#12 v Falkirk - Tuesday 20th April 2021 by peterheadfc

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Season 2020/21 MATCH DAY #12

PETERHEAD v FALKIRK Tuesday 20th April 2021

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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, David Reid, 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

by David Reid

A warm welcome to Falkirk Football Club for tonight’s match here at Balmoor, Falkirk come to the North East top of the league and aspirations of the Championship well in their minds. The Bairns have been productive across the most unprecented of seasons with an unlikely partnership in co-management with Lee Miller & David McCracken taking the reins. The club have also, during the course of the season, appointed Gary Holt as director of football. Holt of course, used to manage Scottish Premiership side Livingston and brings bags of experience to the role at Falkirk.

On the park, Falkirk have been building a side geared up towards the potential of playing second tier football next season and enjoyed a trip to Celtic Park recently in the Scottish Cup falling on the wrong side of a 3-0 defeat. A working week sitting idle during the week in SPFL League 1 is very rare now a days and Falkirk enjoyed that privilege prior to visiting Cove Rangers on Saturday lunchtime. Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional association football club based in the town of Falkirk. The club were founded in 1876 and competes in the

Scottish League One, the third tier of Scottish football, as a member of the Scottish Professional Football League. The club was elected to the Second Division of the Scottish Football League in 1902–03, was promoted to the First Division after two seasons and achieved it’s highest league position in the early 1900s when it was runner-up to Celtic in 1907–08 and 1909–10. The football club was registered as a Limited Liability Company in April 1905 – Falkirk Football & Athletic Club Ltd. Falkirk won the Scottish Cup for the first time in 1913. After 1945, Falkirk were promoted and demoted between the Premier and First Divisions seven times

until 1995–96, and during the 1970s spent three seasons in the Second Division. In 2005, Falkirk were promoted to the Scottish Premier League (SPL). Falkirk won the Scottish Cup again in 1957 and were runnersup in the competition in 1997, 2009 and 2015. As a result of its performance in the 2009 Scottish Cup, the club qualified for the inaugural season of the UEFA Europa League in 2009–10. Falkirk have won the second tier of Scottish football a record seven times, an honour shared with St Johnstone. They have also won the Scottish Challenge Cup more than any other club, winning it for the fourth time in 2012.

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FROM THE DUG OUT

It was a case of conceding too many free-kicks and corners and not being awarded penalties that saw Peterhead go down 2-1 at East Fife according to manager Jim McInally. The Balmoor side led midway through the opening half when Hamish Ritchie found the net after Scott Brown had a shot blocked and a spot-kick looked a certainty the following minute for handball however referee Lloyd Wilson did not point to the spot despite his assistant telling Peterhead officials that it was a penalty. # Joshua Rae was having a fine afternoon in the Blue Toon goal however after Andrew McDonald was dismissed with 22 minutes left Rae was beaten by a header from Danny Denholm and a cross that became a shot from Scott Agnew. In the final seconds Rae was sent forward for a freekick and as Andrew McCarthy’s lofted cross waited to drop it looked like Jason Brown was pushed in the back however again whistler Wilson did not give a penalty. Jim said afterwards: “It was a decent game played between lots of good players and to teams that tried

to play football. I felt however that we gave away too many free-kicks and corners which cost us as physically we are not the biggest.” “We have a very young goalkeeper and back four and paid the price for that eventually. Ironically their equaliser came when we were re-organising after Andy had been sent off and we were getting substitutes on.” “Josh had two brilliant saves from free-kicks which was good to see but when you concede so many setplays it is a worry.” As for penalties Jim said: “There was the one right at the end but the one in the first half was a stronger shout. The assistant referee is claiming that he told the referee to give it and the referee is claiming that it was up to the assistant to give it.” “That is us in the bottom five now. It was a long shot to make the top half but we tried. I am happy with what we have for the rest of the season. We know what we are up against and will look to finish as high as we can.” 7

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FIXTURE CONGESTION 1957 STYLE by Michael White

The Covid-19 situation has created an absolute nightmare for clubs who are doing their level best to fulfil their league fixtures and bring this stop-start season to a conclusion. There is every sympathy for clubs like Clyde and Dumbarton who faced a backlog akin to that faced by many Junior clubs over the years. It was not uncommon for some clubs, especially those with poorly drained pitches, to face a game ever other day well into the month of Mayand in some cases beyond.

Senior clubs were not immune from the demands of those who ran the game and who seemed to have scant regard for the “health and safety” of players who were asked to risk injury playing on bone-hard surfaces and after precious little recovery time. Falkirk players faced this situation back in 1957 and those who were at the games after the famous cup final success in April saw for themselves the folly of these requirements. 9

Falkirk was still suffering a collective hangover after the incredible scenes of Wednesday night April 24th, 1957 when the Scottish Cup was paraded through the town after Dougie Moran’s extra time winner at Hampden Park against Kilmarnock. The celebrations went on through the night as the whole area seem to have headed for Newmarket Street to see their heroes return. People were standing on walls, on statues, clinging to lampposts and hanging out of windows in a night that will never be forgotten. But that was only one part of Mission Impossible. The cup run meant there was a backlog of league games and the fact that replays had been needed to see off Raith Rovers in the semi-final and Kilmarnock in the final only made matters worse. Incredibly, Falkirk were having to play three vital league matches in four days. In the Fifties, Football was not allowed to be played on Sundays. The relegation issues were all up for grabs, and the race to avoid the drop was between Falkirk, Dunfermline, East Fife, Queen of the South and Ayr United. Goals were important, but in those days, it was decided by goal average-not goal difference. Slide rules might have been needed in this equation. Falkirk fans, still on a high from the Cup Final, headed off to Kirkcaldy for the first of what they all hoped were games towards a Great Escape. Trains and buses as well as private cars carried a good Bairns support, but there was quite a shock when the teams ran out. Only four of the Hampden Heroes were playing, and there were fears that the Raith side would seek revenge for their semi-final defeat. The line-up was as follows: Bobby Brown, Alex Parker, Jimmy McIntosh, Les Thomson, Hugh Neil, John McCormack, Billy Sinclair, Derek Grierson, George Merchant, Dougie Moran, Alex McCrae.

Raith were almost at full strength and looked- on paper at least- far too strong for this makeshift Bairns team. Their line-up was not far short of the eleven who had been beaten 2-0 in the semi-final replay at Tynecastle. Only Knox and McMillan were missing and Raith started in determined fashion. Falkirk took the lead in 17 minutes, somewhat against the run of play , when Billy Sinclair scored after a real mix-up between keeper Charlie Drummond and centre-half Willie McNaught. Rovers had missed several chances and Bert Slater had been in great form. Inevitably, the home pressure told and Raith scored twice to give a better reflection of the play so far. Falkirk were dealt a cruel blow when John McCormack was severely injured in a tackle and limped through the rest of the game. There were no substitutes in those days, and Dougie Moran did well to provide support down the left of the Falkirk defence. McCormack was little more than a passenger and almost inevitably, Raith scored. McEwan took advantage of a deflection from a Young effort and then Williamson added a second. The 2-1 score-line looked enough to gain a modicum of revenge, but Reggie Smith’s fitness regime proved crucial. Amazingly, Falkirk found new strength and George Merchant levelled the scores in 77 minutes. The popular centre forward had been one of the best Falkirk players and he had given McNaught one of his most troubled games.

