Saturday 28th May 2016 ko 14.30

SJFA East of Scotland Cup Semi-Final

BO’NESS UNITED 4 (Donnelly 9 Snowdon 37 Wright 61 Walker 90)

FORFAR WEST END 0

Att c450

Entry £5

No Programme

You really don’t need a map to find out where you are in Bo’ness. To the south Falkirk and the Grangemouth Oil Refinery looms large, and the town lies on the southern banks of the Firth of Forth, and as such was a site for ship-breaking businesses until the 1970’s. There’s a heritage railway, the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway that runs for 5 miles from the town. But the obvious quirk here is the name, how did that apostrophe find its way in?

The correct name is Borrowstounness, a corruption of the Old English “Beornweardstun” meaning “Beornweard’s town” which was in turn corrupted into the Scots “Borrowstoun” meaning “Town with a charter.  Perhaps the convoluted derivation is why the name is almost always abbreviated!

Newtown Park is packed with history. It dates from the 1880’s and was first home to Bo’ness FC who played in the Scottish League from 1921 to 1933. They played one season in Division One after winning the Division Two title in 1927 but were expelled from the league during the 1932-33 season after failing to provide financial match guarantees to visiting clubs. They carried on in various leagues including the East of Scotland, but after the Second World War merged with Bo’ness Cadora to form today’s club, and have played Junior football ever since.

It goes without saying that the place is precisely what a groundhopper loves, and it would have looked still more spectacular with the main stand still in situ, but even without it Newtown Park remains perfect for the club’s needs, and for this game, the cup competition for the East Region there was a an air of expectation with Superleague Premier Bo’ness taking on Premier League Forfar West End. Could there be a shock?

Despite the scoreline it could have happened, West End hit the post early on, but after that Bo’ness gradually turned the screw, and even managed the luxury of missing a penalty, Will Snowdon tucking home after initially missing the spot kick. But in the end the hosts won easily, and will meet Dundonald Bluebell at Bathgate Thistle’s Creamery Park on 11th June. I have to say I’m tempted….