Day Twenty Five: Dunfermline Athletic (East End Park)

Dunfermline Athletic v Partick Thistle

Scottish Division 1

Tuesday 14th December

I'm sat at my desk at work when I'm happily interupted by a phonecall from my dad. He's calling with the news that after a second pitch inspection, the Falkirk game's off; there's only one other game on tonight and that's Dunfermline Athletic v Partick Thistle.

It's a shame the Falkirk games off as it means that my mate Andy, the Dunfermline fan, who returns from a 6 month trip jet setting around the globe on the 23rd December. So far I've managed to put my dad off visiting East End Park in the hope that Andy, currently on a round the world trip, would have been able to join us but unfortunately he's going to miss out on our trip to East End Park. Sorry mate, but perhaps we can catch them away from home at some point.

With the road congestion around Edinburgh city centre I decide it makes more sense for me to meet my dad at his house rather than him struggle across town to pick me up at work then turn round and go back the same way. I was hoping for a 5pm finish, but it's nearer 6pm by the time I get away. I then make a schoolboy error and drive along Queensferry Road to Cramond. Thank god I don't have to drive out there every day, I'd go mental stuck in all that traffic.

It's almost 6.40pm by the time I pull into my parents street and find my dad sat in the car with the engine running and the heater on. He tells me he's checked the Dunfermline website and has learnt the car park beside the ground will be open, so hopefully we'll take our seats in time for the 7.30pm kick off.

After an easy drive over the bridge and into Dunfermline we're then surprised to see a road closed sign being guarded by a traffic warden. He tells us that not only is the car park shut, all on street parking is also prohibited too and the nearest car park is up the road, and through two roundabouts.

The car park we find our way to still has a covering of snow and ice in places and you'd have thought that as the police have instructed fans to use this car park that they might have made it a little safer. Once out of the car it's an even more dangerous trek to the ground, walking through the 'tundra' as my dad called it was an experience not to be repeated as my dad tells me we'll be walking round the long way. Fair enough as there were several times I thought I was going to have to dive in there and stop my dad from taking a tumble.

Standing outside the front of the stadium to get my photo taken I notice a bloke watching us, for a while I thought he was going to offer to take a picture with both my dad and I in it. His offer as it turns out is much better than that, he asks 'Are you paying to get in tonight?'. He gets a nod of agreement from me and then offers me his season ticket booklet and says 'you might as well use this seeing as I'm on my own tonight'. I ask him if he's serious and yes he was. Brilliant, that's £17 more towards Christmas presents.

Once through the turnstile I hand him back his season ticket and ask him if he wants any money for the pass or if I can in fact buy him a programme. He turns to me and says he gets them for free as his son plays for Dunfermline, so I thank him for the game and tell him I hope his son scores the winner, he laughs and says 'I doubt it, he's a centre half'.

My dad follows behind me and as we walk up the steps towards our seat he passes to me a ticket and says that another bloke asked him the same question, 'Are you paying to get in?' and offers up his spare ticket. We reckon it's karma after the winter wonderland walk through the snow to the ground.

Seeing as we've saved £27 I'm off to the pie stand to spend my money. They don't have a pie stand here, they've got a cafeteria and it looks like it's stocked and run by Stephens the bakery. I use the excuse that I've not had any dinner when I arrive back at our seats with two scotch pie's and two bridies. (Editor's note: these were steak bridies as oppose to Forfar bridies)

The pie turns out to be a disappointment. It's very salty, very greasy and way too hot. A five out of ten at a push reckons my dad. The bridie on the other hand is lovely, the pastry is great, the filling is plentiful and it takes me an age to finish it.

Dunfermline run out to a belter of a tune - Into the Valley by The Skids.

Dunfermline, the current Division One leaders are first to try their luck. It's good work down the line by Calum Woods, who passes it on to Graham who then beats his defender and fires a great ball across the six yard box but it fails to find an team mate.

Partick Thistle, who according to my dad have the best strip in Scotland, go close after ten minutes when Paton plays a deep ball to the back post where Paton catches it on the volley and it looks to be flying in until a deflection takes it past the post.

