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Moving The Goalposts

Peterhead FC – Balmoor Stadium

Right, time to get the blog up and running after that long hibernation… In 2015 I finally got around to visiting Peterhead’s ‘new’ stadium, which had actually opened 18 years earlier. So having ‘Completed The 42’ as they say, away back in the day, I once more slotted in the last part of the jigsaw and ticked off the missing ground. Not much of a groundhopper then. Some people would have been there the day it opened. All of the photos below are mine, except for the first one, which I co
TheMantis

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Moving The Goalposts

Women’s Euro 2017 – part 3 – Deventer

So on Monday morning, after the disappointment against Portugal, which meant Scotland would be eliminated unless they could achieve the daunting task of beating Spain 2-0, we left Rotterdam and headed up the A4 motorway past Amsterdam, to Volendam where we would spend a couple of days. Before leaving Rotterdam we had a quick wander around the Oude Haven (Old Harbour). We also had a quick stop for photos at de Kuip or Stadion Feijenoord (see previous blog). We had been to Volendam 15 years bef
TheMantis

TheMantis

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Moving The Goalposts

Women’s Euro 2017 – part 3 – Deventer

So on Monday morning, after the disappointment against Portugal, which meant Scotland would be eliminated unless they could achieve the daunting task of beating Spain 2-0, we left Rotterdam and headed up the A4 motorway past Amsterdam, to Volendam where we would spend a couple of days. Before leaving Rotterdam we had a quick wander around the Oude Haven (Old Harbour). We also had a quick stop for photos at de Kuip or Stadion Feijenoord (see previous blog). We had been to Volendam 15 y
TheMantis

TheMantis

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Moving The Goalposts

Women’s Euro 2017 – part 2 – Rotterdam

After leaving Utrecht we headed up north for a couple of days and spent an afternoon in Groningen. Groningen is a university city, the largest city in the North with a population of just over 200000 and it was supposed to be quieter during the summer, but we had the usual hectic game of ‘dodge the bike’ – Groningen has been called the ‘World Cycling City’. We did the obligatory Groninger Museum and were mightily impressed with the building, which stands in the middle of the canal and links the r
TheMantis

TheMantis

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Moving The Goalposts

Women’s Euro 2017 – part 2 – Rotterdam

After leaving Utrecht we headed up north for a couple of days and spent an afternoon in Groningen. Groningen is a university city, the largest city in the North with a population of just over 200000 and it was supposed to be quieter during the summer, but we had the usual hectic game of ‘dodge the bike’ – Groningen has been called the ‘World Cycling City’. We did the obligatory Groninger Museum and were mightily impressed with the building, which stands in the middle of the canal and links the r
TheMantis

TheMantis

0
Moving The Goalposts

Women’s Euro 2017 – part 1 – Utrecht

First stop on the Euro 2017 tour is the 24426 capacity Stadion Galgenwaard in Utrecht. FC Utrecht were formed as recently as 1970 by a merger of 3 clubs. Utrecht are the only club outside the big three (Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV) never to be relegated from the Eredivisie and last season they were 4th. Their average attendance was just over 18000. The modern stadium dates from 1982 but has had a couple more revamps since then and the current look of the place dates from 2004. Apparently the name is f
TheMantis

TheMantis

0
Moving The Goalposts

Women’s Euro 2017 – part 1 – Utrecht

First stop on the Euro 2017 tour is the 24426 capacity Stadion Galgenwaard in Utrecht. FC Utrecht were formed as recently as 1970 by a merger of 3 clubs. Utrecht are the only club outside the big three (Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV) never to be relegated from the Eredivisie and last season they were 4th. Their average attendance was just over 18000. The modern stadium dates from 1982 but has had a couple more revamps since then and the current look of the place dates from 2004. Apparently the name
TheMantis

