I had a dilemma today as I was not sure which game to watch. Spartans were at home to Caledonian Braves and I could have got in for nothing with my season ticket. However my first football love has always been Hearts and I decided to head to Dundee for their SPL match against Dundee United. This would be my first SPL away game since March 2020 and I was looking for a better result than against St Mirren then. Normally Hearts sell tickets for away games with those with the highest loyalty points having first choice. On this occasion tickets had to be bought direct from United so any Hearts fan could purchase. I was happy getting a  ticket in the Jim McLean Stand Upper which runs along the side of the pitch. I checked the train times and decided to catch the 12.04 to Dundee which got there just before 13.30. The next train arrived at 14.30 but given the walk to the ground I may have missed kick-off. The train journey was uneventful and arrived on time. I knew the route to Tannadice and

  Another game at Ainslie Park. With Edinburgh City playing this home league matches on a Friday night this season, including those after they relocate to Meadowbank, there is an opportunity for a number of Friday night outings. As I had done a bit of walking during the day I decided to take a bus to Ainslie Park. I walked along to Tollcross and caught a 36. When the bus arrived at the West End I looked behind and saw a 19. As the 19 goes closer to Ainslie Park I got off the 36 at Drumsheugh and got on the 19. This was probably a bad mistake as when the 19 turned the corner at the Dean Bridge there was a cyclist lying on the roadway with several people crowded round him. The bus could not get past due to traffic on the other side and the obstruction of a traffic island close to the prone cyclist. Some-one got on the bus and told the driver that the cyclist had hit one of the bollards marking the cycle lane and had come of his bike.What the cyclist was doing on the main roadway when the

  Today is a big day. The first time back at Tynecastle with no crowd restrictions and I will be sitting in my own allocated seat. I checked Futbology and this will also be my 1700th Hearts first team match. With a three r free o’clock kick-off I wanted to make sure I was in the ground early partly because I got a new season ticket last season and wanted to be sure it was working. I arrived at Tynecastle around 14,15 and spotted Tony in the queue for tickets. Tony is a Manchester City fan but Hearts are his Scottish team. He had the option to print his ticket at home or pick up at ticket office. Unfortunately he chose the latter option and it looked like he would have a long wait in the queue. Thankfully my ticket worked at the turnstile and I entered the ground with a smile on my face. As I was heading towards my seat I met Eric and his friend Brian. Eric used to sit next to me but has moved to a seat near a aisle in case he has too many pints in the 1874 bar before the game. We were

Another game at Ainslie Park today. Looking at Futbology it would be the 100th game I have seen there and also the 75th time I have watched a Spartans game. I decided to walk to the ground and left home at 13.30 to walk down the railway path. After a nice morning the rain started as I headed to the ground. Dispute the rain I made quite good pace and arrived at 14.20. After showing my season ticket for entry I bought a £2 programme. The Spartans programme has a new editor and is much improved from previous seasons. I walked down past the front of the stand and saw that Jim and Matteo had already taken their seats. I joined them in the back row of the stand. Matteo stays in Edinburgh and is a Genoa fan although he has adopted Hearts as his Scottish side.  Spartans are currently standing third in the Lowland League with a game in hand in those above them. In the last week they have won at Dalbeattie Star and then recovered from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 at Bo'ness. The home line-up was

  Another visit to Ainslie Park tonight. This time for the SPFL Trust Trophy match between Edinburgh City and Hearts Colts. Another bright sunny evening and I left home at around 18.30 to walk down to Ainslie Park. After stalling through the leafy woodland I arrived at the ground at 19.25. I had again bought an electronic ticket through Fanbase and showed my phone at the turnstile for scanning as entry to the ground. The Fanbase app must be a great boon to lower league clubs as it provides income, security by not taking cash, and customer information for track and trace. In the ground I paid £3 for a programme which as always was a mine of information. City have only played Hearts three times in a competitive match and have yet to score a goal let alone win a game. As I was walking towards a seat in the stand I met Chris. We have been following each other on Facebook for some time now due to a mutual interest in football and Hearts in particular. We had both been at Dunbar on Saturday

  Another new ground for me today as I decided to visit New Countess Park in Dunbar to watch the home side, Dunbar United, take on Musselburgh Athletic in an East of Scotland League match. Dunbar is around 30 miles from Edinburgh and with kickoff at 14.30 I decided to catch the 13.11 train to Dunbar. I left home around 12.45 and walked to Waverley Station where I bought a return ticket. The train was eventually going to Bristol and consisted of nine coaches with two engines. I took  seat in coach C, near the front of the train, for the journey. After a pleasant run through th East Lothian countryside I arrived in Dunbar at 13.29. I followed the instructions on Google maps and walked to the ground arriving around 13.45. I had already bought ticket on Fanbase. My details and temperature were checked on entrance. Dunbar were issuing a programme today for the first time the season. I bought three, one for myself an two for Jim who sends one to a friend in Italy. The programme seller was ha