Schemer-in-chief Derek Grierson was another star, and he was unlucky to see an effort come back off the crossbar with Drummond beaten. The away support was quite hopeful that the single point might be enough, especially with two home games to come, but not the players. Five minutes after the Merchant goal, Derek Grierson scored what proved to be the winner, when he headed home a cross from Willie Sinclair with eight minutes left for play. When referee Smith blew for full time, the players were cheered off. This makeshift side had gained two precious points- against all the odds. There were two games to go, and Falkirk were not yet safe. The clubs in danger were only separated by two points, with Ayr looking doomed. Falkirk had 26 points, while Dunfermline, East Fife and Queen of the South all had 24 points.

Brockville was packed less than 24 hours later, and hopes were high that the gathering of another two points would prove First Division security. The Scottish Cup was paraded round the track by Bobby Orrock, who had captained the 1913 cup-winning side. There was hardly a blade of grass of the park as the cupwinners ran out to huge cheers from a capacity crowd. Only Alex Parker was missing, as he was unable to get further release from his National Service officers. Jimmy McIntosh who had played at Raith on the previous evening took his place. Motherwell were a talented side and clearly were not in holiday mood. They won 2-1 to spoil the party and Tommy Murray’s goal was not enough to send the fans home in a more relaxed mood. Pat Quinn’s penalty and a goal from Willie Hunter ensured that the race to survive would go down to the wire. Rangers had beaten Queen of the South 3-0 in Dumfries, Dunfermline had gone down 3-1 at Broomfield, but East Fife had won 5-2 against St.Mirren at Bayview. East Fife looked to have survived, as Queens would need a 16 -goal win to catch them- highly unlikely. Sunday was a rest day! Monday was not. It was

another game at Brockville- this time against Partick Thistle. It looked as though Falkirk might just be safe, but it was not mathematically certain. Falkirk’s goal average was better than their rivals, but all worries disappeared with an emphatic 4-1 win over The Jags. Alex Parker was still missing with Jimmy McIntosh again proving an excellent deputy. Derek Grierson was replaced by Tommy Murray, with Willie Sinclair coming in at outside right. Falkirk were deserved winners with the goals coming from Tommy Murray (2), John Prentice and George Merchant. The players must have been running on empty, but they gave their all and fully deserved their standing ovation at full-time. What an achievement- Scottish Cup winners and an amazing escape from relegation. In the end, Dunfermline were relegated in literally the last minute of the season. Queen of the South had drawn 0-0 at Parkhead, but Rangers scored in the last minute to win 4-3 at East End Park. A 3-3 draw would have ensured The Pars safety for another season. The players and manager deserve great credit for their achievements. Their fitness, application and determination rescued what looked like a hopeless situation when Reggie Smith arrived. His emergency fitness programme certainly proved a key factor and the team responded with incredible levels of exertion in extra time. The understanding and compassion of the league committee and officials knew no bounds. They decided, in their infinite wisdom, that Falkirk should be fined £100 for fielding a “weakened team” against Raith Rovers on the Friday night- surely the first time a club has been fined for obeying the rules to fulfil a fixture and having the audacity to win a game by clever use of what is now commonplace- squad rotation.

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 44a 42 –– Bakehouse Registrations, Banter Good Guts…, After Ian Wilson had left for Japanese club Grampus 8 in 1996, Peterhead sought to replace him with Charlie Duncan from Fraserburgh. After meeting the Peterhead board on a few occasions, Duncan turned down the managerial position, deciding to stay with Fraserburgh. Dave Watson, then manager at Cove Rangers was subsequently given the Peterhead post.

I was informed later that Peterhead’s decision to offer the post to Charlie was not a unanimous one, there being a single dissenter. I was not surprised! When Charlie declined the job offer I was devastated by his decision, and I don’t think that was putting it too strong. It has been a source of disappointment to me that Keith McCredie, Scott Murray, Marino Keith, and Paul Keith and for many years, one of the Leagues outstanding goalkeepers Billy Gordon should slip

Bad Guys

through our hands. I think they all played Juvenile football at Barclay Park, without any of them having their talents spotted by Peterhead. Charlie of course might have been Peterhead’s manager after Jim Hamilton had left in December 1990. Having heard of Jim’s sacking, I phoned Charlie to ask if he would be interested in the position and he said he would. A few days later the press announced that Keith FC had received a request from Peterhead seeking permission to talk to their manager George Adams. Charlie got in touch that day to say that in his judgement the appointment of Adams to the Peterhead post was done and dusted and he would not now be applying for the job. It appeared to me that Adams had been Peterhead’s choice even before the job was advertised. The vacancy placement in the newspaper was in my view a charade. In any event George Adams for whatever reason lasted a

When Ian Wilson (left) headed for Japan, George Adams (above) got the nod for the Peterhead hot seat ahead of Fraserburgh’s Charlie Duncan.

little over a year in the job. A great opportunity for Peterhead, had in my view been lost. A number of new players joined the club for the 1969/70 season; Goalkeeper Adrian Connell and Peter Smith from Elgin, Alec Thornton and George Duthie from Fraserburgh, Duthie was a versatile and consistent workhorse wherever he was asked to play. Malcolm Macrae was another “Broch” lad and one of my favourites. Malcolm Cowie had been signed from Buckie Thistle, his capture was a good one for the club but there was an element of luck on how it transpired. Treasurer Jim May and myself travelled to Portgordon to sign Les Cowie the Buckie left half, if unsuccessful we would then attempt to sign Malcolm. The budget would not allow for both. Leslie was signed without haggling and for a signing fee of £100.

Next day I had a phone call from him at my work. He wanted to know if I could hold back his registration as a Buckie Welfare League team wished him to play in their Summer League. I told Leslie the registration had already been sent to the SFA. My suspicions were confirmedtwo days later when Inverness Caledonian sought his transfer for £200. We let him go and he returned his signing fee and Peterhead were £200 in profit. Jim and I returned to Buckie and signed Malcolm Cowie. It was my guess that Caley had turned up after Jim and I had left and persuaded the player to break his deal with us. I was often asked if I had really sent off his registration? Now, 321 years later I can reply by stating, “I don’t like gazumping!”

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SUPPORTERS BACK IN FOOTBALL

The Scottish FA welcomes confirmation from UEFA that Hampden Park will be able to host its four EURO 2020 matches with supporters in attendance. The LOS Glasgow submission of a maximum 25% capacity for the national stadium (approximately 12,000 supporters under the EURO 2020 stadium configuration) has now been approved. Plans for a Fan Zone in the city are also still under consideration with a decision anticipated at the end of the month. The announcement is the culmination of a significant period of partnership work undertaken by the Scottish FA, Glasgow Life (on behalf of Glasgow City Council) and the Scottish Government, along with fellow LOS Glasgow members, Police Scotland and Visit Scotland. Rod Petrie, Chair of LOS Glasgow and Scottish FA President: “We are thankful to UEFA for recognising the efforts of our LOS Glasgow partners in establishing a safe and manageable way in which supporters can

attend the three group matches and Round of 16 tie at Hampden Park. “I am also grateful to the Scottish Ministers and clinical experts for their assistance and ultimate approval in signing-off on the proposal that has today been endorsed by UEFA. “An enormous amount of effort has gone into the submission but also in ensuring Glasgow and Hampden Park is ready to welcome supporters, not least with Scotland having secured qualification. “We acknowledge UEFA’s timeline for ticket returns and will communicate updates to Scotland fans at those key dates.” UEFA will be issuing an email to all ticket holders shortly to advise on the returns process for those fans who decide not to travel and next steps. 15

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MATCH REPORT

FORFAR ATHLETIC 1-1 PETERHEAD Tuesday 6th April 2021 • SPFL1 Peterhead left Forfar’s Station Park having secured a point in a 1-1 draw however there will be regrets that it was not three points especially as the Blue Toon were leading 1-0 when they were awarded a penalty with six minutes left.

