Ground 40: Borough Briggs

Borough Briggs: about to witness a miracle? (No)

Game: Elgin City 3 v 2 East Stirlingshire

Date: Saturday 4^th May

Competition: Scottish Football League Division 3

Attendance: 786

Admission: £10

Programme: £2

In the end, it just wasn’t enough. Due to their inconsistent form, Elgin needed a miracle to happen on the final day of the season, to allow them to reach the play-offs. They needed to beat basement side East Stirlingshire and hope that Rangers would defeat Berwick Rangers. That in itself wasn’t difficult to imagine, but the margin of victories had to total seven. Given Rangers recent form, it looked inevitable that they would grind out a win by one or two goals (which is frankly an embarrassment to a team of handsomely paid professionals in a very much part-time league). Therefore, Elgin had to go all-out from the moment the referee blew his whistle at 12.30pm.

For some reason, this was the game I was most excited about all season. I even dreamt about it twice in the build-up to the game. It’s become increasingly evident to me this season that I really enjoy watching Elgin play, even if they are as frustrating to watch as my other team (Hibs). What I enjoy most about it, I suppose, is the intimate surroundings of the grounds and the fact you are so close to the action.

First, however, a confession: this wasn’t my first visit to Borough Briggs this season. Earlier in the season when we attended Inverness-Celtic, we mooted the possibility of a single day double-header, taking in Elgin vs. Annan following the SPL encounter. However, traffic getting out of the Highland capital was a nightmare and so we arrived at Borough Briggs at 3.25pm, with no turnstiles open. Thankfully, someone was around from the club who let us in (for free), but at that point Elgin were already two goals to the good. I didn’t think a post about that game would be particularly fair.

Borough Briggs is also the site of my first experience of the disappointment of postponements in football. As both sets of my grandparents lived in Elgin, we were used to spending Christmas there, and we’d try to catch City in Highland League action, which invariably would be called off due in inclement December weather. Back in those days, Elgin were a good Highland League side and Borough Briggs contained a unique feature: a pill box from World War 2, which sadly was removed when Elgin became SFL members in 2000, alongside Peterhead. Sadly, I couldn’t find a picture of the pill box on the internet, but a photo of it proudly sits in the club’s catering stall.

Aside from the lack of pill box, little has changed at Borough Briggs in the past twenty or so years. There’s a small main stand (with seats provided by Newcastle United) with a covered terrace on the opposite side and uncovered small terracing behind each goal. Borough Briggs is also home to one of the biggest pitches in Scotland, although that might change if plans for an artificial playing surface goes ahead over the summer.

East Stirlingshire started brightly, hitting the post before a powerful deflected header from Jamie Duff in the 16^th minute put Elgin in the lead. Suddenly a seven goal swing looked possible. However, that feeling of hope were short-lived as East Stirlingshire equalised through Jamie Glasgow in a well-worked move that had stretched Elgin’s three man defence.

The home fans weren’t worrying too much as Elgin piled on the pressure and by the 39^th minute found themselves in the lead once more. This time, Stuart Leslie coolly finishing to give Elgin a small chance of promotion. But, just four minutes later, East Stirlingshire had equalised again with a comical goal – a free kick was floated in that evaded everyone before bouncing and hitting the bar, falling to Paul Quinn who poked the ball against Elgin goalkeeper Joe Malin and the ball slowly dribbled into the net. It was a defensive shocker, combined with an element of bad luck, which summed up a lot of Elgin this season.

It was beginning to dawn on most fans in the ground that a seven goal swing was just going to be out of reach as Rangers slowly proceeded to a 1-0 win over Berwick. It produced a somewhat subdued atmosphere for the second half where Elgin kept trying to push on but without much luck – they genuinely looked like they had run out of steam. One couldn’t help but imagine a scenario where they had held onto their leads for a little longer and also to think back to a number of games this season where Elgin threw away points from a leading position. Close, yet so far.

The second half wasn’t much to write home about and Ross Jack made three substitutions in an attempt to change the score. Just as it looked like the teams would share the points – a long floated ball was headed on for Ceiran McLean to rifle a magnificent half volley right into the roof of the net. It was a magnificent goal, worthy of winning any game, yet somehow, felt underwhelming.

But Elgin fans can console themselves with the fact that the new season is just around the corner.

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.