ARDEER THISTLE (Ardeer Stadium)

WEST REGION AYRSHIRE DISTRICT LEAGUE, ARDEER THISTLE 4-2 WHITLETTS VICTORIA, ATTENDANCE: 79 (h/c)

Another surprise today
was the availability of
a programme. An
excellent read and
clearly a labour of love.

Today was a long planned trip north of the border, with an intended stopover in Penrith en route home, in order to have a wee drink with a motley crew of fellow groundhoppers.

Penrith has been our rest stop every time we return from Scotland and it has been a long standing joke that, due to the large number of pubs in the town, we should book a hotel and have a night on the ale.

When, last year, one of our party was diagnosed with cancer it was decided that once he was back on his feet after surgery then the time would finally be right to have that night out in the town.

It was also right that it was his call for which game would be the afternoons entertainment. However, the atrocious wet weather that had battered the country overnight Friday into Saturday certainly threw a spanner into the selection process.

Prior to setting off, the unanimous choice of game was Maryhill v Linlithgow in the Scottish Junior Cup, but that bit the dust (for the third week in a row incidentally) so an alternative had to be sought. As we crossed the border into Scotland we still had no firm idea of where we were heading.

Reading tweets from various clubs in the area it seemed that the Ayrshire coast had avoided the worst of the deluge so, after consultation between the various hoppers heading up the motorway, it was decided that Ardeer Thistle was the destination of choice.

Once a town in it's own right, Ardeer now forms part of the town of Stevenston and was famous for the manufacturing of explosives. Established in 1871 by Alfred Noble, he of the Noble prize, the British Dynamite Factory employed 13,000 people at its peak but has long since closed.

The company became part of ICI in the 1920's and the Ardeer Stadium was the company's recreation ground and was home to the now defunct Ardeer Recreation FC. In the 1970's Ardeer Thistle moved into the vacant ground and it has been their home ever since.

Formed in 1900, this is Thistle's second home in the town. They moved here because their original Ardchoille Park home suffered from vandalism, effectively leaving them homeless.

The Ardeer Stadium is another fine example of a Scottish Junior ground with a small piece of cover and vast open terracing. I have said it many times, you just don't get grounds like this south of the border as the health and safety brigade would probably have a fit!

The club compete in the West Region Ayrshire District League, which is the third level of this regional set up.

Today Ardeer were hosting Whitletts Victoria just two weeks after they last played each other at Dam Park, where Ardeer won 3-2. Whitletts are in the hunt for promotion, lying in second place at the start of play, whilst Ardeer are ensconced in mid-table. A victory was probably of greater significance for the visitors.

Both teams went for it from the off with chances at either end but the first goal didn't arrive until the 36th minute, triggering a spell of 5 goals in 18 minutes.

A Ryan Morrow penalty (pictured left) gave Ardeer the lead before he doubled their advantage just a minute later with a fine strike from outside the box.

In the 41st minute Whitletts were awarded a penalty of their own and Tony Balfour duly converted (pictured right).

Right on half time though the Whitletts defence failed to clear the ball and, as it fell loose in box, Lee Munro smashed it home.

The game was effectively over in the 54th minute when David Henry headed home a superb cross to score Ardeer's fourth. The pace of the game dipped after this though Ardeer had chances to extend their lead.

Whitletts did reduce the deficit in the 84th minute when Niall Kennedy fired home the rebound after his initial penalty was saved by Paul McGann (pictured right).

In stoppage time, Whitletts' Munya Mbanje was sent off for retaliating to a bad tackle and, in the melee that followed,  Ardeer's previously substituted Jack Robertson was also 'sent off' for running onto the pitch and appearing to aim a punch at a Vic's player. An unsavoury ending to a very fine match.

The players observe a minutes silence prior to kick off for
former Ardeer physio Sammy McKee, who passed away recently.

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