MATCH 2081 - Thursday 27 August 2026

SEASON 2026/27

Qualifying Round - 2nd Leg

Venue:  EASTER ROAD STADIUM

HIBERNIAN  2  GENT  3

Scorers:  Kerr, Passleck;  Vergara, Burgess, OG

Attendance:  18.997

View from the middle of the Pat Stanton Stand

This was a great chance to experience a full Easter Road and in the very impressive one tier Pat Stanton Stand to see if Hibs could qualify for the group stages of an UEFA competition for the first time.  

Their opponents were Belgium side, Gent who I saw back in 1984 against Celtic.

With less than 15 minutes to go Hibs took a 2-1 lead to send the crowd into dreamland and looked set to qualify as Gent rarely threatened in the second half except for one very dangerous corner kick.  So all Hibs needed to do was avoid concession of a corner however with just six minutes of normal time remaining they gave away a needless corner and all the fears were realised because this time the delivery was even better into the six-yard box and only required a neat glancing header to send the ball home which levelled the tie.  Hibs never recovered and conceded again in injury time to end their dreams.

Match report:  LINK

Personal note:

•  This was my 3rd time seeing Hibernian in UEFA competition and the 2nd time seeing Gent
• Overall this was my 216th UEFA tie including 42 not involving Celtic
• This was my 7th game I've seen in UEFA European competition involving clubs from Belgium

Hibs fans dreaming of more European trips

Unfortunately their dreams go up in smoke

MATCH 2080 - Wednesday 19 August 2026

SEASON 2026/27

Qualifying Round 1st Leg

CELTIC  3  LASK  0

Scorers:  Nygren, Duran(2)

The scene is set.

As always with UEFA Champions League qualifiers at Celtic Park the atmosphere is a mixture of excitement and nervous tension.  Tonight was no different although the three goals from Celtic and two goals ruled off side for the Austrian champions helped to lift the tension slightly.

This was Celtic's first meeting with LASK Linz from the north of Austria close to the Czechia border in UEFA competition.

It has to be noted that the fans from Linz where a credit to their club supporting their players throughout despite a difficult night.

Match report: LINK

Personal note:

• This 1st time seeing LASK.  Overall the 5th Austrian club I've seen.
• This was the 8th time seeing Celtic play Austrian opposition 

MATCH 2079 - Saturday 15 August 2026

SEASON 2026/27

SCOTTISH LEAGUE CUP 2nd Round

Venue: TANNADICE PARK

DUNDEE UNITED  0  CELTIC  4

Scorers:  Trusty, Duran, Tounekti, Nygren

My 40th visit to Tannadice Park and the outcome is a little different to the 3-0 defeat for the away side back in May 1982.

Two goals in each half secured progression to the next round for Celtic.

Match report: LINK 

Personal note:

• My 40th visit to Tannadice - 38 involving Celtic
• This was the 9th time seeing this fixture in the Scottish League Cup
• Overall I have now seen the fixture 126 times 

MATCH 2078 - Wednesday 12 August 2026

SEASON 2026/27

FRIENDLY

Venue:  CROKE PARK

MANCHESTER UNITED  1  LEEDS UNITED  1

Scorers: Zirkzee;  Aaronson

Attendance: 82,300

I travelled to Dublin purely to see a football match at the iconic Croke Park which traditionally is exclusive to GAA games of hurling and Gaelic football.

The chance to see it with Manchester United was too good an opportunity not to and it didn't disappoint.

Not much to look at outside ground but inside its presence is breathe taking.  It's a monster of a stadium, holding 82,000 which was full for this pre-season friendly between two of England's top clubs.

The 82,000 crowd mainly made up of Irish Man U fans but on every leg of my journey from Glasgow Airport on Wednesday morning to Dublin Airport on Thursday morning all I encountered were groups of Leeds fans heading to and from Ireland's capital.

The Leeds/Man Utd rivalry is one of the most fierce in football but there was absolutely no trouble as the game was played in a wonderfully friendly atmosphere.

Match report: LINK

Personal note:

• My 10th match in Ireland in Dublin,(7) Cork, Dundalk, Derry
• My 87th time seeing Man United
• My 6th time seeing Leeds United

My pictures from Croke Park:

Leeds legend, Eddie Gray

My first view

MATCH 2077 - Monday 3 August 2026

SEASON 2026/27

SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Venue:  CELTIC PARK

CELTIC  1  DUNDEE  0

Scorer: Nygren

Celtic began their league campaign at home to  Dundee with the unusual kick off time of 7:30 on a Monday evening however it didn't stop a massive crowd turning out to see Celtic firstly, unfurl the league championship flag and then getting off to a winning start.  

The win was a narrow one but should have been more comfortable had the Celts not been as wasteful in front of goal.

