Scotland Women V Spain Women – FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers Group B (12/04/2022)

Made the 40 minute drive from Grangemouth to the south side of Glasgow for the first of two visits to Hampden Park this week, as I ventured out in the rain for my 50th game of the season as Scotland Women faced Spain Women in the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers. Pretty happy with the achievement of reaching 50 for the season with a month or so left of the regular season, definitely made up for missing games due to lockdowns.

Got to Hampden Park at about twenty past seven as got stuck in traffic coming off the motorway, so a mad dash into the stadium to it miss kick off. Queues to two or the stadium were horrendous and took ages to get in, this meant I missed out on a programme as they had sold out before I got in the ground, hoping this improves for the Scottish Cup semi final Saturday or it will be chaos with the amount of supporters that will be there.

There was a fair amount of supporters inside the ground with the majority of the south stand full, which created a good atmosphere during the opening period of the game.

Twelve minutes played and Spain were awarded looked like a soft penalty, which captain Jennifer Hermoso put away with little trouble to give the Spaniards the lead.

A bit of a disjointed first half as the referee seemed very whistle happy, constantly stopping the game and not letting it flow. Spain did create more chances and could have been 2-0 up at the break but has a goal ruled out for offside.

No halftime pie for me, as the queues were shocking with only one person per window serving. Pretty sure they would have known how many tickets would have been sold prior to the night and has the appropriate amount of staff on, this meant that the stands were a bit empty as the second half kicked off. Glad I’m not a female as the queues for the female toilets were huge.

Scotland had the ball in the back of the net as Thomas looked to have broken the offside trap and then put the ball past the Spain keeper but the referee failed to play the advantage and pulled the ball back for a Scotland free kick on halfway, more poor officiating.

In the 77th minute Spain doubled their lead and Jennifer Hermoso grabbed her second of the game, following a nice back heel to her in the box she worker herself into space to smash past Alexander in the Scotland goal.

The attendance for the game was announced as 7804, which is a competitive record attendance for a Scotland Women’s national team game.

In the end Spain deserved the win as they created more during the second half and in my opinion Scotland didn’t look like they had that cutting edge to get anything from the game. Unfortunately the poor officiating stood out more than the game. One plus, as I left I saw someone with a few programmes in their hand and he kindly gave me one, it looked like a dog chewed it up but can’t complain as I didn’t miss out on one.

So onto my ratings…

Ticket Price – £10

Programme Price – Free

Programme Rating – 7/10

Refreshments – N/A

Stadium Facilities – 5/10

Getting To Stadium – 6/10

Stadium Rating – 5/10

Thanks for reading my thoughts on Scotland Women against Spain Women.

Daz Carding

Kosovo Women U19 V Scotland Women U19 – UEFA Women’s Under 19 Euro Championship League B Group 4 (11/04/2022)

Not the nicest of days on Falkirk today but at least the rain wasn’t too bad as I made the short five minute drive to the Falkirk Stadium for the meeting of Kosovo and Scotland’s women’s under 19’s sides. It’s a bonus of having a stadium that can hold age group international games on my doorstep, and even better that it was on my day off. Went for a walk through the Helix Park across the road from the stadium with the dog before heading to the game, a nice walk with some water for the dog to go in and just a short walk to the Kelpies.

I got to the stadium about twenty to three, went to grab a copy of the free programme and a team sheet before heading in but was told they didn’t have any, saw a programme on eBay but it had since sold. Spotted a guy handing out team sheets as I got to the seats but just missed him, luckily saw him again and grabbed a team sheet. Treated myself to a steak pie pre match which went down a treat and warmed me up nicely.

Got a seat on the halfway line at the back of the lower part of the stand which gave me a good view, and kept me out of the rain but didn’t make it any warmer with Falkirk Stadium only having three stands, as the wind blew through to the main stand.

With nine minutes gone it was 1-0 to the Kosovans after a great run from Fortesa Berisha which caused the Scotland defence trouble, the ball was turned into her own net by captain Jessica Broadrick.

