VENUE #98 DUMBARTON Your Radio 103fm Stadium

    YOUR RADIO 103fm STADIUM  

                   Home Of:  Dumbarton

      Ground Opened:  2000

     Previous Ground:  Boghead Park

        Other Uses:  Wedding Receptions
                                      Conferences
                                      & Various Parties

VENUE #98

NEAREST RAILWAY STATION
     Dumbarton East Railway Station is only five minutes walk from the ground. As you come out the station turn right along the main street, left into Victoria Street and the ground is down the bottom of this road on the right

YOUR RADIO 103FM STADIUM
     The ground, opened in 2000, is situated spectacularly under the Castle Rock. It currently comprises of one stand which sits at one side of the pitch. However the stand is of a fair size, is covered and all seated. The space & height between rows is ample, giving fans a good view of the action. One unusual aspect of the ground is that the team dugouts are on the opposite side of the ground to the dressing rooms and this results in a large procession at half and full time. The ground was built by Barr Construction and there is plenty of space around the area, which could be used for future expansion, however, the Club have signalled their intent to build a new stadium elsewhere.
     Away fans are situated in sections one and two, at one end of the new stand. Around 500 fans can be accommodated in this area. As you would expect from a modern stand, the facilities are good and you should experience a hassle free day at the ground.
     In 2017 the stadium was renamed the YOUR Radio 103FM Stadium in a two year corporate sponsorship deal.

GROUND LAYOUT

                                                                                                                 A  THE MAIN STAND

Today's Visitors  RAITH ROVERS or as Jeff Stelling would say "Roth Raivers" were relegated to Ladbrokes league one last season losing in the play off semi-final to Brechin City 4-3 on penalties.  Brechin went on to win promotion to the Ladbrokes championship to replace Raith winning their play off final against Alloa 5-4 also on penalties.

     Rovers have got off to a great start this season currently in second place to Ayr on goal difference, just one goal to be exact.  Rovers path to this semi-final match today has been quite convincing beating Brora Rangers at Stark's Park then Ross County Under 20's were the next victims going down 4-0 also at Stark's and last month they travelled to St. Mirren Park and came away 3-1 victors.

     In the last ten games Rovers have played at the Your Radio 103fm Stadium

honours have been pretty even with both teams winning three time and four draws.  The last time Rovers won here was the 16th April 2016 winning 3-2, goals for Dumbarton Christian Nade (12) and Steven Saunders (93) and for Rovers, Ryan Hardie (49), Aidan Connolly (60) and James Craigen (70).

     Last time out was on the 11th March 2017 with the Sons winning by 4 goals to 0 two in each half from Robert Thomson (6, 44), Sam Stanton (47) and Gary Flening (94).

DUMBARTON ...2   RAITH ROVERS ... 0

     This game was a bit of a slow burner with both teams making little head way in the first twenty minutes but Dumbarton showed their higher league superiority after the first goal scored by man-of-the-match Chris McLaughlin in the 20th minute the Dumbarton number three prodding the ball home from a Tom Walsh corner.

     The second came four minutes after the interval when on loan Hearts striker Alistair Roy dispossessed Iain Davidson in the Raith Penalty area and stroked the ball past keeper Graeme Smith.

     The game should have been put to bed nine minutes later when Craig Barr's header hit the post and was handled by Rovers striker Greig Spence the former Alloa and Celtic player was shown the red card for the infringement but Tom Walsh's poor spot kick was pushed round the post by the Rovers keeper Smith.

     Spence's dismissal shocked Rovers into life but never really troubled the Championship outfit who held on to their 2-0 lead to win comfortably and deservedly. 

     The Sons now wait to see who they meet in the semi-final out of Crusaders, Inverness and the winners between The New Saints and Queen of the South.

