After a false start earlier in the year (see my Stranraer blog), it was time to finally make the trip to the northernmost ground in the Scottish Football League.
19 May 16: Elgin City v Montrose
Elgin City are one of the ‘new boys’ of the Scottish Football League having entered League 2 (or Division 3 as it was until a couple of years ago) along with fellow Highland League side, Peterhead, when the SFL was expanded in 2000.
Since then, City have spent all of their time in the bottom division although that may soon change as they are currently locked in a championship battle with East Fife. Before our visit, the Fifers held the advantage by a single point. In contrast, Montrose were at the wrong end of the table in 8th place albeit with a 9 point cushion over bottom placed East Stirlingshire.
My pre-visit search for fascinating facts revealed that all 478 seats in the Main Stand at Elgin’s Borough Briggs ground come from St James Park, Newcastle (Elgin’s elevation to the SFL coinciding with the Magpies renovation of seating in their Milburn Stand) – I don’t know if this is as good a claim to fame as the fact that I used to play six-a-side in Plymouth on astroturf that was previously laid at Loftus Road, the home of Queens Park Rangers.
Additionally, my floodlight fascination was fuelled by tales of pylons that go through the roof of the covered terraced which runs along one side of the pitch.
Plans were finalised over the days before our trip. For the first time since visiting Arbroath in 2014, there would be four of us in our party. ThePanda and I would be joined by Roddy (a fellow Marillion fan who I had not met before but turned out to be a great guy) from Inverness and Gordie (currently living in Aberdeen).
This being the longest trip for us in our quest to do the 42 meant an early start and I was awakened from my slumbers by a text from ThePanda at 5.29am (a full minute before my alarm was due to go off) and, having surfaced, showered and dressed without really waking up, I left the house at 6.00am to walk down to the train station to catch the 6.25am train to Glasgow.
ThePanda joined me on the train at Paisley for the rest of the journey to Glasgow Central and then we made our way across the slowly awakening city to Glasgow Queen Street where we boarded the 7.10am train to Inverness. The long journey to Inverness was made a little easier when we were joined at our ‘table for four’ between Stirling and Aviemore by a couple who were off for a weekend in the snowy mountains. He was competing in a split boarding competition later that day despite having been out on a stag do the night before and having probably only had an hour or so’s sleep before getting up for the train. Both our companions were good company and she was very easy on the eye as well so we were distracted for a good period of our journey.
We arrived in Inverness on time and, after a short turnaround, we were on the 10.57am train to Elgin and the excitement was mounting.
While this leg of the journey was largely uneventful, I was kept amused by ThePanda’s frankly pathetic attempts to capture our the train’s approach to the city on camera. For the record, my attempt below was achieved at the first time of asking (Kenny would probably still be trying now if we hadn’t had to get off the train);
At 11.42am, nearly six hours after I left the house, we finally arrived in Elgin. Spotting the Elgin Station sign and sensing a photo opportunity, I jumped off the train and rushed obliviously passed Gordie. In my defence, we had thought his train was due shortly after ours and I wasn’t looking for him…but it was still a poor way to greet our companion!
Those of you who know us will know that we’re all avid fans of the band, Marillion, and those even better informed will know that, in 2004, Marillion released their classic album, Marbles. This trip was far too good an opportunity to miss so we had come prepared to mark the event with our own version of the Elgin Marbles;
Having completed our Marbles shenanigans, our next mission was to find some lunch so we headed into the town centre to find a pub. Kenny’s photo escapades on the train coming in proved to be only the first of his ‘senior moments’ of the day as, on our short walk, he managed to walk into a bin before tripping over a power cable serving a van in the market in the town centre! Lunch and cider were enjoyed in the Muckle Cross pub (Kenny spilt much of his over the table) and soon we were heading to Borough Briggs for the day’s main event.
We walked up to the ground and were taken by a large column/monument on the hill above the ground. The Gordon Monument on Lady Hill apparently marks the site of a castle that used to stand at this spot.