  Third trip to Ainslie Park this week and third different home side. It was Spartans on Tuesday followed by tenants LTHV on Wednesday and Edinburgh City tonight. City were meant to be moving back to a refurbished Meadowbank this season but the building works are not yet complete. It is hoped the work will be finished by the end of this year to allow City to 'return home'. I left home and 18.30 and hd a change of route walking to the ground. I walked through the Dean Village, Stockbtridge, Inverleith Park and then up to Ferry Road before down the hill to Ainslie Park. Arrived around 19.15 and had my ticket scanned at the turnstile. Programme was available for purchase at the ground and I bought a copy after going through the turnstile. As I walking walking I along the front of the stand I saw Alex was already seated so I joined him as I had a stand ticket. We saw Jim standing behind the goal as I knew he had purchased a ground ticket. It was the first time I had seen Alex since

  Another visit to Ainslie Park for an East of Scotland Qualifying Cup match. Tonight it is a first round tie between Lothian Thistle Hutcheson Vale (LTHV) and Hill of Beath Hawthorn (HOBH) who must have two of the longest team names in Scottish football. I was going to leave home at 18.30 and walk there but weather was miserable with rain pouring down. I changes into a waterproof jacket and walked to Tollcross to catch a bus to the ground. I caught a 27 at around 18.45 and got off her the ground at 19.15. After a quick visit to the ATM at Morrisons store I arrived at the ground around 19.25. I had bought my electronic ticket through the Fanbase but the code reader at the ground was not working. My name was checked against a list of those who had bought tickets and after paying £2 for a programme I entered the ground. Thankfully the rain had now ceased at I met Jim at the barrier near the entrance. He told m that Martin, a friend of his from Meadowbank Thistle days, was coming along to

Another trip to Ainslie Park for tonight’s East of Scotland Qualifying Cup game between Spartans and Linlithgow Rose. Left home at 18.30 and walked down the old railway path. Despite the threat of inclement weather I made good time and arrived at the ground at 19.20. My season ticket was valid for nights game so no entry fee and after paying £2 for a programme I walked to the grassy bank at the Pilton end of the stand and met Jim who arrived arrived a few minutes before me.  The East of Scotland Qualifying Cup is contested by members of the East of Scotland FA who are not members of the Scottish Professional Football League.  In practice, this means most of the Lowland League and East of Scotland League’s member clubs. The finalists in the tournament used to qualify to meet the regions two SPFL teams in the semi-finals before the final was played. With Berwick now also being non-league now I expect Edinburgh City and Kelty Hearts will be the SPFL sides seeded to the semi-finals. The co

  Another Saturday and with hearts away to St Mirren, with no away fans permitted in a crowd of 1037, I decided to use my Spartans season ticket and head to Ainslie Park. It was a bright sunny day but as yesterday showers were expected when I left home at 13.30. I walked down the old railway path and must have been making a fair pace as I arrived at the ground at 14.20. I showed my season ticket for entry and then paid £2 for a programme. The Spartans programme has a new editor and increased content and is now a good read. I took up position against the pitch barrier to read my programme before moving into the stand as the teams came out onto the pitch.  Spartans side was on the usual lines. Goalkeeper Blair Carsell was making his 200th competitive appearance for the club. With 70 shut-outs prior to todays game he had a better than one in three clean sheets during his time in the team. The programme mentioned his performance against Edinburgh City in 2016 when he saved three penalties

           Hearts were playing Celtic today in the first SPL game of the season. Due to Covid restrictions the attendance was restricted to 5727 and Hearts held a draw among season ticket holders to decide who could attend. Unfortunately I was not successful in the ballot and had to look for an alternative match to attend. With the Hearts game not kicking off until 20.00 I also needed to be back to watch the live coverage on Sky TV. I had never been to Cliftonhill, the home of Albion Rovers, before and as Rovers were playing Edinburgh City I decided to cross another ground of my  wisest. I wandered down to Haymarket and caught the 13.08 train to Coatbridge Sunnyside. After calling at a number of stops in West Lothian and Lanarkshire the train arrived around 14.15. I followed the directions on Google maps and walked to the ground driving after a twenty-five minute stroll. I would have been quicker but had to keep checking my phone for instructions. There were three turnstiles open marke

  Another beautiful day as I headed off to Ainslie Park for the LTHV v Dunbar United match. Given that two matches in the West were abandoned yesterday due to heavy rain and the possibility of thunderstorms I decided to walk there by way of the streets rather than the railway path. In the event of a thunderstorm I would be able to catch a bus to avoid the worst of any rain. Thankfully there was no storm and I arrived at the ground around 17.20 for the 17.45 kickoff. I had bought my ticket on Fanbase and the ticket was in my phone wallet. However rather than scan my ticket on entry my name was merely ‘ticked off’ on a list the turnstile operator had on his phone. On going through the turnstile I spotted a programme, a first for LTHV, and purchased a copy for £2. Surprisingly although my ticket purchase was cashless I was able to pay for my programme with cash. I texted Jim and told him there was a programme and he arrived about ten minutes later having purchased a copy as well. We moved