Steve B the Groundhopper

2pm 17 May  2025 West of Scotland League, Division One Kirkintilloch Rob Roy 3 Vale of Clyde 0 (att 302) Years after moving out of their former Adamslie Park ground Kirkintilloch Rob Roy finally returned home when they moved into their new ground in the town at the start of the season. Like all new venues, the Kirkintilloch Community Sports Complex lacks the character of its predecessor, but it's a good facility, and well above average for a new build with an artificial pitch. Spectators can access all four sides, and there's a large seated stand on the far side. A smaller stand on the near side, nearer the entrance, changing rooms and snack bar, looks to be reserved for officials and sponsors. With both sides safe from relegation and out of the running for promotion there was little play for other than mid table positions. Rob Roy looked keener to finish their season with a win. They did so, deservedly, thanks to three quality goals, two in the first half and one in the second...

10.30am 17 May  2025 Edinburgh Churches League St Mary's Metropolitan 9 Carrubbers 2 (att 6) St Mary's Metropolitan are in a three way battle at the top of the Edinburgh Churches League, and while the teams in first and third were playing each other they needed a win to keep their title challenge going. Three goals in a five minute spell, about a quarter-of-an-hour into the game, removed any doubt about the outcome.  By half time the home side's lead was 4-1. More St Mary's goals followed after the break, although Carrubbers at least had the consolation of scoring a goal in each half. Venues in Edinburgh's Saturday morning league tend to be allocated week to week rather the teams having a regular 'home' ground. This was at  Wester Hailes Education Centre, which stages games most weeks. It's a standard 3G set up, with an enclosed and floodlit pitch designed for rugby as well as football. A spectator area runs the full length of one side.

7pm 16 May  2025 Northumberland FA, Benevolent Bowl Final at St Peter's Hub, Wallsend AFC Burradon and New Fordley 1 AFC Newbiggin 3 (att 270) St Peter's Hub in Wallsend was only opened a few weeks ago, as a headquarters for the Northumberland Football Association and a venue for at least some of its cup finals. It's built on what were basic playing fields, and is a good facility. I'm sure the immaculate artificial pitch is great to play on, but for spectators it's a slightly underwhelming stage for such matches. There are are couple of small seated stands, although dugouts and other spectators mean the view from them is inevitably restricted. Designated spectator areas run the length of both touchlines, although in places sections of high fencing get in the way. Traffic from the adjacent A1058 Coast Road provides a constant audible backdrop. But, despite all that, this was a well-organised event and the Northern Alliance's top two sides provided a enjoyable gam...

7pm 15 May  2025 Derbyshire Summer League, Bill Redfern Memorial Cup, First Round Smithfield Uttoxeter 3 Pavilion 7 (att 20) For the second year in a row there's a new ground to visit in the Derbyshire Summer League. Last time it was Bramshall , who have been on the move since and are now one of two teams using a school pitch in Uttoxeter. Smithfield Uttoxeter are co-tenants on the grass pitch at Oldfields Hall Middle School, and it was their home game I chose to 'tick' the ground. It's just a pitch, but there's a grass bank on one side for an elevated view. This was a first round cup tie, but an unusual format meant that five ties would result in the elimination of just one team. Despite a heavy defeat Smithfield's wasn't the evening's worst result, and so both they and Pavilion are into the quarter finals. The home side took an early lead, but after Pavilion equalised they took control. A flurry of goals gave them a 4-1 lead by half time. More goals fl...

2.30pm 10 May  2025 East of Scotland League, Division Three Ormiston Primrose 0 Stoneyburn 4 (att 64) In a repeat of 10 years ago I followed a game at Toryglen with a game at Ormiston . In the decade since, Ormiston have moved to a new ground, immediately adjacent to their old one, and gained a suffix. The addition of Primrose to their name is actually a return to a previous identity. Their old ground, Recreation Park, has been landscaped into a public park, while New Recreation Park features an enclosed pitch and a modern pavilion. Ormiston are destined to finish one place off the bottom of the East of Scotland League's fourth, and lowest, tier. Stoneyburn still have a chance of promotion, but needed a win. They started slowly, and in the early exchanges you'd have struggled to tell which team was near the bottom and which was challenging to go up. That changed once Stoneyburn took a 25th minute lead. Having scored once Stoneyburn took control. By half time their lead was 4-0,...

10am 10 May  2025 Glasgow Colleges FA Cup, Quarter Final Toryglen Thistle 4 Nethercraigs 1 (att 37) It's a decade since I was last at the Toryglen Regional Football Centre, close to Hampden Park in Glasgow. Back then I watched a game on one of the trio of outdoor artificial pitches, but this time I went indoors. The venue's impressive facilities include a full size artificial pitch under a roof. There are four rows of seating running the full length of one side, and dugouts opposite. Despite their name, Toryglen Thistle don't always play home games here. Like most amateur teams in Glasgow they tend to hire pitches week to week. This cup tie was postponed last week when the intended pitch was double booked! Toryglen are flying in the second tier of the Glasgow Colleges League, which is a standard Saturday morning league rather than a competition for students. They will be playing alongside Nethercraigs in the top division next season, and on this evidence will have nothing ...