Saturday was one of those days when thoughts inevitably turned to the vexed question of summer football as I cowered in the enclosure at Allan Park along with about 50 other hardy (or is that foolhardy?) souls to watch Cove Rangers and Inverurie Locos.
This was possibly Locos’ last-ever match at this ground as Cove have to find a new home and I for one shall not be sorry to see the back of it!
It’s a wretched place even in good weather with its cramped spectator areas and narrow pitch. The Cove folk are friendly enough, although the man on the turnstile tried to persuade me that the “enclosure” was in fact a “grandstand”. I think the cold must have got to him too. It was not a pleasant experience – cold, wet, windswept, dismal…. and the pies were hard, although the very kind lady in the kiosk knocked 50 pence off the price in sympathy.
Despite my moans and groans I’m a traditionalist and I think back to last year’s Aberdeenshire Shield final between Turriff United and Locos at Huntly when, to be honest, the weather was no better. And that was in May, just weeks from mid-summer!
Pitches need the summer to recover and, anyway, winter football keeps me out of Tesco (a fate worse than death!) with “she who must be obeyed”. I can just imagine the face if I cancel the summer holiday on account of the match!
And Saturday’s game was, if not a skilful one, an entertaining one. Each side kept losing possession to the other, but it was consistent, and all credit is due to the players for their endeavours in such horrendous conditions, Cove were slightly lucky to be three ahead and to just survive Locos’ late fight-back as Ryan Broadhurst scored from his own half, Andy Hunter, looking lively after returning from injury, headed a good second and Neil McLean hit the bar in the dying seconds. Two goals to warm us up…well, at least take our minds off the cold for ten minutes.
By the way, Saturday was the official deadline for SHFL clubs to “identify themselves” to the Scottish Football Association if they still have a chance of winning the 2014/15 championship. This is in respect of the pending play-off arrangements at the end of the season in the new pyramid system. By my reckoning (and arithmetic never was my strong point) twelve clubs (and those include Fort William) can still win the league. Does anyone know why the SFA cannot add up themselves? And what this tells them at this stage?