this match.

Ground - (4/5) Having watched games at the old Petershill Park, the new ground does seem to lack something in character, but that's not to say it isn't worth visiting. The backdrop of Glasgow tenements and high rise flats is similar to it's predecessor, and the view of the game from the stand is very good. A wander over to the dugouts on the other side of the park at half time provided the opposite, with the big perspex benches getting in the way, even on the top step of the shallow terracing. Curious note. Spectators watching the game at the fence in front of the stand are asked to move on so as not to obcure the view of anyone in the stand. Fair enough, but from what I could tell, there were damn few sitting in the first few rows of the stand. Not because they are undesireable seats mind, but simply because a great many of them no longer exist. In fact, it saddened me to see just how many seats in a stand that's barely three years old have been destroyed.

Wear & tear? Vandalism?


Grub - (4/5) Very good. The sausage rolls were pretty decent, and very cheap. Three sausage rolls, two cans of coke & a packet of crisps came to less than four quid.

I hope that was the right price, cos I came away with the nagging feeling we might have been under-charged.......

Beechwood Park, Auchinleck

SJFA Cup Sixth Round: Auchinleck Talbot 1 Arthurlie 1

Police horses? At a Junior football match?

Sure, two West Super Premier rivals facing off against each other in the Junior Cup (especially with Rangers & Celtic playing the next day in the league Cup Final) is going to generate a bit of interest and a bigger than normal crowd, but this is just weird. One guy shared my surprise as we stood in the pie queue. He reckoned there would be about 400 Arthurlie fans down, but still little need for the boys in blue (and luminous yellow). In the end, they had little to do but kick out a few shell suit clad dobbers (top marks to the lad caught trying to smuggle in bottles of Buckie and MD) and keep a watchful eye on the Talbot Choir in the shed for some reason.

Beechwood Park is remarkable for it's decent sized stand, though on closer inspection, I found that the seats, especially near the front were in a poor way, and I think the roof needs looking at, the small concourse at the front slippery and green with a lichen like substance. That said, if you found yourself a pew near the back, you'd get a grand view of the game. The rest of the ground is open, consisting of concrete slab terracing of varying depths, with the exception of the aforementioned shed, which provides just about enough resonance to get a good sing-song going.

The atmosphere for this game was actually fairly electric for the first five minutes or so, especially with Arthurlie scoring after less than ten seconds. A combination of strong running and neat first time passes sent John McLay through on the keeper. His initial shot was blocked, but he was alert enough to scoop the rebound into the net. Cue wild celebrations from the Arthurlie players as they all piled into one corner of the field, before making their way back for the KO, doubtless pinching themselves at the ease with which they ripped open the zombie like Auchinleck defence.

The game settled down into a bit of a stodgy affair after that, Talbot coming into the game with plenty possession, but no edge, and Arthurlie looking dangerous on the counter attack on a few occasions. Into the 2nd half, and it was Auchinleck who took the game by the goolies though, pressing relentlessly for the equaliser. It came roughly on the hour mark. From where I stood in the shed, it looked like a series of headers across the edge of the box eventually found Sean McIlroy, who drove into the box and stuck the ball past the keeper. Cue bedlam amongst the relieved Talbot fans, and thoughts turned to getting a winner.

It didn't come. The game looked to be petering out, though with Auchinleck still on top. Unsure of the train times, I sloped off with about five minutes to go, but found out from fans who congregated later on the station platform that the game had ended 1-1.

Overall, an enjoyable day out, and a good atmosphere to soak up on what was a cold, overcast and sometimes showery day in deepest Ayrshire.

Three G's:

Game - 3/5 - Pitch looked a bit heavy, and the first half dragged a bit. Nicely taken goals and the 2nd half was better entertainment.

Ground - 4/5 - Tidy, though slightly 'rustic' in places. Good view out to the rolling Ayrshire hills. Main stand makes the ground seem a little bigger than it is. An impressive non-league stadium.

