Tag Archives: Scotland

Bleach

03 Wednesday Apr 2024

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Saturday 16th March 2024 ko 11:15

East of Scotland League- Premier Division

LUNCARTY 5 (Woolley 21 McLaughlin 32 Davies 34 40p Scarborough 84)

CROSSGATES PRIMROSE 3 (Sutherland 3 Muirhead 31 77)

Att 386

Entry £7

Programme £2

There are so many reasons to love the Scottish Hop. For me though there’s far more to it than just the chance to visit new places and to put more ticks in my imaginary black book. One of the great joys is the time I get to spend with Davie Baxter, secretary of the league. It’s got to a point where I arm myself with a couple of hopefully erudite questions to ask him. And this year the question was one of boundaries.

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A Long Way To The Top

02 Tuesday Apr 2024

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Friday 15th March 2024 ko 19:45

East of Scotland League Division Two

ARMADALE THISTLE 3 (Jackson 13 Strickland 84 Wood 86)

ORMISTON PRIMROSE 2 (Adrian 11 43)

Att 436

Entry £6

Programme £2

Ridin’ on the highway,

Goin’ to a show 
Stop in all the byways
Playin’ rock ‘n’ roll…

I tell you, folks
It’s harder than it looks

Bon Scott 1975

The coach had already been on the road for over 4 hours before it reached Robyn and I in Lewknor. From Cardiff to Perth via London isn’t most folks’ idea of normal, but I don’t think there’s too many folks who think us hoppers are entirely sane…

I felt under certain amount of pressure for this hop. Part of it was the loss of the two Blackpool games on the North West Counties Hop, we really didn’t want to lose a game on each of the last three hops. But much more than that, was where were heading.

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Cuik

04 Thursday May 2023

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Sunday 19th March 2023 ko 12:15

East of Scotland League – Premier Division

PENICUIK ATHLETIC 0

Mair sent off (2nd booking) 38

LOTHIAN THISTLE HUTCHINSON VALE 1 (J Viola 77)

Att 398

Entry £8

Programme £2

It was in a couple of ways a bruising Scottish Hop. Obviously my wife Robyn’s tumble down the stand at Tynecastle made that statement literal, but the fact that I was driving the advance party around with a dying clutch made it figurative too. I parked up by Penicuik Park, and exhaled. At least on the way home I could to a large extent, stick the car in sixth gear, and forget about the clutch. Continue reading →

Jim

27 Thursday Apr 2023

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Saturday 15th March 2023 ko 19:45

East of Scotland League Premier Division

MUSSELBURGH ATHLETIC 0

BROXBURN ATHLETIC 4 (Wright 18 Douglas 45 65 Brass 70p)

Att 557

Entry £8

Programme £2

In so many ways Olivebank Stadium was the pivot point of Robyn and I’s 2023 Scottish Hop. After Robyn’s fall at Tynecastle the previous day it was the point where the hoppers realised that my wife may have been sore but had sustained no long-term damage, so they switched from asking whether she was okay to taking the mickey. I must admit we found the latter more comforting.

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The Mill

20 Thursday Apr 2023

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Saturday 18th March 2023 ko 14:00

East of Scotland League Premier Division

HADDINGTON ATHLETIC 1 (McGarry 75)

DUNDONALD BLUEBELL 3 (Hall 11 Cameron 32 Lumsden 86)

Lumsden sent off 90 (violent conduct)

Att 462

Entry £7

Programme £2

Can I admit to have being a little twitchy about the hop game at Haddington? I knew that the ground was going to be tucked away, and so getting people in and out on a 4-games-in-a-day schedule might be an issue. For no reason whatsoever I’d looked at my programme the night before, and it was an excellent publication. I’m not sure why I felt comforted, a car with a failing clutch, and wife Robyn struggling after her fall at Tynecastle was more than enough reason to worry after all. It was a case of judging a book by its cover, or more accurately a club by its magazine. Continue reading →

Pullman

17 Monday Apr 2023

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Saturday 18th March 2023 ko 11:15

East of Scotland League Division One

DUNBAR UNITED 0

McFarlane sent off 22 (dangerous play)

Walker penalty saved 80

Hare sent off 90 (violent conduct)

COLDSTREAM 1 (Briggs 77)

Att 553

Entry £7

Programme £2

We limped into Saturday both literally and figuratively. Robyn was rather sore after her fall down the stand at Tynecastle and the car’s clutch was clearly on its way out, sticking in the down position when I really didn’t want it to. I headed along the M8 towards Hermiston Gait, and hoped.  Continue reading →

The Right People

11 Tuesday Apr 2023

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Friday 17th March 2023 ko 19:45

East of Scotland League Premier Division

TYNECASTLE 2 (Hamilton 5 77)

Blaney sent off 12 (dangerous play)

SAUCHIE JUNIORS 3 (Hutchison 23 secs Columbine 60 Morgan 67)

Hutchinson sent off 3 (foul & abusive)

Att 448

Entry £8

Programme £2

I was under pressure. I was driving my wife Robyn and Craig Dabbs up to Edinburgh as the GroundhopUK advance party. Our role was to collate the 6 sets of programmes for the weekend’s hop into ticket and programme packs for those who had bought prebooked tickets. For once the M6 behaved, but my clutch wasn’t, and despite a litre of clutch fluid bought from a lad in Halfords, Hamilton who seemed happy to have someone to talk to, the concern was would we get to Meggetland, then get round the grounds? Continue reading →

Fields Of Fire

06 Friday May 2022

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Sunday 20th March 2022 ko 12:15

East of Scotland League- Division One Conference B

OAKLEY UNITED 2 (Love 20 40)

EASTHOUSES LILY MINERS WELFARE 1 (Goodlad 37og)

Inglis penalty saved 44

Att 365

Entry £6

Programme £2

The final game of the Scottish Hop is an odd one. Part of me would like a second game on the Sunday but coach drivers’ hours make that impossible and I do tend to change my mind about it when I type “Oxford” into the satnav as I leave the final game; I certainly did here! Continue reading →

Restless Natives

05 Thursday May 2022

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Saturday 19th March 2022 ko 19:45

East of Scotland League- Premier Division

HILL OF BEATH HAWTHORN 3 (Connelly 19 49 Allum 90p)

LINLITHGOW ROSE 1 (Sneddon 34)

Att 584

Entry £7

Programme £2

Perhaps it’s the floodlights but there’s always a sense of heightened expectation associated with the final game on the Saturday on the Scottish Hop. For one thing the league always schedules us an excellent game and this time round we’d spent the whole event with programme editor with Dave Edler and it was clear that both he, and the club had thought deeply about what was going to happen that evening. That started by the way with Dave’s programme, one of the best we’ve ever seen on one of these events. 

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Where The Rose Is Sown

02 Monday May 2022

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Saturday 19th March 2022 ko 17:00

East of Scotland League Premier Division

DUNDONALD BLUEBELL 1 (Sibanda 40p)

TRANENT JUNIORS 3 (Maugham 12 76 Renton 36)

Att 371

Entry £7

Programme £2

Just as it was at Crossgates parking was an issue at Cardenden, but again simple planning and cooperation made it all work efficiently. But I hear your question, he said Cardenden and not Dundonald, so where were we?

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