A near instant reply for Scotland as London Pollard broke into the box and found herself one on one with the keeper and calmly slotted past Demiri to bring the teams level again.

With halftime fast approaching Scotland took the lead through a deflected shot from Eilidh Adams as it looked to be a harmless effort but every goal counts.

A fairly even first half with neither side really getting a firm hold on the game, Scotland just edged it as they created the more chances and deserved their 2-1 lead at half time but Kosovo gave a good account of themselves.

Managed to grab a programme as the second half started as I asked someone working for Scottish FA if they had any and she came up a cropper returning from the tunnel with a handful in her pocket. I’m not sure who she is but if on the off chance your reading this, thank you once again as she went out of her way to seek out the tournament director.

The second half started as the first had been, with both sides matching one another nicely and playing out an end to end game. Kosovo made a change with them switching keepers with Djellza Mehmeti coming on to replace Alma Demiri, the new keeper made herself know as she was very vocal when communicating to her defence.

Dog watch once again returned as with the lack of the fourth stand coming in handy as I spotted a spaniel running through the field opposite me.

In the 92nd minute following a scramble inside the Scotland six yard box Kosovo drew level as the Doruntina Kryeziu managed to strike into the bottom left corner.

Minutes later Bayley Hutchison broke the offside trap and the keeper to the ball, neatly knocking it around the keeper and passing into an empty net from outside the box to send Scotland once again into the lead.

After an uneventful 45 minutes the second half sprung into life in time added on and although Scotland came away with the win, I felt that the way the game was played a draw would have been a fair result.

So onto my ratings…

Ticket Price – Free Entry

Programme Price – Free

Programme Rating – 7/10

Refreshments – 7/10

Stadium Facilities – 5/10

Getting To Stadium – 8/10

Stadium Rating – 7/10

Thanks for reading my thoughts on Kosovo Women U19 against Scotland Women U19.

Daz Carding

It may not be a football match but it ended in a stadium, BT Murrayfield in Edinburgh, and then a little trip to Tynecastle Park too. As I ran 6.55K to raise money for Big Hearts Community Trust. Here are some photos as I completed the run in 41 minutes 50 seconds.

Thanks for taking the time to look at my photos from my run. Normal service will resume tomorrow with a trip to Falkirk Stadium.

Daz Carding

Hearts V Hibernian – Cinch Scottish Premiership (09/04/2022)

Most would have being opening a few beers with mates ahead of an Edinburgh derby but I went for a 8.4K run, as I prepared for my 6.55K tomorrow raising money for Big Hearts. If you want to sponsor me then you can by this link https://bighearts.enthuse.com/pf/daz-carding

What a day for a derby, the sun was shining and the sky was blue with a gentle spring breeze in the air. I boarded the 1308 train from Polmont to Haymarket in my blue and black Hearts third shirt, which I’ve worn to every game since we last lost as I’m superstitious and in my mind it’s a lucky shirt until we lose.

Wandered through Gorgie on my usual route to Tynecastle, stopped off and got a new pin badge, popped into the club shop for a programme and the reception for a team sheet before meeting up with Anas in the Foundation Plaza to collect my ticket for next weeks Scottish Cup Semi Final from him. To say I was buzzing ahead of the game today would be an understatement, for anyone who has never experienced an Edinburgh derby it’s a must attend game, the atmosphere inside a packed Tynecastle Park on derby day is unreal.

Whilst in the Plaza, we were recognised by Jock The Jambo, Hearts mascot , and got a photo with him. I also spotted one of my favourite Hearts players of all time, Ian Black, who was not only a former Jambo but also an ex Shrewsbury Town player. Also bumped into Scott, who helped organise our bus to Hampden with Forth Valley Hearts, was nice to finally meet him. The atmosphere was very different between each set of fans as there was a relaxed atmosphere amongst the Hearts supporters and in contrast our neighbours from Leith had police around them and making themselves heard, you could tell which team had more at stake in the game.