Andy McDonald became the latest player to be denied by McCallum when the shot-stopper prevented his effort hitting the top corner and Armour was kept out when a curling shot was caught by the Loons number one.

Manager Jim McInally selected the same starting eleven that lost last Tuesday night to Clyde with the Balmoor boss looking for a far punchier display from his men and he got it in the opening stages. The Blue Toon started off in determined fashion and in the opening seconds Ben Armour sent a warning shot towards the home goal.

Peterhead’s misfortune in front of goal continued at the start of the second half with Boyd cutting past the high defence before firing over.

With six minutes played skipper Scott Brown fired in one of his trademark powerfully hit shots from the edge of the box and Forfar goalkeeper Marc McCallum had to make a fine stop to keep out Brown’s low effort. Brown tried his luck again two minutes later but again McCallum was equal to it with Steven Boyd shooting wide of goal shortly afterwards. As Peterhead continued to push and probe a scramble in front of the Forfar goal ended when Armour was denied from close range. Forfar tried to make the most of Peterhead not making a breakthrough when Scott Shepherd was presented with a chance on 20 minutes however his effort was blocked. Shepherd did well to win a corner for the hosts midway through the opening half however the Blue Toon got back on top however they could not turn chances into goals.

However with an hour gone the Balmoor men finally got a goal and it was on-loan Inverurie Locos midfielder Hamish Ritchie the grabbed it. The attacking midfielder timed his run perfectly to avoid an offside flag and he finally got the better of McCallum as he stroked the ball home. Ritchie could have grabbed a quick-fire second however he dragged his effort wide of goal with the same player firing wide of goal with 20 minutes left. With seven minutes left Peterhead had the perfect opportunity to move further ahead when Scott Brown was brought down in the box by Graeme Holmes however Boyd’s effort from 12 yards was saved by McCallum. The Station Park side made the most of that reprieve by grabbing an equaliser on 86 minutes when Bernard Coll picked out Martin Scott and his header crossed the line despite Joshua Rae’s best efforts. Peterhead – Rae, Freeman, Jason Brown, MacDonald, Conroy, Ferry, S.Brown, McCarthy, Ritchie (Jordon Brown 85), Boyd (McGrath 87), Armour (Payne 66) Unused substitutes – Wilson (G/k), Bailey, Kesson, Lyle, Strachan 17

TODAY’S REFEREE: ASST. REFEREE 1: ASST. REFEREE 2:

PETERHEAD Ben ARMOUR Kyle BAILEY Steven BOYD Jason BROWN Jordon BROWN Scott BROWN Ryan CONROY Alan COOK Simon FERRY Gary FRASER Kieran FREEMAN

Derryn KESSON Derek LYLE Andy McCARTHY Andy McDONALD Kieran McGRATH Niah PAYNE Joshua RAE Hamish RITCHIE Danny STRACHAN Lenny WILSON

SQUADS Duncan WILLIAMS Stuart STEVENSON Gordon SEAGO

FALKIRK Blair ALSTON Jay CANTLEY Aidan CONNOLLY Euan DEVENEY Paul DIXON Anton DOWDS Mark DURNAN Kai FOTHERINGHAM Akeel FRANCIS Morgaro GOMIS Ben HALL Aidan KEENA Sean KELLY

Aidan LAVERTY Robbie LEITCH Kyle McCLELLAND Scott MERCER Gary MILLER Callumn MORRISON Robbie MUTCH Lewis NEILSON Conor SAMMON Blair SNEDDON Charlie TELFER Lee MILLER

SPFL1 RESULTS ● SPFL1 TABLE ● TONIGHT’S FIXTURES First Stage of Season (Matches 1-18)

Second Stage of Season (Matches 19-22) TOP 5

HOME \ AWAY AIR CLY COV DUM EAS FAL FOR MON PAR PET

HOME \ AWAY

Airdrieonians

- 5:0 1:1 0:2

Clyde 2:4 -

2:1 3:1 0:1 2:4 2:0

2:1 0:3 0:1 0:0

East Fife 2:0 1:0 0:0 2:1 -

Forfar Athletic 1:3

2:1 2:0 2:2 2:2 2:1

Second Stage of Season (Matches 19-22) BOTTOM 5

4:0 3:0 1:3 0:0 - 0:1 3:2

Partick Thistle 2:1 2:0 1:1 0:0 2:0 2:2 2:2 5:0 Peterhead 1:0 0:2 0:2 1:0 2:1

1:1 2:0 0:0 2:1

0:1 0:0 1:2 0:2 - 2:3 0:2 1:1

Montrose 2:2 2:2

0:1

Falkirk 0:1 2:1 1:0 1:1 2:0 -

1:0 3:1 2:0 3:0 1:2 1:0 1:0

Dumbarton 0:1 1:0 1:0 -

1 -

1:1 0:1 1:3 0:3 3:0 3:2 1:0 0:2

Cove Rangers 2:0 2:3 -

HOME \ AWAY

0:1

6 -

0:1 1:1 0:3 -

8 9

SPFL1

POS. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Falkirk Cove Rangers Partick Thistle East Fife Airdrieonians Montrose Peterhead Dumbarton Clyde Forfar Athletic

P 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17

HOME W D 5 3 7 0 4 4 6 3 4 1 3 3 3 1 3 1 3 1 0 3

TONIGHT'S FIXTURES CHAMPIONSHIP

LEAGUE 1

LEAGUE 2

Inverness CT v Dundee

A irdrie v East Fife

A lbio n Ro v v Stranraer

M o rto n v Hearts

Dumbarto n v P artick Th

A nnan A th v Stenhsemuir

Fo rfar A th v Clyde

B rechin v Co wdenbeath

M o ntro se v Co ve Rangers Queen's P ark v Elgin City P eterhead v Falkirk

Stirling A v Edinburgh City

L 1 2 1 0 3 2 4 4 5 6

F 11 16 16 15 15 15 5 4 11 5

A 5 6 7 7 10 10 10 7 16 14

AWAY W D 4 1 2 4 4 2 2 0 4 1 3 3 3 1 2 3 2 1 2 3

L 3 2 2 6 4 3 5 4 5 4

F 15 6 12 8 12 11 9 5 8 6

A GD PTS 9 12 31 5 11 31 6 15 30 16 0 27 12 5 26 16 0 24 11 -7 20 9 -7 19 15 -12 17 14 -17 11

FOOTBALL’S STRANGEST MATCHES PLYMOUTH, MAY 1926

It seems strange that striking trade-unionists would play the police on a day of their most intense conflict in history, yet such a match occurred in Plymouth during the 1926 General Strike. A crowd of over 10,000 saw the strikers win by two goals to one. The policeman had their work cut out – on an off the field.

windows. About 20 or 30 policemen charged the crowd wielding batons, but it did not prevent the continued harassment of the tramcars. Ironically, this happened just before the football match was due to start at Home Park. Once again the police and the strikers were on opposite sides.