The home side are playing the more attractive football, with lots of neat one touch passes and it's from one of these passages of play that Graham almost catches the keeper out with a floated shot that clips the top of the crossbar and goes behind.

Simon Donnelly had a header on target for Partick but it's well saved by Smith in goal.

Woods then tries a delicate dinked ball over the last line of the Dunfermline defence but it's just a little to hard and it bounces through to the keeper. After the big centre defender makes a hash of turning to chase after the ball, the bloke beside me says to his mate 'he couldn't turn in a bloody car park!'.

After a Partick player is brought down and is treated by his medic, a voice in the crowd shouts out 'Dig a hole and bury him', nice eh?

The Dunfermline players and fans are claiming for a penalty just before half time as it looked like McDougall was pulled over in the box. It would have been a soft penalty, but as my dad has said we've seen them given for less this season.

Half time comes and the next forty five minutes have to improve as this has been a dull game so far.

Dunfermline come out with more purpose in the second half but it's a good fifteen minutes Graham makes a good run to the each of the box, he plays a good ball down the line to Cardle who instead of crossing the ball tried to shoot from an impossible angle and ballooned it miles over the bar. The crowd, especially the bloke sat beside us are not pleased.

Jim McIntyre, the Dunfermline manager, responds by making a double substitution on the hour mark. It's another five minutes before Scott Fox, the Partick keeper, has to make the first save of the second half. With twenty minutes left a brilliant defensive header by Partick's Boyle prevents Willis from knocking it in at the back post. At the other end of the park, a Buchanan cross is headed goal-wards by Rowson. The ball bounces in front of the Chris Smith in goal and he only grabs it at the second attempt.

Dunfermline's Clarke was booked for dissent after screaming at the referee after a very close offside decision. Moments later he was almost celebrating a goal when he got on the end of a cross but his effort went just wide.

Partick Thistle almost sneaked it at the end when Flannigan created space for himself and shot just wide from twenty five yards.

The final whistle goes and we've just witnessed our first nil nil draw of the campaign. In truth it's been a really dull game, even duller than the Queens Park v Albion Rovers game. Twenty five games before we witness a dull no scoring game in Scotland has been a pretty good effort.

My dad's off to watch Kilmarnock next weekend on his lonesome so tonight was my last game off 2010. Next game for me is the Edinburgh derby on New Years Day, I'm going to go out on a ledge here and predict there will be a bit more bite and entertainment in that game.

Merry Christmas to y'all, see you in 2011. x

The Statistics

Ticket: Adult £16, Concession £11

Programme: £2.50

Attendance: 1,743

Pie: £1.60

Pie Marks: 5 / 10

Man of the Match: Dad - David Graham (Dunfermline) Me - Paul Cairney (Partick Thistle)

Final Score: Dunfermline Athletic 0 v Partick Thistle 0

Mileage: 28 miles

Fascinating Fact of the Day: The late great Jock Stein started his managerial at Dunfermline. He led them to their first Scottish Cup, beating Celtic 2 - 0 in a replay in 1961.

Next game: Tynecastle (Heart of Midlothian)

Day Twenty Four: Greenock Morton (Cappielow Park)

Greenock Morton v Dundee
Scottish Division 1
Saturday 11th December

Well we're back on the road after a few weeks hiatus due to the weather. We had three options available today, Partick Thistle, Dunfermline & Morton. We decide on Morton hoping that by going to the furthest away ground we'll be rewarded with a fine game of football. I'm just hoping that the game will be on once we get there.


Andy; we're going to hang fire going to East End Park till after the 23rd December, that is when you're home isn't it? (Editor's note - correct at time of going to press).

I don't have to be at my dad's until 12.45pm but seeing as Emma needs the motor this morning to get out to her folks house for 11am it's an early drop off for me at 10.30am at ma & pa Pattison. A pleasant surprise greets me as the front door is opened by my youngest nephew Max; the time flies playing snap, the jumping on the bed game and Lego and suddenly my dad's waiting for me in the car and we're off.


