#03 v St Johnstone - Saturday 14th November 2020 by peterheadfc

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Season 2020/21 MATCH DAY #03

PETERHEAD v ST JOHNSTONE Saturday 14th November 2020

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PETERHEAD FOOTBALL CLUB

Est. 1891

Address

Balmoor Stadium Balmoor Terrace Peterhead AB42 1EQ

Telephone Email Official Website Facebook Twitter

01779 478256 office@peterheadfc.co.uk www.peterheadfc.org @peterheadfc @pfcofficial

Scottish League Div 2 Champions 2013/14, 2018/19 Scottish League Div 3 Runners Up 2003/04, 2012/13 Scottish Challenge Cup Runners Up 2015/16 Chairman Directors

Rodger Morrison Michael Duncan Les Hill Charlie Watt

General Manager

Martin Johnston

Team Manager Assistant Manager Goalkeeping Coach Sprint Coach Physiotherapist Kit Man Assist. Kit Man Groundsman Assist. Groundsman Safety Officer

Jim McInally Davie Nicholls Jim Butter Stuart Hogg Gregg Smith Jock Morrice Marco Alexander Stan Stephen Jason Gordon Craig Keir

Community Liaison

Nat Porter

Hon. Club Chaplain Hon. Club Doctor

Neil Cameron Dr. Iain Small

Bar & Catering Manager Match Day Announcer Office Administrator Accounts Assistant Blue Toon Talk Editor

Mary Buchan Graeme McLean Sharon Brown Mandy Davidson Ken Morton

BTT Contributors Duncan Brown, Sharon, Brown, Charles Buchan, Jamie Currie, Martin Johnston, Issac Buchan, Glenn Moir, Peter Myers, Nat Porter, The Late George Ritchie, Craig Stewart.

Please note that some of the views expressed herein are not necessarily those of Peterhead FC 3

Results have turned around greatly for St Johnstone’s since October as they have been undefeated in their last 6 matches and although they lost on penalties on Tuesday night, will pose a serious threat this afternoon at Balmoor. Finding the net at the beginning of the season was a difficult task for Saints but have managed to find their scoring boots with major thanks to Stevie May. His hat trick in the 7-0 win over Brechin City and a double in the 5-3 win over Hamilton boosted his side’s confidence and also got the 27 year old striker off the mark for the season. “He was running all round the pitch” boasted a happy Callum Davidson after his double against Hamilton. “He’s scoring goals and getting in the right positions. It’s great to see his tap in as those are type of goals we are looking for him. He’s a slightly different player from when I first knew him but he is now technically

better and his movement is really good”. The goalscoring form will be pleasing to Davidson after a start which may have seen him slightly nervous despite feeling that his side are better than their lowly position. Another player who has excelled is David Wotherspoon, a native to Perth has scored four goals this term. He is now in his eighth season with the club having joined in 2013 and has made over 200 appearances. Davidson also managed to capture the signing, last month, of the little unknown name of Guy Melamed from Israeli side Maccabi Netanya. The forward who scored 17 times for Maccabi last season will be aiming to boost Saints goal tally this season. St Johnstone spent nearly 40 years, after their formation in 1885, playing at the Recreation Grounds opposite Perth Prison. But success, and the securing of

Scottish Football League status in 1911, made it apparent that a new stadium was required. The Saintees selected a piece of ground close to the Dunkeld Road which had enough room to construct a playing surface of international standards and dimensions. It was the accepted layout for the time, a wooden grandstand with three sides of banked terracing. A roof was added to the east terracing in the 1950s and a record crowd of 30,000 attended a Scottish Cup tie with Dundee in February 1951. By the 1980s Muirton Park was becoming a little frayed at the edges. Capacity went down to 11,500 with (for safety reasons) only 500 allowed into a stand that had 2,185 seats and trouble loomed. Three shining knights came along. The first was shrewd local businessman Geoff Brown, who provided the nous and capital, the second was farmer Bruce McDiarmid,

who provided 16 acres of land. The third was supermarket chain Asda, who also liked the look of the Dunkeld Road position the ground enjoyed. They put up a supermarket and St Johnstone put up the first purpose-built all seater football stadium in the UK in 1989. This was the springboard for the current success as St Johnstone gave since been a regular top level side, a number of regular appearances in Europe and o top it all off a 2014 Scottish Cup Final win over Tayside neighbours Dundee United.

Excerpts taken from â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;lifted over the turnstilesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; courtesy of DC Thomson

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FROM THE DUG OUT

FRUSTRATION AT LINKS PARK Peterhead manager Jim McInally left Links Park frustrated as he did not have enough options to fire the Blue Toon onto victory in their game against Montrose that eventually ended in a 3-2 win for the hosts. “I was forced into making a change early into the second half as Andrew McCarthy had been booked and every time he was involved after that there was pressure put on the referee to give him a second yellow. Ben did brilliantly to get his two goals however he is just coming back from injury so we knew that we would only get an hour or so out of him. We got back level at 2-2 and to be honest we looked to be the side who would go on and win however I had no changes left to try and force it. Isaac Layne was out injured and whilst Simon Ferry and Steven Boyd were listed as substitutes putting them on would have been a huge risk as they are not fully over their injuries. It was really frustrating, if I had some more firepower available, we could have really gone for it.” Jim added: “To add to my frustration we came away with nothing as Montrose were given a penalty which they scored to win the game. Kyle Bailey feels really bad about it and I reckon that he was unfortunate as the ball was running through to Joshua Rae in our goal. Even after they scored, we took the game to them, but we could not come up with a goal. Joshua made a fantastic save in the first half and another decent stop after that but he did not have a lot else to do. I feel that we should have had something from the game and that the end result is harsh.” Jason Brown was sent off in the closing stages and will serve a one match suspension when league football resumes with Jim saying: “I thought his first booking was really unlucky. He was walking a tight rope after that and the second one was a foul as he stopped an attack on our goal. Jason and Kieran Freeman had played well in the centre of our defence and everyone gave a lot to the game so it is frustrating not to have anything to show for it..” Jim

RESULTS, FIXTURES & LEAGUE TABLES

GROUP A Hearts East Fife Raith Rovers Cowdenbeath Inverness CT

1 2 2 0 0

Inverness CT Cowdenbeath East Fife Hearts Cowdenbeath

0 0 1 1 0

Inverness won 4-2 on penalties

Hearts East Fife Raith Rovers

3 2 3

Raith Rovers 1 Hearts 3 Inverness CT 3

Raith Rovers won 3-2 on penalties

Hearts Raith Rovers East Fife Inverness CT Cowdenbeath

GROUP C Brechin City Kelty Hearts St Johnstone Dundee United Peterhead Dundee United Kelty Hearts

Dundee Utd St Johnstone Brechin City Peterhead Brechin City Kelty Hearts Peterhead

6 2 0 1 1 0 1

Dundee Utd

Peterhead won 4-3 on penalties

St Johnstone

1 3 1 0 0 2

Forfar Athletic 0 Brora Rangers 1 Hibernian 2 Dundee 2 Hibernian 1 Cove Rangers 2

Cove Rangers won 6-5 on penalties

Dundee Forfar Athletic

3 3

Cove Rangers 0 Brora Rangers 3

Forfar Athletic won 4-3 on penalties

P W D L F A Pts 4 4 0 0 8 3 12 3 1 1 1 6 7 5 3 1 0 2 5 5 3 3 0 2 1 3 4 3 3 0 1 2 0 3 1

2 1 7 0 3 1 1

GROUP B Dundee Hibernian Cove Rangers Brora Rangers Forfar Athletic Brora Rangers