Industrial unrest amongst northern coal-miners had spread to other industries and services. The effects reached Plymouth later than most towns but the outcome was devastating. At the end of the first week in May the General Strike was a week old and the Western Morning News and Mercury was talking of a state bordering on civil war: “Football is all very well in normal circumstances and there is no reason why policemen and workmen should not play it. But conditions today are not normal and a match between policeman and strikers is, at least, strange”.

The tramway team scored midway through the first half and a wave of enthusiasm greeted this first – dare I say it? – strike.

The events of the Saturday confirmed peoples worst fears. Tramway employers tempted fate by resuming a modest service using volunteers and inspectors to replace the 800 workers who were on strike. Confrontation and chaos was the result. During the morning, crowds gathered in the town centre to prevent tramcars passing. By 11.30 that Sunday morning there were around 4,000 people doing their best to block the trams. Amidst the jostling a few stones smashed tramcars

Another ironic touch came at half time when the music was provide by the tramway band – workers at the very heart of the dispute. When the second half started, large sections of the crowd followed the band off the pitch and out of the stadium. By the time the strikers scored their second goal, then minutes from the end, the tramway band was leading a procession of people, four by four, walking along the tramlines to ensure no cars passed. There were more ugly scenes.

Mounted police were called in to deal with a 20,000 crowd in Old Town Street. Three arrests were made but the tramcar service was withdrawn and the likelihood of a pitched battle averted. The nest week the strike was called off leaving the Plymouth strikers with a 100% record on the football pitch. That same month games also took place between the Sheffield Police and strikers at Park Colliery. taken from Football’s Strangest Matches (1999) Portico

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1907

1895

1901

1937

1968

1985

1991

Jim McInally says team effort required as Peterhead look to address scoring problem

Jim McInally says a collective effort is required to increase Peterhead’s goal output. The Blue Toon drew a blank against Partick Thistle at the weekend, meaning they haven’t scored in three of their six games since returning to action last month. Goals have been a precious commodity all season for the Buchan outfit, who have netted 19 times in 21 matches in all competitions and 13 times in 16 league games. McInally said: “Everyone has to try to chip and contribute and if you’re playing well enough then that’s what happens. Players get into good positions more often and you get more goals. Steven Boyd is good enough player to score goals for us, but it was always going to be tough for him up front on Saturday. We’ve just got to get on with it and plenty of other teams have got similar problems.” 26

Boyd – who started at the head of the attack against Thistle – has netted twice this season. Ben Armour is top scorer this term with four strikes, but continues to be beset by hamstring problems. Captain Scott Brown is next in the scoring charts with three goals. Isaac Layne and Lyall Cameron both also scored three times during this first half of the season. However, the former joined Dumbarton on loan last month and the latter wasn’t allowed to leave parent club Dundee for a second loan stint. Veteran striker Derek Lyle has been mainly used as a substitute this term and has yet to score, while Kieran McGrath – who joined on loan from East Kilbride last month – is also still looking to get off the mark. McInally added: “Ben has had problems with his hamstrings and still doesn’t seem quite right.

as featured in the Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Derek is maybe best coming off the bench and trying to influence games that way. Kieran is still chasing his match fitness a bit, we’re trying to get him up to speed, but realistically it might come too late for us this season. But we know, if we get the ball in the box, Kieran will score goals because he is a goalscorer. Although we were out of the game, one good thing about Saturday was we got some good game time into people. I felt Derek was quite bright when he came on and won a few headers and things. I’m not quite sure where we are with Ben, unless we limit his training to save him for games. The issue seems to be when he sprints that he’s scared he’s going to injure himself and that’s a hard one to manage. These are the situations you’ve got to manage and deal with and at the end of the day we played OK in the first half on Saturday and could have been ahead. There’s no point in being

despondent, you’ve got move on because there’s no time to dwell on stuff.”

Meanwhile, McInally expects to be without Ryan Conroy for the next couple of weeks after he sustained a hamstring injury in the first half against Partick Thistle. He said: “It’s his hamstring, so it will be a couple of weeks I’d imagine.”

in association with Tennents

Peterhead’s Andrew McCarthy determined to break scoring duck after team-mates’ taunts

as featured in the Saturday, April 17, 2021

It’s a statistic Andrew McCarthy is desperate to shake off not only to help Peterhead – but also to avoid more wind-ups from his team-mates. The midfielder hasn’t scored in senior football during his 71 appearances for Partick Thistle, Queen of the South and the Blue Toon. McCarthy, who is set to face East Fife at Bayview this afternoon, is determined to break his duck sooner rather than later. The 22-year-old said: “I haven’t scored yet and I get reminded of it every week. It’s something I need to improve on. I believe in my ability and I believe I’ll get there if I get chances. I had a good chance against Airdrie in our first game back and missed that. I keep trying to get into the right positions and get in the box more and more and that’s what I need to do. I’m trying to learn more about timing my runs and things and if I keep getting in the box I think a goal will come.”

McCarthy’s lack of goals hasn’t gone unnoticed among his Peterhead team-mates. Having taken some stick for his failure to net, McCarthy is hoping to get off the mark and turn the banter tables on his colleagues. He added: “Alan Cook’s the one that keeps reminding me of it. Every week just before we’re about to go out he says “any chance of a goal today?” It hasn’t helped me, because I still haven’t scored, but he continues to say it. I’ll be delighted if I score and I’ll be slaughtering Cookie if I score. Steven Boyd is another one who has been getting stick about not scoring recently, so he’s another if he scores who’ll be saying something to Cookie as

well. And if I’m able to slaughter Cookie, it’ll be a good thing, because it will mean I’ve scored and helped the team – so hopefully it happens soon.”

Ahead of today’s encounter with East Fife, Peterhead are seventh in the League One table. They are not yet safe from relegation, but also not out of the race to make the top half when the division splits next week. However, to maintain aspirations of reaching the top-five, a victory against the Fifers appears to be a must. Darren Young’s side have yet to lose at home in the league this season, but McCarthy believes the Blue Toon can end that run. The player, who was suspended for last weekend’s 3-0 defeat to Partick Thistle, said: “It will be a tough game and they have a very good home record. But there’s no reason why we can’t go there and get a result. We’ve got good enough players and we’re a good enough team to get a result and that’s what we should be thinking. On the day records don’t matter, it’s about how you play on the day and if you play well you’ll win. If we play to the levels we can then I feel we’ll get something out of the game.” Ryan Conroy is out with a hamstring problem and long-term absentees Gary Fraser and Alan Cook remain sidelined. McCarthy’s lack of goals hasn’t gone unnoticed among his Peterhead team-mates. Having taken some stick for his failure to net, McCarthy is hoping to get off the mark and turn the banter tables on his colleagues. 31

HEAD

2 HEAD

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

WHO WILL WIN?

