I'm up in Scotland on a family do this weekend and have managed to wangle myself out of the activities planned for Saturday afternoon.

Rather than sitting in one of the city's fine pubs seeing how Bury are doing on Soccer Saturday and spurred on by the excellent book Stramash, I'd like to go to a game while I'm up there.

My geography of Scotland is terrible though. Can someone recommend a Division Two/Three game that's do-able by train from Waverley and that will allow me to get back at a respectable hour for the night's festivities? I'd rather do the league than junior games. Thanks.

A quick scan of the fixtures would suggest Alloa or Stirling to be your best bet. I believe trains run from Waverely. Not been on that line myself but Stirling is definetly walkable from the station.

St Mirren are away at Hearts this Saturday. Very good chance we will play like a lower-league side. Its all ticket though.

It's a Division One fixture but the Fife derby between Raith and Dunfermline in Kirkcaldy might be worth checking out. About 30 minutes or so on the train from Waverley and Stark's Park is about a ten minute walk from the train station.

If you can stand the heady heights of Div 1, Cowdenbeath and Raith Rovers, in Kirkcaldy, are both less than an hour by train from Edinburgh. Cowdenbeath are closer to their station than Raith.

Thanks for the replies. Cowdenbeath have always been second only to Stenhousemuir in terms of clubs I'd like to visit so I think the decision's just been made.

EDIT: That said, the ground looks bloody awful on footballgroundguide. Stirling looks much more picturesque.

Stirling is very picturesque and the view of the castle, the river and the start of the highlands from the stadium is great if you get it on a clear day. Ground is about a 10 minute walk from the station and there are regular trains to/from Waverley (it was 3 an hour when I lived there).

Have no idea about the football though.

Raith v Dunfermline would be a good one. Bit of character about Starks Park compared to Stirling's ground (nice thought the setting is).

Cowdenbeath's always a laugh though and Wee Jimmies just up the road from the station is a great wee boozer.

Scottish Junior Cup weekend - Newtongrange v Auchinleck (about half an hour by bus from Waverley) should pretty much guarantee you a good auld fashioned punch up (players and fans).

You would be mad to miss Raith vs Dunfermline. It has blood and snotters written all over it.

Easy enough to get to from Waverley too.

East Stirlingshire are hosting Rangers on Saturday, you might struggle for a ticket though. I mention it because East Stirlingshire play at Ochilview these days, home of Stenhousemuir.

Also Berwick are playing Annan, a sort of Borders derby, Berwick is only about 40 mins from Edinburgh by train.

Giggler, you'd be nuts to miss Raith v Dunfermline, always a cracking local derby.

Alloa is easily reachable for you as well.

Guess it's Raith, then.

But I really, really, really like the look of Stirling.

Stirling's OK. As earlier stated it's got some nice views but the ground is a bit soulless and it's stuck on the side of a retail park with no decent watering holes nearby.

Going to Starks Park is like going to a museum, going to Forthbank is like going to B&Q.

Giggler.

I found out today that the Raith game is all ticket so if you're planning on going I'd give them a quick call and explain your situation, maybe they'd reserve one for you.

AMMS wrote:


Berwick's a lovely place too.

torres wrote:


They've given up on the all ticket again now according to the Raith website:

Raith Rovers FC has reached agreement with Fife Police that there will, after all, be cash turnstiles open for all stands for Saturday’s Irn Bru Scottish Football League Division 1 match against Dunfermline Athletic at Stark’s Park.

Tickets were originally only onsale from Raith themselves, for both home and away fans as (apparently), Dunfermline's money troubles meant Raith were unwilling to trust them collecting the cash for the 2500 away fans. A combination of sulking and laziness by Pars fans meant a small take-up of tickets so Raith have panicked it'll be a smaller crowd than budgeted and opened a cash gate after all.

Best get there early(ish) though.

I used the cash gate and had a fine old afternoon.

I didn't realise that the train journey would take me over the Forth Bridge which was a nice bonus. I had a pleasant walk from the station to the ground and then onto a pub called the Estuary where a combination of Movember and an English accent had me feeling the fear.

The atmosphere was superb as the two sides came out and it was a typical blood and thunder derby. Any attmept at remaining neutral went out of the window when, sitting behind the goal with the Raith fans, I went as barmy as them when the home side took the lead.

The first sending off was always coming, as were Dunfermlines first two goals as they were the better team. The second sending off, which followed a stramash just before the break, was announced over the Tannoy during half time.

I had to leave after an hour to get a decent-time train back to Waverley so am unable to report if the streets of Kirkcaldy were running with blood. The drizzle would soon wash it away anyway.

Sunday Sun's report here:
www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepag...t/article4650416.ece

Glad you enjoyed it Giggler, no neutrals in a Fife Derby. Still very tribal in that neck of the woods.

torres wrote:

So in what neck of the woods isn't it tribal?

AMMS wrote:


Aye but there's tribal and then there's Fife.