Dam Park Stadium (Whitletts Victoria v Clydebank)

Yesterday I went to Ayr for the Scottish Juniors West Region First Division clash between Whitletts Victoria and Clydebank. This was a vital game for both clubs as both are vying for promotion to the Super League Premier Division and were sitting in the top two spots in the First Division league table before Saturday's match, which was played at Dam Park. Whitletts' traditional home is Voluntary Park but this ground, which is also used for greyhound racing, was closed recently by South Ayrshire council as there were major health and safety concerns. Dam Park is a council-owned athletics venue and spectators are quite far from the pitch but the facilities are better than at many other junior grounds. Clydebank, in their previous incarnation, had played at Dam Park once before. This was for a league cup tie against Ayr United in 1972. Clydebank lost 5-0 almost 40 years ago but they had a much easier ride yesterday.

Tommy Martin missed the chance to put Bankies ahead after only twenty minutes when his kick from the spot went about a yard over the crossbar but when Whitletts' Rikki Harvey was sent off not much later for a dreadful stamp on Martin Clydebank's dominance became too much for Whitletts with goals from Stevie Dymock and Mark Hailstones before the interval and a Gordan Moffat goal two minutes after the break. Craig Main scored for the home side with seven minutes left on the clock, but as the footballing cliché goes, it was all too little, too late. Clydebank are top of the league now although all other rivals for promotion have at least two games in hand.

Approaching Dam Park.

The stand at Dam Park holds 478.

The ground is primarily an athletics venue.

Tommy Martin missed a penalty in the first half.

Whitletts' Rikki Harvey was sent off for a stamp on Tommy Martin.

A closer look at the stand at half-time.

Whitletts Goalie Steven Douglas saved this effort...


...but Gordon Moffat scored for Clydebank from the rebound.

Another look at the stand after the sun had come out late in the second half.

Saturday 5th March 2011
West Region Super League First Division
Whitletts Victoria 1 Clydebank 3
Whitletts Victoria: Main 83.
Clydebank: Dymock 35. Hailstones 44. Moffat 47.
Att: 250 (est.)

Prestonfield Park (Linlithgow Rose v Clydebank)

Today I went to Linlithgow in West Lothian, which is 30 minutes on the train from Glasgow Queen Street. The occasion was the Scottish Junior Cup second round tie between holders Linlithgow Rose and Clydebank at Prestonfield Park. I arrived in Linlithgow about an hour before kick-off so there was enough time for a couple of pints in one of the many pubs on the town's High Street. I picked Platform 3, which is an excellent small pub just outside the train station.

After two pints of Deuchars I made my way to Prestonfield, which is a ten-minute walk from the station. Lithgae's ground is a great-looking junior ground with a covered enclosure on one side and a modern-looking main stand, the Davie Roy Stand, on the other side. There is a high grass bank behind one of the goals. Behind the other goal there is room for standing and access to the social club. After the torrential rain of the past few days I had feared a waterlogged pitch but fortunately it was dry and sunny today. About 900 Lithgae and Bankies fans were in attendance.

The home team, 2010 Junior Cup winners and current East Region Superleague leaders, were the obvious favourites to progress to the third round of the biggest competition in Scottish junior football. Clydebank, who knocked out cup holders Auchinleck Talbot last season, were close to opening the score when a Ross McPherson header hit the crossbar. However Dario Quinn's header gave the Rose a deserved lead at half-time. After the interval Bankies seemed the keener side but they had trouble creating clear-cut chances and 1-0 was the final score.

After the game I had one more quick pint in the Old Post Office on the High Street before I took the 4:33pm train back to Glasgow.

First a couple of pints in Platform 3, a pub just outside the train station.

Entering Prestonfield.


The covered terrace was packed today.


The Davie Roy Stand.


A closer look at the Davie Roy Stand.


Looking towards the northern end of the park.


The grass bank in the southern end of the ground.


After the poor weather of the last few days some welcome rays of sunshine at Prestonfield.

