First game of 2022/23 season today with Spartans playing East Fife in a pre-season friendly. I had ordered yt season ticket online and got a text saying that it would be available for collection st the office when I arrived attar Ainslie Park. I left home at 13.40:to walk to the ground along the old railway path and arrived there just after 14.30. I went to the turnstile and let through  free of charge to pick up my season ticket. I then wandered up to the bar and picked up a Coke  before the match started. No programmes were on sale for a pre-season friendly. Disappointingly no teamsheets or tannoy team announcements were made.  Spartans manager Dougie Samuel recently stated i the press that he needed a settled defence for the forthcoming season given the number of defenders who had been used last season. Keeper Blair Carswell returned to the side after injury issues last year as did defender Mikey Allan. Two new signings were also included in the defence with Jordan Tapping, former

  Well it’s Sunday and the last competitive game in the East of Scotland takes place today. It is the final of the Lowland League cup between Tranent Juniors and Linlithgow Rose at New Victoria Park in Newtongrange. An early kick-off at 13.00 in anticipation of Scotland playing Wales in a World Cup play-off in Cardiff at 17.00. Sadly Ukraine will take the place of Scotland but the final kick-off time remains unchanged meaning an early start to get to Newtongrange. I decided to walk for as I could be bothered. I walked to Moredun, 6.3 miles, before jumping on a 29 to Newtongrange at 11.40. The bus arrived in Newtongrange at 11.55. I had a walk around. Newtongrange Park before heading to the ground at 12.15. I paid  my £5 entry and one once inside bought a £2 programme. After a walk  round the ground which is an excellent non league venue, see photos below, I headed back to the entrance where I met Jim. We decided to stand in the sunshine opposite the covered enclosure and took up positi

  A beautiful day today and I decided to head out to Whitburn for the King Cup final. The cup is now contested by teams below the East of Scotland Premier League and the final today is between Herriot Watt University and Livingston United. I was quite lucky as the X27 bus goes direct to Whitburn along the West Approach Road and I decided to catch the 12.03 bus which was scheduled to arrive in Whitburn about 13.30 ahead of the 14.00 kick-off. The journey was not too bad as we went out by Dalmahoy and then through Mid and East Calder. However once the bus got to Livingston things changed as we went through areas of LivinI had never heard of before. We finally hit both Almondvale and St Johns hospital before another magical  mystery tour. After going through Seafield (not the one at Portobello) and Blackburn (not the Lancashire version) the bus finally arrived in Whitburn. I set my phone to let me know when we arrived at Whitburn Cross . Got of there and walked to the ground in East Main