Campbell Park (Saltcoats Victoria P-P Darvel)

I had not updated the old blog for a few weeks because I have been busy with many things lately and adding posts to the site was not one of them. That does not mean I have stopped going to football matches so I will update you on my most recent trips in the upcoming days.

On Saturday 12th November I decided to take a train to Saltcoats to see the Emirates Junior Cup second round tie between Saltcoats Victoria and fellow Ayrshire side Darvel. This fixture had already been postponed twice in the previous couple of weeks but it seemed it was finally game on and the weather forecast looked fine. I picked this fixture as it was a relatively short trip (only thirty minutes on the train from Paisley) and it gave me the opportunity to tick off another Wetherspoon pub, the Salt Cot. I had forgotten about this pub but fellow groundhopper Stephen aka Groundhopper 2000 reminded me just in time.

I got off the train at Saltcoats at 1pm, exactly one hour before kick-off. From the train station it was a short walk to my first stop, The Salt Cot, one of the smaller JD Wetherspoon pubs I have been to but with plenty of real ales available. After I had finished my pint of Avalanche I made my way to Campbell Park, home of Saltcoats Vics and a fifteen-minute walk from the town centre.

When I arrived at Campbell Park it seemed very quiet, and I got that eerie feeling that is well known to most groundhoppers...a quick check on the Saltcoats Vics internet side confirmed that the game was off. It also mentioned that the game was supposed to be be played at Ardeer Stadium, home of Ardeer Thistle. So not only was the game postponed, I had shown up at the wrong ground as well. Unfortunately the SJFA website had the game still down as 'on' at that time and no mentioning was made of a ground switch.

It looked like I had wasted my money on train ticket but I quickly checked the Junior fixtures and found out Kilwinning Rangers were playing at home against Lugar Boswell Thistle. I decided to take the 2:35pm train to Kilwinning.

The Junior Cup tie was rescheduled to Saturday 19th November and the venue was switched to Darvel's home ground, Recreation Park. Despite losing home advantage Vics thrashed their opponents 8-0.

First a pint in the Salt Cot

The gate to Campbell Park remained closed...

Saturday 12th November 2011
Emirates Junior Cup second round
Saltcoats Victoria P Darvel P

Valefield Park (Kilbirnie Ladeside v Livingston United)

Another weekend, another Emirates Junior Cup round two match. All it takes is a bit of wind or a prolonged rain shower for a junior game to be called off. The many postponements in the juniors can be frustrating for clubs and fans but it gives me the chance to see a few matches at this stage of the competion.

Last Saturday I went to Valefield Park to see West Region Super League Premier Division team Kilbirnie Ladeside take on Livingston United, a side playing in the East Region South Division, which is a third-tier league. Kilbirnie have struggled in the league so far this season, losing seven of their first nine matches but they started as favourites nevertheless.

I got on my train at Paisley Gilmour Street and got off at Glengarnock station twenty minutes later. From this station it is a ten-minute walk to Kilbirnie's home ground. Valefield is a well looked after junior ground with two enclosures next to each other on one side and a small terrace on the other side. There is also terracing behind both goals. You can buy refreshments at the pie hut or the small licensed bar, selling drinks at the usual affordable Junior prices (I had a bottle of Miller at £1.50). I was disappointed there was no programme issued however. The weather was pretty good for November, slightly chilly but dry and sunny.

Despite the Blasties' poor league form they were much too strong for the West Lothian side, as expected. It only took seven minutes for Kilbirnie to open the scoring as Mark Seagrave's shot went in. Mathew Mclean made it 2-0 only five minutes later. When Stevie Miller converted a penalty five minutes (YouTube clip) before the half-time whistle the tie looked already over.

The home team had a good second half as well but it took them almost 30 minutes to score again as McLean added a second to his tally. Roberts scored a consolation goal for the visitors seven minutes before time.

Tomorrow I will travel to Ayrshire once more for my third Junior Cup round two match this season and it will be an all-Ayrshire affair this time: Saltcoats Victoria are taking on Darvel Juniors. There is a forecast of heavy rain for tonight but hopefully this game will not be postponed for a third time.

Entering Valefield Park

Today's team sheet


The two enclosures


The dressing rooms, pie hut and bar

Great flag


Quote from the Non-League Scotland website: 'The cheapskate supporter can find many ways of viewing games here for free, either by standing on the large hill that overlooks Valefield or by looking through the mesh fence that surrounds three sides of the ground.'


A closer look at the enclosures


The terrace in the north end


The south end terrace


The Kirkland Road entrance

Saturday 5th November 2011
Emirates Junior Cup round two
Kilbirnie Ladeside 4 Livingston United 1
Kilbirnie: Seagrave 7, McLean 12, Miller (pen.) 40, McLean 72.
Livingston Utd: Roberts 83.
Att: 200 (est.)

Portland Park (Troon v Lochore Welfare)

Last Saturday I made the 30-minute train journey from Paisley to Troon in South Ayrshire to pay my first visit to Portland Park, home of Troon FC. It is a very short walk from the local railway station to the football ground, it will not take you much longer than five minutes. You can see Portland Park on your right hand side just before you roll into Troon station if you are travelling from the Glasgow direction.

Troon play in the Ayrshire District League, a third tier division in the West Region Juniors set-up. Last week's game was a second round Junior Cup game against representatives from the East Region. Lochore Welfare hail from Crosshill in Fife and ply their trade in the East Region Central Division, which is also a third tier division.

Portland Park is a nice and welcoming Junior ground with a social club and a covered enclosure. There are a few holes in the enclosure's roof but I was kept fairly dry despite the rain that was lasing down for some time during the match. As I had had a fairly late breakfast at home I was not in the mood for trying any of the pies on sale so I cannot comment on the food on offer this time. No programme was issued on Saturday.

The game itself was entertaining although it became fairly one-sided in the second half. Jonathan Baillie opened the score for the home side after 20 minutes. Ten minutes later Troon scored their second but Lochore Welfare's Alan McDonough scored five minutes before the interval.

In the second half the rain got worse and the wind got stronger which was definitely in the home side's favour. Within the the first ten minutes of the second period Troon doubled their goal tally. Lochore could count themselves lucky that the Ayrshire forwards were very wasteful in front of Lochore's goal and 4-1 was the final score.

I am planning to see another Junior Cup tie in Ayrshire tomorrow. Kilbirnie Ladeside will be favourites against Livingston North at Valefield Park.

Entering Portland Park

The pavilion and enclosure

A small terrace in the south end.

Andy Rae's shot after five minutes went just wide.


Lochore Welfare are about to take a free kick

A closer look at the enclosure

A queue at kiosk at half-time but no pie for me today

Mascots are rare in the Juniors but they have one at Portland Park. I hear you thinking: 'Is that a good thing?'

Troon's home ground can be easily spotted from the train

The sun, and a nice rainbow, came out in the second half

Saturday 29th October

Emirates Scottish Junior Cup round two

Troon 4 Lochore Welfare 1

Troon: Baillie 20, ? 30, ? 50, ? 55

Lochore Welfare: ? 40.

Att: 120 (est.)