BEITH JUNIORS (Bellsdale Park)

SCOTTISH JUNIOR CUP SEMI-FINAL 1st LEG, BEITH 3-0 KILWINNING RANGERS, ATTENDANCE: 1,451

I received a text message in the week asking if I would be interested in a trip to watch the Scottish Junior Cup Semi-Final tie between Beith and Kilwinning. Well it would have been very silly to refuse such a kind offer!


The North Ayrshire towns are just 9 miles apart so the cup tie had massive local interest, and a large crowd was expected, as Beith attempted to reach the Scottish Cup Final for the first time ever and Kilwinning for the first time since they won the competition in 1999.

Beith Football Club were originally formed in 1875 and were members of the Scottish Football League from 1923 to 1926. When the club folded, Beith Juniors were formed in 1938 as a junior successor to the senior side.

Bellsdale Park has been home to football in Beith since 1920, and this was the ground used during the years in the Scottish Football League.

The ground currently has three separate covered stands alongside either side of the pitch, with hard standing behind both goals and also a grass bank behind the goal at the top of the slope. Yes, that is one thing you notice about Bellsdale Park as soon as you see the pitch, there is a very pronounced slope. I am not sure though if it is a steep as Chard Town's, but it certainly isn't far off! 

Beith found themselves in the national spotlight in 2010 when, as the West of Scotland Premier Division League Champions, they entered the Scottish Cup at the first round stage. After defeating Linlithgow Rose (2-0) and Glasgow University (8-1) they faced Second Division Airdrie United, at the Excelsior Stadium, in the third round and, with 10 minutes to go in the tie, they led 2-0 before being pegged back. Beith lost the replay 4-3 at Bellsdale Park.

Back to today's cup exploits, and it was a cagey first 45 minutes but Kilwinning had the best of what chances there were, Ben Lewis guilty of missing an absolute sitter, when it was probably easier to score.

Kilwinning also started the second half brightly but it was Beith who took the lead when the ball was played into box and, after a scramble, the loose ball fell to Andy Reid (52) who smacked it home.

The Buffs were given a chance for an immediate response when they were awarded a penalty kick just two minutes later, but a tame effort from Lewis was easily saved by Stephen Grindley.  A pivotal moment in the tie.

A well worked move led to Beith's second goal. After an an exchange of passes, the ball was back-heeled into the path of Darren Christie (73) who smashed it home at the near post. Buffs goalkeeper Adam Strain got hands to the ball, but the shot was powerful enough to squirm over the line and into the net.

A corner kick in the 80th minute was powerfully headed home by John Sheridan to make it 3-0 and give 'The Mighty' one foot in the Scottish Cup Final for the first time in their history. The second leg will take place at Abbey Park, Kilwinning, next weekend.

Highlights can be found by clicking here

IRVINE VICTORIA (Victoria Park)

AYRSHIRE CHALLENGE CUP SEMI-FINAL, IRVINE VICTORIA 1-5 AUCHINLECK TALBOT, ATTENDANCE: 310 (h/c)

My end of season trips North of the Border continued today with a journey to the Ayrshire coast. Irvine Victoria were hosting Auchinleck Talbot in an Ayrshire Cup semi-final clash, for the right to play Hurlford United in the final.

Formed in 1904, Irvine Victoria have been at their Cochrane Street home since 1937, the ground is now known as Victoria Park. They are most certainly the towns second team behind rivals Irvine Meadow.

The ground is basically two sided with a couple of bits of terracing behind one goal and a couple of bits of cover down one touchline. The other touchline is tight up against a railway embankment. The ground is quite ramshackle, I thought it looked absolutely fanstastic!

Irvine Victoria were Ayrshire District League Champions in 2014 but after just one season in the Super League First Division they have been relegated back to the District League. In contrast visitors Auchinleck have won the Super League Premier Division for the third year in a row and will also play Musselburgh Athletic in the Junior Cup Final next weekend.

On paper, this looked a formality for The Bots, especially after a midweek 7-0 win over Kilbirnie in the last round. So it proved.

Auchinleck were 2-0 up at the break, thanks to goals from Brian Young and Mark Shankland, and looked threatening everytime they went forward.

The Vics tried their hardest and did carve out a few half chances but further second half goals from Shankland, who completed a hat-trick, and Graham Wilson cemented the victory for Auchinleck. If it wasn't for the superb performance in goal of Victoria's player of the season Chris Lamb, the score may have been at least double what it was.

Irvine Victoria did get themselves on the scoresheet with virtually the last kick of the game when David Adams picked himself up to score from the penalty spot after he was brought down by Andrew Leishman, who was also sent off.

AUCHINLECK TALBOT (Beechwood Park)

SCOTTISH CUP 1ST ROUND, AUCHINLECK TALBOT 5-0 BUCKIE THISTLE, ATTENDANCE: 800 (est)

A painting in the ground to
commemorate Auchinleck's record
10 Scottish Junior Cup wins

This weekend, possibly for the last time with Scotland as part of the UK, I made my way north to East Ayrshire, 

In my eyes this was the tie of the round as the West Superleague Champions Auchinleck Talbot took on Highland League heavyweights Buckie Thistle. 

