The Old Grounds

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

I came across a site on Non-League Scottish Grounds and it has a section on Grounds of the Past.

Non League Scotland Web Site

Lost Scottish Non-League Grounds

There are two photos of Kingsmills Park in the Old Grounds Section both provided by Steve Broughton

I think I can make out Dave Milroy, Mike Andrew and Alan MacDonald but not sure exactly when these photos were taken but possibly late 80s - 87 or 88 maybe (and possibly against Elgin City....) - although the clothing does look later -so maybe wrong about Mike Andrew and it is early 90s

[RednBlackComeback]

Excellent pictures !!

I think it's early 90's. Reason being, in the second pic there used to be 'terracing' (railway sleepers) where the grass bank is at the bottom right of the photo. I'm sure the terracing was still there late 80's ?

[Charles Bannerman]

Excellent pictures !!

I think it's early 90's. Reason being, in the second pic there used to be 'terracing' (railway sleepers) where the grass bank is at the bottom right of the photo. I'm sure the terracing was still there late 80's ?

Look at the back of the stand. I'm wondering if that's the original black and red backing before Jock had the rearmost rows boarded up to avoid having to comply with the Taylor Report. (Apologies for again referring to Jags' legendary parsimony!)

I think that alteration was made around 1990 and I also think it was ordinary unpainted wood boarding as opposed to the black and red that's there and which looks like the genuine back of the stand.

What about the flagpole? Was there not latterly a Thistle on the top of it? There doesn't seem to be in this photo. There also appears to be no flag but pre 1987 there were King Willie's two from the 70s so that's possibly not a lot of help.

[RednBlackComeback]

Excellent pictures !!

I think it's early 90's. Reason being, in the second pic there used to be 'terracing' (railway sleepers) where the grass bank is at the bottom right of the photo. I'm sure the terracing was still there late 80's ?

Look at the back of the stand. I'm wondering if that's the original black and red backing before Jock had the rearmost rows boarded up to avoid having to comply with the Taylor Report. (Apologies for again referring to Jags' legendary parsimony!)

I think that alteration was made around 1990 and I also think it was ordinary unpainted wood boarding as opposed to the black and red that's there and which looks like the genuine back of the stand.

What about the flagpole? Was there not latterly a Thistle on the top of it? There doesn't seem to be in this photo. There also appears to be no flag but pre 1987 there were King Willie's two from the 70s so that's possibly not a lot of help.

Well spotted Charles. I think that's definitely the 'boarded up' version as there was a new staircase added to the far off end of the stand at the same time.

The photo could even be from Jags' last season. There used to be two 'thistle' crests at each end of the tin shed and they're gone too! The pailings round the ground are painted black and they used to be grey. ?

[Charles Bannerman]

[quote name='Charles Bannerman' post='143889' date='Nov 5 2008, 12:08 PM'

Well spotted Charles. I think that's definitely the 'boarded up' version as there was a new staircase added to the far off end of the stand at the same time.

The photo could even be from Jags' last season. There used to be two 'thistle' crests at each end of the tin shed and they're gone too! The pailings round the ground are painted black and they used to be grey. ?

So the boarded up version was actually painted black and red was it? My memory must be a bit faulty since I thought the boarded up version was bare boards and the photo might therefore have shown the original but I think iI may have called that the wrong way round.

What about the apparent absence of a flag and thistle on the flagpole?

I was trying to do some dating from the adverts in the 2nd photo but they're not very visible apart from the Tomatin which we all know was at the centre line of the enclosure and a Budget which I can just make out at the near end but which tells little.

I have to say, subjectively, that the "look" is early 90s.

Edited November 5, 2008 by Charles Bannerman

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

I think it is in fact the 90s and possibly as RBC stated one of the last few seasons - it is therefore not Mike Andrew in the photo.

I have just checked the photos of the burnt out stand (and it does indeed have the black and red painted back inside) and it looks very similar if you discount the hole in the roof and it is a little blackened by a fire

The advertising board on the main stand is for Matchwinner sports clothing who was the company that produced the ITFC strips in the 90s (I think from 92/93). The company is still going but they have been bought over and the gentleman who runs it now knew nothing about the fact that the company had provided strips for Highland League sides.

Matchwinner Top

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

Any links to pictures of Telford Street or Grant Street?

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

Mantis's excellent site will give you all you want for Caley nostalgia

Caledonian FC

[Charles Bannerman]

The advertising board on the main stand is for Matchwinner sports clothing who was the company that produced the ITFC strips in the 90s (I think from 92/93).

I couldn't make that out, but that's conclusive. I have fond memories of attending the lunch which launched the Matchwinner deal and that was in the spring of 1992 for season 92-93, so you're spot on. That was a massive feed in the Haughdale. Was that not the green away strip? Also, if someone remembers the back of the stand being black and red when it burned down, then that's what the new boarding must have been painted so that corroborates some time between 1992 and 1994.

By the way, there's a Ken MacPherson picture of the stand actually burning down on that Sunday afternoon in 1995 in Against All Odds.

Good also to see the Telford Street stand from the excellent Mantis site. I still haven't been able to establish what happened to the two footballs at the Telford Street entrance though! That Telford Street stand was a replacement for the one which also burned down in 1950. So when the Jags stand burned down in 1995, that completed the set, since the Clach one also met the same fate in "undetermined circumstances" in 1988.

Edited November 5, 2008 by Charles Bannerman

[SMEE]

I love seeing pics of the old Caley Park. Stirs up fond memories indeed.

[Kingsmills]

The boards put up to restrict the capacity of the stand were indeed painted red and black. I would agree that the photos are circa !992/93.

[Scarlet Pimple]

Smee are you as old as The Scarlet One?

If so do you remember the smoke from the burning Caley Stand in about 1951-1953?

I remember smelling it!

My , isn't that replacement stand so small? The first time I sat in it was about that time as well and I thought it was huge. Mind you, it was the only stand I had ever sat in so.......

[Charles Bannerman]

Smee are you as old as The Scarlet One?

If so do you remember the smoke from the burning Caley Stand in about 1951-1953?

I remember smelling it!

My , isn't that replacement stand so small? The first time I sat in it was about that time as well and I thought it was huge. Mind you, it was the only stand I had ever sat in so.......

Was it not 1950? (not that I was around at the time!)

[Glen Mhor]

Really nostalgic seeing these photos of good old Caley Park where many Saturday afternoons and a few Wednesday nights were spent. I wonder what happened to the two concrete footballs above the main gate. Real relics of Telford Street.

[SMEE]

Smee are you as old as The Scarlet One?

If so do you remember the smoke from the burning Caley Stand in about 1951-1953?

I remember smelling it!

My , isn't that replacement stand so small? The first time I sat in it was about that time as well and I thought it was huge. Mind you, it was the only stand I had ever sat in so.......

Am only 38!

I remember when they repainted the concrete footballs above the Caley turnstiles about mid eighties (to the blue and white). What an arse they made of it