Steve B the Groundhopper

2pm 5 September  2026 Scottish Amateur Cup, First Round Berwick Town 2 Gilmerton Athletic 7 (att 24) The Scottish Amateur Cup often produces intriguing ties, especially in the early rounds. Edinburgh-based Gilmerton are are newly-formed team, and the draw sent them south of the border for this first round game. The opening rounds are regionalised and, while Berwick is in Northumberland, the town's football clubs are mostly associated with Scotland. Berwick Town are in the Border Amateur League. They've had a tough start to the season, pointless from their six opening B Division matches including a 12-0 defeat last weekend. I expected Gilmerton to score a few goals. Gilmerton got two in the opening few minutes, but then a lack of communication between goalkeeper and defender allowed Berwick Town to get a goal back. The away side soon scored another, before again gifting the home side a goal. The opening half continued to provide goals, but sadly for Berwick there was no more gen...

6.30pm 31  May 2024 Border Amateur League, Waddell Cup Final at Greenlaw FC Duns 4 Langlee Amateurs 3 (att 300) The Waddell Cup is for teams in both of the Border Amateur League’s divisions, and the final brought together the two top sides. Duns are league leaders, but Langlee can climb above them depending on the outcome of their final fixture. Langlee had the perfect start when a precise and well struck free kick gave them a fifth minute lead. They were looking the better side and deserved the second goal which doubled their lead after about half an hour. Into the second period it looked like being a routine win, but a long ball and a good finish gave Duns some home with about an hour played. Five minutes later their supporters were celebrating an equaliser. Langlee took time to recover, but once they did they soon went back in front. However, Duns weren’t beaten, and equalised again on 82 minutes. Into the final five minutes and a rash challenge followed by kicking the ball away...

2pm 18 May 2024 Border Amateur League, Beveridge Cup Final at Volunteer Park, Hawick Leithen Rovers 3 Highfields United 4 aet (att 130) At this late stage of a football season there's always a risk of meaningless matches not taking place, so seeking out a fixture with something at stake is always a good idea. A cup final fits that bill perfectly and, when the venue is a rugby stadium that's only occasionally used for the round ball game, it becomes even more attractive. This season's Beveridge Cup was for teams in the second tier of the Border Amateur League. Berwick-based Highfields went into the final as favourites, having won promotion as divisional runners-up. They lifted the trophy, but it was far from easy and they needed extra time to see off Leithen Rovers, who will finish fourth in the 13-team league. Highfields scored the only goal of a tight first half, a brilliant free kick from distance that was arrowed into the top corner of the net. Not long later they had an...