Arbroath’s Gayfield Park is about as close to the North Sea as it’s possible to get without actually wading into the water. It’s one of the most scenic football ground locations you’ll find anywhere in the UK, but it’s also notoriously one of the coldest. Last time I came here was way back on New Year’s Day 2003. I remember it well, because ice-cold wind … Continue reading Arbroath v St Johnstone
Regular followers of Scottish football will be familiar with the media’s hankering for a true “fairy tale story”. Once upon a time, in the early 2000s, it was Livingston’s rise through the leagues that had pundits reaching for the Hans Christian Andersen references. A few years later, it was Gretna’s turn to “live the dream”. As it turned out, both clubs were spending money they … Continue reading At last, a fairy tale I can believe in
It feels like an odd thing to say about a man I’ve never met, but Tommy Wright has given me many of the best moments of my life. There was the time his St Johnstone team sent the Norwegian giants of Rosenborg crashing out of the Europa League. And that night in Luzern where Saints secured a 1-1 draw in scorching mid-July heat, before completing … Continue reading Thank You, Tommy Wright
Declaration of vested interest: St Johnstone are my team. For as long as I’ve followed football, I’ve been a Saints fan. I grew up supporting them home and away, from the lows of the lower leagues to the highs of top-three finishes, playing in Europe and – in 2014 – winning the Scottish Cup for the first time (genuinely the best day of life, in … Continue reading St Johnstone v Ross County
No one writes letters any more, do they? I mean, it’s for the best really. Letter-writing was rubbish. You had to find some decent paper, and an envelope that was the right size, and some stamps. You had to do your best handwriting (who even has handwriting any more?). You had to lick the disgusting envelope, like some sort of animal. You had to walk to the … Continue reading You’ve Got Mail
I’m not one of those fashion guys. I’ve never been stylish. When I’m out and about, I do my best to look presentable, and I wear stuff that I like to think looks alright, but that’s pretty much as far as it goes for me. The second I get home, I fling on a knackered pair of Sports Direct trackie bottoms and I’m basically in … Continue reading Old Man in a Football Top
