Ground #386 - Ibrox Stadium

Date: 7th May 2023

Location: Govan, Glasgow, Scotland

Ground: Ibrox Stadium

My eleventh new ground of 2023 was on Sunday 7th May at Ibrox Stadium in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland. The game was Rangers vs. Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership.

Ibrox Stadium is located in a mixed-use area with a variety of neighbours. The ground is bordered by an industrial estate to the north and west, houses to the east and a primary school and football centre with 3G pitch across the road to the south. The ground is a couple of hundred yards south of Ibrox station on the Glasgow Subway or just under a mile north of Dumbreck station on the national rail network. it has been home to the club since it opened in 1899.

Though the venue has been in use since 1899 Ibrox has changed much over the years with only the classic Main Stand exterior harking back to the earlier days of the ground. This red brick facade was built in 1928 and elevates the exterior of the stand. The stand itself is the only three-tier one at Ibrox, and includes the dressing rooms and player tunnel at the bottom of the stand and the main TV gantry  further up. On the north side of the ground is the Govan Stand - this is a two-tier structure with a larger upper deck. At the back of this is the main hospitality area - the Blue Sky Lounge and Club 72/Bar 72.

The remainder of the ground consists of similar two tier stands. The Broomloan Road Stand sits behind the western goal and includes a section for away whilst the Copland Road Stand is behind the eastern goal. There is additional quadrant seating in the lower deck for the north-west and north-east quadrants with the top deck utilised as building support with big screens attached. Directly behind the north-east quadrant is the Rangers store and in the south-east corner of the Ibrox site sits Edmiston House, a new two-storey building which houses a bar, cafe, additional retail space and the Rangers Museum in the near future.

Rangers knew that with Celtic kicking-off at Hearts 45 minutes earlier the title may be decided before the Rangers game was finished. Aberdeen were miles behind as best of the rest but had beaten Rangers in the league at Pittodrie a couple of weeks prior. The early going saw a couple of close efforts by Todd Cantwell but the best chances of the half fell the way of the hosts. In the 27th minute Bojan Miovski rode a challenge in the centre of the field that left Rangers exposed at the back. He overhit his squared ball for Duk and that meant Robbie McCrorie in the home goal closed down the angle and deflected the ball behind. Then a minute before the break it was Duk's turn to get clear of the defence but his chip over the advancing Rangers keeper landed on the roof of the net. The visitors offered little in the second half as Rangers established themselves on the game. Aberdeen had a lucky escape when Jonathan Hayes deflected onto his own crossbar while trying to clear but there was no reprieve in the 64th minute when the Glasgow side took the lead. It was a cracking goal too, with Todd Cantwell's excellent volley into the bottom corner directly from James Tavernier's corner. Hayes almost put the ball in his own net again shortly after when diverting a Rangers cross just wide of his own goal but after this the game petered out with Rangers wrapping up a 1-0 victory as Celtic celebrated the title with a 2-0 win at Hearts.

Result: Rangers 1-0 Aberdeen

Division: Scottish Premiership

Attendance: 46,961

Ground #385 - Cliftonhill

Date: 6th May 2023
Location: Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland

Ground: Cliftonhill

My tenth new ground of 2023 was on Saturday 6th May at Cliftonhill in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The game was Albion Rovers vs. Stirling Albion in Scottish League Two.

Cliftonhill is in a residential area of Coatbridge on the eastern outskirts of Glasgow. The oval shaped venue is bordered by housing to the north and west, a courthouse to the east and a retail and industrial zone across the road to the south. It is very well served by railway stations with the nearest half a mile north at Coatdyke. In addition Whifflet to the south, Coatbridge Sunnyside to the north-west and Airdrie to the north-east are all around a mile away. The venue has been home to the club since construction in 1919 when they moved from Meadow Park where they had played since 1882.

The ground still retains a partial oval shape in light of its days as a multi-purpose venue when it hosted speedway and greyhound racing. This is seen most clearly at the unused western end where a semi-circle a flat grass behind the goal gives way to a raised grass bank behind. The opposite end of the field has been converted with the oval shape removed to make room for a car park. This end saw the installation of an uncovered concrete terrace in 2015 to allow for spectator segregation.

The main side of the ground is the southern side where the entrance turnstiles are located. The main stand has 489 seats for the back half with four supporting beams in front. In front of this is a covered concrete terrace with four more supporting beams holding up the roof extension. This gives the unusual situation for people in the back of the stand to have two rows of supporting beams. The players tunnel is in the middle of the bottom section. There is uncovered standing in front of this and to the eastern part of this side of the ground where a covered disabled supporters section is positioned. The western side leads up to a club shop demountable and viewing is not allowed. The northern side of the ground has a concrete terrace for the whole length which is mostly covered except for small sections at either end. However, this side has been closed to spectators for some time with it not in a fit state to be used.

This was the final game of the League Two season - Albion were bottom and facing down a fight to keep their league status via the relegation play-off. Stirling were at the other end of the table having secured the title but had not lost a game for over five months. Albion knew their task - they had to win and hope that Bonnyrigg Rose lost at home to Elgin. With this in mind it was the hosts who started the better - in the 9th minute Joe Bevan did well to ride a couple of challenges before laying off to Euan Mutale on the right of the area who saw his shot saved. The closest Stirling came was in the 34th minute was Flynn Duffy's shot low to the keeper's right was comfortably saved. A nervy first half gave way to a more open second with Rovers taking the lead six minutes after the interval. Blair Malcolm passed the ball to Joe Bevan on the left side of the box and he slotted into the far corner. The celebrations were short-lived though as word reached Cliftonhill that Bonnyrigg had scored against Elgin. News from New Dundas Park would only get worse as the afternoon progressed so when Albion Rovers added a second in the 75th minute the cheers were muted. This goal came about when Bevan's shot was saved with Charlie Reilly smashing the rebound into the roof of the net. Reilly then hit the top of the crossbar with seven minutes to go with a 2-0 win for Albion proved academic with Bonnyrigg's 3-0 win against Elgin securing safety in their first season in the league. Two weeks later Albion's 120 stay in the Scottish Football League came to an end when they lost 2-1 on aggregate to Lowland League winners Spartans who took their place in League Two for the 2023/24 season.

