First game of what will, hopefully, be a good footballing weekend. I arranged to meet Malcolm at Ainslie Park and left home at around 18.20 to walk their. Given it was now dark I walked down the roads rather than the dimly light North Leith cycle and pedestrian way. I arrived at Ainslie Park about 19.20 and used my season ticket for admittance. After I paid £2 for my programme I saw Malcolm at the cafe entrance and we met up and had a coffee. We had not seen each other since well before Christmas and as we had both been on holiday since then we had a lot to talk about. We left the cafe just after 19.40 to take up seats in the stand on the halfway line . It should be an interesting game tonight with Spartans fifth in the Lowland League but pushing for fourth place which would give them a place in the Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Cup next season facing SPFL sides. Vale are currently bottom of the table but seem to save there nest performances for sides around them at the bottom. With ga

Another miserable day weather wise. I had intended to go to Paisley last night to watch Hearts play St. Mirren but the game was called off after a 15.30 inspection due to a waterlogged pitch. I was thinking of going to watch Penicuik today but a waterlogged pitch put paid to that and all other matches on grass pitches in the lower leagues in the east of Scotland. I therefore decided to go and watch Edinburgh City on the artificial surface at Ainslie Park. There had been a few heavy showers today and I waited until one had finished before leaving home after lunch at 13.30. Walk to the ground was fine until another shower started as I was walking down Orchard Brae. Really strong winds and sleety rain forced me to take cover in a bus shelter until worst of shower passed. I then continued my walk and arrived at ground just after 14.30. Paid my £12 entry and £3 for a programme before heading to snack bar to get a coffee. I met Jim and we decided to take seats at the back of the stand. T

I had intended to go out to Bonnyrigg tonight for their cuptie against Dundonald Bluebell but tat game was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. I therefore decided to head to Tranent for their first match under the recently installed floodlights against Penicuik in the Football Nations Cup. I left home around 17.50 and walked down to Haymarket to catch a 26 bus to Tranent. The journey normally takes around an hour and I had taken my Kindle to keep me occupied on the way. The journey was fine until we left Musselburgh and the bus headed down the road towards Prestonpans rather than the usual route along the old A1 to Tranent. I thought for a moment I had got on a 26 to Seton Sands by mistake but on checking the bus app on my found found that the bus was heading to Tranent. Unfortunately due to roadworks it could not take the normal direct route and was diverted through Prestonpans before arriving in Tranent. After a tour of the scenic delights of East Lothian in the dark the

This is possibly the most important match of the season for Hearts. The mid-week defeat by Celtic left Hearts one point behind Hamilton at the foot of the table and a win today is essential to all them to move up the league. Next Friday Hearts are away to third from bottom St. Mirren and again a victory is essential to allay relegation fears. I had been out all morning helping at a rubbish clearance but got home around 12.00. Had lunch and then left home to go for a walk around 13.30. I walked along the canal towpath and then back towards Tynecastle arriving around 14.15 just as the rain began to get heavy. I looked in on my Groundhopper app to find that today was my 1700th Hearts match. After going through the turnstiles I headed to get a coffee to warm me up before taking my seat in the main stand. Eric arrived shortly after and we had a chat before the match started. We have differing opinions on the merits of Sean Clare as I think he is a good player while Eric remains to be c

After the match at Ainslie Park Jim and I headed onwards to Falkirk. The rain was now falling heavily as we headed out of Edinburgh towards Falkirk. From the radio commentary on the Scotland v England rugby international is was apparent that the wind and rain was having an effect on the game which sounded a less than enthralling spectacle. We are arrived at Falkirk around 18.00 and parked in an industrial site a short walk away from Falkirk's Westfireld Stadium. As I had previously gone to Falkirk by train I had approached the ground from the other side and was unsure of the location but Jim told me that the ground was up the hill from the industrial estate and that we would approach the ground at the stand for away fans behind the goal which suited me as that was where I was sitting with Jim a short distance further on in the Falkirk fans stand running parallel to the pitch. We waited in the car listening to the rugby until England went ahead with a try and then headed toward

Scottish Cup weekend with Hearts playing away at Falkirk today. However as this game is live on TV at 19.20 I was able to go to a game in the afternoon. Jim and I had exchanged texts during the week and we agreed to meet up at Ainslie Park for Edinburgh City v Annan Athletic and after that Jim would take his car through to Falkirk as he also had a ticket, albeit among the home fans while I was in the Hearts end. City have stopped offering half price admission to season ticket holders of other Edinburgh clubs so I bought my ticket and a match programme online. £12 for admission and £3 for th programme with admin fees of £1.01 for the ticket and 25p for the programme. I felt that as I was paying an admin fee for a ticket that no admin fee should have been charged for the programme. I left home at 13.30 and walked down to Ainslie Park along the old railway line. I took it easy and arrived around 14.25 and presented my e-ticket at the turnstile. I was told to go through the turnstile

It is has a busy time for Hearts since I last saw them play against Rangers. Another new signing, Marcel Langer, a midfielder from Schalke made it three new players brought in during the transfer window. There have also been a number of departures on loan deals. Christophe Berra has moved to Dundee with Calumn Morrison (East Fife), Steven MacLean (Raith Rovers), Craig Wighton (Arbroath), Rory Currie (Linfield) and Keilby Mason (Edinburgh City) all moving on until the end of the season. I left home around 19.00 and walked down to Tynecastle, arriving at my seat at 19.15. Eric arrived and we had a long chat about Hearts players of the late 1960s/70s. Eric Carruthers, Davie Clunie, Billy McAlpine, Arthur Thomson, Drew Busby, Donald Ford and Bobby Prentice were among the names mentioned . Hearts made two changes to the side that drew at Perth on Saturday. Langer came into the midfield to replace the ill Toby Sibbick and Lewis Moore replaced Ryatoro Meshino who dropped to the bench. K

I had been tempted to go to Path today to watch Hearts against St. Johnstone following their great performance against Rangers on Sunday. However by the time I thought about going all the tickets for Hearts fans had gone. St. Johnstone then issued a further batch for sale and I then thought about the long walk from Perth Station to and from McDairmid Park and decided not to bother. I went to  watch Spartans playing their Lowland League fixture against Edinburgh University at the University's home ground, Peffermill. I left hone at around 13.15 and walked to Peffermill arriving around 14.10. There was one other fan waiting to get in and no-one on the open turnstile. The turnstile operator arrived just as Spartans chairman Craig Graham came out of the ground to get something from his car. I paid my £6 entry fee and £1 for a programme and was followed through the turnstile by the chairman. The gatekeeper said to him that he did not need to pay for entry and received the reply &qu