Ground 33: Cliftonhill

The Main Street entrance to Cliftonhill

Game: Albion Rovers 1 v 2 Forfar Athletic

Date: Tuesday 2^nd April

Competition: Scottish Football League Division 2

Attendance: 220

Admission: £12

Programme: £2

If any of you follow me on twitter, you will probably be aware that I managed to drop my phone down a drain on Saturday evening (no drink consumed I can assure you) and thus, my notes and more pictures from last Tuesday’s match at Cliftonhill went with it too. I’ll do my best with this post despite my atrocious memory.

I had hoped to make a day-out of my visit to Coatbridge to see Albion Rovers play, as Summerlee Industrial Museum in the town was one of my favourite places to visit as a child. Sadly, due to fixture congestion, I had to settle for a Tuesday evening. One, that when we left Edinburgh seemed warm but by the time we arrived in Coatbridge the temperature had dropped.

We were joined by 218 other hearty souls who decided to watch this second division clash between the struggling home side and the play-off pushing visitors instead of watching Champions League on television in the comfort of their own homes.

Cliftonhill is on Coatbridge’s main street and covers a substantial area as demonstrated by this photo. I know many Scottish football supporters are not a fan of the ground but I like it – it’s certainly remaindered but I think that’s part of its charm. The currently capacity of the ground is just 1,238 but in its heyday (the 30s), Cliftonhill once hosted 27,381 for a match against Rangers. Like Central Park in Cowdenbeath and Shielfield in Berwick, Cliftonhill has also hosted motorsports in the ground.

Albion Rovers have played at the ground since 1919, but there have been consistent rumours about a move away from the ground. Those plans appear to be shelved in favour of redeveloping the ground as a sports complex and turning the pitch 90 degrees to create more space. It would certainly be interesting to see these plans developed so Rovers could continue to play at Cliftonhill.

We took our place in the paddock as the teams emerged onto the field. For much of the match it would be difficult to work out who were the team facing relegation and who were the team on the cusp of promotion as Albion Rovers flew out the traps, determined to capitalise on recent good form which had seen them win two out of their last four.

And Rovers did capitalise just seven minutes in when David Crawford (who was the best player on the park in my opinion) crossed for Christopher Dallas to net with a good finish. At the same time, news filtered through from Glebe Park that Brechin were giving Rovers’ relegation rivals East Fife a thrashing. With Rovers on top at this stage in the game, looking more dangerous that the Loons, it looked like a great relegation escape might have been on the cards.

However, the game flipped on the cusp of half-time. Forfar were awarded a dubious free kick 25 yards from goal. Forfar left-back Iain Campbell fired the ball at goal and Rovers keeper Matthew McGinley managed to let it slip through his hands and into the net. It was a fortuitous goal that was really against the run of play, but ultimately it led to Rovers losing their control on the match.

The home team started brightly in the second half and squandered two good chances but the precision and control they’d demonstrated in the first 45 was now missing and the game became a great deal more harried and frantic. It was entertaining fare, but not particularly high on quality.

Twenty minutes from time, just as Brechin had gone 6-0 on East Fife, Forfar grabbed a goal that would steal the points for the Loons. The winner was almost as bad a goal to concede as the first. A through ball wasn’t dealt by McGinley again and both he and Forfar striker Chris Templeman went to ground. However, it was Templeman who was able to adjust better and swung his leg at the loose ball and it found itself in the net.

The game then went very end-to-end with the focus on goal scoring chances not quality of play. Both sides came close, with Forfar hitting both the bar and post and Crawford and Marvin Andrews came close for Rovers. But there was to be no grandstand finish.

Rovers will rue not making more of their first half chances, but as soon as Forfar equalised the men from Coatbridge looked less relaxed and more pressured on the ball. When you’re down at the bottom of the table you need all the luck you can get, but sadly for Albion Rovers on this night, all they got was bad luck and indefensible defending.

Ground 28: Station Park

Forfar's Main Stand with slope from the tunnel to pitch

Game: Forfar Athletic 3 v 1 Stranraer

Date: Saturday 2^nd March

Competition: Scottish Football League Division 2

Attendance: 448

Admission: £12

Programme: £1.50

It may have been sunglasses weather in Edinburgh when I left the capital city at lunchtime, but it was decidedly overcast in Angus by the time I reached Forfar twenty minutes before kick-off. Thankfully the weather was mild, so there was no need for gloves (perhaps I can put them away for the rest of the season?) however, there was snow topped hills in the difference to remind you that this was still March.