Result: Albion Rovers 2-0 Stirling Albion

Division: Scottish League Two

Attendance: 623

Ground #384 - Stark's Park

Date: 5th May 2023
Ground: Stark's Park
Location: Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland

My ninth new ground of 2023 was on Friday 5th May at Stark's Park in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. The game was Raith Rovers vs. Partick Thistle in the Scottish Championship.

Stark's Park is located in the south of Kirkcaldy, towards its western edge. The ground is bordered by housing to the north and south and a railway line running directly west of the ground in between the stadium and a school. The eastern side is hemmed in by a road which gives the ground its unusual shape. It is one mile south of Kirkcaldy railway station and has been home to the club since 1891.

The ground is an odd mix of structures with the Main Stand in particular being rather unusual. This stand, built in 1925 starts from the south-east corner and works its way round to the halfway line where it has to stop due to the harsh encroachment from a road running alongside the ground. The two dugouts sit in this unused area so are not actually in front of any structures. The Main Stand is classic old design which had wooden seating and benching up until 1999 when plastic seats were put in. It has 5 supporting beams holding up the old roof and still houses the dressing rooms, ticket office and club shop.

Nowadays the ground is dominated by two large single tier stands at either end of the field. These identical structures hold 3,370 fans apiece thereby accounting for most than three-quarters of the current capacity. On my visit I was with the away fans in the northern end and with the wind protectors on either side the stand was very effective at keeping in the noise from the good travelling contingent to enable a great atmosphere. The western side of the ground is not currently in use - this thin stand is constrained by the railway line running behind and has concrete terracing for its southern half and bucket seating for its northern half. This stand is used to position the main TV gantry and would be brought back into use should Raith return to the Premiership.

The game was the final one of the Championship season. Raith had nothing but pride to play for after a very poor end to the season, with just one point from their previous six games, saw them marooned in 7th place nowhere near teams above or below. Partick entered the tie in 3rd place in the play-off places but there were a number of permutations which could see them topping the play-offs in a best case scenario and falling out of them entirely in a worst case scenario. What they did know was defeat would leave them relying on other results. With this in mind the away side leapt out of the traps almost scoring after eight seconds when Kyle Turner let fly with a curling 20 yard effort. This necessitated a good tip over by Raith keeper Jamie MacDonald. He was nearly beaten again with a long-range shot in the 18th minute - a cheeky quick free-kick by Ross Docherty tried to lob the home keeper from 40 yards but MacDonald was just able to backpeddle and tip over. It was little surprise then when the away side opened the scoring in the 21st minute, a Steven Lawless shot from the left was saved by MacDonald but he only pushed it as far as Darren Brownlie who knocked home. The game changed in the 34th minute when the home side were given a penalty for a Ross Docherty handful. Lewis Vaughan struck the penalty well sending David Mitchell in the Partick goal the wrong way. It was Raith's sole shot on target in the first half and Partick were unlucky to go in level going close just before the interval as Scott Tiffoney drove a low free-kick just wide of the post. 

The second half saw the teams trade attacks with a Raith shot blocked on the line before a minute later Partick had an effort blocked at close quarters. Another key moment came in the 59th minute - the visitors should have had a penalty but the referee failed to see a clear handball. Raith then went up the other end and a deflected Scott McGill shot ended up in the bottom corner to put the hosts 2-1 up. Ten minutes later the pendulum swung again when a ball was zipped across the Raith goal over to Aidan Fitzpatrick. The Partick midfielder squared the ball for Scott Tiffony who dispatched to level the game up at 2-2. The closing stages saw Raith's William Akio force a great save out of Mitchell with a curling effort and Aidan Fitzpatrick go on a mazy run before MacDonald saved his shot. The game finished 2-2 and the equaliser proved crucial for Partick in securing the final play-off spot at the expense of Greenock Morton. A great end-to-end encounter in front of passionate fans, the evening was a good advert for Scottish football.

Result: Raith Rovers 2-2 Partick Thistle

Division: Scottish Championship

Attendance: 2,899

Ground #371 - Tannadice Park

Date: 7th August 2022
Ground: Tannadice Park

Location: Dundee, Scotland

My eleventh new ground of 2022 was on Saturday 7th August at Tannadice Park in Dundee, Scotland. The game was Dundee United vs. Livingston in the Scottish Premiership.

Tannadice Park is located in a residential area of the city just 200 yards from city rivals Dundee FC. It has roads to the north, south and west and allotments to the east and the parcel of land is irregular in size resulting in two of the stands tapering to fit in with it. The venue is 1.5 miles north of Dundee railway station and has been home to the club since 1909. Prior to this other clubs from the city used the ground dating back to the 1880s. 