TheMantis

0
Moving The Goalposts

Dunfermline Athletic FC – East End Park

YouTube: ICT and The Pars coming out, 2005 A few memories and photos of East End Park before I head off to the Women’s Euros in The Netherlands where I hope to be blogging a few reports from the Scotland games. As usual I hope the Pars supporters will excuse any glaring errors. I try to use my own photography on these blogs and I apologise for any images not bearing my personal watermark as that means I have nicked them off the internet * Some perspective – although I have spent many a pleas
TheMantis

TheMantis

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Moving The Goalposts

Dunfermline Athletic FC – East End Park

YouTube: ICT and The Pars coming out, 2005 A few memories and photos of East End Park before I head off to the Women’s Euros in The Netherlands where I hope to be blogging a few reports from the Scotland games. As usual I hope the Pars supporters will excuse any glaring errors. I try to use my own photography on these blogs and I apologise for any images not bearing my personal watermark as that means I have nicked them off the internet * Some perspective – although I have spent
TheMantis

TheMantis

0
Moving The Goalposts

Largs Thistle – Barrfields Stadium

That’s my season over. It started away back on July 2nd when I was missing my fix badly enough to go along to Cliftonhill to see Albion Rovers lose 3-1 to Motherwell in a friendly, with torrential sunshowers coming along every 15 minutes to test the leaks in the old stand. Since then I’ve seen Internationals with Scotland (men and women), Premiership in Scotland, England, Portugal, Iceland, Northern Ireland and Faroes, Highland League, U20 Development, East and West Juniors, Northern League in E
TheMantis

TheMantis

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Moving The Goalposts

Largs Thistle – Barrfields Stadium

That’s my season over. It started away back on July 2nd when I was missing my fix badly enough to go along to Cliftonhill to see Albion Rovers lose 3-1 to Motherwell in a friendly, with torrential sunshowers coming along every 15 minutes to test the leaks in the old stand. Since then I’ve seen Internationals with Scotland (men and women), Premiership in Scotland, England, Portugal, Iceland, Northern Ireland and Faroes, Highland League, U20 Development, East and West Juniors, Northern League in E
TheMantis

TheMantis

0
Moving The Goalposts

Bankfoot and Luncarty

I picked two pretty obscure clubs to blog about this time, but I have to say I enjoyed researching them, although there’s not much out there. If anybody has anything to add to this blog, or just corrections, don’t hold back… I became aware of the villages when I started youth hostelling with my mates before I left school. One year we got the bus to Perth and walked to Birnam, where there was a hostel in an old schoolhouse, but this has now been demolished. I had a look for it last year when we
TheMantis

TheMantis

0
Moving The Goalposts

Bankfoot and Luncarty

I picked two pretty obscure clubs to blog about this time, but I have to say I enjoyed researching them, although there’s not much out there. If anybody has anything to add to this blog, or just corrections, don’t hold back… I became aware of the villages when I started youth hostelling with my mates before I left school. One year we got the bus to Perth and walked to Birnam, where there was a hostel in an old schoolhouse, but this has now been demolished. I had a look for it last year when we
TheMantis

TheMantis

0
Moving The Goalposts

Cowdenbeath FC – Central Park

Can’t really blog about anybody else this week as The Blue Brazil are very much in the news. Having been part of the Scottish League system since 1905, they have finished this season as the dreaded Club 42 and face a two-legged playoff against East Kilbride to avoid dropping into the Lowland League. Worse still, this would represent a 3rd consecutive relegation. The club’s foundation is disputed (either 1881 or 1882) but they have played at Central Park since 1917. Usually dismissed as a dump b
TheMantis

TheMantis

0
Moving The Goalposts

Cowdenbeath FC – Central Park

Can’t really blog about anybody else this week as The Blue Brazil are very much in the news. Having been part of the Scottish League system since 1905, they have finished this season as the dreaded Club 42 and face a two-legged playoff against East Kilbride to avoid dropping into the Lowland League. Worse still, this would represent a 3rd consecutive relegation. The club’s foundation is disputed (either 1881 or 1882) but they have played at Central Park since 1917. Usually dismissed as a dump b
TheMantis