I got into the ground at around half two, bumped into the boys I travelled up to Dingwall with last week and then went to get something to eat. What a delight I got as I saw that Kebab Pies were still available!! Had to turn down the first I was handed as it was burnt but the replacement was as delightful as ever. As kick off got closer the atmosphere got tastier and you could feel the buzz!!

Four minutes gone and the Hearts defence let Drey Wright walk through them and allowed him to get a shot off that beat Craig Gordon after a deflection. A poor goal to concede and so early in the game, shouldn’t be allowing them that much space in the box.

During he opening 15 minutes Hearts were showing too much respect to Hibs, allowing them to dictate the game. It was clear that Hibs were more up for it, not only on the pitch but in the stands.

Worryingly with just under 20 minutes gone as a Hibs player was down receiving treatment, Liam Boyce limped over towards the Hearts bench but stayed on the pitch to run it off.

A good spell of pressure from Hearts saw Simms narrowly put the ball wide as the keeper ran out at him as he was one on one and Atkinson hit the bar from a beautiful cross from McKay.

Into time added on and the scores were levelled as Andy Halliday smashed a shot into the inside of the far post which ended up in the net, sending three sides of Tynecastle into raptures. What a way to silence the fans who had been giving Halliday stick all game.

Hibs controlled the opening 15 minutes but Hearts dominated possession for the remainder of the half and grabbed a much deserved equaliser right on halftime. Hearts could have done without the halftime whistle as they were enjoying great momentum.

Only a minute on the clock in the second half and the Jambos were in the lead, a superb ball into the box by Peter Haring finding Stephen Kingsley at the far post to smash home from close range, a superb goal. After the goal “Hibs, Hibs are falling apart again” rang out around the stadium as Hibs slipped to 7th in the live table.

Just over half an hour left it was 3-1 to the Hearts and the away end began emptying, as Super Andy Halliday got his second of the game and what a goal it was as he smashed the ball in from distance, further silencing his critics in the away end.

Sad to see the impressive Halliday have to be taken off after taking a knock, but what a standing ovation he received as he left the pitch.

In the end a dominant score line that matched the Hearts performance, following a shaky start. After his performance today, if fit then Andy Halliday must have played his way into a starting place at Hampden next week. The win mathematically secured Hearts third place and confined Hibs to the bottom six. Leaving Gorgie and that song about Hibs falling apart again echoed through the streets.

So onto my ratings…

Ticket Price – Season Ticket

Programme Price – £3.50

Programme Rating – 8/10

Refreshments – 8/10

Stadium Facilities – 7/10

Getting To Stadium – 8/10

Stadium Rating – 9/10

Thanks for reading my thoughts on Hearts against Hibernian.

Daz Carding

Raith Rovers V Queen Of The South – SPFL Trust Trophy Final (03/04/2022)

Due to Sunday travel I had to leave a lot earlier than planned as I got the 1329 train from Polmont to Airdrie and arrived at Airdrie at at 1430 for the 1615 kick off, so went for a wander into the town centre to get some food before walking to the stadium. The options were pretty limited food wise so no feed for me, the amount of seagulls I saw swooping on my walk I’m glad I didn’t get any food as those buggers probably would have stolen it!

An easy 20 minute walk from the train station to Excelsior Stadium or Penny Cars Stadium as it’s also known, much of which was a straight road which is always handy. This being my second visit of the season I remembered most of the walk so didn’t really rely on google for much help. What did help was that beautiful sight for a football fan/groundhopper… floodlights appearing in the distance, guiding me in the right direction.

I adopted Queen Of The South for the afternoon due to them having a fan base in my hometown of Shrewsbury and with that connection it was a no brainer, as I even treated myself to a Queens scarf seeing I’d be sitting amongst the Doonhamers. My FC United To Prevent Suicide shirt got its first outing, not only is it a cracking shirt but also for a great cause. Find them on Twitter at @_FCUnited

Got to the stadium with about an hour to go till kick off, so went for a wander around and picked up a programme. On my walk around I saw something I had never seen outside a game before, someone throwing fire around on a stick, a geezer juggling and another whirling hoola hoops about (not the crisps)! Bumped into a pair of mascots, the SPFL Trust and Queen Of The South mascots.