                        MATCH DETAILS

VENUE #97 BLACKBURN ROVERS Ewood Park

 EWOOD PARK STADIUM 

                     Home Of:  Blackburn Rovers 

      Ground Opened:  1882

     Previous Ground:  Leamington Street
                                      (1875 - 1890)

          Other Uses:  Multi-Sports Facility




NEAREST RAILWAY STATION
      The closest railway station is Mill Hill which is around a 15 minute walk away from Ewood Park. It is served by trains from Blackburn and the journey only takes a few minutes. Blackburn station itself is at least a couple of miles from the ground and hence a good 25-30 minute walk away.
     As you exit Mill Hill station onto New Chapel Street turn left and take the first turning on your left Parkinson Street then take the first turning on the right Norfolk Street proceed to the junction at the bottom of Norfolk Street then turn left and a sharp right into Moorgate Street go down as far as New Wellington Street and turn left.  Go as far as you can down New Wellington street then bare right across the canal bridge into Albion Street and travel down to the junction at the bottom and turn left into Livesey Branch Road keep right on this road and and enter into Bolton Road then take the first left into Tweed Street and the Stadium is right in front of you.

EWOOD PARK STADIUM
     Ewood Park is rather impressive, having had three new large stands built during the 1990's. These stands are at both ends and at one side of the ground. They are of the same height and of roughly similar design, being two tiered, having a row of executive boxes and similar roofs. The ends are particularly good looking, both having large lower tiers. The only downside is the open corners, although there is a huge screen at one corner by the away end, which shows an excellent pre-match programme and amongst other things, the teams emerging from the dressing rooms and onto the pitch. There is also an electric scoreboard at the Bryan Douglas Darwen End of the ground. 

     The Riverside is the only undeveloped stand, running down one side of the pitch. This is a smaller single tiered stand and is not as pleasing to the eye as its more modern counterparts. In fact it looks older than what it is having been opened in 1988. It contains a fair number of supporting pillars and is partly covered (to the rear). Just to highlight how much the ground has changed, this was at one time the 'best' stand at Ewood Park. One other interesting feature of the ground, is the fact that the pitch is raised. This means that players have to run up a small incline, whilst taking throw-ins and corners. Outside the stadium behind the Ronnie Clayton Blackburn End there is a statue of former club owner Jack Walker.  

     Away fans are housed in the Bryan Douglas Darwen End, where the facilities provided are good. However, the spacing between the rows of seats leaves a lot to be desired, being quite tight. The Darwen End is shared with home supporters, but if demand requires it the whole of the stand can be made available. Normally the away allocation is for three quarters of the stand, at just under 4,000 tickets, which are split between the whole of the upper tier and part of the lower tier (with the lower tier being allocated first). If you have not bought a ticket in advance, then you need to buy one from the away supporters ticket office at the ground as you can't pay on the turnstiles. The ticket office is located on the corner of the Darwen End & the Jack Walker Stand. 

GROUND LAYOUT

 A   JACK WALKER STAND

 B   RIVERSIDE STAND

 C   RONNIE CLAYTON / BLACKBURN END

 D   BRYAN DOUGLAS STAND

Today's Visitors PORTSMOUTH are newly promoted to league one and are in eleventh place in the league one table one place below Blackburn on the same points, 20, but have played 2 games more than Rovers.  Pompey have won three out of the last four games all contested in October losing the last one to Doncaster 2-1 at the Keepmoat last Tuesday night.

     Portsmouth won promotion last season topping the league two table with 87 points ahead of near neighbours and rivals Plymouth Argyle on goal difference.

     Since the millennium Portsmouth have played here at Ewood Park ten times and have won only two of them losing seven with one draw.  The last time they won here was on the 23rd September 2007 a Premier league match won by a solitary goal by Nwankwo Kanu in the 25th minute.  The last match was on the 7th November 2009 also a Premier league game which Blackburn won 3-1, Pompey opened the scoring through Jamie O'Hara in the 15th minute but went down to three second half goals, a brace by Jason Roberts separated by a Ryan Nelsen goal.