Grub - 2/5* - Plenty choice, and all cheap. Tea/coffee/bovril/soft drinks, as well as two types of pie, plain or with onion. I chose a plain pie, but I think it had been in the display too long as it was more than a little crunchy.

*Maybe a little unfair on the Auchinleck pie there, as everyone elses pies looked lovely. Still, it's what I was given for my pound, so 2/5 it is.........

Beechwood Park

The shed fills up before the game.

The main stand, transferred brick by brick from Douglas Park, former home of Hamilton Academicals.

You'll get a decent view of the action from the surrounding houses.

The Talbot hardcore congregate in the shed, alobng with anyone sheltering from the elements.

A hefty crowd for a Junior game. My guess is between 1000 & 1200.

Barrfields Park, Largs

Home of Largs Thistle and a ground I first visited as a nine year old. It was a week long summer holiday in Largs and my family were living in rented accomodation along at the other end of Brisbane Road. My brother and I had discovered the ground in our wanderings and decided it was the perfect backdrop for acting out our footballer fantasies. Access to the ground was fairly easy, I don't think there were any fences stoopping you getting in as there are now. Even at the time, I was quite impressed with it, the bowl shape terrace, the big enclosure with benches...........


I returned there today, with weather that wouldn't have looked out of place back in that scorching June week in 1985. I had actually intended to go and watch Ardrossan Winton Rovers, but I was a bit late out of the old wanking chariot and would have missed half the game. Instead I headed to the end of the line and spent the day in Largs. The weather had brought out the masses and it was nice to hit the peaceful backstreets and rediscover this rather excellent ground. In shape and size, it's not unlike Adamslie Park, with curved terrace and a perimiter track. On closer inspection, the corrugated iron shed has obviously seen better days, but it's barrel roof form and red and white pain job looked brilliant against the deep blue sky and made for some cracking photos. As I mentioned, the gates were locked, so once again I had to content myself with shots into a ground through a fence. I'm hoping to make a game here next season and I'll get some decent shots of the ground.

In fact, I'm hoping to make a fair few Junior games next season, and if possible, document the rise of new junior stadia such as Petershill, Rutherglen Glencairn, Rob Roy and a few others, but only if I can get out my scratcher before 11am.................. ;)

Barrfields Park

Prescence of flood lights duly noted. Do they get any use? Shots taken from a pathway that runs behind the enclosure from Brisbane Road down to the leisure centre and the sea-front.
Staircase leading into the ground. Not sure if this entrance is used on match-days or not.

Barrfields Park

View of the pavillion from the corner terrace
Towards the stand
View from behind the goals towards the dugouts.
The barrel roofed enclosure, with it's bench seating.
A closer look at this charming little stand.

Keppoch Park, Glasgow (From A Distance)

Social club/changing rooms, with enclosure. Blaze car park in foreground.
View across to the dugouts and enclosure.
A closer look at the enclosure. Looks like it needs a bit of work done on it.

Home of Glasgow Perthshire FC. Three times Scottish Junior Cup winners apparently.

To say Keppoch Park is basic would be something of an understatement, though I've only ever seen into the ground from behind a set of padlocked iron gates. Nestled behind a derelict transport depot and some warehouses, it's not unlike Maryhill's Lochburn Park in that if you didn't have to look for it, you'd never know it was there. Here are some pictures from pitch-side from the 2006/07 season, showing it, if nothing else, to be a fairly tidy little pitch. The ground is situated about 200 yards from the much larger Saracen Park, home of Ashfield Juniors, though for many seasons now, both clubs have been playing at much the same low level in the Scottish Junior setup. As of their final game in the 06/07 season, Perthshire were competing in, I believe, the Central League 1st Division*, though where they will start again in 08/09 is a mystery as they seem to have pulled out of this seasons Junior football fixtures just before the season began. Whether or not there are any plans to re-group for next season, I am unsure, but I'm sure some kind soul passing through will have a little info on that front.....

*as Wikipedia would put it, 'Citation Needed'. If anyone has any info about Perthshire, I'll be only too happy to ammend this post and credit the source. Cheers!

