With my own team playing tomorrow, I had a free Satdy in which to fit in one last groundhop of the season. What would be within driving distance of County Durham? I checked out the Scottish fixtures and looked up Albion Rovers. Needing a miracle (a win for them, defeat for Bonnyrigg Rose, and a goal swing of 13) to avoid finishing bottom of the entire league and a relegation play-off with Lowland League Spartans, this could be their last ever game in the Scottish League.
Where do they play? (Of course, I’m sure every Scottish football fan knows.) There’s no such place as Albion (I knew that), but what town are they in? Coatbridge! Where? Where’s Coatbridge? Somewhere within the Motherwell urban conurbation, so not quite the charming village seaside place it could have been. Capacity 1,500. Would I even get a ticket? Would the locals, knowing what was riding on it, flood the ground in one last, grand, show of support? It was busy, but I need not have worried, although the 623 attendees represented a seasonal high.
And what a gem of a ground, steeped in the past, with its awkward main stand high up from the street, with its curve at one end, a remnant of speedway and greyhounds of yore, and a covered terrace the length of the touchline, now empty and left to disrepair, opposite the main stand. Plus a sprinkling of the club colours of red and yellow (can you beat that?) and a sizeable away support from champions, Stirling Albion. I loved it!
Parking was easy, in a street behind the stadium. All turnstiles were on the high street side of the ground, with that imposing Main Stand above us. The sun shone and the crowd exuded an air of positivity. None of that misery of the spectre of relegation. I had a wander inside, checking out the club shop (sparse) before buying a programme and testing out various places to stand. As charming as the Main Stand undoubtedly is, I fancied being in the sun and unencumbered by stanchions.
I walked to the far end of the open terrace, met another groundhopper who took a few pics before being menaced by a youngster about how ‘this is for home fans’. He can’t have been more than 10. Still, they had a drum with them, which was more than enough to scare us off. I ended up standing to the left of the goal, right in the middle of the Stirling fans, resplendent in their Hawaiian shirts and carrying all manner of inflatables. Most of the chants though were aimed at a home exec in a suit who bore an uncanny resemblance to comedian Kevin Bridges, and boy, did they let him know it.
Albion put on a show too, triumphing two nil and looking anything but a side at the bottom of the table. Or were Stirling like their fans, ready for the beach? Either way, I was impressed with the home team, many of whose players looked proper athletes, and not the lower league tubsters I was half expecting. And did they avoid bottom? No. Bonnyrigg managed not to lose by 11, winning 3-0. Albion now play Spartans, winners take all, for a place in the Scottish Football League. I rather fancy returning, Barnsley FC’s play-off dates notwithstanding…
The Damage:
£14 Ent
£2.50 programme
£2.50 Scotch pie
£1 Fanta
= £20
No comments:
Post a Comment