Dundee Hibernian Brora Rangers Cove Rangers Forfar Athletic

P W D L F A Pts 3 3 0 0 6 0 9 3 3 0 0 6 2 9 4 0 2 2 6 10 2 3 0 1 2 3 7 2 3 0 1 2 3 5 2

GROUP D Stirling Albion Montrose

1 3

Arbroath Ross County

2 3

Stirling Alb Montrose Arbroath Elgin City Ross County Montrose

0 1 1 2 4 1

Ross County won 5-4 on penalties

Elgin City Arbroath Ross County Montrose Elgin City Stirling Albion

2 3 2 0 1 2

Ross County Arbroath Elgin City Stirling Albion Montrose

P W D L F A Pts 3 2 1 0 4 0 6 3 2 0 1 6 4 6 3 2 0 1 5 4 5 3 1 0 2 4 8 1 4 0 1 3 1 4 0

Dundee United won 4-3 on penalties

Dundee United Peterhead St Johnstone Kelty Hearts Brechin City

P W D L F A Pts 4 2 1 1 7 3 8 3 2 1 0 5 2 8 3 2 1 0 9 1 7 3 0 1 2 2 4 1 3 0 0 3 3 16 0

RESULTS, FIXTURES & LEAGUE TABLES

GROUP E Falkirk Dumbarton Dunfermline Clyde Kilmarnock Falkirk Clyde Dumbarton

3 0 2 3 0 2 0 0

Falkirk Dunfermline Clyde Kilmarnock Dumbarton

P W D L F A Pts 4 3 0 1 9 3 9 3 3 0 0 6 0 9 3 1 0 2 4 6 3 3 1 0 2 2 6 3 3 0 0 3 2 8 0

GROUP G Morton

Kilmarnock Dunfermline Falkirk Dumbarton Dunfermline Clyde Kilmarnock Falkirk

Q of the Sth

0 1 0 2 3 1 2 4

Queen of the South won 4-2 on penalties

St Mirren Q of the Sth

4 2

Partick Th St Mirren

1 2

St Mirren won 4-2 on penalties

Partick Th Q of the Sth

2 0 1 1 1

3 2 2 1

Hamilton Ayr United Ayr United Stranraer

1 5 1 1

Stranraer won 4-2 on penalties

Stranraer

Albion Rovers 2

Albion Rovers won 2-1 on penalties

Ayr United Albion Rovers Stranraer

1 1 2

Annan Ath Annan Ath Hamilton

Annan Athletic Ayr United Stranraer Hamilton A Albion Rovers

P W D L F A Pts 4 2 1 1 9 4 7 3 2 0 1 7 4 6 3 1 2 0 5 4 6 3 1 0 2 4 6 3 3 0 1 2 5 12 2

GROUP H Edinburgh City Airdrieonians Livingston Edinburgh City

1 0 2 2

Livingston Alloa Ath Alloa Ath S/housmuir

0 5 1

5 2 1 2

Stenhousemuir won 4-2 on penalties

Queen’s Park 0 Partick Th 0

Partick Thistle won 3-2 on penalties

Morton Queen’s Park St Mirren

GROUP F Annan Athletic Albion Rovers Hamilton Annan Athletic

Queen’s Park 0 Q of the Sth 3 Morton 1

S/housemuir Alloa Athletic S/housemuir Airdrieonians

0 2 0 0

Airdrieonians 2 Edinburgh City 1 Livingston 4 Edinburgh City 1

Livingston Alloa Athletic Edinburgh City Airdrieonians Stenhousemuir

P W D L F A Pts 3 3 0 0 11 2 9 3 2 0 1 5 3 6 4 1 1 2 4 9 4 3 1 0 2 2 3 3 3 0 1 2 4 8 2

St Mirren won 6-5 on penalties

St Mirren Queen of the South Morton Partick Thistle Queen’s Park 10

P W D L F A Pts 3 1 2 0 7 4 7 4 1 3 1 7 5 7 3 1 2 0 4 3 5 3 1 1 1 3 4 5 3 0 0 3 1 6 0

MATCH REPORT

PETERHEAD 0-2 COVE RANGERS Saturday 24th October 2020 • SPFL League One Peterhead started their second League 1 game of the season in the same positive manner that they began their first and unfortunately for the Blue Toon, for the second week running, they were unable to make a breakthrough and lost 2-0.

Like last weekend at Airdrie Peterhead fell behind before the break with the visitors taking the lead on 33 minutes. It was Cove captain Mitch Megginson that broke the deadlock when he turned his marker at the edge of the box and sent a shot past Rae.

Jim McInally’s side, that was missing the injured Gary Mackenzie, Simon Ferry, Ben Armour and Josh Mulligan as well as Gary Fraser who was selfisolating, started brightly with Steven Boyd bursting through however the striker was denied by Stuart McKenzie.

Cove took the game further out of their hosts’ reach eight minutes into the restart when the home defence failed to clear and Megginson picked out Harry Milne who drilled home.

With the wind behind them Peterhead carried on taking the game to their visitors and Cove goalkeeper McKenzie produced a fine stop to keep out an fierce Alan Cook effort. Peterhead goalkeeper Joshua Rae was underpressure from a Jamie Masson cross however he tipped it onto the woodwork and the danger was cleared.

Derek Lyle was withdrawn and with Layne not risked Derryn Kesson came on to form a partnership with Lyall Cameron up front and the move almost paid off.

Kesson looked to have pulled a goal back for the hosts with a header however Cove scrambled clear and the visitors saw the game out to win 2-0. Peterhead – Rae, Freeman, Bailey, J.Brown, Conroy, Cameron, McCarthy, S.Brown, Cook, Boyd, Lyle (Kesson 66). Unused substitutes– Layne, Wilson

Ryan Conroy almost provided the lead Peterhead craved directly from a free-kick on 25 minutes however his effort was tipped over. 11

A story of football in Peterhead from 1946 and including other aspects of life enjoyed by children brought up during and immediately after the 39-49 war years. “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory” was first serialised in the Buchan Observer in 2002 and we are delighted that Blue Toon Talk brings you the Late George Ritchie’s wonderful account of his memories to a whole new generation of Blue Toon fans.

PART 36 –

‘Suddie’s’ Bus Trips. Kiss’n on the Back Seat

It always seemed there would be something on the horizon to be eagerly looked forward to. In this category were local holiday trips to Aberdeen with ‘the boys.’ April, June and September, no ‘May Day’ holiday then. The moan of the trams greeting the bus at the Brig of Don, then on to the Meal Market Street terminus. Off the bus and head straight to the Palm or Balgownie Café’s in King Street. Then to the ‘Market’ and the wonderful aroma from the combination of butchers, bakers, candy and fruit and veg stalls. A visit to many of the Union and George Street shops and especially the Rubber and Joke shop. Lunch at Mitchell and Muil’s restaurant at the far 12

end of the Market and if we were really flush a la carte at the Princess restaurant. Down to the Tivoli Theatre and book tickets for the evening show. Then taking a tram to Hazlehead to spend the afternoon at the park, get lost for a while in the maze and having our names stamped on a strip of tin at the appropriate machine. Sometimes an alternative was a visit to Duthie Park then after tea, off to the Tivoli where Jack Milroy of Franci and Josi fame and his wife Mary Lee were always popular. The following day the proverbial question asked by friends, “Wiz yi up eh stairs in the Market?” This area seemed to hold some mystic for teenage boys.