BLACKBURN ROVERS ... 3   PORTSMOUTH ... 0

     Had trouble getting to this game for the backlash of hurricane Brian hit the British isles and caused chaos in it's path.  My mode of transport British rail had it's fair share with delayed trains and cancellations both of which I experienced personally during the day, delayed trains on four occasions. 

     It was a cold, wet and blustery afternoon one that you wouldn't expect a good game of football to played but to be fair I've seen a lot worse on my travels in ideal weather.

     Blackburn dominated this game from the start creating lots of chances early on but not looking too convincing in the final third.  Bradley Dack finally tested the Portsmouth keeper though only for Luke McGee to parry the shot into the path of fellow striker Danny Graham but his quick reaction attempt hit the bar and over for safety.

      Dack did eventually open the scoring in the 38th minute when Harrison Chapman's fine pass found him in the Portsmouth six yard box to lash home Blackburn's first.

     Charlie Mulgrew had a fine chance early in the second half stinging the palms of McGee to keep Pompey in it up to this point but the second wasn't too far away and was a fair reflection of Rovers dominance as on 58 minutes Derrick Williams put Danny Graham through to place the ball into the bottom corner of the Pompey net.

     As the storm got worse with relentless rain and winds increasing in speed and power the game looked to have fizzled out as both sets of players looked as though they were dreaming of a nice warm dressing room and dry clothes.  The surface water was getting to the stage were you feared that the match could be abandoned with the ball sticking in certain areas and players slipping and sliding the game was turning into a bit of a fiasco. 

     As the game got into the mid 80's in minutes you knew that the game was going to finish.  A needless sending off in the 87th when substitute Dominic Samuel was given his marching orders for lashing out at Christian Burgess a clear straight red card but instead of inspiring Pompey to take advantage of the extra man the opposite happened when in the final minute Rovers substitute Craig Conway sealed the three points with a third goal lifting the ball over Pompey keeper McGee.

                 MATCH DETAILS

                                             

VENUE #96 BOLTON WANDERERS The Macron Stadium

THE MACRON STADIUM

                  Home Of:  Bolton Wanderers  

      Ground Opened:  1997

     Previous Ground:  Burnden Park

               Other Uses:  Concerts, Darts
                                      Rugby Union




 Horwich Parkway Railway Station serves the Macron Stadium, with regular trains from Bolton's main railway station. Horwich Parkway is only a few minutes walk from the stadium.

The Macron Stadium

      The stadium built by Birse Construction was opened as the Reebok Stadium in 1997 and renamed the Macron Stadium, in another corporate sponsorship deal in 2014. From the outside the stadium looks simply stunning and can be seen for miles around. I still think the view of it driving down the slip road from the M61 motorway, is one of the greatest sights to be seen in English football, especially when it is lit up at night. It has a great eye catching design and is unlike anything else in the country.

     The inside is functional and tidy, but not unsurprisingly lacks the wow factor of the stadium's external appearance. It is totally enclosed and each stand has a conventional rectangular lower tier, with a semi circular upper tier above. Situated between the two tiers is a row of executive boxes. Above the stands there is a gap between the back of the stands and the roof to allow additional light to reach the pitch. The roofs are then topped with some diamond shaped floodlights that sit above a striking supporting tubular steel supporting structure. There is large video screen in one corner, situated between the South and Nat Lofthouse Stands. 

     One unusual feature of the ground is that the teams emerge from separate tunnels on either side of the halfway line.  Outside the stadium is a statue of former player and legend Nat Lofthouse.                                                                                         

     Away fans are housed in the two tiered South stand at one end of the ground, where up to 5,000 supporters can be accommodated, although the normal allocation is nearer  3,000.     The lower tier is shared with home supporters but the upper tier is given entirely to away fans.  The leg room and facilities in this stand are good and the atmosphere is boosted in the home section by the presence of a drummer.