Station Park was far bigger than I had anticipated, with four enclosures. When you enter you have to climb some steps onto the East terracing as the pitch is elevated. There’s a new looking terracing on the south side of the ground that runs the length of the pitch, and a steep modern terracing called the “mert end” as the cattle market is just over the wall. The main stand is a bit of a charming relic, elevated on bricks that contain the tunnel and changing rooms below. This allows for a small enclosure below where fans can stand, behind the dugouts (or lean on them in some cases). It’s really quite a charming ground. Ironically, there’s no station anywhere near Station Park after the railway was removed in 1968 as part of the Beeching cuts, which makes getting to Forfar by public transport a difficult task.

The pitch at Station Park is artificial, which received praise from the Chairman in his programme notes. At the moment SFL players are being surveyed on their opinions on the pitches, but it looks like they are here to stay. If they allow more games to be played on a Saturday (thus improving attendances compared to midweek) and ensure that clubs can be more active in their community with coaching, training and games for all levels on the park, then I’m all for it. The players might not like it compared to grass, but it looks like something they’re just going to have to put up with.

This was only my second time watching Forfar this season, my first being their comprehensive defeat by Arbroath, whereas this was the fourth time I’ve seen Stranraer, more by accident that design I can assure you.

Snow-topped hills in the background as the players make their way onto the pitch

Stranraer started the brighter in an even game early on. Both sides still have something to play for – Forfar are chasing a place in the promotion play-offs whilst Stranraer are currently in a relegation play-off position. Both sides have clubs around them, which meant every game is going to be a scrap. The tension was clearly getting to both sides early on as I witnessed both teams having what could be politely described as a robust exchange of views amongst themselves.

In the 18^th minute, Forfar took the lead when Gavin Malin’s deflected driven shot hit the back of the net after some neat work from ‘The Loons’ in attack.

After the first goal I realised that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast so headed to the catering cabin for the world famous Forfar bridie, which is essential a pasty but without the potatoes. And very tasty it was too. That combined with a small coke was £2.20, so approximately the same price as an average pie at an SPL ground. That price combined with a £1.50 programme makes Forfar come as close to a bargain as you can get in Scottish football.

After going a goal down, Stranraer looked fairly underwhelming, almost bereft of ideas – they huff and puff but don’t quite get anywhere. Stranraer are in the same boat as Dundee and Airdrie, having being promoted last minute due to the Rangers fiasco that dominated the summer. The very fact that they aren’t bottom is an achievement in itself.

Forfar put the game out of Stranraer’s reach with two goals just before half-time. Man of the Match Omar Kader scored a tap-in after some good work from Gavin Swankie and Chris Templeman made it 3-0 with a simple header.

The second half began with Forfar really putting the pressure on, they squandered several good chances and hit the woodwork numerous times. At that point, I genuinely thought I was about to watch Stranraer get a hiding.

However, Stranraer manager Stephen Aitken brought on Robert Love to play on the right hand side and his arrival onto the park gave the Blues some much needed impetus. Suddenly Stranraer looked sharper and it was Love’s flicked on header in the 63^rd minute that gave Stranraer striker and full-time menace Michael Moore the opportunity to cross a low ball across the box for Craig Malcolm to tumble in.

The Stranraer battering ram duo: Moore and One

Stranraer were on top after the goal and introduced Armand One, moving to a 3-3-4 almost. They were further aided by the referee Don Robertson reducing Forfar to 10 men for one of the softest straight red cards I’ve ever seen. The aforementioned menace, Moore picked up the ball, and although Michael Bolochoweckyj did foul him, there was no way that it merited a red card. It brought howls of incredulous shouts from the Forfar fans. Stranraer weren’t able to take advantage with their chances as both teams toiled for a final goal that never arrived.

Station Park provided another entertaining SFL game with plenty of goals and drama. The standard might not be the highest, but there’s lots of endeavour and an aspiration to play entertaining football. For £12, you can’t say fairer than that. 

Ground 25: Gayfield

Gayfield

Game: Arbroath 3 v 1 Forfar Athletic

Date: Saturday 26^th January

Competition: Scottish Football League Division 2

Attendance: 843

Admission: £12

Programme: £2

I’ll visit more salubrious grounds this season, but I think I’m going to be hard pushed to find a visit I’ll enjoy more.

With snow bombarding great swathes of Scotland I was concerned my visit to Arbroath was going to fall victim to the weather like many a fixture in the Scottish Football League. Fortunately my fears were unconfined as my Dad and I set off up the road to the Angus coastal town of Arbroath.

By the time we arrived in Arbroath and grabbed a bit to eat at the marina the sun was even shining. It wasn’t warm but it was certainly nowhere near as bad as I’d anticipated.

We had a short walk from the harbour, past the Signal Tower Museum (which looks great) and through Inchcape Park to find Gayfield Park, home of Arbroath for the past 93 years. I’ve read much about how close Gayfield is to the North Sea (5m during high tide) and I think the photos show the proximity between ground and water. I’m just thankful that the weather wasn’t too bad, in fact I’d describe the conditions as benign for this time of year.