The club store and ticket office are located on the opposite side of the road to the south side due to the tight footprint. The south end is technically split into two stands bolted together - the older Jimmy Kerr Stand was the first cantilevered stand in Scotland upon its opening in 1962 - it is a two-tier stand running from the halfway line and round the south-east quadrant to meet up with the east end. It has an upper deck for seating  with a high roof giving ample space for a TV platform and media section. ThE lower section is taken up by corporate viewing. This unusual set-up of corporate sections being low down is also split into two sections due to space required for the steps leading up to the seating deck. Directly in front of the corporate area are the two dugouts. The Jim McLean Stand was built in 1997 and is bolted onto the Jimmy Kerr Stand so that seating is provided for the full length of the south side. This extension has seating on both upper and lower decks. 

This eastern end is home to the Eddie Thompson Stand - another two-tier structure which tapers off at the upper level to accommodate the adjacent allotments. This stand was opened in 1994 and is inhabited by the loudest element of the home support. The George Fox Stand is the largest at Tannadice Park and runs along the northern end. Another structure dating back to the early 1990s this has two tiers with a smaller upper deck on top of the larger lower deck. The West Stand is the only single-tier one at the venue - it was converted from terracing to seating in 1994 and you can still see the leftovers of the terracing in the north-west corner with the stand not extending for the whole end of the pitch. This is a more basic looking stand with two stanchions supporting the roof. It is given over to away followings with large support while smaller allocations are positioned in the Jim McLean Stand. 

This was the first home league game of the season for Dundee United coming off the back of a 4th place finish last season while Livingston had finished 7th. The home side had a lethargic start, possibly due to being in Europa Conference action the previous Thursday beating AZ Alkmaar 1-0. The away side were the better of the two but the first half was a very dull affair with neither side registering a shot on target. That all changed four minutes after the break when Livingston took the lead through a cracking 20-yard drive by Christian Montano. This spurred United into action and a couple of minutes later Tony Watt did well to make space in the box for a shot which was well saved by Shamal George. Watt was involved again in the 66th minute after a neat 1-2 finished with him shooting just wide of the post. Livingston's best chance for a second came three minutes later when Joel Nouble played Scott Pitman in on goal. United goalie Mark Birighitti rushed out and closed down the shot to keep the game at 1-0. Dundee United continued to press and Mathew Cudjoe had two 20-yard efforts go close, the first requiring a tip over by George and the second just wide of the mark. The latter came in injury time and this proved to the the final chance for United to salvage something out of the game. Any hopes of a better performance in the 2nd leg of their Europa Conference tie against Alkmaar a few days later went up in smoke as the Tangerines suffered to a 7-0 defeat leaving them to contemplate a bad week for the club.

Result: Dundee United 0-1 Livingston

Division: Scottish Premiership

Attendance: 7,442

Ground #359 - Victoria Park

Date: 18th September 2021
Ground: Victoria Park
Location: Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland

My ninth new ground of 2021 was on Saturday 18th September at Victoria Park in Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland. The game was Ross County vs. Heart of Midlothian in the Scottish Premiership.

Victoria Park lies close to the banks of Cromarty Firth. It sits within the wider Jubilee Park which runs up to the Rivery Peffery to the north. In the park is an additional pitch behind the eastern side with trees beyond this. There is housing to the south and a camping and caravan site to the west. The venue is directly opposite Dingwall railway station and has been home to the club since 1929.

The West Stand is the designated 'main stand' as includes club facilities such as the reception, club shop and Staggies Bar and Grill. The ticket office is served via demountables in the car park which is situated on this side of the ground. For the side of the stand facing towards the pitch it is a single tier split into an upper and lower section. Corporate boxes run along the back with the section for officials and the primary TV camera position in the centre. The two 'dugout' areas are in directly in front of this seating.

The East Stand is where I watched the game from - it is similar in nature to the West Stand also being split into upper and lower sections. There are disused boxes at the back of this stand. The South Stand, known as the Jail End is the smallest stand at the ground and is the only one with supporting beams restricting the views in some seats. There is also a tea bar at the northern end of this stand. Finally the North Stand, known as the Academy End, is the tallest by a narrow margin and is given over to away supporters. As the name suggests the structure backs onto the Highland Football Academy.

The two sides had opposing starts to the season with Ross County winless after their first 5 and Hearts unbeaten after theirs. The opening goal came after just nine minutes when Gary Mackay-Steven played a good ball through to Liam Boyce on the left. Boyce's shot took a deflection off Jack Baldwin which saw it sneak inside the near post as the goalkeeper went the other way. If Hearts were hoping the hosts would have their heads drop after this they were mistaken as Ross County equalised within barely a minute. It came on the edge of a crowded Hearts box as Jordan White laid the ball off for Blair Spittal who managed to find a gap in the bodies to steer the ball into the far corner. The hosts had Ashley Maynard-Brewer to thank for keeping the scores level as he got down well to deny Armand Gnanduillet twice - firstly from a fierce drive in the 18th minute and then a header in the 23rd minute. The hosts pushed forward after this and while Ross Callachan could only steer Regan Charles-Cook's cross onto the roof of the net the Highland side would get their noses in front for the first time on the stroke of half-time. Charles-Cook managed to knock the ball from the byline to the six-yard box and Blair Spittal's shot hit Hearts' John Souttar and found the net. The visitors attacked in the second period and restored parity in the 66th minute through an excellent Stephen Kingsley free-kick. It was the away side who came closest to snatching a winner when Liam Boyce headed into the side netting but there were no more goals as an entertaining contest drew to a conclusion. 

Result: Ross County 2-2 Heart of Midlothian

Division: Scottish Premiership

Attendance: 3,802

Ground #358 - Balmoral Stadium

Date: 11th September 2021
Ground: Balmoral Stadium

Location: Cove Bay, Aberdeen, Scotland

My eighth new ground of 2021 was on Saturday 11th September at Balmoral Stadium in Cove Bay, Aberdeen, Scotland. The game was Cove Rangers vs. Montrose in Scottish League One.