GROUND LAYOUT

                                                                                                         A   THE WEST STAND                                                                                                                   

 B   THE NAT LOFTHOUSE STAND                                                                                                  

 C   THE NORTH STAND                                                                                                                      

 D   THE SOUTH STAND (Away)                                                                                                           

                                                                 





Today's Visitors  SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY  come into this game at the Macron in some inconsistent form, currently mid-table the Owls beat high flying fellow Yorkshire men Leeds united at Hillsborough 3-0 before the international break but ended September with defeats by near neighbours Sheffield United on home turf 2-4 and then 3 days later travelled to St. Andrews to give Birmingham City their first win in 9 games, the Blues winning 1-0.                                                    
     In 8 visits spanning 19 years to the Macron (Reebok) stadium Sheffield Wednesday have only won once winning 1-0 on Boxing day 2012, the whites have won 4 times and the other 3 games were drawn.
     Currant form makes the Owls slight favourites to make it 2 wins here today but with their inconsistency who knows Bolton could make it five wins against them here and gain 3 valuable points in their quest to escape the jaws of the relegation zone.                                                                                                                             
  

                     BOLTON WANDERERS ... 2   SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY ... 1                                                                                                                                                                                                         I think everyone outside Bolton had this one as an away on their betting slip with the whites yet to win a game and rooted firmly to the bottom of the Championship with just 2 points although Wednesday haven't been exactly consistent so far this season the odds were in their favour.                        Bolton didn't seem to care about odds though starting the game the brighter attacking the South 

  stand where the noise from the away fans made it like an home game for Wednesday but within ten    minutes the Owls faithful were stunned into silence when Sammy Abeobi scored a goal that was worth the admittance fee on it's own.  The ex-Newcastle United striker curled a twenty yard shot from the right hand side of the box round keeper Joe Wildsmith into the bottom far side corner of  the net.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Wednesday almost summoned an equaliser in the 18th minute when Steven Fletcher's attempt at  goal was blocked by Bolton Keeper Ben Alnwick the whites went down the field on the counter         attack former Wednesday player Gary Madine put Josh Vela through but his angled shot was well    saved by Wildsmith.  David Wheater's header from the resulting corner was headed off the line by      Jack Hunt.  Wheater had another glancing header go just wide as the home side strode to make their    dominance pay.                                                                                                                                                Carlos Carvalhal made two half time substitutions bringing on Jordan Rhodes and Sam                  Hutchinson for Ross Wallace and David Jones respectively to try and turn the game in his side's          favour and it seemed to have done the trick with Wednesday starting the second half much better but Rhodes was guilty of missing a golden chance on 60 minutes.                                                                                  

      A minute later and Vela had a shot blocked and the chance looked as if it had gone begging until  astonishingly substitute Hutchinson turned Flipe Morais's corner into his own net to give Bolton a      two goal lead.                                                                                                                                                Moments later Bolton had the chance to seal the game when Gary Madine was clean through but   his shot from four yards struck the Wednesday post and was cleared from danger.                                                                            Then the moment that Bolton fans were dreading when in the 68th minute Wednesday struck       back with a goal that looked likely from the start of the second half, Rhodes shot was handled by    Morais in the box but Keiran Lee managed to bundle the ball over the line saving the Bolton number  22 from being red carded, he received a yellow instead.                                                                                       Wednesday  put Bolton under pressure for the remainder of the match making it a nervy finish the

home fans.  Jordan Rhodes was stretchered off near the end after a collision with David Wheater reducing the luckless Sheffield side to ten as Bolton held on to their first win of the season.                              Carlos Carvalhal was jeered by his fans at the end some calling for his sacking.                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       MATCH DETAILS                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                             

VENUE #95 GREENOCK MORTON Cappielow Park

CAPPIELOW  PARK

        Home Of:  Greenock Morton

   Ground Opened:  1879

 Previous Ground:  

     Other Uses:  Greyhound Racing                                        ( 1933-37)

VENUE #95

DIRECTIONS FROM TRAIN STATION

     The nearest railway station to Cappielow Park is Cartsdyke which lies on the Glasgow Central - Gourock line. The journey from Glasgow takes around 40 minutes and then the ground is about a five minute walk from Cartsdyke Station.

