I was originally going to go and watch Dalkeith Thistle v Coldstream tonight. However Edinburgh City’s League fixture at Stenhousemuir which was postponed on Saturday, due to Stenhousemuir being involved in the Scottish Cup, was re-arranged for night and I decided to head to Ainslie Park. Left home at 18.15 and walked down to Ainslie Park. Again I stuck to walking through the streets rather than the wooded North Leith pathway given that the clocks had just changed and darkness had already fallen. Met Jim in the carpark outside the leisure centre and we entered the ground together. I got in for £6, after showing my Hearts season ticket, and then purchased the excellent programme for £3. After getting coffee we took up a position at the barrier nearest the goal at the cafe/bar end. When I loaded the match onto Groundhopper I found out this was the seventy-five match I had attended at Ainslie Park and the twenty-fifth time I had seen Edinburgh City play. Jim had been at the Penicuik

Off to the wilds of West Lothian today for Livingston v Hearts. I did have a ticket for last weeks postponed Scottish Cup-tie between Penicuik and Stenhousemuir which is now being played today. However as I paid £25 for a ticket for Livingston I have given the Penicuik ticket to Jim who will enjoy the game. I decided to use my free bus-pass to go to Livingston and caught an X28 at the West Approach Road at 13.00. After a journey through Kirkliston, West Calder and Mid Calder I arrived at the Almondvale Shopping Centre just before 14.00. The ground, now known as the Tony Macaroni Stadium, is only a few minutes walk from the Centre and I was there about 14.05. The Gorgie Boys, a collection of teenagers looking to provide a singing section at Tynecastle, had provided some vocal entertainment outside outside the Shopping Centre under the watchful eye of the local police. I was hanging about outside the ground when they arrived em masse still singing and escorted by the police. One of

Another Friday night is football night today. With Spartans allowing Edinburgh City to ground share while Meadowbank is being refurbished there are a number of fixture clashes which the clubs being in different leagues. With City being in the SPFL their fixtures have priority for the Saturday so Spartans switch to a Friday night. I am not sure why tonights game is on a Friday as City do not have a game tomorrow as there are!Scottish Cup replays taking place but I am glad to have the chance to watch a match. As usual I walked to Ainslie Park but did not use the railway path instead I walked down along various streets as the railway path is dimly light at night. Arrived at Ainslie Park at 19.15 and after entering the ground and purchasing a programme headed up to the cafe/bar for a coffee and a sausage roll. Went out to the ground around ten minutes from kick-off and received a text from Alex saying that he and Jim were in the bar having a coffee. Headed back upstairs and found they

Third game of the weekend with Hearts clash with Rangers having been moved to Sunday for television coverage. Rangers now head the SPL tale ahead of Celtic and given Hearts form so far this season i was not confident about them getting a result from this game. Undaunted however I left the flat at 11.25 to walk down to Tynecastle for the 12.15 kick-off. I arrived at the ground around 11.50 and took my seat in the Main Stand. Eric arrived shortly thereafter and we had a chat. We were both apprehensive about the game but settled down to watch as the sides came out.  Hearts made three changes from the side that lost to Kilmarnock before the international break. Uche Ikpeazu returned as main striker, Oliver Bozanic made his first league start of the season in midfield and Aidy White came in at left-back. From the Kilmarnock side Clevid Dikamona and Andy Irving dropped to the bench and Loic Damour missed out due to an injury. There had be talk in the newspapers that Peter Haring and

I was a bit disappointed today as I had a bought a ticket to go and see Penicuik in the Scottish Cup at home to Stenhousemuir. However after torrential rain yesterday afternoon and last night the game was called off at around 10.00 due to the pitch being waterlogged. However all was not lost as Spartans were at home today playing Queens Park, also in the Scottish Cup round 2. I left home at 13.45 and as usual walked to Ainslie Park arriving around 14.30. My season ticket was not valid for Scottish Cup ties and I paid my £10 entry and then purchased a £2 programme. My season ticket did however give me entrance to the cafe bar and I had a sausage roll and a coffee before heading out to grab a seat in the stand. I met Ally who I used to work with. Ally’s son is the Spartans midfield player, Aaron Scott and we had a chat before Ally had to move to allow his wife to sit beside some of her friends.  Spartans were still missing Adam Corbett, suspended after his sending off in the l

