MATCH 1570 - Saturday, 30 August 2014

SEASON:  2014/15
SCOTTISH LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION
Venue:  RECREATION PARK

ALLOA ATHLETIC    2    HIBERNIAN    1

Scorer:  Buchanan, Flannigan;  Cummings

My first visit to Alloa's Recreation Park and first time watching Hibs after over 100 matches in lower league football.

£18 pound for a trip back in time to how Scottish grounds used to be.  Primitive little grandstand and very basic terracing.  I booked my ticket through Hibernian and stood with their long suffering fans.  It wasn't a good afternoon for them.  There is free parking adjacent the away end of the ground and nearby fast food restaurants - KFC & McDonalds plus supermarket - Morrisons to meet most of the fans needs.

The plastic pitch looked fantastic but seemed to contribute to an ankle injury to Hibs centre forward, El Alagui just before half time.

After taking a deserved lead early in the match Hibs totally fell out of the game and gradually Alloa came more and more into it.  The winning goal was a very well taken free kick.  

Hibs have a group of players going nowhere and an inexperienced manager - not a good combination.

This was my 89th ground in total.

3rd Alloa match (3 different opponents).

MATCH 1569 - Tuesday, 26 August 2014

SEASON:  2014/15
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIYING ROUND 2nd LEG
Venue:  CELTIC PARK

CELTIC    0    MARIBOR    1

Scorer:  Tavares

This was the first time I'd seen Celtic take on Slovenian opposition.  At best they were modest opponents and the defeat was possibly the worst European home defeat that I have witnessed.  If not it was certainly on a par with Dynamo Moscow in 2009.

Celtic Park was near capacity for the first time since the last Champions League night last November but the players could not respond to the challenge.

MATCH 1568 - Sunday, 24 august 2014

Season:  2014/15
ENGLISH FA PREMIERSHIP
Venue: STADIUM OF LIGHT


SUNDERLAND   1  MANCHESTER UNITED  1

Scorers:  Rodwell;  Mata

We travelled by train for our first chance to see Louis van Gaal's Manchester United, he clearly has a big task on his hands to return the reds to the top of English football. 
We left Airdrie at 9.40am and arrived in Sunderland at 1pm via Edinburgh and Newcastle.  All train connections going out and back went smoothly making for a pleasant and enjoyable day.

This was my 30th Sunderland match and 4th encounter v Man United.

 

MATCH 1567 - Saturday, 16 August 2014

SEASON: 2014/15
SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue:  CELTIC PARK

CELTIC    6    DUNDEE UNITED    1

Scorers: Denayer, Commons, Johansen, Stokes, Berget(2); 

Rankin

The first match of the season at Celtic Park.  Home debuts for four players today - Craig Gordon who has replaced Fraser Forster as Celtis's No. 1, Callum McGregor returning to the club after a very successful season with Notts County, and two loan players 19 year old Simon Denayer (Man City) and Jo Inge Berget (Cardiff City).  

It was also new manager Ronny Deila's first taste of Celtic Park.

Two of the debutants scored their first goals for Celtic - Denayer & Berget.

Fergus McCann the club's great visionary from the '90's returned to the stadium he built to raise the 45th league flag before kick off.

United's last trip to Celtic Park was the Scottish Cup final in May and this visit was not anymore pleasant for them.

Personal: New seats in section 445 of North Stand upper.

7th match of new season - 3rd Celtic game.

MATCH 1566 - Monday, 11 August 2014

SEASON 2014/15
ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP 1st ROUND
Venue:  BRUNTON PARK


CARLISLE UNITED   0   DERBY COUNTY   2
Scorers:  Hendrick, Martin

Just like last season we attended the first match of the English League Cup.  Steve McLaren brought his much fancied Championship side to Carlisle and done a thoroughly professional job on their League Two opponents.

Carlisle did have their moment when a terrific free kick crashed off the crossbar in the second half just before Derby took the lead.
The player who impressed most on the night was Derby's Simon Dawkins.

This was the second occasion seeing Derby and like the first they beat a United team 2-0 away! (Previous Derby match: 1989 Manchester United 0 Derby County 2)

MATCH 1565 - Saturday, 9 August 2014

SEASON:  2014/15
ENGLISH LEAGUE DIVISION 2
Venue:  PRENTON PARK


TRANMERE ROVERS    1    YORK CITY    1
Scorers:  Rowe;  Lowe

Start of new football league season in England and while on a short break to Southport we had a few opportunities to visit a new ground.  We decided to catch the Northern Line train from Southport and head to Birkenhead (via Liverpool Central & the Wirral Line) for this one.
We got off at Birkenhead Central and walked the long and winding road that is Borough Road which goes straight past Prenton Park.

It was a fair old walk from the town centre and it didn't help that we were up against time.  There were very few fans walking to the game maybe due to the half hour walk.

As we were up against time we just paid at the cash turnstyle in the Kop end.  Prenton Park for a fouth tier league side is very impressive and a great view afforded from the back of the very tall Kop Stand which dwarfs the rest of the ground.

As for the game York were good and were only denied a deserved win by a last gasp Rovers equaliser.  I expected a big second half effort from the home side as they attacked the big Kop but it didn't really materialise.  They did get a draw in the end though.

MATCH 1564 - Wednesday, 6 August 2014

Season:  2014/15
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFYING ROUND 2nd Leg
Venue:  MURRAYFIELD STADIUM(2)

CELTIC    0    LEGIA WARSAW    2

Scorers: Zyro, Kucharczyk

Celtic were comprehensively beaten by their Polish opponents in the Champions League qualifying round.  Playing their second match at their temporary home of Murrayfield in Edinburgh the players looked a shadow of the side under Neil Lennon. 

It was only my second time watching Polish club, the previous game also involved Legia when they played Manchester United in the former UEFA tournament called the Cup-Winners Cup.
The match looks like being Fraser Forster's last match for the club.  In four years Fraser has progressed to being an England international after performing at a very high standard in the Champions League and a with great consistency without his time at the club.

FLASH BACK - Match 511 - 24 April 1991

Season:  1990/91
UEFA CUP WINNERS CUP Semi Final 2nd Leg
Venue:  OLD TRAFFORD

MANCHESTER UNITED  1  LEGIA WARSAW    1

Scorers: Sharp;  Kowalczyk

Great to attend a European semi final and although Man Utd are 3-1 from the first leg it is still an ocassion to remember.