Balmoral Stadium is located in the Cove Bay area on the southern edge of Aberdeen. The ground sits adjacent to a industrial estate to the south and farmland to the north. The eastern side is close to a transmitter station while the western side has an additional full-size 3G pitch with a school beyond this. The venue is 2.5 miles south of Aberdeen railway station. The club previously played at Allan Park from 1948 to 2015 before departing to satisfy their league ambitions. After a few seasons groundsharing the club moved to their current home in 2018.

The entrance to the stadium is on the western side. The Alan McRae Stand takes up less than a quarter  of this side but is the main stand with over 300 seats and hospitality at the back. Inside it houses the reception, ticket office and dressing rooms with the seating section split in half to allow the players to exit here onto the pitch. The two dugouts are either side of the stand. The rest of this side is uncovered standing consisting of gravel save for a row of concrete slabs by the pitch barriers. There is a coffee shack and toilet block to the north of the stand.

The opposite side of Balmoral Stadium has three separate small covered seven-row metal terraces with  a TV gantry perched atop the middle one. The remainder is taken up by uncovered gravel standing. The two ends are very similar with just uncovered gravel with concrete slabs at the front. There is also a food shack in the south-west corner. The venue has plenty of space should the need ever arise to add additional stands. There is also a food shack in the south-west corner.

Both sides had a good start to season adn were coming in the game in the top 4. There were a spate of changes in the opening spell of the game - in the 5th minute Cove's Fraser Fyvie cut inside and shot but keeper Allan Fleming did well to get down low to save. Fleming then saved the rebound from Mitchell Megginson and the danger was cleared. Three minutes after this a defensive error by the home side saw the ball fall to Graham Webster who unleashed a 20-yard curling effort which went inches wide. Cove then went straight back the other end and saw Mitchell Megginson's effort denied by Fleming again, this time at the near post. Montrose got the ball in the net in the 28th minute after heading in a cross but the flag was up and the goal chalked off resulting in a 0-0 scoreline at the break. This however didn't last long as Cove scored within three minutes of the restart. Megginson was again involved as he played the ball out to Rory McAllister on the left-wing. McAllister had plenty to do but unleashed a firm drive in off the underside of the bar. On the hour-mark the visitors were given the chance to equaliser after Fraser Fyvie fouled Blair Lyons just inside the penalty box. Graham Webster struck a good penalty low to Stuart McKenzie's left and though the home keeper went the right way there was no saving it. With fifteen minutes to go Cove were reduced to ten men with Blair Yule picking up a second yellow for a clumsy tackle while attempting to attack in the Montrose area. That was the way thing stayed with 1-1 a fair result on the day.

Result: Cove Rangers 1-1 Montrose

Division: Scottish League One

Attendance: 679

Ground #326 - Murrayfield Stadium

Date: 28th July 2019
Ground: Murrayfield Stadium
Location: Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland

My forty-first new ground of 2019 was on Sunday 28th July at Murrayfield Stadium in Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland. The match was Liverpool vs. Napoli in a friendly.

Murrayfield Stadium is located in a broadly residential area to the west of Edinburgh city centre. The stadium is surrounded by Roseburn Park to the north, a rail line to the south and a tram station, school and housing to the east. The area directly west has four rugby pitches, which are a mixture of grass and artificial turf, as well as the Murrayfield Ice Rink in the north-west corner. Murrayfield Stadium has its own stop on the Edinburgh tram network while the nearest mainline railway station is one mile east at Haymarket. The venue is the home of Scottish rugby and was built in 1925.

Murrayfield has a large footprint with plenty of space around the stadium for food outlets. During my visit the rugby fields to the west of the ground doubled as a fanzone while this side of the stadium also has the reception and access to hospitality suites and corporate boxes. Other facilities at the venue include a ticket office by the East Stand and a Scotland rugby store and bar in the south-west corner.

The 67,144 capacity stadium is a two-tier arena which has a slightly irregular shape due to the East Stand being smaller than the other three stands. The upper tier is a continuous bowl with a step-down for the shorter eastern side. The lower tier is more of a stop-start affair with gaps in the south-west and north-west corners for players to emerge from. There are large TV screen adjacent to these gaps which cuts down on the amount of seating next to them. In the middle of the West Stand the main seating is split by the designated area for staff and media which feature desks and other access points. Other than this the lower deck seating is consistent save a smaller eastern side due to the step down of the upper deck on account of the lower roof. There are hospitality suites and corporate boxes stretching behind the northern end, the whole of the western side and into the south-west corner.

The game was Premier League side Liverpool against Serie A side Napoli in a friendly. The first opportunity of the game fell to Liverpool with three and a half minutes on the clock - Andrew Robertson got down the left, whipped in a cross and Divock Origi flicked the ball just wide of the post from six yards out. Napoli then took the lead in the 17th minute when Lorenzo Insigne went on a mazy run down the right before curling an excellent shot into the corner from 20 yards. Insigne turned provider in the 28th minute when his cross from the left was directed into the far corner by Arkadiusz Milik. Liverpool thought they had grabbed a goal back on the stroke of half-time with Georginio Wijnaldum turning in Jordan Henderson's threaded pass. The offside flag was raised tough and the score remained 2-0. It took the Italian side just over six minutes of the second half to add a third to kill the game off. Insigne was again causing the Liverpool defence problems as his curled effort, initially saved by Simon Mignolet, was turned in on the rebound by Amin Younes. Napoli continued to get in down the left wing after this with Mignolet having to produce a couple of saves to prevent an even worse scoreline. As the game reached the hour mark both sides made numerous substitutions resulting in the game petering out as pre-season friendlies often do. It was a good win for the Serie A side against a sluggish Liverpool though the English side would point at missing key players such as Salah, Firmino, Mane and Allison to evidence to show they were not competing with a full-strength side.

