2024-25 epilogue

A big 30% drop on attending matches, as my enthusiasm for watching random games seems to be dwindling.

Finished the season on 960 grounds, so all going well I'll hopefully hit the four figure mark by the end of next season. 

Ticked half off this season's list, but not much done outside of the region.

The T'do List for 2024-25 season - 16/32

 

National North - 5

Brackley

Kings Lynn

Leamington 

Needham Market

Radcliffe 

Northern Premier League Premier - 3

Ilkeston Town

Leek

Warrington Rylands 

Northern Premier League East - 1/1

Belper Town ✓

NCEL Division One - 2/5

Club Thorne Colliery 

Dearne & District ✓

Ilkley Town

South Leeds ✓

Worsborough Bridge Athletic. 

Northern Alliance - 3/3

Bedlington United ✓

Ovingham ✓

Willington Quay Saints ✓

Wearside League - 9/10

Consett Blackfyne ✓

Coundon Cons  ✓

Crook Town Youth ✓

Deerness Valley ✓

Hetton Juniors ✓

Jarrow FC Res. ✓

Middlestone Moor ✓

South Moor ✓

Washington Athletic ✓

Windscale 

North Riding - 1/5

North Ormesby

Redcar Town Reserves

Saltburn Athletic ✓

Thirsk Falcons

TIBS

✓960. Woodside Park

Kelso Thistle 4-0 Hawick Legion

Border Amateurs League 'B' Division

Saturday 17th May 2025

Kelso is a market town in the Scottish Borders, which lies at the confluence of the rivers Tweed and Teviot. (population: over 5,600) The main tourist attractions are the Kelso Abbey ruins and Floors Castle, which is a house designed by William Adam, completed in 1726. The Kelso Bridge was designed by John Rennie, who later built London Bridge.

The original football club in the town was Kelso United, founded at a meeting in the Drill Hall, Kelso, in April 1935. The club played in the East of Scotland Football League, before resigning from the league three games into the 2015–16 season. They immediately merged with nearby Kelso Thistle to form Kelso United Thistle, who play in the Border Amateur League.

Woodside Park

Dryinghouse Lane, 

Kelso, 

TD5 7BP

Total Scottish grounds visited - 128

Woodside Park is a short walk from the town centre. At the entrance is the main building, which houses the changing rooms and a cafe. There are several pitches, with Thistle used the pitch at the far side for their fixture with Hawick Legion.

Kelso Thistle 4 Hawick Legion 0

Border Amateurs B Division matchday 26

4th v 6th

2pm ko

Att.110hc 

Two goals in each half wrapped up a great win which shot Kelso up to second in the table and guaranteed promotion. 

 6’ 1-0 OG

18’ 2-0 Michael Pattinson

54’ 3-0 Liam Hill

64’ 4-0 Jamie Milner

#Heedhopper

75 mile drive door-to-door

A nice run up to the borders for a game and a wander around a few of the Kelso GBG pubs with Katie and Jade.

Refreshments were partaking in the 1905 bar, Rutherford Micropub and Cobbles Freehouse before the match. A pleasant day out in glorious sunshine.

✓959. Meggetland Stadium

Tynecastle 1-2 Glenrothes

East of Scotland League Premier Division

Saturday 10th May 2025

The original Tynecastle Boys Club formed in 1928. The club merged with East of Scotland Football League side Tollcross United in 2005, becoming Tynecastle F.C. This merger gave the club admission to senior level for the first time, taking Tollcross United's place in the EoSFL First Division. Tynecastle played their first ever senior match in a pre-season friendly (5/8/05) against Hibernian, which ended in a 2–2 draw. 

