Ground 39: Glebe Park

Glebe Park with Brechin Cathedral in the distance

Game: Brechin City 2 v 0 Albion Rovers

Date: Tuesday 30^th April

Competition: Scottish Football League Division 2

Attendance: 402

Admission: £12

Programme: Not available

Apologies for the lack of updates on here – I’ve completed the 42, just not had the time to write up the posts!

I headed up the road quite early with my Dad knowing that we would have to negotiate at least one, if not two sets of rush hour traffic in Edinburgh and Dundee. Luckily, we arrived in the Angus town of Brechin with plenty of time. Too much time in fact, as when we arrived at Glebe Park at 7pm the ground wasn’t even open!

Eventually the turnstiles were open and it gave us an opportunity to walk round one of Scotland’s more interesting grounds. The largest stand in the ground is behind the goal, there’s a small, covered terrace behind the other goal and a small wooden main stand with around 200 seats. Opposite the main stand and running down half the side of the pitch is the famous Glebe Park hedge. The video embedded above does much more credit to Glebe Park than my words ever could.

What we also discovered is that Brechin City no longer offer programmes for punters to buy. This was a bit of a disappointment, but we overheard a conversation in the compact club shop that they weren’t economical for the club, which is a disappointment. However, it’s clear that for most SFL clubs, the matchday programme is a labour of love for a small band of dedicated contributors. Perhaps with the move to an increasingly digital world that programmes may be another victim of ‘progress.’

Taking our seats in the row behind the small directors box at the Glebe it became increasingly clear that Glebe Park was another Scottish ground with a pronounced slope and bobbly surface. I can’t be alone in thinking that an uneven surface is not conducive to even, passing football. Another appeal of the artificial surfaces that will soon dominate the lower leagues.

Unsurprisingly, the opening stages saw a lot of mishits in a game that secured a playoff berth for Brechin. Albion Rovers were already relegated, with their focus now turned to preparing for SFL 3 next season.

I was once again impressed by Albion Rovers’ right winger, David Crawford, a player who I imagine will not remain at the club next season. From what I’ve seen from him this season he should be challenging for a place in an SFL1 side.

Brechin took an early lead in the 19^th minute when Gary Fusco rocketed a shot from outside the box which was parried away but in the direction of City’s Derek Carcary who stroked the ball home from 12 yards.

Rovers keeper Graeme Shepherd kept his side in the game shortly after, saving well from a Gerald McLauchlan header. Rovers then had the ball in the net but left back Andrews had clearly pushed the ball goalwards with his hand.

Andrews then contrived to lose the ball in possession allowing Andy Jackson a clear run at goal from the half way line but he managed to push his shot wide.

At times, Albion Rovers look competitive enough to do well in SFL2 but they lacked a certain something, they seemed too ponderous in possession and lacked anticipation for breaking balls. Rovers had the ball in the net for the second time and again it was ruled out. This time it was for offside, but it was a well-worked move that gave some indication of Rovers’ potential.

Before I’d arrived at Brechin, I’d be recommended on twitter to try the soup at the pie shop. It was  a great call, a lovely chicken soup which has got to be an essential for any visitor to the Glebe. Soup at football seems like a rarity, which was followed by another strange event – the playing of a Right Said Fred (You’re My Mate) song on the tannoy. Who knew the brothers had another hit in their back catalogue?

Returning to matters on the pitch, the game was littered by a number of poor decisions from the referee. Nothing too disastrous, but a series of nitpicking decisions ensured that the game didn’t flow as well as it should. I’ve rarely been critical of refs this season, but this was an unnecessarily picky performance.

The second half matched the pattern of the first, with Rovers once more putting the ball in the net for it to be ruled out. We also had a moment of light relief when the ball ended up on the top of the hedge and a groundsman was duly dispatched to retrieve the ball with his ladder. Sadly, both attempts to line up the ladder to the ball were wide of the mark – a fact that was obvious to us on the other side of the park, but not the groundsman.

Carcary killed off the game in the 69^th minute, after a series of loose passing from both sides opened the middle of the park up for Carcary to drive a shot from 20 yards out into the bottom corner of the net, sending the home fans away to dream of play-off possibilities and Rovers’ fans with a lot to contemplate on their drive home to Coatbridge.