The Bots have good recent form in the Scottish Cup reaching the 3rd round in 2010 (losing 2-1 at Stirling Albion) and the 4th round in 2012 (losing 1-0 at Hearts).

Auchinleck is a former mining village a couple of miles north of Cumnock. As I drove through the main street to the football ground there did not seem to be a lot going on. The football club though was absolutely heaving with people and clearly seems to be at the heart of the community.

The club are named in honour of Richard Wogan Talbot, the 5th Baron of Malahide, who died 1921, who gifted the then fledgling football club a football ground, hence the name Auchinleck Talbot.

Beechwood Park is still their home to this day and is certainly up there in the list of top Junior grounds I have visited. 

The main stand was once part of Hamilton Academical's Douglas Park and was purchased in the mid 1990's when the Accies old ground was demolished.

The Bots have had a fine start to their season winning 10 out of 10 in all competitions, whilst the The Jags have had a mixed start in the Highland League, winning 4 out of their 8 games so far and last week drew with perennial whipping boys Strathspey Thistle.


The Highland league team started brightly and it was somewhat against the early run of play that Auchinleck took an 8th minute lead courtesy of Graham Wilson's 16th goal of the season. 

Buckie had a couple of half chances but would have considered themselves lucky to be only one goal down at the break after Auchinleck hit the post and squandered a hatful of chances to extend their lead.

They weren't so lucky in the second half as the home side went nap. Once Martin McGoldrick (54) had scored to make it 2-0 the floodgates well and truly opened. 

Further goals from Steven White (60) Gordon Pope (69) and substitute Kenny Connolly (75 - the pick of the bunch) made it 5-0 and, in truth, it could easily have been double that.

A pretty comfortable win for Auchinleck where they will now face a trip to Edinburgh City in round 2.

BENBURB FC (Tinto Park)

SCOTTISH JUNIOR CUP 4th ROUND, BENBURB 2-3 WHITLETTS VICTORIA, ATTENDANCE: 190 (h/c)

It was to Scotland I headed today for my first new ground of 2014 and what a ground it was too. Today's trip was in order to see Benburb's iconic Tinto Park, before it is buried under a housing estate in the not too distant future. The ground is in Govan, Glasgow, in the shadow of it's more famous neighbour, Ibrox Park.

There can't be many grounds of it's type left in Britain as Tinto Park is dominated by a steep, large covered terrace down the side of the pitch.

Unfortunately it has long seen better days when large crowds used to gather to cheer on The Bens (the record gate at Tinto was around 10,000).  The rest of the ground is mostly overgrown, but it is very easy to imagine Tinto in it's pomp.

The local vandals have unofficially begun to demolish the ground as, after torching the old social club, they have turned their attentions to inside the ground and, for instance, the dugouts have no cover and there are signs of fire damage on the terraces. There are also large gaping holes in the terrace roof and empty lager cans strewn across the overgrown grassed areas.

It is due to the ongoing problems with the vandals that the club will not confirm the actual leaving date (as they don't want to indicate that the ground will be vacant to give the vandals  free reign) but it will be before the season is out. The club plan to ground share with Renfrew (another ground that is on the way out) in the interim, before moving to a new purpose built ground yards from their current home.

I was not the only 'groundhopper' who was visiting Govan today and there were plenty of familiar faces milling around the ground, plenty of time have a chat and a catch up, which made the day even more pleasurable.

I must confess to be slightly panicked on the journey North as it rained incessantly from Cumbria to Glasgow but upon arrival the pitch looked heavy, but perfectly playable.

As well as the incentive of seeing Tinto Park, the game was also a cup tie. Scottish Junior Cup games are usually full blooded affairs and this game was no exception. The visitors to Govan were Ayrshire-based Whitletts Victoria and the the game was a fine advert for junior fitba.

After carving out the best of the early chances, The Vics raced into a two goal lead thanks to Shaun Allan (35) and Tony Balfour (47) which sent their travelling contingent into raptures, no doubt also helped by a few swigs of the old commotion potion.

However, with seemingly nothing to lose, The Bens went for it and got level thanks to goals from Andrew Wright (62) and Peter Lovering (78).

Neither side were happy to settle for a replay and it could have gone either way but with seconds remaining on the clock Whitletts strikers both broke clear and the ball was squared to Balfour for a simple tap in to book The Vics place in round 5. Very Harsh on Benburb who I felt deserved another crack of the whip, but sometimes football is a cruel game. 

A most enjoyable afternoon at a most friendly and welcoming club. There was also a tinge of sadness as it is always a shame when a classic 'proper' ground is set to disappear. For anyone who has not been to Tinto Park I would urge you to get there ASAP.

For more on the history of Benburb, including a picture of The Bens most famous supporter with his boyhood hero, click on this link: http://mygovan.com/html/benburbfc.html