ABOVE A group of Sutherlands drivers at a “Safe Driving” award presentation in 1950. Back row L to R: Sandy Barr, Bill McGee (Mechanic), Eddie Buchan, Sandy Anderson, Amos Melvin (from Aberdeen), Robert Walker, Jim McMillan, William McDonald (Manager). Front Row: Patrick Hutchison and William ‘Scotty’ Strachan.

LEFT A group of drivers snapped before departing on a private hire trip. The white cap covers are worn by Sutherland’s Peterhead drivers only. It is understood the trip was for a childrens’ picnic by a Fraserburgh company, and that the Sutherlands busses were helping out a local bus company. Unfortunately we are unable to name the driver at the far left. The rest of the Peterhead ‘White Caps’ from the far left are; Charlie Yule, Robert Walker, Jim McMillan, and Fred Warrander.

Other bus trips becoming popular were the ‘Sunday Drives.’ Very often in my own experience, ‘Kipper’n yard’ staff trips to such places as Tarlair, The Braes o’ Gight (Monymusk) and the always popular Deeside runs to Braemar. I seem to remember that it was on these ‘drives’ when the young teenagers were seated at the rear of the bus, it was then that some minor romantic experimentation took place in the form of a game of ‘Truth & Dare.’ The girls would, as a coyly choose ‘Truth’ but inevitably the boys went for a ‘Dare’ (the rascals). Pleasant memories they are. The girls taking part, all now pensioners are “Oh jings wid yi believe it? Av forgotten. What a

disappointment. Among the many ‘Suddies’ drivers remembered are Willie Walker and his two sons Bill and Robert, Alex Mitchell, Joe Milne, Davie Wood, Ben Cowie, Jim McMillan, John Stephen, sandy Baird, Charlie Yule, and Robert Walker, and the manager ‘Dodie Allan. Charlie and Sandy were always willing volunteers to drive the Peterhead FC coach, similarly Robert Walker in a later generation. “On the buses” going to Aberdeen those friendly ‘clippies’ Francis Fowlie, Margaret Easton, Nancy Davidson, Nan Winter, Betty Strachan, and two young ‘crackers’ Doreen Summers and Isobel Bradford. 13

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NEW SPFL PARTNER – PAPA JOHN’S

Papa John’s becomes the official delivery and takeaway partner of the SPFL

The SPFL and Papa John’s are delighted to announce an exciting new commercial partnership that will see the Pizza outlet giant become the Official Delivery and Takeaway Partner of the Scottish Professional Football League. The partnership, which begins from today and will run for three seasons up until the end of season 2022/23, will see Papa John’s provide vital commercial and promotional support to the professional game and Clubs across the four SPFL divisions and Cup competitions. As well as having visibility at the SPFL’s most watched matches, Papa John’s will also be providing Scottish football fans across the country a number of ways to get involved including giveaways and discounts throughout each season, plus the takeover of the SPFL’s popular Score Predictor online game which will give fans a further opportunity to win rewards.

Neil Doncaster, SPFL Chief Executive, said: “This announcement is tremendously exciting news and

aligns Scottish football with a globally-recognised brand and hugely popular product. We are extremely grateful to Papa John’s for supporting our game at such a crucial time for all our member clubs. It is also testament to the appeal of the Scottish game that an organisation such as Papa John’s, that has an illustrious history of supporting sport and entertainment events, recognises the scale of our audience both in the UK and overseas.” Giles Codd, Marketing Director Papa John’s GB, said: “We are delighted to be embarking on this partnership with Scottish football and supporting the member clubs at this time. I know our franchisee community are equally excited and looking forward to bringing the partnership to life across Scotland and their local communities. Watching football and takeaways go hand in hand, and while fans may not be able to get into the stadiums right now, the best way to support your team is to watch it at home, with a slice or two of Papa John's pizza.” 15

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INTRODUCING LYALL CAMERON

Peterhead have secured the services of a second talented youngster from Dundee with Lyall Cameron joining his Dens Park team-mate Josh Mulligan on loan at Balmoor for the new season. The 17-year-old made his Dark Blues first team debut last year in an away game at Raith Rovers in the Betfred Cup and Lyall went on to feature in two further games for James McPake’s side which were a William Hill Scottish Cup tie against Motherwell and a start against Dunfermline in the Ladbrokes Championship. Balmoor boss Jim McInally is delighted that Dundee view Peterhead as a great place for two of their youngsters to develop as he explained: “I have to thank everyone at Dundee who has helped make these moves happen. Playing against Dundee twice recently must have shown how we try and go about things in the right manner and that their players will be working with a good group.” 17

TODAYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S REFEREE: ASST. REFEREE 1: ASST. REFEREE 2:

PETERHEAD Ben ARMOUR Kyle BAILEY Hashim BAKAR Steven BOYD Jason BROWN Scott BROWN Lyall CAMERON Ryan CONROY Alan COOK Simon FERRY

Gary FRASER Kieran FREEMAN Derryn KESSON Isaac LAYNE Derek LYLE Gary MACKENZIE Andy McCARTHY Josh MULLIGAN Joshua RAE Lenny WILSON

SQUADS Euan ANDERSON Douglas ROSS Chris RAE

ST JOHNSTONE Callum BOOTH Craig BRYSON Zander CLARK Craig CONWAY Liam CRAIG Murray DAVIDSON Liam GORDON Callum HENDRY Chris KANE Jason KERR Stevie MAY

Ali McCANN Jamie McCART Danny McNAMARA Guy MELAMED Jordan NORTHCOTT Michael Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;HALLORAN Elliot PARISH Shaun ROONEY Scott TANSER David WOTHERSPOON

Neil Lennon started 10 in a row for Celtic but is he the right man to finish it? by Isaac Buchan

Neil Lennon picked up Celtic’s first title in 2012 after thrashing Kilmarnock in a famous 6-0 win at Rugby Park and since then he has looked to be the man to take Celtic to their tenth title in a row. After setting Celtic on the right track, he headed south to take charge of Bolton Wanderers while an unheard of Norwegian was at the helm by the name of Ronny Delia. Fast forward 6 years later, and who would’ve thought Neil Lennon would be back and possibly the one to complete what seemed an impossible feat 9 years prior. With a sluggish and slow start to the season for the hoops, is Lennon the right man going forward for Celtic? or is now the time to cut him loose and find a new leader before its too late? Celtic currently sit second in the table, 9 points behind Rangers with 2 games in hand. Theoretically meaning only a 3 point possible deficit, so why is everyone up in arms about the former Celtic captain? Some fans and pundits point to his somewhat random team selection and his inability to change tactics. I’m sure both sides of the old firm can admit that if it weren’t for Fraser Forster then Celtic would’ve been 3 Old Firms matches without a victory. Part of this 20

reason is due to Lennon playing very similar tactics in each of the three games. By now Steven Gerrard has sussed out the Celtic managers game plan, causing Rangers domination in the past 3 derbies. With this being the most important season in Celtic’s history, since the 90s, can Lennon risk playing the same team again despite Rangers being able to easily counter it? Another misery to add to Celtic’s season so far has been their home form. For the first time since Gordon Strachan was in charge, Celtic have lost 3 home games in a row (Rangers, AC Milan, Sparta Prague) and the latter of those games being nothing short of an utter embarrassment. No disrespect meant to Sparta Prague, who were obviously the better team that night but on paper, Celtic should’ve no problem sweeping aside the Czech champions. Instead, Lennon played the same unimaginative style of play and paid the price for it by losing 4-1. Many fans hark back to Deila’s loss against Molde in which a certain Norwegian ‘Winger by the name of Mohammed El Younoussi ran rampant. That game was essentially the final nail in the coffin for Deila so surely Lennon will have to suffer the same fate? Celtics