HOME WIN

DRAW

AWAY WIN

15/4

12/5

4/6

NB: All Odds subject to change

FORM

PETERHEAD

FALKIRK

17 APR 21 SPFL1

East Fife Peterhead

2 1

LOST

17 APR 21 SPFL1

Cove Rangers Falkirk

2 0

LOST

10 APR 21 SPFL1

Peterhead Partick Thistle

0 3

LOST

10 APR 21 SPFL1

Falkirk Clyde

2 1

WON

06 APR 21 SPFL1

Forfar Athletic Peterhead

1 1

DRAW

06 APR 21 SPFL1

Airdrieonians Falkirk

2 1

LOST

30 MAR 21 SPFL1

Peterhead Clyde

0 2

LOST

03 APR 21 SC 3

Celtic Falkirk

3 0

LOST

PREVIOUS MEETINGS AT BALMOOR 11 JAN 20 Peterhead 1 AWAY SPFL1 Falkirk 3 WIN

03 AUG 19 SFL1

Peterhead Falkirk

0 0

DRAW

28 AUG 04 SLC 2

Peterhead Falkirk

1 6

AWAY WIN

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#15 – IAN FRASER

Ian joined Peterhead FC in the summer of 1985 Buchanhaven Hearts having previously played with Maud. As a youngster Ian was brought up in the Blackhills area and later as a schoolboy he was a member of the Hexagon Boys Club. Ian was instrumental in the Highland League Championship run of 1988-89. His goal against Huntly at Christie Park on the 25th April was vital as we marched on to lift the title that season. He played alongside the other players of the time such as Scott Tait, John Sievwright, Steve Lennox, Nat Porter, Andy Smith and Brian Thomson. The goal he scored that day

was one of his highlights. Another close second is the encounter in the 1985-86 Qualifying Cup semi final. After Nairn County had drawn 11 at Recreation Park, Ian’s single goal in the Station Park replay took his Peterhead team into the final at Kynoch Park against Buckie Thistle where Peterhead took the cup home with a 5-1 score. The goals coming from Guyan, Porter, Bell, Loch and an own goal from Thistle’s Buchanan. Ian spent a few seasons with Longside Juniors before finally giving up the game, a series of injuries hastening his decision to quit.

IS IT TOO LATE FOR LENNON TO TURN THINGS ROUND? by ISAAC BUCHAN

#16 – JOHN SIEVWRIGHT “Big John” known for his commanding structure and rugged fearless defending is a name in Peterhead FC history that few are unlikely to forget. He signed for the club in December 1973 ans made a promising debut at Recreation Park derby against Fraserburgh. John stepped up from Buchanhaven Hearts having previously played for the Prison Officers Sports Club in the Peterhead Welfare League. John followed his father in wearing the ‘blue’ John (Jock) Sievwright having transferred from Inverness Thistle in the fifties. John is the proud holder of four Qualifying Cup, two League Cup, four Aberdeenshire Cup winners medals and one League Championship winners medal from 1988-89. He also holds a winners medal for The Aberdeenshire Centenary Cup competition. His performances on the pitch earned rave reviews from the local and national press. “Sievwright was outstanding and should be given the freedom of the burgh” lamented The Sunday Post after his resilient display at Starks Park, Kirkcaldy in the Scottish Cup 36

4th round tie in February 1987. The score was of course 2-2 goals being scored by Gary Loch and Ally Bell. This earned the team a replay at Recreation Park which, again, finished all square only to be defeated 3-0 in the 2nd replay at Gayfield Park, Arbroath.

A modest player John always praised other teammates especially Steve Lennox saying “we just played the ball to Steve from the back and watched him pull the strings, he’s a truly exceptional Highland League player”. John was involved in a number of low points in his career, namely, a 10-0 League Cup mauling from the Broch at the ‘Rec’ in 1974-75 and he was also extremely disappointed after losing 4-0 against Caledonian at Peterhead in 1976-77, when a win for Peterhead would have secured the league title. John added a few more years service to the club in a coaching capacity and although that is now in the past, 20 years service to one club is a proud and quite extraordinary achievement and unlikely to ever be repeated by a Peterhead player.

#17 – GEORGE SIM Peterhead signed George, affectionally known as “Dod”, on loan from East Fife in 1964. He joined from Bayview Park by fellow Aberdonians Drew Taylor and Frank Morrison. A strongly built player he was equally at home in a defensive position and also at left midfield. George had a feared reputation for his tremendous long distance shooting. His goal scoring exploits were recognised by the club when he was the recipient of an engraved tankard to mark his achievement of scoring a record number of goals from a defensive position. George received his award in season 1966-67 when he found the net 24 times. This effort may be seen in perspective when at

this tie many of today’s strikers are happy to score around 20 goals a season.

He had many a good game and one that stood out was the Highland League Cup final victory ove Elgin City at Keith in 1965. The pundits gave Peterhead little chance against a strong City team but they shocked North football by trouncing the press favourites 4-1. Dod will undoubtedly miss the roar of the Recreation Park crowd after a 30 yard screamer and will be disappointed that he never actually managed a title winners medal but his volume of goals will always be his lasting legacy.

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“I THINK WE COULD BE HIGHER UP THE TABLE” Jamie Currie speaks to Ryan Conroy

Like every other side, Peterhead have had to deal with the difficult nature of this season, especially with the stoppage, which can ruin any momentum and rhythm that any particular team has built up.

Conroy, at the time of writing, has made 15 appearances and grabbed two assists so far this campaign, making him the standout choice for the left-back position.

The Blue Toon left-back Ryan Conroy has been a little frustrated with how the season has panned out to date.

He explained how he felt his form has been this season and how difficult it has been to get a consistent level of performance in those appearances due to circumstances outwith the players’ and clubs’ control.

He said: “I think it’s been a hard season with the stopstart manner of it. I think we could be higher up the table but unfortunately, we are not and I feel like it’s due to us letting ourselves down in a couple of games since coming back but it’s been hard to get any rhythm and so we can’t complain with our efforts so far.”

“I’ve been happy enough with my form considering the mad season it’s been in terms of trying to get yourself match-ready with the breaks but all in all been happy enough with it, but that comes with being frustrated at the nature of the season as well.”

Peterhead welcome Lee Miller’s Falkirk to Balmoor tonight in which is sure to be a good match but by no means will it be an easy outing for the home side. Falkirk came out on top when the teams last matched up, winning 2-1 in December.

Even though Conroy is well aware of the challenge that is in front of him and his teammates he is hoping that they can turn the tables from the previous match and pick up the three points. “I think it will be another tough match like every game in this league. But Falkirk are another full-time team and they are a team that are pushing for promotion but we know we can cause them problems and we will be wanting to win the game.”

As the split draws closer by the week, Conroy was not slow to let us know what he and the team’s main goal is for the rest of the season. He explained: “ As it stands, we have an outside chance of finishing in the top half. But I think our goals should be to win as many games as can and make sure we don’t get dragged into a relegation fight. As I said, I think with players we have got, we are more than capable of being higher up the table but as I said, it’s been a strange season and boys have been good considering the year it’s been.”