East of Scotland Football League First Division Winners: 2008–09, 2019–20 (Conference B)

Alex Jack Cup Winners: 2017–18

South & East of Scotland Cup-Winners Shield Winners: 2017–18

Meggetland Sports Complex

4 Meggetland Wynd, 

Edinburgh, EH14 1XN

Tynecastle originally played at the Fernieside Recreation Ground, which was Tollcross United's home since 1971. They shared Saughton Enclosure with Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale from 2015. The team moved to the Meggetland Sports Complex in 2018, where they share the main stadium grass pitch with Boroughmuir RFC.

Meggetland is a multi-purpose sports pavilion, the complex consists of multiple astroturf and grass pitches for football, rugby, hockey, and cricket.

The main stadium has a smart segment shaped stand filled with blue seats. There's a length of terracing opposite which is out of bounds. At the entrance, outside the social club is a large seated area which sits above the goal as a good view point, plus there's standing section underneath.

Tynecastle 1 Glenrothes 2

East of Scotland FL Premier Division matchday 30

14th v 10th 

2.30pm ko 

Att.120.est

Spon :

Admission £8

Coffee & Scotch pie £3.80

Tynecastle’s best spell came after they conceded a second goal with less than ten minutes remaining. They pulled a goal back and could have equalised, but were denied by a magnificent save from the Glenrothes ‘keeper.  

15” 0-1 Cooper Thompson

81’ 0-2 Ross Balmer

86’ 1-2 tbc

#Heedhopper 

94 miles Tyneside to Tynecastle 

0841 train to Edinburgh, arriving at 1010.(return on 1903)

A smashing day out in Edinburgh, which started with some successful record shopping, picking up bargains in Vinyl Villains and Elvis Shakespeare. I stayed around the north end of the city, having a pint in the Old Eastway Tap and the Artisan bar, before catching the number 10 bus to the match.

Afterwards I called into Mathers for a pint then met up with my mate James(who had been to the Hearts match) for a few jars in the Jinglin’ Geordie, which is one of my favourite pubs in the city.

✓958. Dearne Welfare Community Ground

Dearne & District 5-2  South Leeds

Northern Counties East League Division One

Saturday 12th April 2025

Dearne & District FC are based in Goldthorpe, a small town in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley. It was anciently a small medieval farming village and recorded in the Domesday Book as a part of the Manor of Bolton upon Dearne.(population: over 6,000)

The club was founded in 1982 as a youth team with an adult side formed in 2018, joining Division One of the Doncaster Senior League. 

Doncaster Senior League 2018 - 2021.

Central Midlands League North Division 2021 -  2024:

Central Midlands Alliance Premier North Division Champions 2023-24

North East Counties League debut season 24/25

Dearne Miners Welfare Community Ground

Furlong Road, Goldthorpe Green

Goldthorpe, S63 9EH

The club originally played at Dearne Valley College, before moving to the Kingsmark ground in Goldthorpe. After being refused planning permission for floodlights they moved to the Welfare Ground in 2023.

The ground has a covered seated stand and an enclosure, each side of the dugouts. There's another covered seated stand behind the far goal, next to the changing rooms.

Dearne & District 5 South Leeds 2

NCEL Division One matchday 42

(4th v 9th)

3pm ko

Att.110 

Spon:

Admission £5

Steak pie £3.50

Coffee £1

(Programme available £2)

After falling 2-1 behind early in the second half, Dearne bossed the game once they equalised to finish the regular season with a convincing win. An impressive 4th place finish in their debut NCEL season means they’ll face third place Wakefield AFC next week in the play-offs.

 7’ 1-0 Chris Wilkinson 

36’ 1-1 Billy Law

53’ 1-2 Wilf Frimpong 

59’ 2-2 Jamie Austin (pen)

81’ 3-2 Jake Phillis 

84’ 4-2 Jamie Austin 

85’ RED Will Harling(SL) - dissent/2nd yellow 

90’ 5-2 Jamie Austin 

#Heedhopper

111 miles door-to-door

Katie & Lee picked me up at 10.30. We arrived in Goldthorpe two hours later, where we called for refreshments in the Market Tap and the Corner Tap before the match.