performance against Rangers was also shocking with countless defensive errors and only a handful of players fit to wear the jersey that day, But it’s not just been in the big game the hoops have struggled in. Celtic have also failed to set the Premiership alight only managing to scrape past teams such as newly promoted Dundee United and St Mirren, while dropping two points at Pitodrie. Meanwhile on the blue side of Glasgow, Rangers have had a flying start with big scorlines such as 8-0 against Hamilton at the weekend and 14 clean sheets from 20 games. Celtic just haven’t got ticking so far and with a very shaky defence consisting of Shane Duffy, his countless errors so far, and a tombola to see who takes the other centre back spot between Ajer, Julien, Welsh and Bitton. But with those performances in mind, how were Celtic playing the same football last season and thumping teams left, right and centre but now every game seems to be a struggle for Lennon’s men. A lot of the blame does have to lie with the players, Celtic conceding 2 penalties against Aberdeen surely can’t just be down to the

manager as there almost seems to be a ‘cannot be bothered’ sentiment around the Celtic squad, with the only main positives this season being Diego Laxalt and Mohammed El Younoussi. Obviously, a lot of these players haven’t been reminded of the importance of the season, where every game should be being regarded as a cup final. With Edouard not firing on all cylinders, which could be related to his recent Coronavirus case, and no spark in the middle of the park, how long can the players carry on like this before Lennon loses his job? So who could Celtic realistically bring in should Lennon depart. Many fans have called for former Bournemouth man Eddie Howe. His attacking style of play could be just what Celtic need to rejuvenate the players and get going this season. However, with Celtic paying Brendan Rodgers £2.5 million per year, Eddie Howe was on a reported £4 million per year, which could be way to steep for the Celtic board to pay up for, And with Lennon having support from the board and those involved in and around the club, it looks like he is safe for now but for how long can the Celtic board gamble with 10 in a row for? 21

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1931 1894

1891

1934 1908

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1970 1973

1981 1984

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DEAD AND BURY IED THEN REBORN 26

A Short History of Bury AFC Well, what a year it has been as Bury AFC’s media manager Adam Ingram writes… As we set out on our 2020/21 league season, the 3rd October was a poignant date with which the team took their first steps out on the grass at the Neuven Stadium. Today, it is exactly a year to the day when volunteers at what was known as ‘Bury Phoenix Club’ met for the first time. Held at the Stanley Conservative Club, a stone's throw from Gigg Lane, around 150 fans congregated to see if they could provide football for the town of Bury. As had been the case for the previous 134 years at that point. Most, if not all, hurting from a summer of anguish, and ultimately despair. Top-level football had ceased to take place in the town and there was little prospect of this changing any time soon. The aim following that meeting. To start a new club. But how was it done? Here's a reminder of the events of the past year. October 2019: The first meeting of Bury fans to discuss and build the organisation of those volunteering to help with this goal. Initially, fans who turned up were spoken to by members of LOFT (Leyton Orient Fans Trust) and the FSA (Football Supporters Association) on their experiences of creating a club from scratch. By the end of the evening, individual teams were created to cover the important sections of the football club. From finance to governance, commercial to media & legal matters too. To receive a league placement for the 2020/21 season, an application was required to be submitted in early December 2019. With the original club due in the high court, for the first of what turned out to be many appearances across the winter, and impending doom looming, our band of volunteers set to work. The clock was ticking. By the end of the month, our social media profiles & website were set up and starting to inform those on what we were doing and the steps required to move the project forwards. November 2019: As discussions with a consortium looking to save the original club developed, an initial 'launch' of the football club was put on hold to give these discussions chance to move forward. However, work in the background continued to ensure that the deadline for an application could be met. We conducted our first survey on fan-ownership, asking for feedback on the direction supporters wanted us to take, based on various financial models.

Fundraising activities began a pace, with regular evening meetings at the Stanley Club & Rose & Crown pubs. Merchandise and community events, including support provided at the Saturday afternoon supporter gatherings, were proposed. Also, the first draft football club budgets were being developed, alongside work on possible ground-sharing arrangements with local non-league clubs. As the month drew to a close, we also set up our first democratic vote to select our club name. December 2019: With 58% of the supporter vote, our name was secured as ‘Bury AFC’. A groundshare was agreed in principle and the application was ready to be submitted. It was sent to the Manchester FA on the 9th December. We were also present at the Town Hall meeting arranged by Forever Bury to inform attendees on our progress, alongside the plans presented for Bury FC. This was the first chance since the summer for supporters to listen to proposals for football in the town and ask questions of the various parties on the stage. January 2020: The new year started with our first event, all the ticket proceeds from over 100 paying attendees at the ‘Arcade Club’ day were donated to Bury AFC. The volunteer group gathered again for a meeting in late January for an update on progress and the North West Counties acknowledged that our application had been made and was being considered for inclusion in their leagues for the 2020/21 season. The first big step had been negotiated.

February 2020: Volunteers arranged and offered support to the 'Evening with Derek Spence' night in early February in what ended up being quite a month for the coffers at the pubs close to Gigg Lane. After initial visits from Sunderland fans in the autumn of 2019, two separate convoys of Rotherham United fans descended on the town on route to away games at Accrington & Rochdale. The coaches of fans were split between the Stanley Club & Staff of Life pubs, bringing much needed revenue to the pubs which had lost so much without regular football at Gigg Lane. This will not be forgotten. 27

in association with Tennents

A Short History of Bury AFC (continued)

March 2020: In early March, we announced two new fundraising events. Ricky Tomlinson was confirmed to be in attendance at a screening of ‘Mike Bassett: England Manager’ in April, as well as a ‘Bury Legends’ match to be played at fellow fan-owned Chester FC’s 1885 Arena in mid-May. By the end of the month, both events were cancelled as the onset of Covid-19 hit the country. With games postponed in football leagues across the world, the realisation dawned on us all that our path to playing in August was not going to be as straight-forward as we had hoped. We were informed at the end of the month that the group of Bury fans seeking to purchase the original club had withdrawn their offer. We informed the fan-base that we were ready to go, whenever that may be! April 2020: Our membership scheme, ‘Shakers Community’ was launched on Easter Sunday. For an annual fee of £60, members are given the option to vote on pivotal long-term decisions. The membership quickly sprung to 300-strong. Members could also put themselves forward for a spot on the board for elections, due in May / June. Fan-engagement was kept as high as possible during the lockdown period with our ‘World Cup of Away Kits’, which sought to discover the fans’ ultimate away strip. The winner was the 2010-11 Surridge Maroon & Gold kit, the design of which has been used as inspiration for our inaugural away kit this season. 30

May 2020: In ordinary circumstances, we would have been informed of the situation on our league place by the end of this month. However, with the growing uncertainty around the world of how the impacts of the pandemic would affect a restart to competitive sport, fans were required to sit tight. With leagues across the country ending early or looking to resume to finish with no crowds, we continued to build in the background. Co-ordination meetings were transferred to video calls, dialogue resuming via email or WhatsApp groups and discussion a plenty continued over the various social media profiles and message boards. June 2020: After receiving 12 applications from members for positions on the first ‘Shakers Community’ board, online voting took place to narrow this down to nine in early June. This board were constituted to work on behalf of the membership in building a sustainable foundation for the football club to thrive. The first job was to appoint the chairperson of the football club, Chris Murray. Chris pulled together his board to manage the creation of the football side of the club. The search for a manager was started immediately, and this caused a stir right across the football world with over 750 applications for the top job received!

