A Scottish extravaganza
Prior to the EFL season starting Steve Peart & I are doing a 4-night, 4-game trip to Scotland this weekend.
Our first game is the live game on BBC Scotland this evening - Falkirk v Queens Park. They do a very reasonably-priced but very good hospitality package at the Falkirk Stadium. Luckily there's a direct train from Kings Cross to Falkirk which helps a lot as we don't get there until 5pm.
We're basing ourselves in Falkirk for 3 nights then one night in Perth. Our second game is Saturday afternoon as Stenhousemuir take on Arbroath at Ochilview Park. Stenhousemuir is effectively a suburb of Falkirk so no extra travelling required.
On Sunday we're lucky to have got hold of tickets for the Dundee United v Dundee derby at Tannadice (live on Sky). We move base on Monday to Perth where we watching the Scottish Premiership match between St Johnstone and Aberdeen (live on Sky). Travelling back on Tuesday - pretty exhausted I expect too!
Comments
Scotland? Take care...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ECGKcl4s-k
Enjoy your haggis neeps and tatties!
Just two and a half hours away from liquid nectar (Ardbeg is actually my favourite but that is a long way away)...
Hang out a Wycombe flag so we can spot you on the telly!
Goodness me. My wife just bought some gin this morning from the Balmenach distillery, 20 miles away.
Coincidence?????
Speyside is a region that is crowded with joyous concoctions!
Good Speed Gentlemen!
That's true, you can get some pretty good speed in that area.
Islay>>>>>>>Speyside
Agreed! Ardbeg is the king of Scotch for me, though the versus Laphroaig and Lagavulin debates will go on and on.
Roast beef & Yorkshire pudding in hospitality. After the sweltering weather in the South it's pleasantly drizzling in Falkirk!
Not a contest that should ever be settled, one that should be tested regularly and slowly over decades.
Epic looking trip btw, enjoy.
Laphroaig >>>>>>>>> Ardbeg
Looks a brilliant trip, have a good one!
I love Laphroaig too, and it is one of those "in the eye of beholder" arguments, as Ardbeg is barely ahead for me. Really the island as a whole has so many great distilleries!
Many years ago I lived in Japan during the bubble years and I once saw a man in a bar get a glass of Islay whisky (I forget exactly which one, Bowmore 32 YO?) from a bottle that cost around 5,000 quid. And then he mixed it with coke.
In a fair world, he would have been arrested for that!
Falkirk attack the home end. Good view from the top of the main stand. Grangemouth oil refinery in the background.
I’m rather jealous of this trip.
Does the prospect of Swindon tomorrow not excite you?
A deserved 2-1 win for Falkirk, who should have been more than one up at half-time. They then conceded a worldie right after the break, a fantastic curling shot into the top corner, off the post. The lead was restored two minutes later. 5,505 watched the game, with 222 away fans.
The three stands are impressive, each built as funds became available. The club have permission to build the fourth stand, with a 2,000 capacity, to bring the ground up to 10,000. No date has been given for starting the build. The pitch is 3G and East Stirlingshire, of the Lowland League, have been groundsharing since 2018. The home support behind the goal were terrific, a constant noise. I understand why Rob wanted to enlarge the home end, to match the atmosphere in the away end. Edit - our home end is also terrific, it just needs to be bigger!
Before the game, Falkirk ran their Division One Championship flag up a flagpole on the pitch, and everyone saluted it with much applause! They were unbeaten in the league last season, a very rare achievement at professional level.
We had hospitality tickets, in a room with a bar, and a two course meal was included. Seats were directly outside at the top of the main stand. The obligatory and necessary Scotch pie was provided at half-time, with tea and coffee. Before the game a legend was interviewed, after the game there was a general knowledge quiz and interviews with some players, who took time to visit every table for a chat. Everyone was very friendly. Stephen McGinn, Falkirk club captain last season before retiring, was part of the TV commentary team tonight.
Brilliant stuff this.
A great tour gents and keep the reports coming. A real jolly boys football tour, enjoy. 👍👍👍
Wow!!
Two things to do in Falkirk. See the Falkirk Wheel, an amazing engineering marvel, which replaced eleven locks and a day's hard work to navigate them. It lifts up and drops down boats simultaneously in 10 minutes, using the Archimedes Principle.
The other are the Kelpies, two huge steel horse sculptures. Some photos and short videos.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/dKAa9xNdZJecsycZA
Stenhousemuir club shop. I do like a sash, their new change strip
Great photos Steve. That wheel is amazing. 👍👍
The main stand at Ochilview Park beginning to fill up for today's opening League One match v Arbroath. Like near neighbours Falkirk FC, the Warriors won League Two last season & face a tough game today.
There is a good covered terrace behind one end at Stenhousemuir while the other end is just flat tarmac. The side opposite the main stand is fenced off - so another 3-sided ground.