Result: Liverpool 0-3 Napoli
Friendly
Attendance: 65,442

Ground #325 - Gayfield Park

Date: 27th July 2019
Ground: Gayfield Park
Location: Arbroath, Angus, Scotland

My fortieth new ground of 2019 was on Saturday 27th July at Gayfield Park in Arbroath, Angus, Scotland. The match was Arbroath vs. Alloa Athletic in the Scottish League Cup.

Situated on the seafront in the south of the town Gayfield Park is believed to be the closest ground to the sea in Europe. There is only an access road separating the southern side from the North Sea while the elongated northern flank of the stadium runs up to the A92 road leading through the town. The eastern side is bordered by the large grass area of Inchcape Park while the western edge is adjoined to the Pleasureland family amusement arcade. Three-quarters of a mile south of the town's railway station, Gayfield Park has been home to the club since 1880.

The sole all-seater stand, built in 2002, runs for the middle half of the northern side of the ground and has a capacity of 861. The stand has the players tunnel and dugouts in the middle with a snack outlet and a supporters bar & lounge facing out towards into a tarmac area used for car parking, a club shop and other demountables. The stand has four supporting beams to hold up the roof which unusually has a floodlight structure looking akin to a giant camera tripod sitting atop it. Either side of the stand is a 14 level uncovered concrete terrace which tapers off as it reaches the north-east and north-west corners of the field.

The rest of the venue consists of a 17 level concrete terrace which works like a bowl in that it extends round the corners to make a continuous structure. The middle half of all four sides of the ground are covered which makes Gayfield Park nicely symmetrical in this regard. The southern side has a TV gantry in the middle while there are a dozen supporting beams as well as a couple of floodlights coming through the roof down to the terracing. This side also has fencing which can be erected to segregate home and away fans on the occasions this is required. The eastern and western ends are near identical which covered areas behind the goals and a flat concrete section at the back of the terracing. There is an intimidating brick wall topped with barbed wire which runs around the southern and eastern sides of Gayfield Park. I have read this wall can come under siege from the North Sea during bad weather but fortunately a pleasant sunny day was in place during my visit.

The tie was a League Cup group stage encounter between Championship sides Arbroath and Alloa Athletic. Group C had already been won by Hibernian but with the four best runners-up progressing a win would see Arbroath through to the knockout stage. Anything less would mean elimination along with the visitors who were all but eliminated prior to kick-off. The away side were better initially forcing a series of corners in the opening minutes. Alloa conceded a free-kick in the 17th minute when Andy Graham brought down Greig Spence inside the D on the edge of the penalty box. Bobby Linn sidefooted his free-kick low into the bottom corner just out of the grasp of Alloa keeper Chris Henry. Arbroath's lead proved to be extremely short lived with Alloa equalising just 16 seconds after the restart. The ball was lofted forward from Kevin Cawley to Alan Trouten who beat the offside trap down the right. Trouten crossed into the box where Liam Buchanan was there to steer the ball towards goal. Home defender Ricky Little desperately slid to try and keep the ball out but it went over the line and the referee signalled the goal. The hosts went very close to reestablishing their lead in the 23rd minute when Bobby Linn's cross from the left was unnecessarily headed towards his own goal by Liam Dick requiring a dramatic reflex save by Chris Henry to keep the score level. There weren't too many items of note for the rest of the half - Arbroath did edge the second quarter of the game with a handful of half-chances falling their way. It took just five minutes of the second half for the next goal to arrive - Alloa defender Jon Robertson played an excellent ball down the line setting Liam Buchanan off down the right. Buchanan squared for Kevin O'Hara who scuffed his shot straight into the path of Alan Trouten who needed no second invitation to slot home. Arbroath huffed and puffed for the next portion of the encounter and eventually got a slice of luck in the 74th minute when Jason Thomson's attempted cross from the right flew over everyone including Chis Henry ending up the top corner. However, just like the first half Arbroath conceded shortly after scoring. Alloa's third came about in the 78th minute when a break down the right overloaded the home defence. Robert Thomson squared the ball from the right and there were several Alloa players queuing up in acres of space in the area with Alan Trouten steering home to grab his second of the game. Arbroath's best chance in the dying minutes fell to Michael McKenna who picked up Ricky Little's long ball before half-volleying wildly over the bar from six yards out. With that chance gone Alloa held onto their lead with the final whistle confirming elimination from this year's competition for both sides.

Result: Arbroath 2-3 Alloa Athletic
Competition: Scottish League Cup
Attendance: 590

Ground #321 - Caledonian Stadium

Date: 11th May 2019
Ground: Caledonian Stadium
Location: Inverness, Scotland

My thirty-sixth new ground of 2019 was on Saturday 11th May at Caledonian Stadium in Inverness, Invernessshire, Scotland. The match was Inverness Caledonian Thistle vs. Ayr United in the Scottish Premiership Play-Off Quarter-Final.

Caledonian Stadium sits in the shadow of the A9 road bridge on the banks of the Moray Firth. The only neighbour to the club is a caravan site to the south with the ground next to the bridge to the west and water on the remaining two sides. The venue is 1.5 miles north-east of Inverness railway station and became home to the club in 1996 a couple of years after its creation through the merger of Caledonian and Inverness Thistle.