The Bankies were unable to find the net today.

The Davie Roy Stand after the game.


The Black Bitch pub near Prestonfield is named after Linlithgow's coat of arms which shows a black dog chained to an oak tree.

Saturday 30th October 2010
Emirates Scottish Junior Cup Round 2
Linlithgow Rose 1 Clydebank 0
Goal: Quinn 34.
Att: 900

Showpark (East Kilbride Thistle v Clydebank)

Last Saturday I went to East Kilbride to see East Kilbride Thistle take on Clydebank at Showpark in the Scottish Juniors West Region Super League First Division. It takes about 30 minutes on the train from Glasgow Central to East Kilbride, the largest town in Scotland. The Jags were only founded in 1968 (East Kilbride is one of the Scottish 'new towns') and their biggest achievement has been winning the Scottish Junior Cup in 1983. Since their promotion in 2006 Thistle have been playing in the second tier of the West Region junior set-up.

After I got off the train I still had 40 minutes to kill before the 2pm kick-off. Showpark (one word and not 'Show Park') is only a five-minute walk from the train station so I had a quick pre-match pint in the Montgomery Arms. I then made my way to the ground. Showpark looks a bit run-down like so many of the junior grounds. There is a covered terrace which is so far from the pitch that you would struggle to see any of the action on it. A crowd of about 250 was in attendance, many of them Clydebank fans.

The Jags had an excellent first half helped by a sloppy Bankies defence. Anton Heffron put Thistle 1-0 ahead after 28 minutes. It became even more difficult for Clydebank when Darian McKinnon received a straight red card for a foul on Colin Sweeney. I had missed the incident but it was a controversial decision judging by the reaction from the Clydebank players and supporters.

Surprisingly Clydebank looked the stronger team after the interval and it was not obvious that Thistle were only playing against ten men. Halfway through the second half Barry Crawford equalised after an initial effort hit the post. Then an eventful few minutes saw East Kilbride bag all three points after all, courtesy of a Jordan Murch goal five minutes before time or, as the Clydebank Twitter feed put it: "85 mins EK 5 yc for what looked like a punch at Dymock. Then Ek score then EK 9 yc for a get it up you to fans then Ek 3 rc for a foul".

Both teams will meet again three weeks from now as EK Thistle will visit Holm Park in the first round of the West of Scotland Cup and it promises to be a juicy tie.

The entrance to Show Park.


Today's team sheet.

The snack bar and a covered enclosure which seems a bit far from the pitch.

A closer look at the enclosure and snack bar.

On the left the dressing rooms.

Both sets of players leaving the dressing rooms for the first half.

A pleasant autumn afternoon at Showpark.

A crowd of about 250 turned up today.

Number 6 Anton Heffron scored East Kilbride's first goal.

Darian McKinnon was sent off at the end of the first half.

Despite being reduced to ten men the Bankies searched frantically for the equaliser.

Clydebank were 1-0 down at the interval.

A spirited second-half display led to a deserved equaliser for the Bankies after this header hit the post.

Saturday 16th October 2010
West Region Super League First Division
East Kilbride Thistle 2 Clydebank 1
EK Thistle: Heffron 28, Murch 86.
Clydebank: Crawford 74.
Att: 250 (est.)

Fullarton Park (Vale of Clyde v Clydebank)

Yesterday I took in another junior game, this time it was Vale of Clyde v Clydebank at Fullarton Park in Tollcross, Glasgow. Despite the relatively short distance from my home in Paisley to the East End of Glasgow I somehow managed to get inside the ground 17 minutes late. I had taken a number 9 First bus to Glasgow City Centre where I hopped onto the number 61 First bus to Shettleston but I never thought the three-mile journey would take as long as it did. There seemed to be a bus stop every 50 metres with people getting on and off at every stop. It was however only a very short walk from my eventual stop on Tollcross Road to Fullarton Park.