A Short History of Bury AFC (continued) July 2020: In the lead up to the board elections, the membership swelled to over 500 which gave the club a solid base to move forward towards the new season. With a slow relaxation to the lockdown rules through July and expectation that leagues could soon resume, we were given an indication from the FA that our league status would soon be known. With manager interviews being conducted, sponsorship deals being signed and the release of our new crest and home & away kits, things suddenly began to move quickly after months of waiting. Then we received the news that we had all been waiting for…. We had been accepted into the North West Counties Football League, Division 1 North. All the hard work from the volunteers, members & board had been worth it. Within a matter of days, exOssett United manager Andy Welsh was appointed following a two-stage interview process involving both football board and ‘Shakers Community’ board members to make a unanimous decision that Andy was the right person to be appointed the club’s first manager.

August 2020: Traditionally the start of the regular football season for many, but this strange period meant that pre-season was only just getting underway for most. Andy Welsh and the team are under pressure to form the squad straight away, the first training session taking place on 1st August. Our ground-share with Radcliffe FC is announced (in one of the world’s worst-kept secrets), alongside the first signing for the club – Adam McWilliam, a 25-year-old Scottish midfielder with a habit of banging in some long-range free-kicks at his previous clubs. An abundance of further footballing talent walks through the door as the month progresses, most coming to Bury with experience at least a league or two above our current level. Our pre-season fixture list was drafted numerous times through July & August to account for the managers training schedules needs and consideration of the ‘behind-closed doors’ setup required for games in August. A last minute change to allow restricted levels of fans into grounds, meant that at least 150 fans were in attendance at Daisy Hill on the 26th August, as Bury AFC took to the field for the very first time. Recording a 5-0 opening victory, right-back Matty Williams leapt into our record books, slamming home a loose ball at the back post from 12-yards to record the team’s first goal. We were on our way. September 2020: Another victory away at Coppull United three days later, this time coming from behind to win 2-1, ahead of the tough task of playing our first

game at ‘home’, but really we were ‘away’. The Neuven Stadium was bristling with a maximum attendance of 600 as our landlords, Radcliffe FC, played host to us on a gorgeous late summer night. Under the lights, we succumbed to our first defeat against a strong Radcliffe team, 3-0 despite holding our own for large periods against a team three-leagues above us. A 1-1 draw against fellow Step-10 opposition, Nostell Miners Welfare FC & a 4-1 win over local Manchester League side, Walshaw Sports FC was preceded by our first set of league fixtures released on 5th September. A last-minute 2-1 loss to Division 1 South team, Abbey Hey, the following week led the team into their first competitive fixture against fellow southern division team, West Didsbury & Chorlton FC in the FA Vase, 1st Round. A feisty encounter on a warm afternoon in the South Manchester sun, as both sides ended up with 10-men during the second half but one that saw ‘West’ victorious despite the visiting side knocking on the door plenty as the game drew to a close. Greg Daniels became the first player to score a competitive goal for Bury AFC, slamming home an injury time penalty, which ended up being merely a consolation in a 2-1 defeat.

A narrow defeat in the final friendly game away at Cheadle Town in another game where chances for the visitors were not in short supply, means that the management team & squad go into their first league fixture against Steeton with their goal-scoring instincts to improve upon during the opening weeks of the season to get the team off to the best possible start. However, if any of the above has taught us anything is that anything can be achieved with plenty of hard work. 12 months in the making, 18 months of angst & a lifetime of following football in Bury. It starts again today. Wherever you are following this game and every game to come, be loud, be proud. We did this. Enjoy it. By the fans. For the fans.

HEAD

2 HEAD

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

WHO WILL WIN?

HOME WIN

DRAW

AWAY WIN

5/1

16/5

4/9

NB: All Odds subject to change

FORM

PETERHEAD

ST JOHNSTONE

10 NOV 20 FT

Kelty Hearts Peterhead

1 1

DRAW

10 NOV 20 FT

St Johnstone Dundee United

0 0

DRAW

07 NOV 20 FT

Montrose Peterhead

3 2

LOST

06 NOV 20 FT

St Johnstone Kilmarnock

1 0

WON

31 OCT 20 FT

Clyde Peterhead

0 2

WON

24 OCT 20 FT

St Johnstone Dundee United

0 0

DRAW

24 OCT 20 FT

Peterhead Cove Rangers

0 2

LOST

15 OCT 20 FT

Hamilton Accies St Johnstone

3 5

WON

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

20 JUL 96 Buchan Cup

Peterhead St Johnstone

1 3

AWAY WIN

13 NOV 72 Dewar Shield

St Johnstone Peterhead

6 0

HOME WIN

27 OCT 65 Dewar Shield

St Johnstone Peterhead

6 3

HOME WIN

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MATCH REPORT

CLYDE 0-2 PETERHEAD Saturday 31st October 2020 • SPFL League One Peterhead picked up their first win of the season with a 2-0 win at Clyde with the Blue Toon putting on a fine display on an awful day weather wise with Lyall Cameron and skipper Scott Brown finding the net. Balmoor boss Jim McInally made one personnel change and several tactical ones after the previous weekend’s defeat to Cove Rangers with Gary Fraser coming in for Derek Lyle with Kieran Freeman and Kyle Bailey swapping defensive roles. Joshua Rae had an early scare when a header from David Goodwillie changed direction in the wind several times with the shot-stopper eventually clutching the ball. In another tactical switch Steven Boyd was pushed further forward and his pass to Andrew McCarthy opened up the Clyde defence on nine minutes and it looked like Peterhead would get the chance to grab their first goal of the league season from the penalty spot when the midfielder went tumbling in the box. Referee Graham Grainger thought otherwise and waved played on. Peterhead shrugged that disappointment off and despite the swirling wind their precise passing was beginning to cause Clyde problems with the midfield trio of Fraser, McCarthy and Brown providing great support to the busy Boyd and Alan Cook up front as well as making themselves available for their defenders.

A great example of the team ethic was seen on 35 minutes when Boyd charged forward and picked out Scott Brown and it looked like his low drive was going

to nestle in the net however David Mitchell produced a fine save. The Blue Toon went close again just before half-time when Brown sent a cross flashing the Clyde goal that Clyde defender Matthew Shiels had to turn away however his clearance flashed just past. Former Scotland striker Goodwillie had been wellmarshalled in the first half however at the start of the second he crashed to the ground as a corner came over with Grainger ruling out home hopes of a penalty this time. Peterhead took the lead on 55 minutes when Ryan Conroy crossed from left to right and Cameron brought the ball under control before darting into the box and firing past Mitchell. The second came on 71 minutes when Boyd’s dogged persistence saw off him take the ball off a home defender and work his way to the bye line where he looked up and spotted Brown who thumped a shot high into the net. Boyd limped off to be replaced by trialist Hasim Bakar and it looked like the substitute had won a penalty when his cross was handled however again no spotkick was awarded. Peterhead – Rae, Freeman, Bailey, J.Brown, Conroy, Cameron (Kesson 90+2), Fraser, McCarthy, S.Brown, Cook (Lyle 75), Boyd (Trialist - Bakar 80) Unused substitutes – Armour, Wilson 35

PREVIOUS MEETINGS 27th October 1965 St Johnstone 6 Peterhead 3 Dewar Shield This appears to be the first meeting between the two sides and was a result of Peterheadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success in the 1964-65 Aberdeenshire Cup win. St Johnstone were the opponents in this one-off match at Muirton Park, Perth. St Johnstone won the tie 6-3 and from the scant details available for this match it would appear that former Banks oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dee and East Fife player George Sim was ordered off near the end of the match for Peterhead. There had been an incident with St Johnstone player Jim Kerray and it first looked as though George would escape with just a booking but the referee saw otherwise and off he went. Kerray scored two of the six for St Johnstone with Fraser, Ewen and Watson the marksmen for Peterhead.

