Steve B the Groundhopper

2pm 14 March  2026 Aberdeenshire Amateur League, Premier Division Great Western United 0 Echt 4 (att 22) As I was staying overnight in Scotland ahead of a Sunday game it made sense, from a groundhopping perspective at least, to make the most of that by ticking off a ground that's too far from home for a comfortable day trip. Having already completed the Highland and North of Scotland Leagues, that meant turning my attention to the Aberdeenshire Amateur League. I picked this game as a top division fixture that was within range after my earlier game near Dundee. Great Western United's home ground, for this season at least, is the playing field of the independent Albyn School. It's in Milltimber, a village on the very edge of Aberdeen. There's an adequate car park and a pavilion that includes the changing rooms. From the pavilion the main pitch is to the left. It's just a pitch, but a precipitous grass bank runs along the far side, providing a good view as a reward for...

10.30am 14 March  2026 Dundee Saturday Morning League, Premier Division Monifieth Athletic 1 Lochee United AFC 2 (att 38) There have been changes since I last watched football in the Dundee Saturday Morning League. It's expanded to three divisions, and whereas all fixtures used to be at multi-pitch venues allocated by the league, now many clubs have their own home grounds. Monifieth Athletic play at Riverview Park, a surprisingly good venue for a team playing at this level. The pitch is fully enclosed by a plastic post and rail barrier, and is alongside a pavilion that houses the changing rooms. The Tay Estuary is just a hefty wayward shot away behind the far goal. The league table suggested a tight game between two sides in with a chance of winning the title, and the match didn't disappoint. A pair of early goals - the first for Lochee and then a Monifieth equaliser - set the tone for an entertaining morning. At that stage it looked likely to be a goal-filled game, but defence...

3pm 7 March  2026 Northern Ireland Football League, Premier Intermediate League Strabane Athletic 2 Moyola Park 1 (att 170) The main reason for a day trip to Northern Ireland was to visit to Strabane Athletic, who after winning promotion have this season joined the Northern Ireland Football League's third tier. An imminent restructure means they'll have to secure a top four finish to remain an NIFL club next season, which would see them promoted to an expanded second tier Championship division. The remaining 10 Premier Intermediate League teams, to be joined by two newcomers, will form the top flight of a new National Conference League. Two more Conference divisions will be added from 2027/28. All that meant that this was an important win for Strabane, and a surprising one as they came from behind to beat league leaders Moyola Park. The goals were all in the first half. The visitors went ahead after 22 minutes from a free kick that the home keeper should have kept out. But Stra...

10.15am 7 March  2026 Ballymena Saturday Morning League, Rainey Cup, 2nd Round Waveney Swifts 0 Sixmile Athletic 2 (att 18) A day trip by plane to recomplete the Northern Ireland Football League, but an early arrival meant I had time to take in a game in the Ballymena Saturday Morning League ahead of the main event. The Rainey Cup is the league cup, featuring sides from all three divisions. Both these are midtable in the second tier, but Antrim-based Sixmile started as favourites having lost only once in the league so far. Two goals, after 15 and 55 minutes, were enough for them to ease into the third round. Their progress was rarely threatened, although they came close to conceding as the game became scrappy in the closing minutes. Waveney are based, unsurprisingly, at the Waveney Playing Fields in Ballymena. There are two football pitches, on a plateau beyond a modern community centre. This game was played on the furthest pitch, which looked to be the larger of the two. It's just...

2pm 28 February  2026 Wensleydale League Askrigg United 1 Hawes United 5 (att 42) With two clubs dropping out during this season, the Wensleydale League is now down to just seven teams. There are rumours the competition might fold in the summer, and that  prompted me to head to the North Yorkshire village of Askrigg. Askrigg United are currently seventh in the table, and so bottom of the remaining teams. Their only points are the three they gained in an opening day win at Hawes. They failed to add to their tally against the same opposition today, and got off the worst possible start by conceding in the first minute. The visitors added two more early goals and at that stage it looked likely to be a very one-sided afternoon. But Askrigg United, urged on by a good turnout of local supporters, eventually got back into the game. It was already too late to affect the outcome, but they created chances and didn't concede again before half time. The second half was similar to the first...

10.30am 28 February  2026 The Saturday Morning League, Plate Group C Wigton Moor 2 Barugh Green 1 (att 7) West Yorkshire's Saturday morning league has gone through a number of different identities in the last few years. What was the Yorkshire Christian League became the West Yorkshire Fair Play League, then last summer it announced it'd become the Yorkshire and District Saturday Morning League. But apparently, for reasons unknown to me, the FA objected to that name. So instead the league quickly rebranded again to the even more geographically indistinct title of The Saturday Morning Football League. It's single division league competition is called the Yorkshire Premiership, but this game was in the Plate, one of two cup competitions. The Plate begins with a group stage, and lowly Wigton Moor pulled off a surprise result in Group C. They're struggling in the league while Barnsley-based Barugh Green are challenging for the title. But cup fixtures can be a leveller, and W...