First week of the year is in the bag, and it’s been a great start to my footy wanders for the year. 4 games in the first week of the year, though no new grounds just yet.
The opportunity was there for a quick start to hitting this year’s target of 100 games, with a busy schedule of games down south on New Year’s Day. Temped though I was to go further down and find a new ground, I chose to make a second trip to see Carlisle at Brunton Park, as they hosted Port Vale. A club still on a high from last season’s promotion, and fresh from a takeover being officially completed, there is a definite buzz around the club. An old ground that hasn’t changed much over the years, I had bought tickets for the Warwick Road terrace behind the goals to see a different view, so was looking forward to the trip, which I had convinced my Airdrie supporting cousin David to join me on.
Starting sharp for the straightforward drive down to Carlisle, I picked up David and the drive down had no troubles, unlike the previous time i’d went to see Carlisle during a near biblical snowstorm! Once in Carlisle, found somewhere to park and then had time to wander around the town, stopping for some scran in one of the 2 Wetherspoons that are situated right next to each other. Strange. Fed and watered (soft drinks only of course) we headed on the walk to the ground, which was less than a mile away. After purchasing some pin badges and programmes, and having a browse around the club store, it was time to head in to the ground. However, in my first mistake of the year (probably won’t be the last!) on entering the ground through the turnstiles, i realised that the Warwick Road couldn’t be accessed from here, and there must be turnstiles for that terrace at the opposite end, so into the Paddock in front of the Main Stand it was. Oops!
The game itself was decent, entertaining and competetive. Port Vale took the lead, and for a long time it looked like a disappointing day for the home side, who had played well. However, after some changes, they mounted a late push which was rewarded not just with an equaliser, but a late winner, which brought the game to an end in fine atmosphere. 2-1 it finished, a familiar score for me to see, as looking back through the 99 games I watched in 2023, a 2-1 home win was the most common result I saw, witnessing that scoreline no less than 10 times over the course of the year! I wonder what the most common scoreline will be this year?
Again, the drive home was straightforward, with no dramas which made for a relaxing end to the first day of the year. Made much better by returning to visit my Aunt and Uncle’s for soup and steak pie, glorious!
Game 2 of the year was on familiar territory, as it was a trip to Ibrox (a strange experience to be there for a 3pm kick off on a Tuesday!) As I am doing more often these days, parking in the Albion saves time and hassle, even if cheaper options are there. In early as I try to be, despite the weather being cold and very wet, I was able to attend the memorial service outside the ground to remember those who left us in the Ibrox disaster on this date in 1971, along with remembering those who died in 2 previous accidents at the ground. The club take great care to do this every year, but this has been the first i’ve been there to see it for myself, and it was exceptionally well done. A touching reminder that going to the football and returning home is never to be taken for granted.
As I often do now, I then headed into the fanzone before the match, where I met Davied, who was there with his lad, his lad’s pal and his dad. The fanzone, which opened last season, has been a terrific addition to the matchday experience at Ibrox, and provides a great meeting place for friends to meet and relax before the game.
Into the ground, I again had a new place to sit, as I had chosen a seat in the corner to see a different view, and it was a good place to sit, with a good view and some good laughs with those around. Hopefully when I do manage to get a Season Ticket again, I land somewhere with such a good atmosphere and camaraderie. A tough match for Rangers, as they had to work hard to come out on top against a well drilled Kilmarnock side, eventually coming out on top with a 3-1 win.
Game 3 of the week again came at a familiar ground, as I chose to head over to the Excelsior stadium to meet with family and watch Airdrie take on top of the table Raith Rovers. Local to me, this is one of the shortest journeys i’ll take to watch games through the year, and with a large car park, also one of the shortest walks from the car to the ground!
Having witnessed clashing strips in the earlier televised game between Sunderland and Newcastle, it was bewildering to see that Raith had arrived at Airdrie with their change kit of yellow, instead of their regular dark blue, which last time I checked, didn’t clash with an all white kit! Perhaps Raith got what they deserved for this bizarre choice, as they were deservedly beaten 1-0 by an Airdrie side who really should have scored more than the 1 solitary goal. An enjoyable game though in good company, only sour note was leaving there to head straight in to work! But then, I have to pay for all this football at some point!
Last game of the week, and number 4 for the year, was the following day, as after only a 1hr nap after work, it was time to start the trek north to Inverness as Rangers women returned to action, facing Championship side Inverness in the 3rd round of the Scottish Cup. The game i had most been looking forward to, with a second visit to the Caledonian Stadium, as it was a road trip with friends, which makes any away trip infinitely better! Heading north, first stop is Broadwood for us, as it’s a natural meeting point and somehwere we can leave one of the cars for the day. Handy for me also, as it gave me a chance to stop in at the nearby McDonald’s for a much needed breakfast on the way!
This was the last of my driving until we returned, as Kar was waiting and ready to make the drive up to Inverness, picking Laura up on the way. Some catching up, some banter and good chat made the long drive much easier, along with some laughs at the messages coming through that were displayed on the screen over the maps made for a top trip! Getting to the ground pretty much exactly when we planned, having had a good day on the A9, which is always a case of fortune, it was time to get wrapped up and head into the ground. No tickets had been sold for this game, Inverness had advertised it that there was no admission price, but that a donation was asked for, with buckets at the entrances. A great idea, and one I hope Inverness were well rewarded for, with a fantastic crowd of over 1,000 heading though the gates.
It’s great going to these games, as over the last year, i’ve gotten to know many who attend, so even this far away from home I saw many familiar faces who I either got to say hello to, chat to or just wave to acknowledge. Before the game started, we were joined by Bryan and Wilf, who informed us that we had been invited to the Boardroom at half time, a very unexpected bonus!
The game started as expected, and will be discussed in the usual places you expect in much more detail. Thoroughly enjoyable and great to see some of the players back playing and scoring. Half time came and we went up and met the Inverness CEO, who took us through and proudly showed us the boardroom and talked of what they do as a club, along with the background on many of the things on display. One of the most striking things though was the view from the windows across the water, a spectacular setting for a football club.
Back out to the stands in time for the second half, we sat a little further along and closer to the dugout, which offered a fascinating view of the manager Jo Potter at work. Visiting different grounds and enjoying games from different vantages certainly lets you see and experience games in different ways. 6 goals were added in the second half to the 6 in the first, to cap off a thoroughly enjoyable game to watch.
After milling around and chatting to fellow supporters and some of the players, who always take so much time for the fans after games, it was time to get ready for the long drive home. And the drive home is always much longer, or so it seems! The drive back down though, while long, provided no dramas, as we relaxed and just looked back on the first game of the year. Punctuated only by a brief petrol stop, Laura was dropped off and then shortly after I was back to my car at Broadwood and ready for the last leg of the trip home. On the way down this far, i’d managed to add plans in for a future game, but that will be in a blog at the end of the month!
A busy first week of the year, as I try to make the most of getting to as much football as I can. The first 3 months of the year in particular are lined up to be very busy, so hopefully means I can write something worth reading. Currently 3 more games planned this week, none quite as far as Inverness though!
Alan
FootyWanderer84 