A big night for Bonnyrigg with a Scottish Cup tie picking the leaders of the Lowland League against the leaders of the Highland League, Buckie Thistle. The match has also been chosen by BBC for live television coverage and will therefore be a test for Bonnyrigg's new installed floodlights. A large crowd is expected for the match and the game has been made all-ticket, possibly another first for a Bonnyrigg home match. It had been pouring with rain most of the afternoon and I left home at 17.00 to catch the 17.10 X31 bus at Haymarket. When I arrived at the stop the board showed the bus was due in four minutes but it never turned up. However the next X31 arrived at 17.20 and I caught that. The X31 misses out a number of stops on the route out to Bonnyrigg and I arrived at Bonnyrigg Toll at 18.05. From there it is a short walk to the ground and I showed my ticket for entry and bought a £2 programme. As I had nothing to eat since lunch time I bought a coffee and a pie. I ate my pie

With this being part of the international games there were no SPL matches today and the only lower league matches were in the Challenge Cup. There was however a full card in the non-league sector with the third round ties in the South Challenge Cup schedules for today. I did think of trying to go to a new ground with St Marks Park, home of Craigroyston, or the Hallihill Centre, Dunbar's home ground. I do however have a Spartans season ticket and decided to go and watch their tie against the University of Stirling. I left home at 13.35 and walked down the North Edinburgh Railway path to Ainslie Park. Arrived at 14.35 and paid my £2 for a programme then headed to the cafe/bar for a cafe and a sausage roll before kick-off. After getting a team sheet I headed to the stand at 14.55 and took my seat in time for the kickoff. Spartans are currently in a period of tradition having lost a number of key players and bringing in replacements from their successful U20 side. The programm

I had not intended going to this game but after a surfeit of the Rugby World Cup on television decided I need a live football fix. The match was a Tynecastle and I bought a ticket earlier in the week when I was at Tynecastle buying a ticket for the match at Livingston later this month. I knew Alex and Jim were going so I texted Alex to find out which area they were sitting in so would could try and meet up. Alex did not know as Jim had  bought the tickets. I therefore wandered down to Tynecastle to meet them outside the ticket office at 16.45. The kick-off was at the earlier time of 17.15 given the full Scotland international in Moscow was on television at 19.45. While we were sitting in different area stewards said as we went in we could sit anywhere in the Main Stand. We therefore grabbed three seats in section R on the halfway line about twenty-five rows up. Surprisingly the match programmes were free although they were only eight page issues. Scotland had made a good start

Another Saturday and a Harts home game. I had been at Tynecastle last night for the launch of Ian Murray's book "This is Our Story". The book tells the story of the fight to keep Hearts alive after the collapse of Vladimir Romanov's business empire and the author was interviewed by former television football commentator Archie McPherson. A really good evening with some really funny stories and hopefully the football today will be as good. As I had spent the morning going to Asda and Costco I had not managed a great deal of walking so let the house at 13.00 to go for a walk before heading to Tynecastle. I walked along the canal to Longstone and then cut off to the Water of Leith walkway heading to Stenhouse to catch a bus to Tynecastle. All was going well until around three quarters of the way along the path when a couple who had passed me running came back saying the walkway was closed round the next corner. I turned back and came of at Chesser and then caught a bu

Another day of two games on the same day. After getting home from the Hearts reserve match in the afternoon I cooked myself liver, bacon, onions, mushroom and chips for my meal as Natalie had been out for lunch and did not fancy a large meal. I had been messaging Jim throughout the day and he said that he and Alex were meeting just after 19.00 in the University tea-bar and I said I would see them there. I decided to walk to Peffermill in an effort to burn up calories before sampling the baking delights in the tea-bar. I arrived at the ground around 19.00 just as the rain was starting. Paid my £6 entrance and asked for a programme as well. The guy on the gate did not think there were any programmes available as the normal gate staff were not on duty due to a family bereavement, however he sent his colleague to check who came back with a  bag of programmes and I was given a copy. Headed for a coffee and the normal tea-bar staff were also unavailable. After purchasing a coffee and a

Reserve League fixtures have started again following the international break and headed out to the Oriam to watch Hearts take on Ross County. Caught a 300 bus to Sighthill and then changed to a 34, arriving at the ground at 13.30 for the 14.00. Was chatting to Alan in the ground when Malcolm arrived and Malcolm and I moved to seats in the stand at the end Hearts were attacking in the first half as Alan joined some friends in the central area of the stand.  Surprisingly that Hearts side today lacked first team experience. Other than last seasons number one goalkeeper, Bobby Zlamal, I doubt if the rest of the squad totalled more ethan twenty first team starts between them. Of the [layers currently out on loan Chris Hamilton (on loan to Cowdenbeath), Alex Petrov (Clyde) and Lewis Moore (Falkirk) started with Connor Smith (Cowdenbeath) and Leroy Makovora (Spartans) on the bench. Ross County by contrast fielded seven players who are included in their first team squad in the side. The