13th November 1972 St Johnstone 6 Peterhead 0 Dewar Shield

10th May 1966 Peterhead 1 St Johnstone 2 Friendly Wednesday 31st July 1974 Peterhead 0 St Johnstone 2 Friendly Following defeats against Ross County and Clachnacuddin, St Johnstone claimed their first win of their Highland tour but were still concerned with their performance level despite a 2-0 win over Peterhead at Recreation Park. If it was not for the outstanding performance of Peterhead goalkeeper Adrian Connell then the score would have been a lot more as Connell produced a number of fine stops to deny Henry Hall. Thomson, after nine minutes, opened the scoring for Saints seeing his header come off the underside of the bar and Henry Hall doubled the visitors lead on the hour mark after a goalmouth scramble. Peterhead to their credit kept plugging away and in the second half, and came close to reducing the deficit, but Cairns saw his decent effort rebound off the post and out of play.

20th July 1996 Peterhead 1 St Johnstone 3 Buchan Cup First Division side St Johnstone proved too much for Peterhead debutants Mark Simpson, Jim Cheyne and Ray Cormack with Cormack being involved in a defensive mix up after only 3 minutes. This allowed the opening goal to be netted by George O’Boyle. Cormack slipped to let O’Boyle in the box who coolly slotted past Pirie. This stunned Peterhead but Smith equalised 4 minutes later sliding the ball into an empty net after Alan Main was beaten. Two minutes later St Johnstone’s lead was restored when O’Boyle saw his spectacular overhead kick beat Pirie following a corner from Alan Preston. At this point the match was outstanding with 3 goals in the first 10 minutes. O’Boyle may even have claimed his hat-trick on 11 minutes and Roddy Grant may have also scored with a 20 yard volley. Five minutes after the break O’Boyle did complete his hat-trick with a header. Peterhead did almost reduce the leeway on 81 minutes when Baxter shot wide past Main’s post. Peterhead team: Pirie, Watson, Jim Cheyne, King, Mark Simpson, Baxter, McCredie, Ray Cormack, Smith, Brown, Mackintosh (McKenzie). Subs: McKenzie, Sean Beddie, Rattray, Robertson, Campbell St Johnstone team: Main, McQuillan, Davidson, Sekerlioglu, Weir, Griffin, Tosh, Farquhar, Grant, O’Boyle, Preston. Subs: Donaldson, Robertson, McCluskey, Trialist, Freedman.

Fri 19th July 2002 Peterhead 0 St Johnstone 7 Friendly 37

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“I don’t think we’ve played a team that has been better than us this season!” says former Saint

SCOTT BROWN It has been a mixed start to the season for Peterhead so far. They have exceeded expectations in the Betfred cup by winning two games from two, including a win over newly-promoted Premiership side Dundee Utd (at the time of writing). By contrast, the league start has been a bit up and down. The team have only managed one win from their opening four matches, and that has them sitting in 8th place. Last Saturday they lost 3-2 to Montrose and had a man in Jason Brown sent off in the dying embers of the match. That result left the captain, Scott Brown, frustrated as he looked back on the 90 minutes at Links Park. He said: "I felt we played pretty well against Montrose. Links Park seems to be a place where we can score a load of goals but struggle to keep them out at the other end. I thought we were the better side throughout the game but if we are to do something good this season we need to, as a team, stop losing silly goals." Despite only picking up one win in the League 1 campaign so far, the skipper believes his side's efforts have merited more points and he is hoping those performances will equal more points in the coming matches. He explained: "I actually think the performances have been better than three points in total. It’s hard because everyone will look at three points from four games and 40

think we haven’t done well but we know if we keep playing the way we have been in large parts of games and with the injuries that we have had coming back then we will start picking up more points. "I don’t think we’ve played a team that has been better than us this season, but we need to learn to start picking up points from these games, though." Brown is delighted to be back playing after the lockdown and he certainly isn't the type of person to take his position for granted. He does hope that the Blue Toon supporters can join him and his teammates inside the stadiums as soon as they can. "It’s been good to be back. Obviously, we are in a privileged position that we are allowed to play football, especially when you have friends that play for fun and they aren’t allowed to play at all. It was needed; I think it helps everyone bring back a bit of normality to people but we just need to get the fans back in now." Peterhead welcome St Johnstone to Balmoor as they look to build on their good start to the group; the skipper is aiming high and hoping to cause another shock just like the team did against Dundee United. "We’ve put ourselves in a great position. If we win one of the last 2 games (at the time of writing) it gives us a chance of going through, which would be a good achievement considering the two Scottish Premiership teams we have in the group. The win at Dundee United was great but it will all be for nothing if we don’t manage to qualify for the next round."

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MATCH STATS ● APPEARANCES ● GOAL SCORERS n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n

10-Oct 13-Oct 17-Oct 24-Oct 31-Oct 07-Nov 10-Nov 14-Nov 21-Nov 28-Nov 05-Dec 12-Dec 19-Dec 26-Dec 02-Jan 16-Jan 23-Jan 06-Feb 13-Feb 20-Feb 27-Feb 06-Mar 13-Mar 20-Mar 27-Mar 03-Apr 10-Apr 17-Apr 20-Apr 14-Apr 01-May

Opponents Dundee United Brechin City Airdrieonians Cove Rangers Clyde Montrose Kelty Hearts St Johnstone Dumbarton Forfar Athletic Falkirk East Fife Partick Thistle Montrose Cove Rangers Airdrieonians Dumbarton Clyde Forfar Athletic Partick Thistle East Fife Falkirk Cove Rangers Clyde Airdrieonians Forfar Athletic Partick Thistle East Fife Montrose Dumbarton Falkirk

Away Home Away Home Away Away Away Home Home Home Away Home Away Home Away Home Away Home Away Home Away Home Home Away Away Home Away Home Away Home Away

H 0 3 2 0 0 3 1

A 1 Rae 1 Rae 1 Rae 0 Rae 2 Rae 2 Rae 2 1 Wilson

2 Mulligan Bailey Freeman Freeman Freeman Freeman Freeman

3 Conroy Conroy Conroy Conroy Conroy Conroy Conroy

4 5 J. Brown Bailey J. Brown MacKenzie J. Brown MacKenzie J. Brown Bailey J. Brown Bailey J. Brown Bailey J. Brown Bailey

6 Ferry Ferry Ferry S. Brown S. Brown S. Brown S. Brown

7 McCarthy McCarthy McCarthy Cook Cook Cook Cook

8 S. Brown S. Brown S. Brown McCarthy McCarthy McCarthy McCarthy

9 Layne Layne 2 Layne Cameron Fraser Fraser Fraser

10 Boyd Boyd Boyd Boyd Cameron Cameron Cameron

11 Armour Armour Bailey Lyle Boyd Armour 2 Armour

Substitutes Wilson, McKenzie, Lyle, Fraser, Cook, Kesson, Cameron Wilson, Cook, Freeman, Lyle, Cameron, Kesson Wilson, Cook, Freeman, Lyle, Cameron, Kesson Layne, Kesson, Wilson Armour,Kesson,Bakar (T), Wilson, Lyle Ferry, Boyd, Kesson, Bakar (T), Trialist, Wilson, Lyle Ferry, Boyd, Kesson, Bakar, Lyle