TheMantis

0
Moving The Goalposts

Shire and Stenny

One of the benefits of being an old git is being able to bore people about how things used to be. Back in the 90s you had Stenhousemuir playing at Ochilview, and East Stirlingshire at Firs Park. So over the years I’ve seen Stenny with the old stand shown below, which is opposite where the new 626 seater Norway Stand is. The old “Doll’s House” stand had 310 bench seats and was built in 1928, 7 years after the Warriors joined the League, to replace the old wooden stand which had burned down. They
TheMantis

TheMantis

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Moving The Goalposts

Shire and Stenny

One of the benefits of being an old git is being able to bore people about how things used to be. Back in the 90s you had Stenhousemuir playing at Ochilview, and East Stirlingshire at Firs Park. So over the years I’ve seen Stenny with the old stand shown below, which is opposite where the new 626 seater Norway Stand is. The old “Doll’s House” stand had 310 bench seats and was built in 1928, 7 years after the Warriors joined the League, to replace the old wooden stand which had burned down. They
TheMantis

TheMantis

0
Moving The Goalposts

ÍBV – Hásteinsvöllur

Íþróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja is quite a mouthful so I’ll be referring to them as ÍBV from now on. I had been to Iceland twice before and caught a glimpse of these islands off the south coast. I managed to persuade my missus to go back to Iceland in September of 2016 and we spent four nights in Vestmannaeyjar, or the Westman Islands as everybody calls them in English. Apparently the West Men were the Irish. To get to Vestmannaeyjar is not the easiest task. You can get to the ferry by car but w
TheMantis

TheMantis

0
Moving The Goalposts

ÍBV – Hásteinsvöllur

Íþróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja is quite a mouthful so I’ll be referring to them as ÍBV from now on. I had been to Iceland twice before and caught a glimpse of these islands off the south coast. I managed to persuade my missus to go back to Iceland in September of 2016 and we spent four nights in Vestmannaeyjar, or the Westman Islands as everybody calls them in English. Apparently the West Men were the Irish. To get to Vestmannaeyjar is not the easiest task. You can get to the ferry by car but w
TheMantis

TheMantis

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Across the Pond

Reds Preach ‘Consistency’ Ahead of 2017 Campaign

This week Toronto FC unveiled its new 2017 primary kit at their now annual ‘President’s Breakfast’ event. President Bill Manning and GM Tim Bezbatchenko addressed the media and invited supporters and also spoke about their goals for 2017 (Supporters Shield and unfinished business in the playoffs are the stated objectives).   In this brief video blog I offer up my opinions on what I heard from the club today and how this quiet off season for the Reds is EXACTLY how it should be coming off the
Scotty

Scotty

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Across the Pond

It Had To Be Stefan Frei

I don’t know if I believe in fate or Karma or the impact of the spiritual when it comes to sports. Not sure if players blessing themselves before they cross the white line onto the field of play actually does anything. Not sure if being hexed or possessed of nothing but bad ‘luck’ means anything either. But this heart breaker loss for my Toronto FC has gotten me thinking about the power of these sorts of intangibles. __________________________________________________________ The irony of Stefa
Scotty

Scotty

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Across the Pond

CanCon Can

In this post game video blog I take a brief look back at the last four games for TFC that I did not blog about (you know, Altidore and Seba getting hurt, Bradley and Johnson away on International duty, the 2 pts out of 12 available run, and why there is not yet reason to panic). I take a look back at a memorable night against the Impact in the 2016 Voyageurs Cup Semi Final first leg. I also take a look at what might be some questionable mathematics on my part to try and explain the possible outc
Scotty

Scotty

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    • Celtic 3-1 Inverness CT - Scottish Cup Final

      Celtic 3-1 Inverness CT - Scottish Cup Final

      tm4tj posted an article in Reports 2022-23,

      Best for Inverness on a difficult day was Wallace Duffy. What an invitingly sumptuous cross for Dan Mackay to power in a diving header. Cammy Harper on the other flank was equally impressive against Celtic's wide players and in midfield David Carson and Sean Welsh battled hard to stem the possession that Celtic were always going to dominate. We struggled up front working off scraps but substitute Dan Mackay scored that brilliant late power header to give us hope, albeit only fleeting. In general our defence stood firm for large parts of the game, seemingly working to a plan. Much better than many Premiership teams fared this season. Nobody hid in this game but we were restricted to what we could by a quality treble winning side. Blood, sweat and tears of pride.