The Main Stand dominates the ground running the length of its eastern side. The stand has a large covered middle section with two tiers which has hospitality areas along the back. The interior of the stand houses the reception, players and officials entrances, ticket office, a small club shop and the ICT Family Sports Bar. The lower tier continues either side of the middle section with these uncovered ends giving the stand a somewhat unusual wing-like design.

The opposite side of the field is distinctly less expansive - known as The Open Terrace this side was previously a thin uncovered concrete terrace. With the stadium's subsequent conversion to an all-seater venue this fell by the way side and now its only use is as a foundation for a 400 capacity uncovered seating area. It's primary purpose is to provide food outlets and toilets for the North Stand as well as the spot for the TV gantry. The North Stand and South Stand began life as uncovered concrete terraces but when the club were promoted to the top flight they failed seating capacity requirements forcing them to play at Aberdeen's Pittodrie Stadium some 100 miles down the road. In January 2005 work to convert them to covered all-seater stands was completed allowing Premiership football to be hosted for the first time. The northern end is used by home supporters and has a large car park behind it. The opposite end is provided to away fans with a smaller car park behind it.

This was the second leg of the play-off quarter-final to try and gain promotion into the Premiership. Inverness were in a commanding position having won 3-1 at Somerset Park in the first leg. Their aggregate lead was cut to one in the 20th minute when Ayr netted. A good ball was fizzed out to Declan McDaid on the right with McDaid getting to the byline and centring the ball. At the time the ball left McDaid's foot there were three home defenders versus one away attacker but inexplicably Liam Polworth and Kevin McHattie then ran towards where the ball had just come from opening space up for Luke McCowan to smack the ball into the roof of the net from the edge of the six yard box. The home side struggled in the first half and it wasn't until the 37th minute that they carved out their first decent effort at goal as Jordan White's shot was saved by Ross Doohan. This pattern continued into the second half with Inverness looking nervy. Ayr could have levelled the tie in the 72nd minute when substitute Michael Moffat set-up Robbie Crawford who failed to trouble Mark Ridgers in the home goal. The home side's concerns were settled ten minutes from the end of the ninety when Liam Polworth whipped in a free-kick from the left and Coll Donaldson got to the ball ahead of Ross Doohan to nod into the back of the net. This knocked the stuffing out of Ayr and a couple of minutes later Doohan had to be ready to deny Andy Murdoch's long-range effort to keep his side level on the day. The away side's threat melted away in the concluding minutes when Inverness securing passage to the semi-final and a meeting with Dundee United.

Result: Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1-1 Ayr United
Division: Scottish Championship
Attendance: 2,323

Ground #320 - Pittodrie Stadium

Date: 10th May 2019
Ground: Pittodrie Stadium
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland

My thirty-fifth new ground of 2019 was on Friday 10th May at Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen, Scotland. The match was Aberdeen vs. Heart of Midlothian in the Scottish Premiership.

Pittodrie Stadium is situated around a mile and a half north-east of the city centre and is also the same distance from Aberdeen railway station. The venue is a few hundred yards from the North Sea with just a golf course and driving range in between the eastern end of the stadium and the beach. Aside from car parks the rest of the ground is mainly bordered by housing. Built in 1899 the venue has been home to the club and its previous incarnation ever since.

The Main Stand runs the length of the northern flank of the field. Though only the third-largest stand at the ground it does contain many of the club facilities including the reception, shop and ticket office as well as the players and officials entrances and dressing rooms. The single-tier stand has seating split into two sections with eight roof supports at the front of the upper section which restricts the views of all behind this point. At the back area areas for club officials as well as executive boxes above the seating deck. The north-east corner has the players tunnel and a police control box. The South Stand is the largest capacity structure in the ground with it able to accommodate 8,400 supporters. This includes away fans who are positioned at its eastern extremity. The stand is a large single tier deck where seating has been affixed to what was originally a large concrete terrace. This has a cantilever roof which allows unimpeded views of the pitch though the cover does not extend to the front of the seating area. I found this when the rain started while sat eight rows from the front of the stand. The seating extends past the end of the pitch into south-west quadrant with this section being completely uncovered and having a slightly restricted view of the western end due to the roof of that stand. At the back of the middle of the stand is a flat concourse section with food and drink outlets and hanging from the roof is the TV gantry.

The Richard Donald Stand is the tallest strand so towers over the rest of Pittodrie. This is the only two-tier structure at the ground and has a capacity of around 6,000. It was built in 1993 to replace a large single-tier covered concrete terrace known as the Beach End. Similar to the South Stand in that it has a cantilever roof the views are uninterrupted while the sidewings to the stand ensure it is probably the most covered of the four sides of Pittodrie. As to be expected with a newer stand there are a row of a dozen executive boxes separating the two tiers with additional corporate facilities within the stand. The lowest side in the ground is the Merkland Stand behind the western goal. This stand has a couple of supporting beams towards the front of the stand to hold up the roof with a concourse along the back. This is the designated family end with its most notable feature being the granite facade by the entrance turnstiles.