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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

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 20-Mar 23-Mar 27-Mar 30-Mar 06-Apr 10-Apr 17-Apr 20-Apr 24-Apr 27-Apr 29-Apr 01-May 04-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 Stenhousemuir Dumbarton Clyde Forfar Athletic Partick Thistle East Fife Falkirk Split 1 Split 2 Split 3 Split 4 Split 5

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

F 1 3 0 0 2 2 1 1 1 0 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1

A 0 1 2 2 0 3 1 3 0 1 2 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 2 1 3 2

1 2 3 4 5 Rae Mulligan Conroy J.C. Brown Bailey Rae Bailey Conroy J.C. Brown MacKenzie Rae Freeman Conroy J.C. Brown MacKenzie Rae Freeman Conroy J.C. Brown Bailey Rae Freeman Conroy J.C. Brown Bailey Rae Freeman Conroy J.C. Brown Bailey Wilson Freeman Conroy J.C. Brown Bailey Wilson Bailey Freeman J.C. Brown Conroy Rae Bailey Freeman Ferry Conroy Rae Bailey J. Brown Freeman Conroy Rae Bailey MacKenzie J.C. Brown Freeman Rae Bailey MacKenzie J.C. Brown Freeman Rae Bailey MacKenzie J.C. Brown Freeman Rae Freeman J.C. Brown Mackenzie Bailey Rae Freeman Conroy J.C. Brown Ferry Rae Freeman Conroy J.C. Brown Bailey Rae Bailey J.C. Brown Freeman Conroy Rae Freeman J.C. Brown McDonald Conroy Rae Freeman McDonald J.C. Brown Conroy Rae Freeman J.C. Brown McDonald Conroy Rae Freeman J.C. Brown McDonald Conroy Rae Strachan J.C. Brown McDonald Freeman

6 Ferry Ferry Ferry S. Brown S. Brown S. Brown S. Brown S. Brown Fraser Cameron Conroy Fraser Fraser Ferry S. Brown McCarthy Kesson Ritchie Ferry Ritchie Ritchie Ritchie

7 8 9 10 McCarthy S. Brown Layne Boyd McCarthy S. Brown Layne 2 Boyd McCarthy S. Brown Layne Boyd Cook McCarthy Cameron Boyd Cook McCarthy Fraser Cameron Cook McCarthy Fraser Cameron Cook McCarthy Fraser Cameron Ferry McCarthy Fraser Boyd McCarthy S. Brown Boyd Armour S. Brown Fraser McCarthy Boyd Fraser S. Brown McCarthy Boyd McCarthy S. Brown Conroy Cameron Ferry S. Brown Conroy Boyd Cook Fraser Cameron S. Brown Cook McCarthy Cameron Boyd Ritchie S. Brown Layne J.A. Brown S. Brown McDonald McArthy Payne Ferry S. Brown McArthy Payne S. Brown Ritchie Boyd McArthy Ferry S. Brown McArthy Armour Ferry S. Brown J.A. Brown Payne Ferry S. Brown McArthy Lyle

11 Armour Armour Bailey Lyle Boyd Armour 2 Armour Armour Cook Armour Cook Boyd Layne Boyd J.A. Brown Payne Layne Armour Armour Boyd Boyd Boyd

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 Cook, Kesson, Cameron, Bakar, Lyle Layne, Kesson, Cameron, Bakar, Trialist, Wilson, Lyle MacKenzie, Cook, Kesson, Bakar, Wilson, Lyle Kesson, Cameron, Bakar, Wilson, Lyle Layne, Cook, Kesson, Bakar, Wilson, Lyle Cook, McCarthy, Kesson, Cameron, Bakar, Wilson, Lyle Layne, Kesson, Bakar, Wilson, Lyle MacKenzie, Kesson, Bakar, Wilson Wilson, Armour, Lyle, Kesson, Strachan Armour, J.A. Brown, Strachan, McGrath, Wilson Layne, Boyd, Kesson, J.A. Brown, Strachan, McGrath, Wilson, Baillie, Lyle

Payne, Kesson, J.A. Brown, Strachan, McGrath, Wilson, Bailey, Lyle Payne, Kesson, J.A. Brown, Strachan, McGrath, Wilson, Bailey, Lyle Armour, Kesson, Strachan, McGrath, Wilson, Bailley, Lyle Payne, Armour, Kesson, J.A. Brown, McGrath, Wilson, Bailey

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

Partick Thistle

Clyde

Airdrieonians

Forfar Athletic

Falkirk

Montrose

East Fife

Airdrieonians

Cove Rangers

Peterhead

Clyde

Dumbarton

Peterhead

Falkirk

Forfar Athletic

Partick Thistle

Dumbarton

Cove Rangers

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

Cove Rangers

Falkirk

214

Partick Thistle

203

Dumbarton

Cove Rangers

187

Falkirk

Airdrieonians

183

Montrose

170

Peterhead

East Fife

157

Airdrieonians

Peterhead

142

East Fife

Dumbarton

120

Forfar Athletic

Clyde

111

Clyde

Forfar Athletic

107

3= 3= 5=

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

Falkirk

102

Falkirk

224

Cove Rangers

Peterhead

213

Partick Thistle

East Fife

208

Montrose

Dumbarton

202

Airdrieonians

Forfar Athletic

195

East Fife

Montrose

191

Peterhead

Airdrieonians

173

Partick Thistle

173

Clyde

169

Cove Rangers

165

Clyde

Dumbarton

Forfar Athletic

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

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

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

Forfar Athletic

Peterhead

East Fife

Montrose

Airdrieonians

Falkirk

East Fife

Dumbarton

Partick Thistle

Forfar Athletic

Airdrieonians

Montrose

Cove Rangers

Partick Thistle

Dumbarton

Clyde

Cove Rangers

4 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0

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MATCH REPORT

PETERHEAD 0-3 PARTICK THISTLE Saturday 10th April 2021 • SPFL1 Peterhead went down 3-0 to visitors Partick Thistle with goals either side of half-time taking the game away from the hosts. Manager Jim McInally made two starting changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Forfar Athletic on Tuesday night with Jordon Brown coming in for the suspended Andrew McCarthy and Niah Payne replaced Ben Armour. The Blue Toon started brightly and won the game’s first corner on 5 minutes however the visiting defence stood firm and the danger was cleared. Peterhead continued to press and looked set to take the lead on 13 minutes when Jordon Brown fired for goal however his effort took a deflection and whistled past a Thistle post. Ross Docherty was on the spot for the visitors to head the resultant corner away from goal. The game began to have a more balanced feel with Docherty bringing a save out of Joshua Rae in the home goal just before the half hour mark. Brian Graham sent a shot high over the home bar with Connor Murray denied by Rae as Thistle began to take charge and the Glasgow side grabbed the opener on 40 minutes.

