Greenock Morton

Scottish Championship
Greenock Morton 1 Hibernian 1 
Gate £18
Atten 2156 

(looked at least 3500)
Pies £1.50
Coffee £1

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What a fantastic ground Cappielow Park is , and it just oozed charm. The main stand covers the full length of the pitch. On the opposite side is a massive covered terrace which takes you back to the good old days of watching football. Both ends behind the goals are open standing and very spacious. The pitch was in fantastic condition.
Catering was of a high standard and the prices were both value & sensible. The whole feel around the ground was relaxed and enjoyable. The only downside was due to darkness i was unable to enjoy the views from the ground.

The match was an enjoyable one and it always kept the attention. Morton played very well and finally scored with ten minutes remaining. But Hibs equalised minutes later with an excellent free kick. FT 1-1 not an unfair result by any means. Very easy leaving the ground with no issues before starting the long journey home ...

Fantastic day out where i was able to visit two iconic Scottish football grounds and both of which will live long in the memory.

Ardrossan Winton Rovers

Ayrshire District League
Ardrossan Winton Rovers 3 
Saltcoats Victoria 0
Gate £5
Atten 100ish

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Ardrossan has a population of around 11,000 and has close roots with neighbouring Saltcoats and Stevenston. The town’s roots date back to the 12^th century and the construction of its castle; the town grew in the 18^th and 19^th centuries due to its coastal situation based around exports of coal and pig iron to Europe and North America. Ardrossan later became a centre for shipbuilding of fishing vessels and small cargo boats.The town also became known for the ferry services to Brodick on the Isle of Arran which commenced in 1834 and which continue to this day; later to Belfast and the Isle of Man which started in the late 19^th century and which have now ceased. These days Ardrossan is part of a regeneration area, overseen by the Irvine Bay Regeneration Company and there were plenty of positive signs to be seen as I wandered around the town before the game. The seafront area is well maintained, the beach was clean and many locals and tourists were taking the opportunity to make the most of low tide while the developed Marina area had signs of great potential.

Winton Park has been the home of Winton Rovers for most of their existence and was bought from Lord Eglinton in 1923 for £160. Today the whole place looked majestic in the winter sunshine. The pitch looked fantastic and the main stand looked over everything like a headmaster in school assembly. The welcome given by the club's officials was a genuinely warm one. They felt proud that someone has traveled long distance and taking interest in 'their' club. I was immediately offered a private tour of the ground which included sampling the award winning pies.

In this league there is no messing about both teams coming out together and shaking hands. They came out individually at 1.44pm and within under a minute the game was underway. The game itself in the first half was not the greatest with league leaders Ardrossan looking a bit sluggish according to the locals. The vernacular used by the locals clearly displayed their frustration. But the game heated up big style after half time as Ardrossan finally made the breakthrough after having a player sent off for hacking down a Saltcoats player who seconds before had chopped him in half. Ardrossan went on to score a second , have another player sent off and even manage a third goal after a 'keystone cops' moment in the Saltcoats defence. In the end the 3-0 scoreline made it look like a comfortable victory. But in reality it was far from that.

I loved Winton Street and the warmth given by the locals , even if i didn't understand what they were saying due to their strong accents.

 

Baslow FC

QF Derbyshire Cup 
Baslow 3 Cote Heath 2
  atten 10






 





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Within a 4 iron (down wind) of the beautiful Chatsworth House lies the lovely Derbyshire village of Baslow. Not far from Bakewell.
Baslow Sports Club is situated on the busy main road through the village. Within the complex lies a tennis club , cricket club, a caged 5-a-side,two football pitches and an impressive club pavillion with a bar/lounge. The setting is peaceful with lovely views as far as the eye can see. 

Despite the recent vandalism the pitch looked in superb nick which helped both teams produce a cracking end to end cup tie, only settled by a late penalty.
Both teams gave as good as they got and the game could of swung either way. The final of this cup competition is held a Matlock Town's Causeway Lane ground and is one of the more prestige cup competitions within the Hope Valley.

Once again the Hope Valley League has produced excellent entertainment and plenty of goals. The five matches i have seen so far have produced 30 goals.