This fixture was the penultimate one of the season for each side. While Hearts had nothing to play for there was still a chance for Aberdeen to nick the final Europa League place if they could better Kilmarnock's points haul over the final two games. The home side were better in the first thirty minutes with Max Lowe, Sam Cosgrove and departing captain Graeme Shinnie linking up well down the right. Even so there were no real clear-cut chances created until the fourth minute of injury time when Oliver Bozanic nudged Jamie Brandon's cross towards goal and Clévid Dikamona got on the end of it shooting at Joe Lewis from close range. The second half was a better affair and the hosts went close in the 52nd minute when space opened up for Sam Cosgrove to sprint into the area but he shot straight at visiting keeper Colin Doyle who deflected wide for a corner. A couple of minutes later Aberdeen did take the lead - James Wilson crossed the ball in from the right and a Hearts defender managed to deflect the ball into the path of Lewis Ferguson who wasted no time in smashing it past Doyle from 10 yards. The home side were an improved mood after this and in the 60th minute another Cosgrove effort from just inside the area was denied by Doyle. Against the run of play Hearts grabbed a 65th minute equaliser after some poor home defending. Oliver Bozanic's cross from the right was nodded on by two Hearts players before falling to Bobby Burns who steered a deflected effort towards the net with the ball just rolling out of reach of Joe Lewis before nestling in the bottom corner. Aberdeen retook the lead with 13 minutes left to play - again it was set-up by James Wilson on the right who crossed into the box where Greg Stewart curled it first time into the back of the net from 12 yards. The nearest Hearts came to an equaliser in the final minutes was Clévid Dikamona's looping header from the edge of the area which landed on the roof of the net while Greg Stewart went close at the other end after clipping the ball over Conor Shaughnessy before snatching a shot just wide of the post.

Result: Aberdeen 2-1 Heart of Midlothian
Division: Scottish Premiership
Attendance: 14,371

Ground #319 - Carmuirs Park

Date: 9th May 2019
Ground: Carmuirs Park
Location: Camelon, Falkirk, Scotland

My thirty-fourth new ground of 2019 was on Thursday 9th May at Carmuirs Park in Camelon, Falkirk, Scotland. The match was Camelon Juniors vs. Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic in the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup Semi-Final.

Camuirs Park is in the west of Falkirk on the banks of the Forth & Clyde Canal which borders the southern side of the ground. With the ground based in a residential area the remaining three sides back onto housing. Half a mile south of Camelon railway station, the venue has been home to the club since the early 1920s.

The North Enclosure is a five-level covered concrete terrace takes up most of the northern side of the field. At the back of the north-east end of the stand is a flat astroturf section with a few plastic seats placed atop it. Adjacent to this is the entrance turnstile and toilets. There is a small section of uncovered concrete terrace towards the western end. The South Enclosure is another covered concrete terrace - though it has seven rows to it the South Enclosure only takes up the middle third of this side so overall is smaller than its counterpart on the other side of Camuirs Park. In front of the stand are the two dugouts while there is a food outlet at the back. The area to the west of the stand is an uncovered terrace with a grass bank behind whole the eastern section is a mostly cordoned off uncovered terrace with a flat concrete section at the back.

The eastern end of the stadium has a uncovered terrace but most of this is cordoned off just leaving spectators access to a flat concrete section at the top of the terrace and a flat grass section behind this. The south-east corner then has shipping containers positioned in it. The western end is the least developed with it consisting only of an uncovered grass bank. An amusing feature you can also see at this end is one of the neighbouring properties which have built a mini-stand at the end of their garden to overlook the pitch.

This East of Scotland Qualifying Cup Semi-Final tie didn't have to wait long for a goal when Camelon took the lead in the 3rd minute. Alan Sneddon played in Alan Docherty on the edge of the box and while everyone waited for an offside flag Docherty drilled low past the keeper from ten yards. It could have been two-nil in the 21st minute when Bonnyrigg gave the ball away to Connor McMullan in a bad area and he let in Alan Docherty who shot just over from 18 yards. The visitors had to wait until the hour-hour stage before their first meaningful chance as Neil Martyniuk stung the palms of the keeper with a fizzing 25 yard drive. Camelon were so close to extending their lead three minutes before the interval - earlier scorer Alan Docherty sprinted down the right wing, got into the area and smacked a shot off the foot of the post. Just six minutes into the second period the hosts did grab a second and this one was all about Ryan Kane. The Camelon attacker did well down the middle, staying on his feet after an attempt to scythe him down. With the referee playing the advantage he laid off to Docherty on the right, continued his run into the box and when the ball found its way back into the area Kane steered a great finish into the far corner. Any thoughts the tie had been put to bed were extinguished in the 62nd minute when Bonnyrigg pulled a goal back after Ross Gray met Dean Hoskins cross from the byline before turning a defender and shooting low to the centre of the goal. The visitors turned the screw in the final stages throwing men forward. Camelon rode their luck at times but did waste a great chance themselves with a minute to go when Kieran Anderson went clean through and with plenty of time to pick a spot went straight at the keeper. It didn't matter in the end though as Camelon saw off injury time to see themselves into the final.

Result: Camelon Juniors 2-1 Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic
Competition: East of Scotland Qualifying Cup
Attendance: N/A

Ground #318 - Guy's Meadow

Date: 8th May 2019
Ground: Guy's Meadow
Location: Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, Scotland

My thirty-third new ground of 2019 was on Wednesday 8th May at Guy's Meadow in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The match was Cumbernauld United vs. Arthurlie in the West of Scotland Championship.

Guy's Meadow is located in the north-east of Cumbernauld in the 'village' area of the town just south of the M80 motorway. The complex is bordered by woods to the west and south, housing to the east and to the north is a road with a river at the side of it. The venue is a 2.5 mile walk from Cumbernauld railway station and has been home to the club since 1974.

The southern side of the ground has an eleven level concrete terrace for its whole duration. Unusually it continues beyond the western end of the pitch for quite some distance. This side has a covered section in the middle with uncovered sections either side. At the back of the terracing in the south-east corner is a snack bar and a surprisingly nice clubhouse and bar. There is then a separate designated smoking area in a garden-esque structure at the very back of this.