Murray sent a low cross into the home box and Joe Cardle turned the ball home however Peterhead responded well to that set-back with Scott Brown going close to an equaliser before the break with a 25 yard free-kick. 46

Manager McInally was forced into making his second substitution at half-time with Simon Ferry joining Ryan Conroy in picking up a knock with Kieran McGrath coming on at the break to join up with Kyle Bailey who was brought on just before the half-time whistle. A long clearance from Thistle goalkeeper Jamie Sneddon helped set up their second goal five minutes into the restart with Cardle released and his cross was perfect for Scott Tiffoney to tap in. Just before the hour mark Rae got his fingertips onto a header from Brian Graham to prevent Thistle going further ahead however from the resultant corner the striker scored when he nodded in. A stunned home side looked to get back into the game and Scott Brown went close with another free kick however the visitors saw the game out without too much threat on their goal with Zak Rudden going close to adding a fourth goal. The defeat leaves Peterhead in seventh place nine points ahead of bottom side Forfar and four in front of second bottom Dumbarton with Ian McCall’s side moving up to third. Peterhead – Rae, Freeman, Jason Brown, McDonald, Conroy (Bailey 42), Ritchie, Ferry (McGrath 46), S.Brown, Jordon Brown (Armour) Payne (Lyle 66), Boyd (Kesson 72) Unused substitutes – Strachan, Wilson (G/k),

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£3 £8 £8 £15 £2 £7 £10 £5 £10 £10 £2 £2 £7 £2.50 £1.50 £2.50 £2.50 £10 47

MATCH REPORT EAST FIFE 2-1 PETERHEAD Saturday 17th April 2021 • SPFL1 Controversial penalty decisions marred Peterhead’s 21 defeat at East Fife that confirmed that the Blue Toon would finish in the bottom half of League 1 when the split takes place. Jim McInally’s side led midway through the first half and looked set to be awarded a penalty however despite the stand side assistant appearing to confirm the award nothing was given. East Fife scored twice after Peterhead were reduced to ten men when Andy McDonald was dismissed and after parity had been restored when Craig Watson was dismissed the Blue Toon were denied a chance to equalise in injury time. Danny Strachan was handed his first start when he came in to replace the injured Ryan Conroy with Kieran Freeman moving across to left back to allow Strachan in with Andrew McCarthy returning after a one game ban. In the first minute a quickly taken free kick from McCarthy released Steven Boyd however referee Wilson pulled the game back. When the setpiece was taken Jason Brown headed McCarthy’s cross into the arms of Brett Long. With five minutes gone a Scott Agnew free-kick found the unmarked Kevin Smith however the striker headed over with the Fifers blowing another great chance three minutes later. Smith headed down to Ryan Wallace seven yards out however with the goal gaping the attacker blazed high over. Peterhead responded with Scott Brown having a shot blocked at the expense of a corner that the skipper crossed over for Boyd and he should have done better than head tamely over. The hosts threatened again when Wallace picked out Danny Denholm and his header brought out a fine leaping save from Joshua Rae. The opening goal came at the other end on 24 minutes when Scott Brown had a shot blocked and the ball fell into the path of Hamish Ritchie with the on-loan Inverurie Locos midfielder controlling it on his chest before side-footing home. Within a minute loud visiting appeals for a penalty after what looked like a handball in the home box were waved aside. The stand side assistant appeared to confirm that a spot-kick was the right decision however referee Wilson waved played on. 48

Ritchie had the chance of a second when he reached a cross from the over-lapping Strachan however this time his effort was off target. East Fife thought they had levelled on 38 minutes when Watson headed in from a set-piece however whistler Wilson had already blown for a foul. Before the break Peterhead were penalised twice at the edge of the box and they had Rae to thank for another super stop as he pushed away a Wallace effort with Agnew sending the second dead ball wide. Three minutes into the second half Rae kept his goal intact again when he finger-tipped away another Agnew free-kick. Peterhead raced to the other end and Lyle flicked a Ritchie cross wide with goalscorer Ritchie having a glimpse of goal on 57 minutes however he shot straight at Long. Rae was bang on form and he proved it again on 65 minutes when he produced another fine stop to deny Ross Davidson this time. The game started moving out of Peterhead’s reach three minutes later when McDonald was dismissed for a trip on Wallace at the edge of the box. A yard further it would have been a penalty and no red card however McDonald trooped off and on 71 minutes East Fife took advantage as Peterhead looked to regroup when Danny Denholm nodded in a corner. Four minutes later Agnew finally got the better of Rae when he sent what looked like a cross from the right into the far corner of the net. The Fife sides’ Watson was sent off for a second yellow on 80 minutes and Peterhead thought they would have the chance to grab an equaliser in injury time from the penalty spot for a double handed push on Jason Brown however referee Wilson blew for full time instead. Peterhead – Rae, Freeman, McDonald, Jason Brown, Ferry (McGrath 80), Ritchie, S.Brown, Boyd (Bailey 70), McCarthy, Strachan, Lyle (Armour 62) Unused substitutes – Wilson (G/k), Jordan Brown, Kesson, Payne

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GOAL SCORERS

APPEARANCES

GOALS

Mitch Megginson - Cove Rangers

David Goodwillie - Clyde

Brian Graham - Partick Thistle

Dale Carrick - Airdrieonians

Jack Hamilton - East Fife

Graham Webster - Montrose

Russell McLean - Montrose

Scott Tiffoney - Partick Thistle

Daniel Denholm - East Fife

Callumn Morrison - Falkirk

5 51

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The Lost

Shankly Boy

By Martin Johnston

Those of you who read my book reviews on a regular basis, will be more than aware that I have a soft spot for those with a strong historical content, and this doesn’t disappoint! Robin Holmes has excelled himself with the level of research that has gone into this book and he must have spent an astonishing number of hours collating the history of some clubs that have long gone. There are endless chapters on the most obscure of clubs including those who only spent a maximum of three seasons in the ill fated and short lived third division in the 1920’s (yes ,our football administrators were getting it wrong a century ago too, have they learned anything?). This is one of those real value for money books on the market and one of the heaviest in my collection! Be prepared though, there are no photos or illustrations to skip through which would have been a welcome addition, but with 813 pages of fascinating historical facts I think we can’t really complain.

Indeed, how fascinating to learn what a hotbed of football that area was with Dumbarton, Renton and Vale of Leven all on each other’s doorsteps at the dawn of Scottish League football.

With clubs such as Port Glasgow and Solway Star featuring this book enlightened me to the locations of many of the names of clubs which I had seen in old newspaper columns and programmes but had no idea where on earth they were based.

Of course there are many clubs from immediate history who make it into this exclusive group ranging from the demise of Clydebank, Third Lanark and Gretna through mis-management and one or two questionable owners along the way, to Berwick Rangers and East Stirlingshire who have dropped through the trapdoor of the Scottish pyramid system… a product of the 21st Century!

Nithsdale Wanderers and St Bernards are just two of the more romantic names that the book documents.

If you are remotely interested in the history of the game north of the border this book is an absolute must.

Where did the likes of Shotts play their games and how was it possible that Mid Annandale hosted attendances upward of 3,000 on a regular basis.

Quite often with books such as these you are tempted to skip through pages in order to get to a section where you may have a particular interest, but given that I’m a north-east loon, all our participants came to Scottish League football quite late in their respective histories therefore I was happy to work my way through in alphabetical order just as the author had intended.

There are not many followers of the game that aren’t familiar with the demise of Third Lanark or like me who have visited their former home Cathkin Park, but how enlightening to discover that Millburn Park, home of founder Scottish League member Vale of Leven is still in use to this day (see background photo) and a venue that I will most definitely be visiting on my next trip to Dumbarton.