Got myself some prematch scran after the disappointment of Airdrie town centre, got a pie but strangely they only had one variation of pie on sale and it was my least favourite pie… scotch pies. To be fair though it wasn’t a bad pie, was one of the better seasoned scotch pies I’ve had before, also got some crisps and a carton of apple juice as the same lack of variety was available in the beverage department.

Excelsior Stadium is a modern stadium with all four sides seated with the main stand being bigger than the other three stands. In my opinion the stadium wouldn’t look out of place in a higher division. It has the common thing in lower divisions in Scotland, an astro turf pitch which I’m not the biggest fan of but it saves a lot of games being called off and brings more revenue into the clubs. I was seated towards the back of the main stand just to the left of the half way line and had a good view so I could take in the full pitch which he always a bonus. Both stands running along the touch lines seemed near to full which created a cracking atmosphere just before kick off.

With quarter of an hour played it was 1-0 to Raith Rovers from a great cross from Tumilty after he did well with a ball that looked to be going out and put his cross deep into the box and Matej Poplatnik met the ball with a bullet header that beat Rae in the Queens goal.

With it looking like it was going to be Raith leading at the break, a scramble in the Raith six yard box which saw the ball hit the post and bar, Ally Roy smashed the ball high into the net with the last kick of the half.

It was a pretty open end to end first half, but Queen Of The South were unlucky to go in drawing as they hit the post twice and then the bar twice as they battered former Jambo Jamie MacDonald in the Rovers goal. Raith seemed to be playing the better football in the middle of the pitch but to be fair the game hadn’t really swayed in one teams favour at the break.

In the 70th minute Rovers took the lead once again and it was another bullet header from Poplatnik after an Aidan Connolly cross, which sent the Raith supporters wild.

Raith went further ahead with just over 10 minutes to play as the Queens defence had a lapse of concentration as Mackie fed the ball to Ethan Ross who’s shot from the centre of the box ended up in the bottom left corner.

Up to the last 20 minute of the game it was looking like extra time but Raith went up a gear and took the game to Queens, who couldn’t handle them and it was Raith Rovers who’s name went on to the trophy. I didn’t get to see the trophy presentation which was a shame as I had to leave to make the train home.

So onto my ratings…

Ticket Price – £10

Programme Price – £5

Programme Rating – 8/10

Refreshments – 4/10

Stadium Facilities – 6/10

Getting To Stadium – 7/10

Stadium Rating – 7/10

Thanks for reading my thoughts on Raith Rovers against Queen Of The South.

Daz Carding

Ross County V Hearts – Cinch Scottish Premiership (02/04/2022)

Early start as I made my first trip up to Dingwall, half 9 pick up in Grangemouth as I got a lift from fellow Jambo Willie for the 167 mile drive. It’s a real scenic drive up north through the hills with snow on top, made all the better that it was a nice day weather wise. Don’t think I’ve ever had a journey to a football game quite like it before going up the A9 into the Highlands.

Parked up about five minutes walk from the stadium and went for a walk in the town centre, which to be fair was a little disappointing as there wasn’t really much on offer. Headed back towards Park or Global Energy Stadium as it’s also known as, met up with my co-host of The Men In Maroon Podcast Anas outside the ground and had a good time chatting to him as always. Treated myself to a prematch feast as I had a packet of salt and vinegar, a sprite and my first haggis, neeps and tatties pie!! What a delightful pie it was, I would never have imagined putting that in a pie but I’m very happy that someone up in Dingwall did!!

I found my seat which was in the away end behind the goal in Row A smack bang in the middle of the goal which didn’t give me the best view, the joy of not being able to select your own seat online. Victoria Park is a modern looking ground but not a standard copy like so many of the modern stadiums, with all four stands seated and all being single tiered. The north stand which housed the away fans was nicely filled with Jambos making a great noise.

Hearts had the first real chance minutes in as Aaron McEneff played the ball across the six yard box to Liam Boyce who with the open goal at his disposal managed to play the ball behind himself, which seemed more difficult than scoring.

