It has been a very long, slow process, but I can now look at the football coupon knowing I've been to all the grounds in the Scottish League.
My first on the list was Ibrox in 1985, then I managed to tick off the odd ground whenever Newcastle played a pre-season friendly north of the border. When I took up Groundhopping as a regular hobby, I was knocking off a few every season, then following an Inverness CT and Ross County double in July 2019 I could see the finishing line, needing just three to complete the set at Cove Rangers, Stranraer and Peterhead.
Following that Covid shite and limited opportunities to visit these tricky final three, it has taken nearly 5 years to finally do it, finishing at the trickiest ground of all to get to on public transport.
Peterhead is a town in Aberdeenshire,which sits at the easternmost point in mainland Scotland. (population over 18,000)
The town is known as The Blue Toon, where the local folk are known as "Bloo Touners" supposedly from the blue worsted moggans that the local fishermen originally wore. Accordingly to a 2019 survey its the biggest fishing port in the United Kingdom for total landings by UK vessels.
HM Prison Peterhead gained a reputation as one of Scotland's toughest prisons. It was built around 1888 and closed in 2013, due to the construction of a new and larger prison facility nearby. The building now serves as the Peterhead Prison Museum which provides an Audio Guided Tour of cells and courtrooms.
Peterhead FC was founded in 1891, having been a Highland League club for most of their history. The club were league champions for the first time in 1946-47, and won it for a fifth time in 1998-99. They were granted league status in 2000, when the SPL was expanded for two extra clubs, with Elgin City also joining them in the Third Division.
The Blue Toon have lifted the Highland League cup five times, the Scottish Qualifying Cup(North) on five occasions, and in 1905-06 lifted the Aberdeenshire Cup for the first time, a competition they won twenty times throughout the 20th century.
Peterhead clinched their first trophy as a Scottish Football League club by winning the Scottish League Two title, winning away at Clyde 2–0 in April 2014, then following relegation were champions again in 2018-19.
In 2015 the club reached their first cup final since leaving the Highland League, beating Queen's Park to reach the Scottish Challenge Cup final, but lost 4–0 to Rangers at Hampden.
Balmoor Stadium
Balmoor Terrace,
Peterhead
AB42 1EQ
Capacity:3,150
Record Attendance:4,855 v Rangers, January 2013
Current Scottish League grounds visited 42/42
Total Scottish football grounds visited 123
The ground was opened in 1997, after Peterhead's old Recreation Park ground was sold off to a supermarket company. There's two identical stands on each side, both raised above pitch level, with a combined capacity of 1,000 blue seats. The main stand has the team benches at the front and the stand on the far side has standing room, with more open standing behind the goals.
Peterhead 2(Shanks 7 Brown 35)
Dumbarton 1(Wilson 48)
Cinch League 2 matchday 36 (2nd v 3rd)
3pm ko
Att.811
Admission £15
Programme £3
Pint glass £10(to be engraved)
Pin badge £3
Peterhead won the battle for the runner-up spot, mainly due to a very good first half performance.
They took the lead in the 7th minute when a cross from Robert Ward was met by a Kieran Shanks header, which spun through the air before finding the top corner of the net. The second goal duly arrived after 35 minutes when Jordon Brown fired home from the edge of the box to make it 2-0 at the interval.
A special thanks to the club for giving me a shout out on the P.A. at half time on completing ‘The 42’ which was met by a ripple of applause in the main stand.
Dumbarton got themselves back into the game straight from the restart, when David Wilson was on hand in the centre of the box to score with his left foot. The visitors dominated possession throughout the second half, but were unable to seriously penetrate a stubborn Blue Toon defence, who held on despite being reduced to ten men, following a second yellow card for Jordan Brown in the 72nd minute.
#Heedhopper
326 miles door-to-door
Aberdeen is the nearest railway station to Balmoor - 32 miles away, making it the greatest distance between a senior league football ground and its nearest railway station in Great Britain.
0624 train Newcastle - Edinburgh
0830 train Edinburgh - Aberdeen
1200 X61 bus Aberdeen - Peterhead bus station
The three-legged journey went smoothly, so after leaving the house at 5.30am I finally arrived in Peterhead at 1.15pm. I had plenty of time before the match to go for a stroll around the town and obviously stop for beverages in The Cross Keys JDW and delicious beers in Brew Toon.
After the match, I legged it back to the bus station to catch the 61 service at 5 o’clock. It was a longer bus journey back to Aberdeen, through desolate countryside and small villages, so I finally checked into my guest house at 6.45.
On Saturday night I had a very enjoyable pub crawl, calling at the bars I missed out on when I was last in the Granite City. I supped in the Ferryhill House Hotel, The Stag, Under The Hammer, The Blue Lamp, The Firepit and finished the night with a revisit to The Grill.
Overall a terrific weekend, Peterhead was a good one to finish The 42 and I do love a night out in Aberdeen.