Match report: LINK

Personal note: 

• 75th time attending this fixture

MATCH 2076 - Saturday 1 August 2026

SEASON 2026/27

SCOTTISH LEAGUE DIVISION 2

Venue:  MEADOWBANK STADIUM

EDINBURGH CITY  0  ELGIN CITY  5

Scorers: Murray, Hyde, OG, Girvan, MacIver

I finally see Elgin win a league game and in some style.   After nine years of going to Elgin matches in the lower tiers of Scottish League football to visit grounds that I hadn't managed to visit for a match, I returned to the revamped Meadowbank Stadium for the same fixture I attended in 2017.  

The new Meadowbank Stadium also known now as the Meadowbank Sports Centre is a huge downgrade on the original stadium that was built for the commonwealth games of 1970.  The replacement stand has just three rows running the length of the running track with a capacity of only 500.  On the plus side the plastic seats are quality, the best in the country and the standard gents toilets are the cleanest and best I've seen inside a football ground.

It was match day 1 of the new Scottish League season so it was a very good start for Elgin City.

Three row stand

Match report: LINK

Personal note:

• Third time seeing this fixture - all in the league and in Edinburgh
• The 9th time seeing Elgin in the league
• Overall this was the 3rd time seeing Edinburgh City and the 13th time seeing Elgin

FRANCO BARESI - No. 6

 FRANCO BARESI 

1960 - 2026

NO. 6

AC MILAN 1977 - 1997

REST IN PEACE

I WAS FORTUNATE TO SEE THE GREAT FRANCO BARESI IN TWO MATCHES

MATCH 1

18/11/1992 - WORLD CUP QUALIFIER - SCOTLAND  0  ITALY  0 - IBROX STADIUM

WHEN FRANCO BARESI MADE A COME BACK TO INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL IN 1992 ONE OF HIS FIRST MATCHES BACK WAS AGAINST SCOTLAND IN GLASGOW.  UNFORTUNATELY THE VENUE WAS IBROX STADIUM AS HAMPDEN WAS GETTING TRANSFORMED INTO AN ALL SEATED GROUND.  ON THE DAY THE TICKETS WENT ON SALE I GOT MY TICKET FOR THE CENTRE OF THE GOVAN STAND (UPPER TIER) AT IBROX WHICH TO BE FAIR IS A PRETTY GOOD POINT TO WATCH FOOTBALL.  ITALY'S NUMBER 6 DID NOT DISAPPOINT AS HE EXPERTLY MARSHALLED HIS DEFENSIVE PARTNERS AS THOUGH HE HAD THEM ON A STRING.

MATCH 2

24/05/1995 - EUROPEAN CUP FINAL - AJAX 1 AC MILAN 0 - ERNST HAPPEL STADION

IN 1994 I WENT TO THE EUROPEAN CUP FINAL IN ATHENS MAINLY TO SEE AC MILAN CAPTAINED BY FRANCO BARESI UNFORTUNATELY BARESI RECEIVED A YELLOW CARD IN THE SEMI FINAL WHICH HARSHLY RULED HIM OUT OFF THE FINAL.  A YEAR LATER MILAN MADE IT TO THE FINAL AGAIN.  THIS TIME AGAINST THE VERY TALENTED YOUNGSTERS OF AJAX.  SO AT LAST I GOT TO SEE THE GREAT FRANCO BARESI PLAY FOR MILAN & IN THE EUROPEAN CUP FINAL BUT LOUIS VAN GAAL'S EXCELLENT DUTCH SIDE DESERVEDLY WON THE MATCH AND THE TOURNAMENT.

MATCH 2075 - Saturday 25 July 2026

SEASON 2026/27

FRIENDLY

Venue:  CELTIC PARK

CELTIC  2  AC MILAN  2

Scorers:  Duran, Forrest;  Camarda(2)

Celtic's last pre-season match before the season starts for real and they welcomed seven time European Champions, AC Milan to Paradise.  My favourite foreign team mainly due to the wonderful players like Franco Baresi and Paulo Maldini.

Thankfully both clubs wore their traditional kits.  Celtic in the magnificent hoops of green & white and Milan in their equally famous red & black stripes. The two finest kits in world football.

Milan's new manager, Ruben Amorim was in the away dug out for his first match in charge, his first job after leaving Manchester United.

It was far from vintage AC Milan with the Rossoneri gifting Celtic the opening 2 goals certainly not in the class of Baresi and Maldini.  Celtic took the lead into half time but it didn't last long as two goals within the first 7 minutes of the restart brought the sides level again.  There were no more goals so the entertaining contest ended in a draw.

Match report: LINK

Personal note:

• This was the 5th time attending this fixture, the other four were in the Champions League
• Overall this was the 7th time seeing AC Milan since 1994