Just over 15 minutes gone and Hearts were awarded a penalty as Barrie McKay was brought down inside the box, McKay stepped up to take the penalty but unfortunately his spot kick was saved down low to turn keepers right.

Ross County almost took the lead as they hit the post from a header following a corner, luckily a Hearts defender got a block on the shot from the rebound deflecting the ball over.

With half an hour on the clock the home side took the lead again causing Hearts trouble form a corner as Alex Iacovitti was open at the back post to head past Craig Gordon. The lead was almost doubled immediately as the Staggies hit the post once more.

Hearts drew level with just over five minutes till half time as the ball fell to Barrie McKay following a deflection and he sent the ball into the back of the net from an angle on the edge of the six yard box, redeeming himself for his earlier penalty miss.

A pretty even half in the end, although Hearts dominated the opening 25 minutes or so but they seemed to let County back into the game. A draw at halftime seemed a fair score line as neither had done enough to be ahead. Barrie McKay and Aaron McEneff impressed out wide and both looked dangerous when on the ball.

Craig Gordon came to Hearts rescue as he pushed a shot from distance onto the post and then as Callachan gathered the rebound on his own in the six yard box, Gordon earned his wage with a miraculous save.

Further cause for concern for Hearts as the game entered the final minutes as Liam Boyce had to leave the field with the physio, to be replaced by former Hearts player Andy Kirk’s son Mackenzie Kirk. Not what Hearts fans wanted to see a week before the first of two meetings with Hibs, hopefully it was a precautionary substitution.

A second half that went by without much to shout about for either side but a good point away from home for Hearts. Toby Sibbick had a strong second half and kept Regan Charles-Cook’s input to a minimum.

So onto my ratings…

Ticket Price – £10

Programme Price – N/A

Programme Rating – N/A

Refreshments – 9/10

Stadium Facilities – 5/10

Getting To Stadium – 8/10

Stadium Rating – 7/10

Thanks for reading my thoughts on Ross County against Hearts.

Daz Carding

Georgia U17 V Scotland U17 – UEFA Under 17 Championship Elite Round (29/03/2022)

Back to Falkirk Stadium for the last of the Under 17 Elite Round games, this being my third game and second time seeing Georgia and Scotland play. This time the evening was a bit overcast but still not too cold and had the feel of a good night for a game of football.

Kick off was half five so didn’t get the chance to have tea before heading to the game so a pie was needed to satisfy the hole in my gut, and satisfy me it did!! There was a fair turn out with the most fans out of the three I’ve been too with 453 in attendance, also a strong contingent from Georgia.

Under 10 minutes played and Scotland took the lead via a curling effort from just inside the box into the top right corner by Cameron Cooper.

With not long left in the first half the lead was doubled following some great play from Mackenzie and his ball found Ben Doak at back post who smashed the ball low past the keeper.

Just a minute later it was 3-0 as Doak drove into the box with ease and lashed the ball hard across the keeper to bag his second of the game.

Although the score line didn’t look it, it was a close half for the majority until the last few minutes. Doak got the two goals his performance deserved but Givi Khachidze played well for Georgia and impressed me.

What a start to the second half for Georgia as minutes in Khachidze scored an absolute screamer from the edge of the box beating the outstretched keeper into the top corner.

Five minutes later the advantage was back to 3 as Rory Wilson found himself in space on the edge of the box and got free of his marker to smash the ball past the onrushing keeper for 4-1, adding to his brace against Czech Republic.

Just over 60 minutes gone and it was 5-1 more good work from Doak to get into the box and his whipped a ball across the six yard box and it was deflected in by a Georgian defender.

Ben Doak ensured the match ball was his to keep as he swept the ball home from close range following a good ball in from out wide and to give Scotland a 6-1 lead.

The second half was a lot more one sided as Scotland ran riot, some really impressive play and they gave the crowd lots to sing about. Doak stole the show to be fair and looks a good player.