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I daresay there are number of teams who didn’t make the cut because of their current SPFL status such as Edinburgh City who were in, then out, then in again, and then out again before returning at the expense of East

Stirlingshire in 2016. So whilst they would have made an undoubtedly fascinating historic contribution to the book, their story will have to be documented elsewhere.

respective league history the author lays the foundation of how they were formed and what happened to them post-Scottish League.

Admittedly, the content can be hard going at times, as the author endeavours to document each season almost game by game.

Numerous clubs have experienced name changes over the years and amalgamations some of which lasted a lifetime and others only one season such as ES Clydebank.

You sometimes think that you have re-read some sections given that Mr Holmes commences each chapter with a brief summary of the season that he is referring to before going back and accounting for their performances almost on a week to week basis. That is only an observation however, and id I were to make any criticism at all it would be that perhaps the content could have been proof read in advance of publication (assuming that this was not done). However, if any of you have produced any written word for others to read you will understand how easy it is to become “word blind” after a while. That said, if Robin Holmes is ever looking for someone to volunteer to proof read any other future publications relating to the Scottish game then I will readily throw my hat in the ring! In addition to the documentation of each club’s

Whilst many of the clubs spent their league history in and around the lower divisions, some were reasonably successful with over a dozen clubs having lifted a domestic Scottish trophy and their honours include 8 Scottish Cup wins and one overall Scottish League championship and in recent times the honour of stepping out into the European club stage. An added bonus is the summary at the end and year by year account of clubs entering and leaving the Scottish League, a ready reckoner or quick reference guide as it were. I will most definitely be referring to this again in the future I’m sure!

I can’t praise this book highly enough despite my minor observations and criticisms (emphasis on very minor!) and I would urge you to go out and get yourself a copy whilst preparing yourself for a langer haul than normal to get to the end! Forgotten: Scotland’s Former Football League Clubs by Robin Holmes is currently available online at Amazon priced at £15. 55 55 55

FALKIRK TEAM’S STRIKE THREAT IN 1972 by Peter Myers Willie Cunningaham

A threat by Falkirk’s full-time players not to turn out for their club following a dispute over money issues with their manager made the back-page headlines in August 1972. This unprecedented move was in retaliation for manager Willie Cunningham withdrawing their privileges as a punishment for an inept performance against St Johnstone in which the Brockville side lost 6-1 in a League Cup-tie. As the row escalated, the story became a major talking-point in Scottish football when it seemed that the Falkirk players might do the unthinkable in a League Cup match at Brockville unless their cash privileges were restored. Cunningham was a highly respected manager in Scottish football and had even been approached by the Scottish Football Association in September 1971 about taking charge of the national team, which was quite a vote of confidence in the Northern Irishman’s abilities. However, after giving the matter some thought, Cunningham turned down the offer because his loyalties lay with Falkirk who he had guided to promotion from Division Two in season 1969-70. In a revamped League Cup competition in season 1972-73, Falkirk were in Section 5 along with St Johnstone and Division Two sides Montrose and Raith Rovers. The Bairns’ opening three games saw them defeat Montrose 4-3 at Links Park, suffer a 2-1 home defeat to St Johnstone followed by a 1-0 victory over Raith Rovers at Brockville. It was a rather lacklustre start to their campaign, but it was their 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Saints at Muirton on Wednesday, August 23, that incurred Willie Cunningham’s wrath. A match report said that although the Bairns never gave

up, they “lacked ideas, especially up front” while in defence “centre-half Tommy McMillan tried hard to steady his team-mates but to little avail”. The morning after their drubbing at Perth, Cunningham told his full-time players that following their poor performance they would no longer be paid their travelling expenses from their homes to Brockville for training and nor would the club meet the cost of their lunches. The players responded by walking out of the ground and refused to attend an extra session ordered by the manager. They boycotted the ground on Friday when club captain John Markie and team-mate Alex Ferguson, who was chairman of the Scottish Football Players’ Union, met the manager but failed to resolve the dispute. Markie and Ferguson then approached William Palmer, the club’s chairman, and asked to discuss their grievances, but he replied that the earliest he could get the directors together was at lunchtime on Saturday, August 26, a matter of a few hours before the kick-off with Montrose at Brockville. The dispute sparked national interest as many were braced for the first strike action by professional football players in Scotland. Cunningham told the press that the players had given him an ultimatum and would refuse to play on Saturday against Montrose. He added that he wanted to see them all at the ground at 11am for the match. He went on to reaffirm his stance: “As to the background of the situation, all I can say is that I withdrew certain privileges. I judge these privileges against the efforts shown by the players on the field.” Main Picture:

Falkirk team 1972/73

Sir Alex Ferguson

Cunningham refused to comment on whether he would consider fielding a side of reserves against Montrose if his full-time players refused to turn out, adding that if there was to be a board meeting to discuss the dispute then he would call it as “all matters concerning the playing staff are my responsibility”. Alex Ferguson was defiant and said he had contacted other members of the committee of the players’ union who had pledged their support, if necessary. He added there was no question of Falkirk fielding a team of part-timers as they had promised to back the fulltimers’ action. Just two hours before the kick-off, the players called off their action after the club’s board of directors met Ferguson and decided to overrule Ferguson by restoring the players’ privileges. The board chose the team to play Montorse, who were defeated 3-0 with goals from the home side’s Denis Setterington and a brace from Ian Harley.

Over the weekend there was speculation over Cunningham’s tenure as Falkirk’s boss but by Monday morning it seemed the Brockville dispute had been resolved and that training would resume that day. There was no official statement from the club’s directors, who had all but ignored the team manager in their hurried settlement with the players. However, board member Arthur Clarkson told the press: “Willie Cunningham is still in charge and we hope stays. He has not been fired, he has not resigned, and there has been no talk of either.” Alex Ferguson announced the players’ grievances had been settled and “everything was back to normal”. A board meeting the next day ended with Mr Palmer stating that the matter was closed although

John Markie

Cunningham disagreed with that statement, prompting further press speculation about his future at Brockville. He chose the team to play Raith Rovers at Stark’s Park where the Bairns lost to a goal from Tom Brown but, despite the crisis which had engulfed the club, Falkirk finished as runners-up to St Johnstone to progress to the League Cup’s second round.

A few days later Cunningham broke his silence and spoke about his controversial decision to halt the payment of the players’ expenses and bonuses. He said: “I did what any manager worth his salt would have done when his team was not producing what they were capable of. Action had to be taken and, faced with the same situation, I must be honest and say that I would not change my way of dealing with the matter.” He said internal negotiating procedures had been misused, adding: “I have had my knuckles rapped and that is the end of the whole sorry chapter.” It was indeed a regrettable episode in the club’s long history which saw the manager’s authority being publicly undermined. There was both support and sympathy for Cunningham from some football writers including Adam Souness, The Sunday Telegraph’s Scottish football correspondent, who wrote: “There is, let the Falkirk board take note, one major Scottish club who would cheerfully raise an overdraft to find a manager who would instil the very brand of discipline that has earned the dedicated Cunningham public humiliation and a loss of standing in the eyes of the players he is highly paid to control.”

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