     Exit station into MacDougall street and make your way down to the A8 junction and turn right.  Carry on down past the Arnold Clark car sales and take the next right into Sinclair street and Cappielow park is a few yards down on your right.


CAPPIELOW PARK STADIUM
    Cappielow is a fair sized ground, full of character, but beginning to show its age. 

GROUND LAYOUT

 A   THE GRANDSTAND
The Grandstand on one side of the ground, is a single tiered, all seated stand, which has a 
number of supporting pillars in front. On its roof are a set of unusual striking floodlights.  Away fans are housed on one side of the Grandstand, towards the Dublin End of the ground.There are a fair few pillars in this stand that may impede your view and the leg room is on the tight side.

 B   THE COWSHED
     Opposite is the Cowshed as it is known, which is a classic looking stand and is unusual in the respect that it has seating at the front of it and terracing at its rear. Both ends are open to the elements.  In addition visiting supporters are also given a portion of the Cowshed which includes part of the terrace.

 C   THE WEE DUBLIN END
     The Wee Dublin End, is a former terrace, with white benches bolted onto it, which makes it look out of place. This end is normally not used on match days. Beyond can be seen a large crane, which is reminiscent of the ship building days on the Clyde. For larger games then the Wee Dublin End can also be allocated for away fans to use. 

 D   SINCLAIR STREET TERRACE
     At the other end is the small Sinclair Street Terrace, that has a small clock behind it. Located in two corners of the ground on either side of the Cowshed are a pair of modern floodlights.   A visit to Cappielow is normally a relaxed day out and the Morton fans do their best to get behind their team.

Today's Opposition  DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC  The Pars have got off to a flyer at the start of this season winning three league games, 5-1 at home to Inverness, 3-1 at home to Falkirk and 0-4 away at Dumbarton and drawing 1-1 in the first game of the season away to Livingston.
     Dunfermline now top the table with ten points one clear of Queen of the South, St. Mirren and Dundee United and are pushing for a return to the top flight for the first time since the 90's.
     Athletic are hoping to keep up their good form against Morton which consists of winning 3 out of the 4 league games last season losing 2-1 at Cappielow on the 17th of September.  Since 1992 the two teams have played each other 90 times with the Pars winning 41 to the Tons 24 with 25 draws. Out of those 41 wins 17 of them have been here at Cappielow with the Tons only winning 14. 

GREENOCK MORTON ... 3     DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC ... 2

     Greenock Morton spectacularly came back from two goals down to beat the then league leaders Dunfermline at the death in an entertaining tussle at Cappielow Park.

     The Ton started the brighter having three early chances which all frightened the fans at the back of the Sinclair Street terrace more rather than the Dunfermline goal.

     But it was against the run of play in the 9th minute when the Pars opened the scoring Joe Cardle was one on one with the Morton keeper and slotted home from twelve yards.

     In the 33rd minute Kallum Higginbotham scored from the spot for the second game running after Jason Talbot was brought down in the box to make it 2-0 to the Pars at half time.

   Then came the amazing turn around when the Ton came out flying in the second half and only took two minutes to narrow the deficit, Robert Thomson seized on a Callum Morris mistake and started the come back.

     Dumfermline who looked to have the game in the bag at half time were looking rocky as Morton took control of the game and with 17 minutes left of normal play they were level when a twice taken free kick by sub Gary Harkins found Sean Murdoch's top right hand corner on the second attempt.

     The home fans who were booing the Ton off the pitch at half time were starting to get behind their side and had belief that they could win the game and win it they did when in the third minute of extra time Jai Quitongo found himself clear of the Dunfermline defence and slotted the ball passed Murdoch to leave the home faithful in raptures.  Quitongo was booked for removing his shirt in the celebration but he didn't seem to mind too much as a minute later the final whistle was blown and the points belonged to Morton.

                              MATCH DETAILS