As the season draws to a close, it becomes more difficult to find games that actually matter but, for this particular groundhopper, there was one game in the UK today that stood out head and shoulders above any other - Edinburgh City v East Stirlingshire.
They were playing each other in the 1st Leg of what has been dubbed "the pyramid play off" for the right to play in League Two next season. Edinburgh City (champions of the Lowland League) beat Cove Rangers (champions of the Highland League) 4-1 on aggregate in the two-legged semi final to meet East Stirlingshire (who finished bottom of League Two) in the two-legged final. Edinburgh City lost to Brora Rangers in the semi-final stage of the inaugural play-off last year (for the record Montrose retained their league status by beating Brora in the final).
No pyramid system had existed in Scotland prior to The 2013 Scottish Football reforms, but the winners of the Lowland and the Highland league have a chance to progress to the League on merit, rather than on the old method of election. This would mean history for this incarnation Edinburgh City as they would play league football for the first time or it would bring an end to a run of 61 consecutive seasons of league football for The Shire.
Another pressing reason for my trip north today is that the Meadowbank Stadium is soon to be demolished and replaced with a brand new sports centre. Plans were announced earlier this year to that the site is to be completely bulldozed and replaced with a new multi-million pound sports facility. Work is scheduled to commence in 2017.
The plans include a 3G football pitch and a 500 seater stand. All fine you think, but this would make the ground suitable for the Lowland League but not the Football League. This could leave Edinburgh City with a problem should they achieve promotion, as they will obviously need to find a new home for league football. Watch this space as they say.
The Meadowbank Stadium was built for the 1970 Commonwealth Games (they also hosted the 1986 games) and was home to Meadowbank Thistle from 1974 until they controversially relocated to Livingston in 1995. Edinburgh City moved in soon after.
Edinburgh City was first formed in 1928 and the club had ambitions to become the Edinburgh equivalent of the Glasgow club Queen's Park. They joined the Scottish Football League as an amateur club in 1931 but left in 1949. Edinburgh continued as a Junior club but eventually folded in 1955 when the local council refused to renew its lease on its then home ground, City Park.
A new club, Postal United, adopted the Edinburgh City name in 1986. The club have twice applied for election to the Scottish League, in 2002 and 2008, but were rejected on both occasions. The club were founder members of the Lowland League in 2013, and were champions in both 2015 and 2016.
The game could hardly be described as a classic, with so much at stake it was always going to be a tight affair. Edinburgh City had the better of the opening 45 minutes. They took the lead after 15 minutes when Douglas Gair smashed home a penalty (pictured right) after an unfortunate slip from Shires' Kristopher Faulds, handling the ball as he fell. There was also an effort from Ross Allum which was tipped onto the crossbar by Darren Dolan.
East Stirlingshire could consider themselves lucky to be only one goal down going into the closing moments of the half but, against the run of play, after 43 minutes, they were level. After a scramble in the box, Max Wright was on hand to fire the ball into the net (pictured below).
The Shire were much improved in the second half, and were at least threatening the Edinburgh goal, but in truth there were very few gilt edged chances for either side in the second period. Most of the goal threat, from both sides, came from dead ball situations.
Edinburgh's cause was not helped when Joe Mbu was sent off after 78 minutes for violent conduct and perhaps The Shire could have took advantage of their extra man but the game petered out to an inevitable draw.
East Stirling were also reduced to 10 men in stoppage time when Reece Donaldson kicked out, but the game is set up nicely for the second leg at Ochilview next Saturday.
Edinburgh City won the second leg 1-0, Douglas Gair once again scoring from the penalty spot, and became the first team to be promoted to the Scottish League via the pyramid system. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteCommiserations to East Stirlingshire who will now leave the Scottish League after 61 seasons and join the Lowland League for 2016/17.