VENUE #99 HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN Tynecastle Park

 TYNECASTLE PARK 

                  Home Of:  Hearts

      Ground Opened:  10th April 1886

     Previous Ground:  Powburn &
                                      Powderhall

        Other Uses:  Scottish Cup Semi-
                               Finals and Women's
                               Internationals

VENUE #99

NEAREST RAILWAY STATION

     The nearest train station is Edinburgh Haymarket, which is about a 15 minute walk away from Tynecastle Stadium. You can see the ground as you come into the station. On leaving the station turn right at the Ryries pub, into Dalry Road. Dalry Road runs into Gorgie Road. About one mile on and the ground is visible from the first major road junction/set of traffic lights

TYNECASTLE PARK STADIUM
     With the opening of the new Main Stand on one side of the pitch, then Tynecastle Stadium has been completely re-developed since the 1990's. Opened in November 2017 the Main Stand is an impressive size, with a capacity of over 7,000 seats. Effectively a large single tier, its roof is mostly transparent to allow more light to reach the pitch. There is a wide players tunnel located at the half way line, with the team dugouts located wither side of it, out front. The rest of the stadium comprising the Roseburn, Gorgie and Wheatfield Stands, are all good sized single tiered stands, that are similar in design and height.They are slightly taller than the Main Stand. The corners of the stadium are open meaning that the stands are separate. Apart from a line of floodlights running along the front of the roof, then in each corner there are a block of floodlights mounted which give it an interesting look.
     Away fans are housed in the Roseburn Stand at one end of the ground, where up to 3,676 supporters can be accommodated. Clubs with a small following may find that a smaller portion of this stand is allocated. The steep slope of the stand ensures a good view of the pitch and the facilities on offer are good. Apart from the Old Firm games and local derbies against Hibs, the atmosphere can be lacking.

GROUND LAYOUT

  

 A   MAIN STAND

 B   WHEATFIELD STAND

 C   ROSEBURN STAND  (AWAY)

 D   GORGIE STAND  

Today's Visitors ROSS COUNTY are currently 9th in the Premier table two points and two places lower than Hearts.  County suffered a 1-0  home defeat to Celtic last Saturday continuing the inconstancy that has plagued them throughout the season thus far.
      Hearts beat them 2-1 in October at the Global Energy Stadium Esmael Goncalves opened the scoring in the 34th minute with Davis Kellior-Dunn equalising two minutes later.  Jamie Walker got the winner on the hour but Hearts victory was marred by the sending off of Connor Randall in the 65th minute for a second bookable offence.
     In the last 8 matches between these two teams at Tynecastle Hearts have won three with four draws and County only winning once which was the last time out here in March last season the Staggies winning 1-0 with a Alex Schalk goal in the 51st minute.

              HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN ... 0   ROSS COUNTY ... 0  

  

     Not a classic game of football by any means with both sides lacking the quality needed to bring goals to the game on a freezing cold Saturday afternoon in November.

     Hearts dominated most of the match but it was County who came closest to scoring with Alex Schalk smashing the ball against the post when put clean through early on in the first half.

     Later on in the half Schalk had the ball in the back of the net with a strong finish passed Hearts keeper Jon McLaughlin but the linesman adjudged it to be offside to the dismay of the Staggies bench who complained that Hearts defender Michael Smith played the Dutch striker onside.

     Hearts went on to keep the County keeper Aaron McCarey busy but one could tell early on that this game was not going to produce a winner with the Lothian team trying to be too precise with their efforts on the the County goal.                                                                                                                       The home side should have won this game but will have to reflect on how they managed to let two points slip away let's hope that this result isn't crucial in the run-in at the end of the season. 

                                       MATCH DETAILS    

                                                

                               

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