✔530 Townshead Park

Cumnock Juniors 3-0 Queen of the South U-20
Pre-Season Friendly
Thursday 28th July 2016

Cumnock is a town in East Ayrshire which lies at the confluence of Lugar Water and Glaisnock Water. The area has seen human settlement for over 5,000 years, with many Bronze Age burial sites around the nearby area. Cumnock has a strong industrial history and housed many miners, serving as the market town for the nearby smaller towns like New Cumnock, Lugar, Auchinleck, Muirkirk and Ochiltree. The founder of the Scottish Labour Party and their first MP - James Keir Hardie worked as a journalist in Cumnock and a bust of Hardie can be found at the front of the town hall.





Cumnock Juniors formed in 1912. The Nock have won the Scottish Junior Cup twice beating Bo’ness United 1-0 in 1979 and a decade late they defeated Ormiston Primrose by the same score. They have also finished runners-up twice losing out to Blantyre Vics in 1950 and Bathgate Thistle in 2008.
Ayrshire League winners on 11 occasions and Super League Division One winners in 2015-16. Cup honours include 7 Ayrshire Cup wins, Ayrshire District Cup on four occasions and the Ayrshire League Cup 15 times.
Townhead Park
Capacity 3,000
Scottish grounds visited 77 Scottish Junior grounds 30 Lifetime Junior Cup winners 23/28

The ground has a covered enclosure down one side behind the dugouts. At the far goal is another covered terrace which has a fabulous mural on the back wall covering the club’s past glories. The changing rooms, boardroom, hospitality and the Nock Nosh food cabin are all housed in one building behind the turnstile entrance goal. A new all weather pitch was installed in the spring and work is continuing on new terracing at the far side.
Cumnock Juniors v Queen of the South U-20
Att.200est
Weather:Dry,humid

The Noch look a really decent team and could be in for a good season judging by their display against a youthful Queen of the South side. They bossed the match, carving out a string of good chances until finally taking the lead on 65 minutes, when Shirkie picked up the ball on the edge of the box and fired in low and hard. They doubled the lead on 78  minutes  with a fabulous individual effort [and early goal of the season contender] from Keir Samson, before Shirkie grabbed his second late on, netting the rebound after the ‘keeper pulled off a good save from distance.

CJFC 3 [Shirkie 65, 89 Samson 78] 
QotSU-20 0
Top Bloke - Shirkie - Cumnock Juniors
Entertainment 8/10

Spondoolicks
Admission £4
Programme:none
#HeedHopper
I checked out of Little Towers at 9.45 and headed to Cameron Toll to take advantage of the free car parking. I spend the day in Edinburgh before driving cross the A71 to East Ayrshire at 3pm. I stopped for a rest break at Cairn Lodge services before tackling the A70 Ayr Road, so I arrived in Cumnock at Six o'clock. I arranged to meet up with 100FgC Squad#73 Graham Crofts and his daughter Lois at the game, who were there to watch their beloved Doonhamers. 

Arriving at the ground I asked at the paying entrance about programme and badges, unfortunately neither was available. During the first half the guy on the gate, Tom Bradford approached me invited me up into the boardroom for a half time cuppa. I told him about my book so he introduced me to the club hierarchy, who were kind enough to give me a match worn team jersey as a souvenir of my visit. Once again the kindness and hospitality shown by the host clubs during this project has been second to none. 
After the match I rushed straight off, aiming to get on the M74 before it got too dark. The wet weather and poor visibility made the drive home hard work at times, but I still made decent time to get home just before midnight.(before I turn into a pumpkin)
Footnote
A more thorough report about my matchday, the club and the history of the town will appear in my book which is hopefully coming soon.

Last night in Bathgate.