Arbroath are famous of course for holding the world record for the biggest win in senior football, when they defeated Bon Accord 36-0 in the Scottish Cup in September 1885. Coincidentally, on the same day, Dundee Harp beat Aberdeen Rovers 35-0. Not a good day for teams from Aberdeen that day! Those halcyon days have rarely been repeated with Arbroath being one of a number of yo-yo clubs that flit between the First, Second and Third Divisions.

This season they find themselves in mid-table territory alongside their opponents today, Forfar Athletic. The clubs are only fifteen miles apart and before today’s game were only separated by three points with Arbroath in 5^th and Forfar holding onto the final playoff place in 4^th. By 4.50pm, however, Arbroath had leapfrogged their rivals in a convincing manner.

We had a walk around the ground before settling in the front row of North Sea-side stand. Thankfully the wall at the back of the stand protected us from what little wind there was. At 2.50pm, we thought the ground was sparsely populated but suddenly, just before 3pm it filled up a bit more, clearly the locals timed their arrivals to perfection.

In another first for the season, two sides were led out onto the pitch by a piper. It certainly added to the occasion and it’s the sort of thing that I enjoy seeing, making the match special, a spectacle. There was a few nice touches – a West Country tannoy announcer while the mascots had their photos taken with the captains and their mum came out onto the pitch to take a picture. You don’t get that in the SPL.

Arbroath were in their maroon shirts with Forfar wearing a change strip of neon orange. Quite why they couldn’t play in their traditional sky blue shirts I’m not sure but it hardly detracted from the game. After the coin toss, the sides swapped ends and suddenly we were inundated with Arbroath fans around us who obviously fancied their chances of goals in the first half.

And goals they got. Within seven minutes, Arbroath opened the scoring. Forfar didn’t deal well with a corner which was knocked down in the box for Lee Sibanda to rifle into the roof of the net.

It was shaping up to be a good game, with both sets of fans ‘noising’ up the goalkeepers when they were taking goal kicks. It reminded me of my first games at Easter Road when the entire family stand would try to put the keeper off. Brilliant stuff. Also, standing so close to the pitch we also got to observe Arbroath player manager Paul Sheerin on the left wing. It was fascinating to watch him coach, cajole and shout at his team, whilst playing a part in the win too.

Arbroath made it 2-0 less than ten minutes after their first with a well-worked goal. Arbroath’s crisp passing was too much for the Forfar defence who put in a series of wild lunges that were nowhere near the ball or player, which made it easy for Graham Bayne to slot home.

Despite their sometimes agricultural tackling, Forfar did try to play some passing football on a difficult pitch. The programme had noted their thanks to volunteers who had come down to Gayfield on Tuesday night to cover the pitch, allowing the game to go ahead.

Arbroath 3rd Division Champions flag

 Before half-time we had another little walk around the ground to allow my Dad to get a pie and tea and I took in the scene. Frankly, I’d fallen for Gayfield. There was something wild yet welcoming about it as a place to watch football. And then I saw Forfar fans call Arbroath keeper Tony Bullock a “wanker” which ruined the scene.

The second half was another full of drama – Arbroath put the game beyond doubt with a great team goal started in their own half with a fantastic dummy by Ross Chisholm. They worked the ball up the field before a stramash in the six yard box saw the ball break to Graham Bayne who slammed the ball home for his second of the match. His strike partner Steven Doris may have been on trial recently at Birmingham City but it was Bayne who was grabbing the headlines with a robust performance.

We were surrounded by a passionate home support, who despite being three goals to the good, were hypercritical of the referee, David Somers, who I felt had a good game. I’ve been very impressed with Somers in the few matches I’ve seen him in this season. Admittedly, he got a few decisions wrong, but in a full-blooded derby I felt he handled both sets of players very well, despite the protestations of the Red Lichties’ support.

Somers was forced to award Forfar a penalty twenty minutes from time, which from our end looked justified. Iain Campbell dispatched the ball from the twelve yard spot with aplomb. But any chance of an unlikely Forfar comeback was thwarted when they were reduced to 10 men after a dreadful challenge from Willie Robertson. It was unnecessary challenge and Somers was quite right to give him his marching orders.

The game petered out over the remaining ten minutes with Arbroath fans enjoying the chance to laud their team, greeting each touch with an “ole” and booing each Forfar touch.

After two goalless draws, I was delighted to get back to seeing a game with goals, as well as one that was as competitive and enthralling as this one. Alongside with Tannadice, I’d safely put Gayfield in my top three of the season so far. As ridiculous and cliché as it may sound, it was one of those days that made me realise why I’m doing this adventure and why I love football