So onto my ratings…

Ticket Price – Free Entry

Programme Price – Free

Programme Rating – 7/10

Refreshments – 7/10

Stadium Facilities – 7/10

Getting To Stadium – 8/10

Stadium Rating – 7/10

Thanks for reading my thoughts on Georgia U17 against Scotland U17.

Daz Carding

The Spartans FC V Bo’ness United – Lowland League Cup Group Stage (26/03/2022)

I felt like a kid on Christmas morning when I got up, as it was finally Non-League Day!! After two years since my last Non-League Day and my visit to Clydebank for their game against Hurlford United, I was able to celebrate again with a trip to Ainslie Park for The Spartans versus Bo’Ness United. Non-League Day is an annual event which celebrates semi-professional and grassroots football in the UK.

Made the most of the strangely nice March Scottish weather and spent a few hours at Portobello beach with the dog before heading across Edinburgh to Ainslie Park. I have wanted to get to a Spartans game for a long while now and jumped at the chance to go this weekend, given the added incentive as they were running an offer for any season ticket holder of Hearts, Hibs or Edinburgh City to receive 50% off entry by showing their season ticket.

Following the 15 minute drive from Portobello to Ainslie Park, I got tot the ground at around half two and grabbed a prematch bridie, capris-sun and programme. As I took my seat on the halfway line, looked to my left and ex Scotland manager Craig Brown was sat about 10 seats down from me. Also nice to be approached and thanked by a member of staff for coming to the game and the poster for the game I had designed.

The ground is a modern non-league ground with an all seated stand running a long one of the touchlines, on the opposite a small terrace on in on of the halves, standing space behind either goal and an astro-turf pitch.

Both teams were clearly up for it as Bo’ness went close and then Dishington for Spartans hit the post inside the opening minutes. To cap off a tasty opening five minutes one of the Bo’ness United coaches was sent to the stands for clashing with one of the home teams players, with paper flying across the dugout. I use the words sent to the stands loosely as he went to stand about 5 foot away from the dugout and was still easily able to communicate to the players.

After a slip by Maxwell at left back letting in Kieran Mitchell who cut the ball back to Gregor Nichol who curled the ball around the keeper into the top corner with 15 minutes played to give Bo’ness United the lead.

A good first half, with plenty of tasty challenges with both sides playing some good football and wanting to keep the ball down and play. Although it was 1-0 both sides could have scored a lot more then that but only one of the efforts found the breakthrough.

The game was level with just under 10 minutes of the second half gone, as Spartans made a corner count as Kevin Waugh rose highest to head home with a confident header.

Bo’ness United restored their lead in the 65th minute, as Danny Galbraith smashed the ball into the net from just inside the box, following an impressive long pass.

With just over five minutes left on the clock Nichol made it 3-1 to the visiting team grabbing his second, from a well worked corner that the Spartans defence couldn’t deal with and Nichol stabbed home from close range.

In the end the better side won in my opinion, although after a good start to the second half for Spartans the away side showed their class as they ended up winning convincingly and took their chances well.

So onto my ratings…

Ticket Price – £5

Programme Price – £2

Programme Rating – 7/10

Refreshments – 8/10

Stadium Facilities – 9/10

Getting To Stadium – 7/10

Stadium Rating – 7/10

Thanks for reading my thoughts on The Spartans against Bo’ness United.

Daz Carding

Germany U17 V Georgia U17 – UEFA Under 17 Championship Elite Round (23/03/2022)

Back to Falkirk Stadium for my second visit of the day, as two matches in the Elite Round were taking place there. No complaints from me as after popping home for some tea I headed back out on the 5 minute journey from home for the 1800 kick off. Always had a soft spot for German football so couldn’t miss the chance of getting to see a German side on my doorstep.

Germany had the bulk of possession and chances in the opening half hour, threatening most through Ibrahimovic with Walde and Wanner looking dangerous down the right.

The dominance for Germany paid off with just under 25 minutes on the clock, as Tom Bischof smashed home from close range giving keeper now chance and giving the better side the deserved lead.