      As the season draws to a close we will not see so many of these guys here next season, but it has been an abstract pleasure reporting on our once again rollercoaster of a season.

      See you all back refreshed for 23/24. 
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    • Celtic -V- Inverness CT - Scottish Cup Final

      The wait is over

      tm4tj posted an article in Previews 2022-23,

      The wait is over: Having lain idle since the 5th of May Championship flop against Ayr United, the long wait for the Scottish Cup Final is over for the Caley Jags. I imagine the stattos amongst us will be searching their Guiness Book of Records to find out the biggest winning margin in the Scottish Cup Final. I'll save you the bother. Renton 6-1 v Cambuslang on 4th February 1888. Or, ominously, Celtic 6-1 Hibernian on 6th May 1972. Are we about to change records?
      Win or lose, I hope you all enjoy the occasion. 
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    • Falkirk 0-3 Inverness CT - Scottish Cup Semi Final

      Falkirk 0-3 Inverness CT - Scottish Cup Semi Final

      tm4tj posted an article in Reports 2022-23,

      Semi-Final Joy: With a VAR assisted penalty, Billy Mckay opened the scoring early in the first half. Dan Mackay headed in the second from an inviting Jay Henderson Cross. Falkirk had their moments, Callumn Morrison hitting the post after some defensive indecision on the edge of the box. However, we did our own post hitting and Billy Mckay wrapped up the victory in the second half with a well taken finish, his 100th goal for the Caley Jags. That ensured our progress into the final. Nathan Shaw was unfortunate twice off the post and Falkirk were denied a consolation by some dogged defending. All in, comfortable in the end and Hampden calling once more.
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    • Falkirk -V- Inverness CT - Scottish Cup Semi Final

      Falkirk -V- Inverness CT - Scottish Cup Semi Final

      tm4tj posted an article in Previews 2022-23,

      The last time we played Falkirk at Hampden in front of 37,000 fans, it was a history making event. I don't really need to tell you how that worked out, but for those that were on another planet, we won the Scottish Cup by beating Falkirk 2-1. Since then both clubs have underachieved and hit the skids. Falkirk are now trying to get themselves out of league 1 and we are desperately trying to keep ourselves in the Premiership play-off slot after a horrendous season littered with injuries to the whole squad. A third round struggle past Stirling Albion before we went through to the 5th round by default against Queens Park, but since then have comfortably disposed of Premiership opposition in Livingston and Kilmarnock. Falkirk got here by putting six past Wick Academy before a narrow 2-1 win at Alloa. They then dumped media darlings Darvel 5-1 and in the quarter final put out Ayr United. On paper we will be the bookies favourites. That's not something we are normally comfortable with and I fully expect Falkirk will also fancy their chances in this one, and rightly so. Be warned!
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    • Inverness CT 1-1 Dundee - Report

      Inverness CT 1-1 Dundee - Report

      tm4tj posted an article in Reports 2022-23,

      Applause for Tommy Cumming set the scene on a dry but breezy afternoon. As it panned out it ended all square. Dundee were quick out of the blocks and pestered Mark Ridgers early on without creating the clear cut chance to open the scoring. Level at the break, the Dark Blues continued in the same vein after the break and made the breakthrough on the hour when Lyall Cameron scored. However we have been resilient of late and substitute Austin Samuels earned us a point with fifteen minutes remaining as we came back at Dundee to quieten their raucous support who firmly believe Billy is a short rotund person born out of wedlock!
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