Unfortunately I still had to pay the full five quid to get in, I had hoped there would not be anyone at the gate anymore, but I could not complain of course. Fortunately I had not missed any goals. The ground is not the most impressive of the junior grounds I have been to but it seemed very well looked after. There is terracing along one side and a roof over a grass bank on the other side. There is also a welcoming social club and I had an excellent bridie (£1) and a bottle of Miller (£1.50).

The two teams played with passion and referee Steven Reid handed out eight yellow cards. Both sets of supporters were not happy with the referee's performance and the level of abuse hurled at the poor guy makes you wonder why anyone still wants to be a referee at this level. Stevie Dallas opened the score for the Bankies just before the interval. Robert Coulter scored the deserved equaliser ten minutes before time.

The entrance to Fullarton Park.

Terracing and the club buildings.

Clydebank are getting ready to take a free kick.

Vale goalie Brian Hamilton saved this Clydebank effort.

The grass bank on one side is partially covered.

There is terracing on the other side however. The dressing rooms (left) and social club (right) are behind the terraces.

Clydebank started the second half leading 1-0.

However the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Saturday 9th October 2010
West Region Super League First Division
Vale of Clyde 1 Clydebank 1
Vale of Clyde: Coulter 81.
Clydebank: Dallas 43.
Att: 250 (est.)

Lochburn Park (Maryhill v Clydebank)

Yesterday I went to Glasgow with my wife to do a bit of shopping but I managed to see a junior game in between Primark and Matalan, with permission of course. I took a 61 bus to Maryhill in the northwest of Glasgow and got off at Lochburn Road, or more precise the stop after Lochburn Road. From what I had seen on Google Maps I expected Lochburn Park, home of junior side Maryhill FC, to be visible from Maryhill Road but it is actually hidden behind a bed store and one of the many Glasgow job centres.

Yesterday's visitors at Lochburn Park were Clydebank, who now play two divisions above Maryhill after the Hill dropped down to the Central District Second Division last season, their third consecutive relegation. In contrast, the Bankies only just missed out on promotion to the Super League Premier Division after losing the two-legged play-off against Lanark United. Today's game was for the Sectional League Cup, a competition that traditionally kick-starts the season in the junior leagues.

In the end favourites Clydebank won this season opener comfortably although there were no goals before half time. Twelve minutes after the interval Steven Dymock opened the score for the Bankies and he doubled the lead four minutes later. Play was then interrupted for a few minutes as the referee ordered the hosts to fill a hole in the pitch, a bit of a surreal sight. This unexpected break probably did not do Maryhill's concentration much good and Darian MacKinnon scored the third for Clydebank from 25 yards twenty minutes before time.

The home side were left with ten men after Scott Banks picked up his second booking but Paul McWhirter, an ex-Clydebank player, pulled one back for the Hill with twelve minutes left on the clock. Another ex-Bankie, Mark Maxwell, dashed all hopes of a late comeback four minutes before time however when he was also sent off after receiving a second yellow card. Remarkably Clydebank were still able to give away a penalty shortly before the final whistle. Fortunately for them Alan Russell was not able to convert it as Stefan Gonet saved it comfortably.

After the game I hopped on a 23 bus back to Glasgow city centre where I was happily reunited with my wife...

Approaching the turnstiles at Lochburn Park.

An excellent bridie for £1, a can of coke is only 90p.

Today's team sheets.


The health club and social club can be seen on the other side of the pitch. This is also one of the few junior grounds with floodlights.


The covered terrace.

The social club at half time.


Some uncovered seats behind one of the goals.


The referee spotted a hole in the pitch which took a few minutes to fill up.


Maryhill ended the game with nine men. Scott Banks was the first player to be sent off after picking up a second booking.


Alan Russell's late penalty was saved by Bankies goalie Stefan Gonet.

Saturday 7th August 2010
Surridge Sectional League Cup Section 6
Maryhill 1 Clydebank 3
Maryhill: McWhirter 78.
Clydebank: Dymock 58, 62. MacKinnon 71.
Att: 250 (est.)