VENUE #37 ANNAN ATHLETIC Galabank Stadium

IRN-BRU DIVISION
         THREE

Annan Athletic... 2
Berwick Rangers... 2

Saturday 2nd March
           2013

@ Galabank Stadium
            Annan


     What a beautiful afternoon to watch football and an even more beautiful part of the world to watch it in.  Annan are a new addition to the Scottish league joining in 2008 after their near neighbours Gretna fell into money difficulties and went out of business earlier the same year.  In fact, I had a little spare time on my hands before the game so after having breakfast in Carlisle, double sausage and egg McMuffin meal with hot chocolate of course, I went on to visit Gretna and the old blacksmith's shop where people from England used to cross over the border and get married over the blacksmith's anvil, hot stuff eh?  I then, of course, strayed off track to visit Raydale Park home of Gretna f.c. and took some pictures before making my way to Annan to watch today's game.

The Blacksmith's shop

In the courtyard of Blacksmith's shop

   Annan travelled to Montrose last Saturday and got thumped by the Gable Endies 5-1.  Manager Jim Chapman makes three changes to his squad, Alex Mitchell returns in goal to replace Craig Summersgill, Ally Love replaces Harry Monaghan who's on loan from Hibernian to the end of the season and Daniel Orsi partners David Hopkirk up front in place of Michael Daly.  Berwick beat Elgin City 2-1 in mid-week and make just the one change, like for like, Neil Janczyk replaces Steven Notman in midfield.


     The visitors took the initiative from the start and deservedly went 1-0 up in the 14th minute when a corner from Frazer McLaren swung in and onto the head of Scott Dalziel who scored from close range.
     The home side didn't manage a shot on target until fifteen minutes into the second half and two minutes later they were level when Hopkirk played a ball through to Ally Love who slotted it home from twelve yards.  Annan went back to their sloppy ways after getting back into the game and in the 67th minute found them selves behind again when a cross from the right by Damien Gielty was met and finished by McLaren.

Corner of street leading to Raydale Park

The Galabankies refused to be beaten and three minutes later were back level again when Scott Chaplain got on the end of a Christopher Jardine cross to header home.  They could have gone on to win the game but for some fine goalkeeping by Berwick keeper Marc McCallum to insure that the Wee Gers deservedly got something out of the game.
     It's quite evident that this wasn't the best game of football and therefore the fans had to make their own entertainment at times.  A club official was making announcements via tan ahoy from the stand and every other word or so he would add an Errr... and so the fans would try to predict where these Errr's... would go in his sentence's.  It was very funny and
unfortunately more entertaining than the game.

Raydale Park

     As I said earlier, Annan is very picturesque in places, when I was making my way to the ground from the railway station I turned left at the town high street and walked down to where the road bent towards the right and there's a pub called the Blue Bell Inn just before a bridge that crosses the river Annan and the scenery from that bridge is beautiful, I had to take some pictures.          Walking up through the town to the ground you feel as though you're going out more and more into the countryside and in the middle of nowhere but you soon come across the Galabank Stadium on the left hand side of the road.  The club shop or a little hut as it looks like is outside the ground gates next to the ticket office you must purchase a ticket to get inside as money

cannot be taken at the turnstiles.  I entered the ground at the back of the clubhouse end which is a small uncovered terrace and this is where I watched the game from behind the goal.  It's called the clubhouse end for obvious reasons and you can get served there before, during and after the game.  There is a little kiosk where you can buy food and soft drinks from outside the clubhouse, the infamous Killie pie seems to go down well with the natives selling out just after half time.
     The ground capacity is 2,500, 500 of this is seated and the stand is at the West side of the clubhouse end looking at the pitch and runs between the two eighteen yard areas.  It's a modern looking build with yellow painted seats with some black ones to form the words Annan Athletic.  The East side where the dugouts are runs along North street the country road that gets you to the ground and is a small uncovered terrace.  The North end or Astro end as it's sometimes called because of the astroturf training pitches behind it is used to house away supporters and is also uncovered terracing.

                        

                            View from the right side of the bridge

View from the left side of the bridge

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