Kirkintilloch Rob Roy: Keep On Running

In 'the paddock'. The old lad in the bunnet thought I was taking a photo of my pie. Maybe I should have, they weren't bad. I was just looking at the back display on the camera, but I didn't have the heart to correct him as he was busy telling all and sundry around him about my strange antics.........


Between the ages of four and a half and ten and a half, I went to school in the town of Kirkintilloch, about half an hours drive from Glasgow. My father had a motorcycle dealership there and half my childhood was spent around Eastside and the Cowgate. Every year, the school would hold a sports day at Adamslie Park, and it would be my duty to run like bow legged fool for thirty seconds, before spending the rest of the day sitting in the sun and taking in the bizarre atmosphere.

Back then, there was an old stand on one side of the pitch, up on an embankment. It's away now and the ground looks no worse for it's abscence. The pitch is ringed by a small perimeter track and a shallow, curving terrace, with a few benches dotted about here and there so the older lads can have a seat and enjoy the sunshine. All very nice. Theres an impressive pavillion, with a stretch of open terrace to it's right, and a shed to it's left, both being fairly deep. The size of the place is impressive, a big pitch, loads of room, tidy too. The pies are cheap and tasty, though the bogs are beyond primitive.

Anything else?

Oh, yeah, Rabs are on the move. They have a new modern ground in the pipeline, to be built not far from Adamslie. Very nice. Hopefully a new social club can be built too, the old Adamslie Social was pulled down some years back and Lord alone knows how they got by without it............

The game finished as a 3-1 victory for Rob Roy. Maryhill made the worst possible start by getting their keeper sent off in the opening minutes. In spite of this, they scored first and when the inevitable Rob Roy equaliser appeared, it looked like there would be more. In the 2nd half, Rabs turned the screw, but a combination of an in form goalie, solid defending and woeful finishing saw to it that with only 15 minutes left, it was still 1-1. Maryhill lost a defender due to some sort of illness not long into the 2nd half, but the final twist was a 2nd sending off which ensured Rob Roy couldn't help but pick up the points, bagging two in the last ten minutes.

Adamslie Park, Kirkintilloch

Kick Off. Looking towards the Pavillion and the enclosure, with the Campsie Hills in the background.
Pavillion & Enclosure from the East Terrace.
Looking round to where the old stand used to be. Note benches set back on grass. Nice idea.

Enclosure from East terrace, looking towards the turnstyles.

I'm 100% certain I took more shots of the ground than this, but they don't seem to be where I thought they were on my hard drive. If I find them, I'll post them...........

Petershill Park, Old and New

The sun sets on the old ground

Lost and almost gone. Theres a new ground being built for Petershill FC, but I was a little late in getting round to recording the old one. It's all but demolished now. All that remains is a little bit of terrace and the clubhouse/pavillion. A big thanks to the two lads from the club who let me wander round for a few minutes and take these shots. The old ground was big by Scottish Junior Football standards, and it once held a crowd of almost 20,000 people. It had unfortunately gone to seed a bit and was looking more than just a little tired at the end of it's life. History and shots of the ground pre demolition can be found here and here

New ground situated a few hundred yards away. This looks like a stand/facilities/social club type of thing. Not sure what else is intended to be added, other than a pitch and goals. Best of luck to 'Peasy' anyway, look forward to seeing some games there soon.

Petershill Park

Dugout and Pavillion
Pavillion viewed from earth mound
What's left of the terracing
Barbed wire on pavillion roof. As ever with abandoned structures, the graffiti runs riot.
Looking along the line of the pitch towards where the old end terrace once stood.
Looking the other way.

Petershill Park Pt2

Stairsleading up to what was terracing, from Petershill Road
Pavillion and clubhouse viewed from where old end terrace used to reside. The pitch is now occupied by a mound of earth obscuring the old structure
The curve of the old terrace is still there, even if the steps are gone.
Club crest at the players entrance.