We walked around the stadium taking photos before entering in search of the supporters bar. ThePanda had contacted the club in advance to tell them we were coming and why so he made himself known at the main office as arranged. Having been told to come back at 2.45pm, we relaxed in the bar with a pint or two and were joined by the fourth member of our happy band, Roddy.
2.45pm arrived and we headed upstairs and were surprised and delighted to be presented with an Elgin City pin badge each before being ushered into the main stand for free! A fantastic gesture and one that was much appreciated by us all.
Borough Briggs is a nice little ground comprising a small all seater stand spanning the half way line on one side and a covered terrace opposite. There are small terraces at each end and all parts of the stadium are open for use. The overall look reminder me a little of Station Park (Forfar) and that’s no bad thing. As promised, the floodlight pylons go through the roof of the covered terrace and these, along with other structural metalwork serve to restrict the view from the back of the terrace.
We settled down at the front of Block C to enjoy the first half but, before the game kicked off and having now reached our critical mass of four Marillion fans, we worked out how to use the timer on my camera phone and posed for the Borough Briggs version of the Elgin Marbles;
Despite their relative positions in the league, Montrose settled quickest and looked the better side in the early stages but City gradually came into the game and took the lead in the 24th minute after a good passing move. After the goal, it seemed like there was only one way this game was going to go but Elgin failed to add to their lead before half time despite putting the ball into the net once more only for the linesman’s flag to rule it offside.
Half time meant a search for the obligatory pie and, on my way, I got the opportunity to say hello to local man William, who had provided me with weather updates on Facebook back in January when we first tried to make this trip. The snack bar doubled up as the club shop and, in an effort to give the club something back after being let in for nothing, I bought a scarf and the matchday programme which I hadn’t managed to pick up pre-match (in addition to refreshment).
Borough Briggs is one of those grounds where you have the freedom to move around and we watched the second half from a variety of places, primarily behind the goal that City were attacking and then latterly in the covered terrace. Whatever had been said at half time seemed to have had a better effect on the away side and Montrose, once again, started the stronger and midway through the second half, they found their equaliser. The game played out with much huffing and puffing from both sides but neither having the quality on the day to find a winner. The final whistle signalled a 1 – 1 draw which, given victories for both league leaders East Fife and third placed Clyde, was more satisfying to Montrose than Elgin.
ThePanda had discovered that an old bowling buddie (also a Saint Mirren fan) of his, Craig, who now lived nearby, was also at this match and was enjoying hospitality with some friends. As we left the ground, Craig called us back inside and we all trooped back upstairs for a pint and some socialising in the club’s function suite. Unbelievably, one of Craig’s mates was a Plymouth Argyle supporter who came from Dobwalls (a small village close to my home town of Saltash) and we happily chatted away about the Green Army and the old country. After witnessing the man of the match presentation, we tore ourself away from this friendly club and make our way back to the station to catch the 5.59pm train to Aberdeen, bidding farewell to Roddy at the bus station on the way.
Arriving at the station, we were greeted by three, slightly worse for wear, Montrose fans who commented on my Elgin scarf. After I produced my Argyle scarf which was underneath, we were told that a couple of Argyle fans from Plymouth regularly travel up for Montrose games and all of a sudden, being a member of the Green Army made me popular. The already well oiled Montys got onto the train armed with cans of Tennants and a bottle of Rum but, while fairly loud, they were in good humour and caused no trouble – although we all felt a little sorry for the girl who had to ‘enjoy’ their company as the fourth person on their table between Elgin and Aberdeen.
A hurried goodbye to Gordie at Aberdeen and a mad scramble to find Platform 5 with only minutes before the train left followed but Kenny and I were soon bound for Glasgow on the last leg of our journey. It was all too much for ThePanda who nodded off for the last hour of the journey and I reflected on a good day out while trying to keep my eyelids up. Elgin City – the furthest of our trips – had been ticked off the list and, in making this journey, I had also completed my first full league having now visited all the clubs in Scottish League 2.
I finally arrived home just after 11.00pm, some 17 hours after leaving the house in the morning…and it was all completely worth it!
weetabliss 