After the devastation the snow and ice has caused for the last week or so my dad is a little worried that this thaw will mean that the traffic on the M8 will be heaving and that it will take us a while to get to Greenock. Traffic's lighter than expected and we drive straight through Glasgow with ease and arrive at the car park adjacent to the ground about 1.45pm. It's way way too cold to think about leaving the car until for at least another 45 minutes though.

When we do leave the car, we wander down the hill and find that the Morton Club shop is located in a lorry trailer parked outside the ground. It's one of those trailers that look likes it could be a chip van but instead of deep fat fryers and battered sausage its full of hats, scarves and luckily for my dad pin badges.


I don't know if many of you have been to Cappielow before, the two ends behind the goal are open to the elements, the stand opposite the dug-outs, known as the 'Cowshed' has half seating / half terracing so we decide on the main stand which is all seated & covered. We indulge in what has now become the pre-match pie and take it to our seats. After trying to squeeze into a couple of seats, my dad decides he needs to find a seat on the aisle as there is very little room for his 6ft 4" frame. It's almost as tight a squeeze as Albion Rovers ground.

The pie was strange. It was toasting and the meaty contents were spot on but the pastry crust was weird, it was it looked like it hadn't been cooked and the texture was all soft and spongy. All in all a 7 out of 10 effort.


The two teams run out and it's good to see both sides are wearing their home strips. It's Morton who are making all the running early doors. Six minutes in and the Morton fans are shouting for a penalty as a cross comes off the hand of the Dundee centre half McKeown. Morton are pinging the ball from one side of the pitch to the other, their right midfielder Allan Jenkins is winning everything in the air and the pace of the left winger O'Brien was causing the Dundee defence difficulty.

A rasping shot from Jenkins is saved brilliantly by Douglas but the ball falls right at the feet of Brian Graham who somehow managed to put it over the bar. I reckon even Chris Iwelumo would have scored that one.

On the far side of the ground there are a bunch of Morton fans doing the bouncy bouncy and to be honest it looks quite enjoyable and at least they'll be keeping warm in the blistering cold.

Dundee force a corner mid-way through the first half and it's floated over to the back post where Forsyth meets it on the half volley but it's saved by Colin Stewart. Leigh Griffiths is next to try his luck but his tame effort is easily saved.

Dundee defender Weston's attempted clearance smacks off the back of one of his team mates straight into the path of Morton's O'Brien who leathers it towards goal. Rab Douglas pulls of a wonderful save but his parry falls straight to Graham who with an open goal must score. Unbelievably for the second time in this half he manages to hit it over the bar. Chump!

Shortly before half time a cross Jenkins heads the ball over Douglas and looks certain to open the scoring but a great clearance off the line by Forsyth.

The sides go in level at half time, perhaps this is a bit unfair on Morton who've certainly had the lions share of possession. During the half time break the stadium announcer thanks the Italian branch of the Greenock Morton supporters club for making their annual pilgrimage to Cappielow.

The second half kicks off. Dundee have the first chance of the half with a free kick just on the edge of the box, but it's smashed straight into the wall. Up the other end of the park, a shot by Tidser is again saved brilliantly by Douglas. There are two blokes sat behind us who comment on the fact that the last time these two sides met here it was Rab Douglas who kept Dundee in the game and it looks like he's going to do the same here.

With just under half an hour to go Dundee are awarded a penalty. After a period of pinball inside the box O'Donnell is chopped down and Matthew Lockwood tucks it away in the bottom left hand corner. It's an undeserved lead.

Leigh Griffiths tries to double their lead with an audacious effort from forty yards but it sails miles wide and his team mates are quick to let him now their displeasure. A Douglas clearance falls to Harkins who controls it on the bounce, takes a couple of touches and smacks it on the volley but it ends up going just wide.

Goal for Morton! A brilliant cross from the right wing is headed in by Brian Graham, who finally gets one on target. The crowd go mental. Their joy is cut short by the linesman on the far side who signals for offside. Judging by the abuse he got from the fans up that end of the park I'm guessing it's a close call.

Griffiths picked up a soft booking with minutes to go when he refused to give the ball back for a Morton free kick. He's lucky not to get himself sent off in the final minute as he takes about two minutes to take a corner.

The game finishes and Dundee leave with the three points. An undeserved three points though.

