I mentioned in this post that our journey up to and back down from Elgin last April turned out to be a peregrination through the heartland of the Highland League.

It meant I have now visited nearly all of the towns which have hosted past or present Highland League clubs during my lifetime.

The first of these would have been Inverness (home to Caledonian FC,* Clachnacuddin and Inverness Thistle*.) I have walked past Caledonian’s former Telford Street Park ground and been to a game at Clachnacuddin’s Grant Street Park but never saw Thistle’s ground, Kingsmills. I think I may have visited Dingwall (Ross County) around the same time. After that – or possibly before – it would have been Brechin (many times now) to see The Sons of the Rock play Brechin City at Glebe Park. Next up was probably Fort William. Another trip to Inverness saw us take in Nairn (Nairn County) and Forres (Forres Mechanics.)

I don’t think I went to Aberdeen (Banks O’ Dee, Cove Rangers,) until well after those trips.

Then on our first sojourn up to Orkney we passed through Brora (Brora Rangers) and Wick (Wick Academy.) A year or so later a journey up to Aberdeenshire saw us in Inverurie (Inverurie Loco Works,) Huntly and Turriff (Turriff United.) In 2019 we went to Peterhead and on to Fraserburgh. The year after that on another trip to Peterhead we visited Pitmedden (Formartine United.)

And so to last April’s journey, passing through Grantown-on-Spey (Strathspey Thistle) and Rothes before reaching Elgin (Elgin City) with a side trip to Lossiemouth. Then finally, on the way back home, Keith.

So, out of all the towns/cities to host clubs in the Highland League during my lifetime I have only Buckie (Buckie Thistle) and Banff (Deveronvale) to visit.

*The present SPFL club whose name contains these two descriptors was formed when Caledonian and Inverness Thistle merged in 1994 to ensure entry into the then SFL. That merged team, Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC, have never played in the Highland League.

Borough Briggs is the home of Elgin City FC.

This is the reason we made the trip up north in April. I had never visited Borough Briggs. And the mighty Sons of the Rock had a game there.

(Of current SPFL grounds the only ones I still have to visit are St Mirren Park, Paisley (I was at St Mirren’s old ground in Love Street,) Victoria Park, Dingwall (Ross County) and Central Park (Kelty Hearts,) though there are some others I haven’t photographed since it was a long time ago.

During World War 2 a pillbox was built on the west terracing (called, I believe, the Bank.) See here. Those nefarious Germans could have attacked from anywhere after all. Sadly it was demolished as part of the conditions for Elgin joining the SFL, as it then was, in 2000.

Borough Briggs from road:-

External facade:-

Opposite view from first above:-

East Goal:-

North enclosure from entrance gate:-

Main stand from east terrace:-

Inside North Enclosure, with west terrace beyond:-

Borough Briggs east Tterrace from North Enclosure:-

Main stand from west terrace:-

The Rock, 15/12/08

Ah, well. That’s the 10th Jan free for the Cowdenbeath game, then, since our prospective opponents, Shire, and Stenny, who were to play Cowden, are otherwise engaged.

Not a bad result tonight, considering. After all, we’ve never won at home against County.

So only the league to occupy us now.

At least there was no extra time and the players have nearly four whole days to recover from tonight’s exertions before the trip to Annan.

The Shire and Cowden have a big game on Saturday at Ochilview where Shire’s recent “home” record is outstanding. Plus Stenny at Forfar isn’t a given.

It’s all very interesting at the minute.

Hamilton at home – if (if!!!) we beat Ross County.

Could have been more exciting. It’s not much of a money spinning prospect and we can surely kiss progress goodbye.

1. As far as I know we have never won at home against Ross County – not much hope for the replay, then.

2. And as for Hamilton, when was the last time we beat them? Bogey team doesn’t cover it. (According to Sonsmad it was actually 21/2/04 and 8/2/03 but it felt like we could never beat them around that time.) Plus they’re in the Premier now.

Onwards and …. sideways?

Victoria Park, Dingwall, 29/11/08

Well!
We’ve just drawn, away, with the team 4th top of Division One.
And we came back from two goals down.
Well done the lads. My pessimism of last week was thoroughly misplaced.
Also it looks like we didn’t start 4-2-4 which is a good thing – but we may have finished that way since super sub Derek Carcary scored both the goals.

However, in my continual search to find the cloud in any silver lining….
We actually have a good record up there so maybe the result isn’t so surprising. (Yes it is; they’re two divisions higher.)
But it was against ten men and we now stand to be distracted from the League; especially if we get a big team in the draw. We do not need distractions with a crucial game coming up at Central Park next week.

Yet again; we most likely won’t get through the replay. Our home record against Ross County goes beyond dire.

Special congratulations to the Shire on putting out Livi. The Shire are the form team in Div 3 right now.