Georgia immediately tried to get back into the game as Luka Parkadze found himself one on one with the keeper, who made himself look big and importantly blocked the shot.

1-0 flattered Georgia at halftime as the Germans ran riot but just couldn’t turn that dominance into more goals. One thing that did get dominated was the half time pie I got, went with a steak pie which went down a treat.

Georgia had a penalty shout early in the second half as Parkadze fell in the area but the referee waved play on, which in my opinion was the right decision.

Weiper made a huge impact coming off the bench and his biggest impact being getting on the scoresheet, as he beat the offside trap to prod past the keeper to double the lead for Germany.

Maurice Krattenmacher found space on the edge of the box, looked up and curled the ball around the keeper finishing superbly to make it 3-0 to Germany.

Germany showed they were the better side as the score line backed it up. They played some good football and played well as a unit, they were too strong for the Georgian side.

So onto my ratings…

Ticket Price – Free Entry

Programme Price – Free

Programme Rating – 7/10

Refreshments – 7/10

Stadium Facilities – 7/10

Getting To Stadium – 8/10

Stadium Rating – 7/10

Thanks for reading my thoughts on Germany U17 against Georgia U17.

Daz Carding

Scotland U17 V Czech Republic U17 – UEFA Under 17 Championship Elite Round (23/03/2022)

After a change of plans I made the short 5 minute drive to Falkirk Stadium, after seeing on Twitter that Scotland Under 17’s we’re playing a trio of games in the UEFA Under 17 Championship Elite Round. An added bonus being that it was free entry and also a free programme covering all three games. A nice way to kill a few free hours on a sunny midweek afternoon.

So after seeing both the Czech and Scottish mens teams at Euro 2020 I would be getting to see the under 17 sides and a chance to potentially see some of the stars of the future.

I’ve been to Falkirk Stadium once before and it’s safe to say it was a lot drier this time round, compared to the downpour I experienced last time. It’s a good modern stadium with the only thing letting it down is that it only had three sides. There was no hot food on sale as they didn’t expect any numbers turning up as I was advised by the catering staff, so a packet of crisps and a Tango it was. It was a fair turnout with at least a couple of hundred in the ground, I took a seat on the halfway line in row K.

The Czechs almost took an early lead as Michal Màlek beat the offside trap superbly and created enough space to get a shot off which beat the keeper but couldn’t beat the post.

Dog watch returned but not in the stadium, due to the lack of stand on the opposite touchline to me, I spotted a group of dogs walking in the field behind the astroturf pitch next to the stadium. Due to distance I was unable to determine the breed of dog.

With just over 5 minutes left of the first half it was the Czech Republic who took the lead, as there were a lot of shouts for offside but Miloš Pudil battled through and with a well taken finish beat the keeper, into the bottom corner for 1-0.

Just three minutes later the lead was doubled from a well worked free kick as Jan Paluska was unmarked at the back post to head past Pazikas in the Scotland goal.

Three minutes changed the half, as up to the first goal it had been an even game with 0-0 looking a fair score going into the break. Proof that taking any chances that you get must be taken.

An end to end start to the second half as both sides went close, Ben Doak for Scotland looked lively, was causing plenty of problems for the Czech defence and went close on a couple of occasions.

With 70 minutes played, some superb play from Doak inside his own half turning two players at once, then powered his way towards the area and played a great ball to Rory Wilson who used his strength to create space and fired past the keeper to make it 2-1.

Deep into the four minutes of time added on Wilson added a second goal and the equaliser, after the ball dropped from a free kick he found himself in space and smashed the ball home.

Scotland had the better of the second half and really deserved the draw, a draw was the right result in my opinion as both sides dominated a half each. As a neutral fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon of football and found it an entertaining game.

So onto my ratings…

Ticket Price – Free Entry

Programme Price – Free

Programme Rating – 7/10

Refreshments – 5/10

Stadium Facilities – 7/10

Getting To Stadium – 8/10

Stadium Rating – 7/10

Thanks for reading my thoughts on Scotland U17 against Czech Republic U17.

Daz Carding