KEY - n SPFL n Betfred League Cup n Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup n Scottish Cup BOLD NAME = Goalscorer ITALIC NAME = Penalty SHOTS GOALS CONCEDED CLEAN SHEETS GOALS SHOTS ON TARGET FOULS CONCEDED YELLOW CARDS RED CARDS

GOALS SHOTS ON TARGET CLEAN SHEETS SHOTS GOALS CONCEDED FOULS CONCEDED YELLOW CARDS RED CARDS

Cove Rangers

Montrose

Clyde

Airdrieonians

East Fife

Falkirk

Forfar Athletic

East Fife

Peterhead

Dumbarton

Partick Thistle

Airdrieonians

Peterhead

Falkirk

Forfar Athletic

Dumbarton

Clyde

Cove Rangers

9 10

GOALS GOALS CONCEDED CLEAN SHEETS SHOTS SHOTS ON TARGET FOULS CONCEDED YELLOW CARDS RED CARDS

Cove Rangers

Dumbarton

Falkirk

Airdrieonians

Clyde

Montrose

Falkirk

Partick Thistle

Forfar Athletic

East Fife

Peterhead

Clyde

East Fife

Dumbarton

Montrose

Forfar Athletic

Partick Thistle

Peterhead

GOALS GOALS CONCEDED CLEAN SHEETS SHOTS SHOTS ON TARGET FOULS CONCEDED YELLOW CARDS RED CARDS

Cove Rangers

Peterhead

Falkirk

East Fife

Montrose

Dumbarton

Airdrieonians

Falkirk

Partick Thistle

Montrose

Dumbarton

Cove Rangers

Clyde

Forfar Athletic

Airdieonians

East Fife

Partick Thistle

Peterhead

Clyde

GOALS GOALS CONCEDED CLEAN SHEETS SHOTS SHOTS ON TARGET FOULS CONCEDED YELLOW CARDS RED CARDS

Peterhead

Montrose

Falkirk

Airdrieonians

Montrose

Clyde

Peterhead

Cove Rangers

Airdrieonians

Dumbarton

Clyde

East Fife

Cove Rangers

Falkirk

Dumbarton

Forfar Athletic

Partick Thistle

East Fife

2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

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MATCH REPORT

MONTROSE 3-2 PETERHEAD Saturday 7th November 2020 • SPFL League One Peterhead have now scored eight times on their last three visits to Montrose however they have still to pick up a point as a double from former striker Russell Mclean helped the Gable Endies to a 3-2 success. The home side’s captain Paul Watson sent a header against a post on eight minutes with the Blue Toon making the most of that reprieve by opening the scoring four minutes later. Ben Armour was the goalscorer with the striker keeping calm as he took advantage of an error by Iain Campbell to fire home his first goal of the season. Goalkeeper Joshua Rae denied the hosts an equaliser on 35 minutes when he somehow managed to turn a close range shot from Lewis Milne over the bar following a bit of a scramble. The Gable Endies did however restore parity six minutes from the break when McLean tapped in following good set-up play from Chris Mochrie.

Montrose ahead less than a minute into the restart however Peterhead drew level on 51 minutes. Armour was again the goalscorer as he pounced on a poor pass-back and rounded home goalkeeper Aaron Lennox before sliding the ball over the line. Scott Brown came close to edging the visitors ahead for a second time with a fizzing drive midway through the second half however the game’s decisive moment came at the other end with 19 minutes left. Kyle Bailey was judged to have fouled Craig Johnston and Graham Webster stepped up to smash home the resultant penalty. Peterhead’s agony was not over as Jason Brown was sent off just before the final whistle when he picked up his second yellow card. Peterhead – Rae, Freeman, Bailey, J.Brown, Conroy (Kesson 78), Cameron, Fraser, McCarthy (Trialist 58), S.Brown, Cook, Armour (Lyle 65) Unused substitutes – Ferry, Boyd, Trialist, Wilson

Mochrie and McLean combined again to put 46

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INTRODUCING KIERAN FREEMAN

Jim McInally clinched his first loan signing of the new campaign by signing Dundee United defender Kieran Freeman due to head to Balmoor. The 20-year-old Scottish Youth international, who has played three times for the Tannadice first team this season was with the Terrors as a youngster before heading to Southampton in July 2016 for three and a half years. Freeman returned to United this January on a short term deal which was quickly extended until 2022 with McInally delighted with his signing coup as he explained: “I have been chasing Kieran for a while and I am delighted that it has been agreed that he can come to Peterhead. He is an exciting young talent who has tasted Premiership football and impressed at that level. I watched him play against Celtic and he went out and played without fear. He is athletic and will add a lot of value to Peterhead.” Jim praised on-loan Dundee United youngster for putting the shackles on former Scotland striker David Goodwillie in the Blue Toon’s 2-0 win at Clyde on Saturday. Freeman played in his third different position in three League 1 games for McInally’s side with the Balmoor boss reckoning that the 20-year-old shone at centre back as he simply loves the challenge of defending. Jim said: “Kieran had played on the right-hand side of midfield for us as well as at right back and he impressed me with his desire to defend. He does not like anyone getting the better of him. Gary Mackenzie was struggling with an injury last week and I thought about putting him up against David who is probably the best striker in our league despite the difference in experience between them. When Gary was definitely ruled out through injury, I decided to go with it and I am glad that I did. Kieran stuck close to David for the 90 minutes and kept him quiet which is remarkable when you consider the careers the two of them have had. He showed all the qualities that I thought he would as he simply does not want to give anything away.” Jim added: “I was pleased to get Kieran in last month as I thought he would do a job on the right hand side of our team however he has shown me that he can play centre back as well.” 48

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OBITUARY

MOWATT WAS LAST REMAINING HERO FROM BROCH’S HISTORIC SCOTTISH CUP WIN

Danny Mowatt played in goal for the Broch when they stunned Scottish football when they defeated Dundee in the 1959 Scottish Cup. They became the first Highland League team to eliminate a top tier side thanks to a 1-0 victory at Bellslea on January 31, 1959. Fraserburgh chairman Finlay Noble paid tribute to Mowatt, who was 86. He said: “It is sad news. “He was part of a Fraserburgh team that will always be remembered. “It was an iconic game and Danny was the last surviving member of the team. “There are fewer and fewer people alive now that were even in attendance. Even any youngsters in the crowd would be in their seventies now. “But the game still gets talked about. “It was a bigger shock than people realise because of how good Dundee were at the time. “They won the league a couple of years later. “I think there were seven present or future Scotland internationals in that Dundee side.” 50

Mowatt was guest of honour at Fraserburgh’s home match against Forres Mechanics last January when the club celebrated the 60th anniversary of one of Scottish football’s greatest cup shocks. Speaking at last year’s celebration, Mowatt said the game against Dundee remained a treasured memory. He said: “It was a special day. The Fraserburgh support were absolutely fantastic on the day. There were about 4,500 people packed inside the ground. “I was very emotional after the game. There were no goals in a first half in which I didn’t have a lot to do apart from collecting a few crosses which wasn’t a problem. “In the second half it was obvious they had been told to throw everything at us in the first 20 minutes. Mowatt also spent a year with the Blue Toon, helping the Recreation Park side to a 5-1 Highland League Cup final win over Nairn County in season 1962/63.

