Sick as the proverbial parrot! Scotland didn't make it to next year's Euro Championships in Austria and Switzerland. I'm sure you all know we lost 1-2 to Italy. However we can take great pride in the way our lads fought to the last in this group and fought with pride, passion and increasing skill. There may be no superstars in our team but the "team spirit" and unity made up for that.
Another upside of this campaign is that we will be 2nd seeds for the World Cup qualifying contest. No one in Scotland need be ashamed of our team any more and I look forward to Scotland getting out of the group stages in South Africa in 2010.
Two better results to note though:
i. Scotland Under 21s beat Slovenia 4-0 away
ii. Irvine Meadow won 4-2 away to Beith in the West of Scotland Premier League
Showing posts with label Irvine Meadow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Irvine Meadow. Show all posts
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Thursday, 18 October 2007
Soroptimists at it again!
Having previously posted that the Soroptimists were depriving me of Catherine's company, I have to sadly report that they are at it again. They have their SIGBI Federation Conference in Harrogate from the 1st - 3rd November which means that I shall be denied her company that weekend.
It's fortunate however that Scottish Conference Committee, of which I'm one of the Vice Conveners, are having their debrief meeting on the morning of the 3rd and that the Mighty Irvine Meadow XI FC are drawn away to Linlithgow Rose in the Scottish Junior Cup that afternoon. Just as Long as the meeting is nice and brief I can be at Linlithgow's ground in time to see the 1st and 2nd bookies favourites for the trophy take each other own in what promises to be a cracking tie.
Note to non Scottish readers: Junior football in Scotland has nothing to do with age. The Scottish Junior Football Association is a separate semi-pro association from the SFA. Big fall out way back in the mists of time.
It's fortunate however that Scottish Conference Committee, of which I'm one of the Vice Conveners, are having their debrief meeting on the morning of the 3rd and that the Mighty Irvine Meadow XI FC are drawn away to Linlithgow Rose in the Scottish Junior Cup that afternoon. Just as Long as the meeting is nice and brief I can be at Linlithgow's ground in time to see the 1st and 2nd bookies favourites for the trophy take each other own in what promises to be a cracking tie.
Note to non Scottish readers: Junior football in Scotland has nothing to do with age. The Scottish Junior Football Association is a separate semi-pro association from the SFA. Big fall out way back in the mists of time.
Monday, 5 February 2007
Why Meadow won't play Caley Thistle
The magnificent mighty Meadow won their Scottish Junior Cup 4th round replay against Lochee Harp on Saturday by a comfortable 5-0 margin. We now face a last 16 home tie against Pollok. As predicted I saw none of it, being in transit between Edinburgh, Perth & Irvine, not arriving home until nearly nine pm.
For clarity it's probably worth explaining why Irvine Meadow will never play Inverness Caledonian Thistle, or Rangers, or Celtic etc. Here in Scotland we have two entirely seperate Football Associations with members of each association being barred from playing the other's teams unless in a "friendly". There's the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and the Scottish Junior Football Association (SJFA). The SFA, as I'm sure you'll be aware, is the Scottish Equivqlent to England's FA. The SJFA is nothing to do with under 16's or anything of that ilk and the players are paid professionals, mostly part time. Many, many famous footballers and managers started or ended their careers in the Juniors with, probably, the most famous being Bill Shankly who started his football career with the, now sadly defunct but wonderfully named, Glenbuck Cherrypickers. Local rivals to "The Glens" were the equally wonderfully named Rankinston Mountaineers. The penchant for unusual names continues to this day. Here's a selection: Linlithgow Rose, Jeanfield Swifts, Craigmark Burntonians, Lads Club, Hermes, Hill O'Beath and Auchinleck Talbot.
If you would care to know more about the Meadow, who were founded in 1897, why not have a look at their website www.medda.co.uk
For clarity it's probably worth explaining why Irvine Meadow will never play Inverness Caledonian Thistle, or Rangers, or Celtic etc. Here in Scotland we have two entirely seperate Football Associations with members of each association being barred from playing the other's teams unless in a "friendly". There's the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and the Scottish Junior Football Association (SJFA). The SFA, as I'm sure you'll be aware, is the Scottish Equivqlent to England's FA. The SJFA is nothing to do with under 16's or anything of that ilk and the players are paid professionals, mostly part time. Many, many famous footballers and managers started or ended their careers in the Juniors with, probably, the most famous being Bill Shankly who started his football career with the, now sadly defunct but wonderfully named, Glenbuck Cherrypickers. Local rivals to "The Glens" were the equally wonderfully named Rankinston Mountaineers. The penchant for unusual names continues to this day. Here's a selection: Linlithgow Rose, Jeanfield Swifts, Craigmark Burntonians, Lads Club, Hermes, Hill O'Beath and Auchinleck Talbot.
If you would care to know more about the Meadow, who were founded in 1897, why not have a look at their website www.medda.co.uk
Friday, 2 February 2007
Go, go, go the 'Dow!
My beloved Irvine Meadow XI FC are in a replay of their Scottish Junior Cup 4th round match tomorrow.
They came back from 3-0 down away to Lochee Harp last Saturday to rescue a 3-3 draw, playing on a pitch which one of the lads described as "like playing on porridge".
So good luck to the lads for tomorrow especially since they have the potential to go all the way in the Cup this season.
The only downside is that I won't be at the game because I've got a meeting of the Scottish Lib Dem's Executive Committee at 10.30 tomorrow morning, in Edinburgh. We'll probably chunter on until around 12.30, especially if the author of Caron's Musings is there, then have some lunch before heading to Irvine. Even with impeccable driving of The lady who lives in Kinross-shire, we'll never get to Irvine before the game is over. Ah well, the price of politics and love.
They came back from 3-0 down away to Lochee Harp last Saturday to rescue a 3-3 draw, playing on a pitch which one of the lads described as "like playing on porridge".
So good luck to the lads for tomorrow especially since they have the potential to go all the way in the Cup this season.
The only downside is that I won't be at the game because I've got a meeting of the Scottish Lib Dem's Executive Committee at 10.30 tomorrow morning, in Edinburgh. We'll probably chunter on until around 12.30, especially if the author of Caron's Musings is there, then have some lunch before heading to Irvine. Even with impeccable driving of The lady who lives in Kinross-shire, we'll never get to Irvine before the game is over. Ah well, the price of politics and love.
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