Matchday Web Album of 34 pictures from Cumnock Juniors

✔529 Creamery Park

Bathgate Thistle 0-4 Hill of Beath Hawthorn
Pre-Season Friendly
Wednesday 27th July 2016
Bathgate is a town in West Lothian, 5 miles west of Livingston (Population around 20,000)
The first recorded details of the town was  in the 12th century in a confirmation charter by King Malcolm IV.  The name appeared  as ‘Bathchet’ which is an earlier Cumbric name meaning 'Boar Wood'
Famous people from the town include Scottish obstetrician Sir James Young Simpson who discovered the anaesthetic properties of chloroform, Ryder Cup golf captain Bernard Gallacher and actor [and the tenth Dr Who] David Tennant. Indy Car racing champion Dario Franchitti and his young car racing brother Marino hail from Bathgate, along with 80s/90s band Goodbye Mr McKenzie, with Shirley Manson on keyboards who went onto have major success as lead singer of Garbage.


Bathgate Thistle Junior Football Club was formed in 1936, taking over the place of the Bathgate senior side in the Midlothian League for season 1938/39.
Thistle reached their first Scottish Junior Cup final in 2006, losing 2–1 to Auchinleck Talbot but were triumphant two years later beating Cumnock juniors 2-1 in the 2008 final.
Other Honours include 
East Region Division Two champions: 1986–87, 1990–91
East of Scotland Junior Cup winners: 1941–42, 2006–07
St. Michael Cup winners: 1940–41, 1959–60, 2000–01
Brown Cup winners: 1941–42

Creamery Park 
Hardhill Road,
Bathgate,
EH48 2BW

Scottish grounds visited 76 Scottish Junior grounds 29 Lifetime Junior Cup winners 22/28

Capacity 3,000
The ground has a large standing terrace down one side, which was opened in 2012, with the other three sides are made up of grass banking. Beside the stand is a relatively new building, housing the changing rooms, clubhouse and refreshment bar.  The dugouts are on the far side and a special mention about the pitch, which isn’t just the best in the Scottish Juniors, but probably one of the best in Scotland. Creamery Park also has a rarity at this level - a full set of floodlights.
Bathgate Thistle v Hill of Beath Hawthorn
Kick off 7.00pm
Att.110hc
Weather:warm,sunny

After a poor start the match finally sparked into life just before half time when the ball dropped to Aaron Hay on the edge of the box, to fire in on the half volley. The second period saw a vast improvement with Thistle making a promising start until the visitors took control, with Lee Reid heading in a right wing cross on 53 minutes.. Haws substitute Callum Reid rapped the game up, with a strong run and powerful shot which spun in off the unlucky ‘keeper, before showing good composure to make it 4-0 with twenty minutes remaining.

Entertainment 6/10
Top Bloke - Lee Reid (Hill of Beath)

Spondoolicks
Admission £2-50
(Free admission as a guest)
Programme:none
Scotch pie £1-50
Coffee £1
#HeedHopper
I drove up to Edinburgh, where James Little was good enough to put me up for the night so I could tick off two Junior grounds for my book. I set off at lunchtime and arrived at 3.15pm, quickly dropping off my bag before heading off to Waverley Station. We decided to catch the 1648 train, allowing us time to check out the new Wetherspoons outside the station - The Booking Office, then we alighted headed to the Bathgate branch - The James Young. 
Bathgate Thistle media guy Robert Allan contacted me on Twitter to ask if he could interview me about my travels for Thistle TV, so considering I’m a media whore I willingly agreed. (I’ll link the interview when it appears online if it’s not too embarrassing)

After the match we had a few pints back in Edinburgh at Thomson Bar and Bennetts, where I was reacquainted with my favourite pint - Harviestoun ‘Bitter and Twisted’ 

I decided to have a decent break from football this summer so this was my first match of the season. Although the match wasn’t a classic it was good to be back, the evening made more special by the warm reception (including get in for nowt) received by the two Roberts at Bathgate Thistle. 
Footnote
A more thorough report about my matchday, the club and the history of the town will appear in my book which is hopefully coming soon.

The following night at Cumnock

That interview on Thistle TV


Matchday Web Album of  32 pictures from Bathgate Thistle

Pic of the Week Cup 2016 - Round 3


Duncan James Ashton - Zenit St Petersburgh
Stephen Carpenter - AS Fratia
100FgC Squad #138 Lee Stewart - Kilsyth Rangers
Stephen Carpenter - Vikingur Olasafsvik
Groundhopper It - Stade de France
Paul Paxford - Bath City


 Please cast your votes by leaving a comment or on our Facebook Page