Tag Archives: Scotland

Taking Stock… again!

03 Wednesday Jun 2026

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Saturday 14th March 2026 ko 13:15

Lowland League

COWDENBEATH 0

BERWICK RANGERS 2 (Binnie 1 16)

Att 406

Entry £11

Programme £3.50

You could say GroundhopUK and Cowdenbeath go back a fair way. After all Chris Berezai and I visited Central Park back in 2008 to watch Annan Athletic’s first game in the Scottish League, from then the Blue Brazil’s fortunes rocketed, the club were playing in what is now called the Scottish Championship in 2010. But from that zenith the club’s form plummeted, and by the time we visited Kelty Hearts on the 2018 Hop, Cowdenbeath were back in the bottom tier of the SPFL. The assumption seemed to be that Kelty would swap places with the Fife neighbours.

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Albert

02 Tuesday Jun 2026

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Saturday 14th March 2026 ko 10:45

East of Scotland League – Division Two

LOCHGELLY ALBERT 1 (Donald 7og)

INVERKEITHING HILLFIELD SWIFTS 4 (Vannett 3 Shears 13 48 87)

Att 303

Entry £7

Programme £2

I always look forward to GroundhopUK’s visits to the Kingdom of Fife but sadly on this occasion the news wasn’t good, one of the coach drivers had been rushed to hospital after collapsing at a filling station. His condition wasn’t life threatening, thank God, and his wife was travelling from South Wales to Dunfermline Hospital to be with him.

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The Enclosure Act

31 Sunday May 2026

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Friday 13th March 2026 ko 19:30

East of Scotland League Premier Division

HUTCHISON VALE 3 (Forster 17 57 Wilson-Need 57)

WHITBURN JUNIOR 2 (Nicolson 66 75)

Att 246

Entry £8

Programme £2

In groundhopping terms at least, a trip to Edinburgh’s Saughton Enclosure was long overdue. We’d planned on visiting as the 4th game on the Saturday of the Scottish Hop back in 2018. That was the year of the cold snap- it was bad enough at the Oriam Indoors, so losing the game at the then titled Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale was not necessarily bad news!!

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West, yes!

13 Tuesday May 2025

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Sunday 16th March 2025 ko 12:30

East of Scotland League Third Division

LINTON HOTSPUR 2 (Martin 4 McLean 49)

LIVINGSTON UNITED 0

Att 372

Entry £5

Programme £2

Sunday’s fixture on the Scottish Hop saw a complete change of locale. We’d spent a day and a half visiting industrial, and post-industrial towns in the Central Belt. Now it was time to head south and make for the border.

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Wee Help

06 Tuesday May 2025

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Saturday 15th March 2025 ko 10:45

Lowland League

ALBION ROVERS 0

BO’NESS UNITED 0

Att 379

Entry £11

Programme £2

Sometimes I do worry that people forget one of the points of the organized groundhop. Yes, part of it is to allow groundhoppers to tick off multiple grounds over a weekend, but it’s just as much there to act as a fundraiser for the host clubs, and perhaps never before has that side of these events been so important as here.

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Creamery

30 Wednesday Apr 2025

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Saturday 15th March 2025 ko 16:30

East of Scotland League- Second Division

BATHGATE THISTLE 0

EASTHOUSES LILY MWFC 3 (Leslie 44 Dyer 53 Elliott 72)

Att 307

Entry £7

Programme £2

Sat on the coach heading from West Calder to Bathgate I checked social media and was a little surprised. I knew we’d lose a few hoppers for the middle two games, despite our normal attempts to minimise this form of drift. I spotted a few (and I do mean a few) hoppers had opted to miss West Calder and Bathgate in favour of one SPFL game. I allowed myself a raised eyebrow but no more.

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The Five Sisters

23 Wednesday Apr 2025

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Saturday 15th March 2025 ko 13:45

East of Scotland League Division Two

WEST CALDER UNITED 4 (Wilkins 21 45 McConnell 66 Young 83og)

KENNOWAY STAR HEARTS 3 (Nugent 23 Lawrie 54 Walker 90+1p)

Att 336

Entry £8

Programme £2

From Harthill it seemed like no distance at all to West Calder, another village that owes its existance to the mining industry- in this case shale. We passed “The Five Sisters” on the way- huge bings, or spoil heaps that sadly you can’t see from Hermand Park.

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The Lothian Question

15 Tuesday Apr 2025

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Saturday 15th March ko 11:00

East of Scotland League Division Two

HARTHILL ROYAL 1 (Strickland 66)

Carroll missed penalty 59

DALKEITH THISTLE 0

Att 328 (ground record)

Entry £5

Programme £2

Sometimes it’s what, sometimes its where, but in the case of Harthill Royal is was definately a case of both! The small town of Harthill lies close to Whitburn and like there, owes much of its existance to coal mining – in this case the Polkemmet Colliery. Back in the day Gibbshill Park was known as Beechbank Park and was home to Polkemmet Juniors. When the mine closed in 1984 the football club lasted only another 4 years.

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Caracas

08 Tuesday Apr 2025

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Friday 14th March 2025 ko 19:45

Lowland League

CUMBERNAULD COLTS 2 (Duncan 10og Ross 40)

BROXBURN ATHLETIC 0

Att 375 at Broadwood Stadium

Entry £6

Programme £2

It is always a brutal journey to the Scottish Hop but for me it’s great joy has been watching it’s evolution. From a conversation at Camelon Juniors in 2014, Jamie McQueen’s stirling work while at Whitehill Welfare, Chris Berezai’s marathon driving stints to meet the Lowland League, through to that first game at East Kilbride this event has never come with the huge history of the organised hop south of the border.

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Wish You The Best

23 Tuesday Apr 2024

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Sunday 17th March 2024 ko 12:00

East of Scotland League-Division One

WHITBURN JUNIOR 1 (Liddell 65)

WHITEHILL WELFARE 0

Att 540

Entry £8

Programme £2

I came into this game with a little inside knowledge. I knew just how fortunate we’d been that the Sauchie Juniors but I also knew from Craig Dabbs just how nervous Whitburn were over the state of their pitch. He’d been there on Friday morning to collect their programmes for advance ticket holders, saw how hard they were working in their pitch, and clearly built up an excellent working relationship with Ann Haddow the club secretary. Now no organiser likes to see a postponement, but that relationship meant we all felt that little bit extra pressure.

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