The only other side with spectator facilities is the eastern end. Leading through car park and into the entrance turnstiles this end has an uncovered hard standing walkway for most of its length. There is a dressing room building in the north-east corner but spectators are barred from standing near this. Behind this end is an artificial cage pitch. The ground is only effectively only a one and three-quarter side affair with the northern and western end off limits. The northern side has the two dugours while the western end has four artificial mini pitches behind the goal. Another slightly unusual feature is that the artificial pitches at either end are floodlit but the main pitch is not.

The match was a battle for the final Championship promotion place with the sides in 4th and 3rd respectively ahead of the evening's tie. There was a goal almost instantly as Arthurlie netted with barely 100 seconds on the clock. A corner found Liam Mushet who saw his shot blocked on the line. However the ball kept bouncing around the danger zone with James Marks managing to tuck away from close range. Cumbernauld were behind for only nine minutes though when Kieran McAleennan cutting inside the area before curling a great shot into the far corner of the net from 15 yards. The hosts had the better of the first half going close in the 22nd minute as Connor Stephenson's hard 25 yard effort was tipped over by the keeper. It was little surprise to see thr home side take the lead just three minutes after this - a through ball to Connor Scullion beat the offside trap allowing him time to stroke past the keeper with ease. Cumbernauld could have gone in two goals to the good but Connor Stevenson headed over Paddy McCabe's whipped cross six minutes before the break. After the interval the pattern continued with Scullion doing well initially to nick the ball off a defender after his misjudged a bounce in the six yard box. He then snatched at his shot and dragged it wide. In the 68th minute Arthurlie unexpectedly equalised - after great work down the left the ball was crossed in and headed towards goal. The home keeper then suffered a howler as he allowed it to slip through his legs and over the line. The pendulum now appeared to be swinging back to Arthurlie and with 14 minuted left a cross into the Cumbernauld box caused consternation between defenders and keeper with the ball just staying out. There was then a frenetic end to the proceedings with Cumbernauld being awarded a 90th minute penalty after the keeper brought down an attacker. Tony Stevenson went to the goalie's right and saw his shot saved. Then at the death Arthurlie nearly pinched it when a free-kick was floated in, an away attacker slid in and the keeper saved on the line to restrict both sides to a point.

Result: Cumbernauld United 2-2 Arthurlie

Division: West of Scotland Championship

Attendance: N/A

Ground #317 - Links Park

Date: 7th May 2019
Ground: Links Park
Location: Montrose, Angus, Scotland

My thirty-second new ground of 2019 was on Tuesday 7th May at Links Park in Montrose, Angus, Scotland. The match was Montrose vs. Queen of the South in the Scottish Championship Play-Off Semi-Final.

As with many older grounds Links Park is situated in the heart of a residential community with housing surrounding the stadium on all four sides. It is however just a stone's throw from the cricket and rugby club beyond the row of houses on the east. The venue is half a mile east of Montrose railway station and has been home to the club since 1887.

The entrance turnstiles are at the end of a road on the western side of Links Park. Upon entering the club shop is the first thing you will see before turning right to enter the arena. This end has a twelve row covered concrete terrace which curves inward at its northern end. The stand runs for two-thirds of the length behind the goal and has a capacity of 1,582. In front and to the south of the stand is a large flat uncovered gravel section. The southern side has the main stand at the ground. The Bryan D. Keith Stand is a 1,338 capacity all-seater stand with a cantilever roof providing good views of the game. This stand, built in the 1990s, has the players tunnel and dugouts at the bottom with a directors section in the middle accessed via separate doors in the middle of the stand. The stand takes up the middle third of this side with a flat uncovered area to the east and shipping containers to the west including a food outlet.

The remaining stand at the venue is a five level uncovered concrete terrace at the eastern end. This has a flat grass section atop it with barriers to rest on. This end tapers slightly towards the southern end and has netting behind the viewing area to catch any loose balls from ending up in the adjacent road or houses. The northern side of Links Park is the only one with no structures with it just consisting of uncovered flat concrete. This side is though fairly spacious so good room for supporters.

The tie was the first leg of the Championship Play-Off Semi-Final. Montrose went in as the underdogs having qualified by finishing 4th in League One, their highest finish in the Scottish league system since 1992. Queen of the South on the other hand were fighting for survival after finishing 9th in the Championship. The first half was pretty even with few saves required - the visitors went close int he 11th minute when a ball was crossed into the box for Lyndon Dykes who controlled it and shot low back off the post. Dykes missed another opportunity in the 42nd minute when he picked up the ball on the right side of the area but dragged wide with only the keeper to beat. Within sixty seconds this proved costly as the ball went up the other end and while bouncing around the away box Ross Campbell reacted quickly to slide past Alan Martin putting Montrose a goal up at the break. Queen of the South continued pushing after the break and had good chances in the 56th and 58th minutes. The first saw Connor Murray lay off to Fraser Aird who shot just wide of the post from the edge of the area. The second saw Murray take a shot this time from a similar position with Allan Fleming getting down well to save. An equaliser looked on the cards and it duly arrived ten minutes after this - an away counter-attack saw the ball sent over to Murray who whacked it into the top corner from 25 yards leaving Fleming stranded. Queen of the South had worked hard to get level so their fans were unhappy to see them immediately throw this away but going behind again straight from the restart. Montrose punted the ball to the right wing where it was crossed into the area and Ross Campbell were there to trap the ball, spin round and drill home from six yards. After this it was the League One side who had the better of the play and were a whisker away from extending their lead in the 86th minute when Terry Masson ran into the area on the right and cracked a fierce shot back off the crossbar. The hosts dug in with some great tackles in the closing minutes to give themselves a lead heading into the second leg at Palmerston Park.

Result: Montrose 2-1 Queen of the South
Division: Scottish Championship
Attendance: 1,124