It's good to get back on the trail, and although it's not been the greatest game we are happy that it didn't finish nothing each. Twenty four games in and we've yet to witness a nil nil draw, here's hoping I've not jinxed it.

The Statistics
Ticket: Adult £17, Concession £11
Programme: £2
Attendance: 1568
Pie: £1.30
Pie Marks: 7 / 10
Man of the Match: Dad - Rab Douglas (Dundee) Me - Andy O'Brien (Greenock Morton)
Final Score: Greenock Morton 0 v Dundee 1
Mileage: 142 miles

Fascinating Fact of the Day: There are two theories why the team are called Greenock Morton. The first is that at the time the team was formed the Mayor of Greenock was a gent called Alexander Morton. The second theory is that all the players who turned up for the first session lived in a street in Greenock called Morton Terrace.

Next game: Falkirk Stadium (Falkirk)

(Editor's note: changed to Dunfermline - 14/12)

A Few of our Favourite Things

So, as you'll no doubt be aware we didn't make it along to Rugby Park on Saturday to watch my dad's team beat mine for the second time this season. A combination of poor weather and poor health meant that we decided against the journey.

I'm glad I didn't make it along to witness Aberdeen fall to their eleventh defeat of the season in the SPL. The Aberdeen Board obviously decided enough is enough and tonight they've sacked Mark McGhee and his assistants go. Here's hoping it starts some sort of recovery at Pittodrie.

We'd also planned to go to Raith Rovers on Tuesday but the snow put an end to that. It looks more than likely that our trip to Dunfermline on Saturday will be off as well. So seeing as it might be a while before I get to report on Game 24, here are a few of our favourite things and some stats to keep you going:

Mileage so far: 3,164 miles

Best pie: Both Aberdeen & Albion Rovers scored 8 out of 10

Favourite Game: My Dad has gone for three games. First one I'm sure he's doing on the wind up as it's the Aberdeen v Kilmarnock game where his lot won in the 93rd minute. The other two are the Motherwell v Hibs game and the Montrose v Stranraer game. My favourite game so far has been Stranraer v Morton, granted it was fairly one sided, but you don't see eight goals that often - nae Aberdeen puns from you lot.

Favourite Goal: My Dad went for Leigh Griffiths's 25 yard thunderbolt for Dundee against Partick Thistle. I have chosen Jamie Stevenson for East Stirlingshire against Elgin City.

Honourable mention must be given to Paul Emslie who in the first game we went to scored for Peterhead from forty yards.

You can go to www.scottishfootballleague.com/sfltv.com/goal-of-the-month for July/August to see the Paul Emslie goal. The judges didn't agree with me for my goal, but what do they know eh! The November goal of the month competition has yet to be posted.

Favourite Stadiums: My Dad has chosen Palmerston Park (Queen of the South) or Victoria Park (Ross County), whereas I have to admit Ibrox Park looked amazing for the Champions League match the other night; but I could never pick it as a favourite and so I it's Bayview Stadium (East Fife) with it's sea view and adjacent disused power station I've gone for.

Best Day Out: Again, my Dad's being greedy here going for either Montrose, Elgin or Stranraer. I'm going to plump for the very first day, the long 322 round trip to Peterhead and the realisation that we were actually off and running.

Best Atmosphere: Dad & I both chose the Dundee v Partick Thistle game. This was the first week after Dundee were docked 25 points after plunging into administration and the place was jumping.

The Ground Time Forgot: Cliftonhill - Albion Rovers

Surreal Experience: Watching Queen's Park v Albion Rovers play at the National Stadium. A stadium which holds 52,000 but on this day there were only 529 of us there.

Best Quote: There was only ever going to be one winner -- "You're not in f**kin Kansas now Dorothy, this is Dumbarton". The greatest put down I've ever heard to a player wearing red boots.

So there you go a few of our favourite things from the twenty three games so far, no doubt come the end of the season almost all of the above will change. although I reckon we could go to every ground in Britain and never hear a quote better than the 'Kansas' one.

Our next game is scheduled to be the Celtic v Kilmarnock game on the 11th December. Guess we'll just to wait and see how this weather turns out.