Jason Brown sees red after receiving a second yellow card against Montrose last Saturday

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NO FANS NO ATMOSPHERE by Martin Johnston

There is something really not quite right about watching football behind closed doors. The stadiums are eerily quiet and bereft of the chatter, shouts and songs from fans, replaced with echoes and the sound of scurries (seagulls). The players and the teams they represent are all the same, of course, but the environment is undoubtedly more akin to a reserve game being played on a midweek afternoon with only the coaches and ground staff for company. Balmoor Stadium with the exception of once or twice a season endures a crowd that represents only 25% of its capacity, but boy do we miss the handful of the dedicated Blue Toon followers and dare I say I even miss that bloody constant banging on the advertising hoarding from behind the Balmoor Terrace goal. It is a daunting thought that we may have to endure the deafening silence even longer than we had anticipated, indeed it may be several months before stadiums are filled again. We are told that the public health risks are just too great for the mass gathering of fans in stadiums and, just as significantly, for fans on their way to stadiums. The best fans of course are the dedicated few who travel home and away with their team, spending hours on buses for the love of club. The danger is that even they won’t return once football returns. Fans who only watch on television are also at odds with the beautiful game with matches on the small screen totally void of atmosphere due to empty stadiums.

sitcoms in the 70’s, I totally understand the concept of canned laughter… it works in the right environment and in the correct situation. But just as Baxters produce the finest soups in the world, …tinned fish and chips might be a step too far. Regardless of the royal endorsement on their labelling. Some things quite simply don’t go hand in hand… and that includes artificial stadium noise. Those of you who have subscribed to the Blue Toon TV streaming service will be quick to criticise me given that Peterhead FC are guilty of broadcasting something that resembles nothing like a true crowd noise at Balmoor. “A necessary evil!” is my response as we attempt to disguise the choice language coming from the pitch and on occasion the director’s box. Hopefully, by the time you are reading this you will be able to enjoy watching games online whilst listening to the dulcet tones of our new “commentary team” thus removing the need for what is nothing more than atmospheric noise! Of course, the real solution is to listen to clubs such as ours when we say that given the opportunity, we would like to demonstrate that we could let some fans return to Balmoor whilst observing social distancing rules, one size does not fit all! Let us prove that we are fit for purpose and show that we can provide a safe environment for at least some of our loyal support. As it stands it feels like we are being dismissed like an over enthusiastic child… I no longer think the proverb “Children should be seen and not heard!” applies!

Now, having been brought up on a diet of British TV

When St Johnstone came of by Peter Myers

St Johnstone’s first team squad in 1970

Willie Ormond became the second former St Johnstone boss to be appointed Scotland team manager when, in January 1973, he succeeded the rumbustious Tommy Docherty who had left to take over the reins at Manchester United. Ormond had won his spurs as a manager with St Johnstone, as had ex-Scots boss Bobby Brown, and had earlier enjoyed fame as a member of Hibernian’s Famous Five forward line. Ormond was virtually unknown outside of Scotland. This caused some embarrassment to at least one AngloScot who admitted that he didn’t recognise the new boss at a social event for the Scotland team not long after his appointment. 56

St Johnstone welcomed Ormond as their new manager in March 1967 and he began moulding a team which within a few years became one of the finest in the club’s history. People began to sit up and take notice of the Perth Saints during their 1969-70 League Cup campaign. They won all six qualifying games, beating Kilmarnock, Dundee and Partick Thistle while netting 22 goals and losing only six in the process. The Saints went on to dispose of Falkirk 11-3 on aggregate in the two-leg quarter-final. Motherwell were brushed aside with a 2-0 victory in the semi-final but St Johnstone were unlucky to lose to Celtic in the final when Bertie Auld scored the only goal of the match. On this form many expected the Perth side to make a real impact in the First Division but they failed to emulate their League Cup performance. They finished 13th with 31 points with a total haul of 50 goals but conceded 62. However Ormond knew that his players could do better and they didn’t disappoint in season 1970-71 when they finished third in the League with 44 points, behind champions Celtic and runners-up Aberdeen. In his book, Fifty years of Scottish Football, John Litster extolled the Perth players’ merits: “They had solid defenders in full-backs John Lambie, Willie Coburn and Jim Argue, and central defenders Alex Gordon and Benny Rooney. Alex Rennie or Ian McPhee did the enforcing in midfield, and John Connolly was one of the best players to wear the club’s colours. Up front, Henry Hall was an excellent provider and finisher, and Bill McCarry a blockbuster of a centre-forward. The wingers were excellent, the diminutive and tricky Kenny Aird, and the tall and powerful Fred Aitken.” Gordon Whitelaw was another member of the firstteam squad but was replaced by Connolly after undergoing a cartilage operation. Whitelaw said in a newspaper interview in 2017 that “Willie Ormond was very good at handling the situation and did everything he could to keep me involved. There were often midweek games organised to give me an outing if I hadn’t come on as a substitute the previous weekend.” Ormond liked to experiment with players in switching them to different roles in an effort to build on their strengths. He suggested to Whitelaw that he would like to try him in a deeper role which Whitelaw didn’t mind so long as he was getting a game. St Johnstone skipper Benny Rooney was another player whose career benefited from a change in position. He arrived at Muirton Park from Dundee United where he had been a centre-forward but had found it difficult to get games in the first team because of the influx of players from Scandinavia. In an interview with the Green Final’s Frank Gilfeather in

1972, Rooney said it was St Johnstone who converted him from a centre-forward to a centre-half: “It came about before a reserve game again Hearts. We were short of a centre-half and I was asked if I could play there. I did and that was the beginning of my career as a defender. I am playing midfield now, but I do prefer playing in the back four. You get much more room and you don’t have to go chasing the ball like you have to up front.” It was a 2-0 victory over Rangers at Ibrox on April 17, 1971 that sealed third place for the Saints. Henry Hall scored the opener with a header at the start of the game while John Connolly added a second not long before the final whistle. Gordon Whitelaw attributed St Johnstone’s success to a team spirit that was cultivated while travelling up and down to Perth by train. He recalled coming back from a 5-1 victory over Queen of the South and that their players were on the same train: “Their manager, Jackie Husband, came through to our carriage and saw us arguing about things that had gone wrong. He said: ‘That’s why you’re a good team. You’ve won the game and are still not satisfied . Our players are sitting farther down the train, laughing and joking.’”

The Saints’ success meant they qualified to compete in the UEFA Cup. They lost the first leg 1-2 away to SV Hamburg but beat the West German side 3-0 at Muirton with goals from Hall, Pearson and Whitelaw. They progressed to the third round after eliminating Vasas Budapest 2-1 on aggregate. The Saints unfortunately came unstuck against Zeljeznicar of Yugoslavia. They won the first leg at home 1-0 but their dreams of further European glory were dashed in Sarajevo when they were soundly beaten 5-1. Gordon Whitelaw said of the latter match: “They were a good team but I’d never been kicked so much in a game.” St Johnstone maintained their form in season 1971-72, reaching the quarter-finals of the League Cup but finished eighth in the League with a haul of 32 points from 34 games. Willie Ormond departed from Muirton to become Scotland manager and became a national hero when his players did him proud by qualifying for the 1974 World Cup finals in West Germany after a memorable victory over Czechoslovakia at Hampden. The Scots failed to reach the competition’s knock-out stages but came home unbeaten after defeating Zaire and drawing with Brazil and Yugoslavia. Ormond later quit his post in May 1977 after becoming fed up with the incessant carping at his managerial style and returned to club management with Hearts. There are some who believe that if he had remained in the job Scotland might have performed better in the 1978 World Cup in Argentina than they did under the ebullient Ally McLeod. 57 57

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