Accrington Stanley to Željezničar
This may just be a pipe dream given what is going on in the world just now. Call it a bit ambitious. Call it delusional. I call it a ground bothering a fitba fan being bored and thinking creating a list was a productive thing to do. I also call it a case of good forward planning in case the world finds itself in a better place soon, nobody really knows when fitba will be back lets face it. I am prepared and like a coiled spring to ready to start with a bang. It is definitely a fitba fan missing fitba that’s for sure. There is definitely hope for some good new however as we are now seeing countries back in training and also countries being clear of bat flu over the last week. Fitba will be back and I would guess lower leagues will be phased in as it will be on a size of attendance basis, so its a natural progression for lower leagues at first then up to top flight. In typical me fashion I was like a dog with a bone writing this, as the list got bigger the more this turned into a challenge and possibly something else….. What is certain, whenever fitba returns I’ll be ready with a five year old who is desperate to top up his ground list.
I devised a plan on how I am to attack my fitba from the restart , a different one from the usual of having a few teams picked to see and everything else at random. A plan that goes against the way I operate in life as I am a very organised person usually. To an anal extent too. But the thought of not knowing where I am heading until a couple of days before may actually be a refreshing change. The plan- my next fifty visited teams, the teams will come out of the “hat”. I have fifty teams to visit and a bingo machine. The teams are split between Scotland and out with Scotland or scarfers as I call them. Basically that means I will collect a scarf, as I have at every club I have visited from outside our beautiful country,(sixty four and counting). I’m going to attempt to get through them in a calendar year, which is really six months due to my job.
Fifty sounds like a lot to get through in a year. Last season I had thirty-two new grounds and managed to acquire eleven scarves and was robbed of five further woolly delights for various reasons from corona to strikes. Last season was also with three months chopped off so forty-two matches and thirty-two new grounds was a good going. There was also the fact I lost out on seventeen new grounds due to bat flu. I think fifty is maybe a slightly enthusiastic target especially with the randomness being taken away, but its not impossible. By randomness I mean, I usually just go wherever. I lose this somewhat if I have a strict fifty teams. Some things are sure to happen no matter how many I get through, there will have been some great father son bonding, sights seen, beers drunk and cities and towns invaded along the way and that’s what fitba is about days. I well up for trying to get it done though. Sounds a simple enough plan but there will have to be some sort of rules to keep order.
The first team of Accrington Stanley has already came out of the hat for the first team visit. As fixtures are not out I picked three back ups. In order, if Accrington are away its Whitehill Welfare then its Easthouses Lily then Golspie Sutherland. Surely one will be at home
Below are the teams and the reasoning for them making the fifty.
Everyone needs something to look forward to and this is my light at the end of the tunnel
So fitba whenever you are ready lets get at it
Rules
The “hat” only covers weekend games. But if midweek games throws up a team it can eliminate teams without being picked.
Depending on my weekend circumstances how far I go will be determined by who goes in the hat. For example if I have a night out at night it will be teams between Forth Road Bridge and home.
If I have a weekend to myself any non Scottish club is fair game so everyone goes into the hat and will be drawn well in advance due to planning, flights, hotels etc
Pre-determined breaks during school holidays with Wee Man will be drawn well in advance for planning.
If Wee Man is with me its most likely Scotland is the only doable place due to school and travel times etc. So only Scottish teams can go in the hat.
On the occasions where Wee Man will accompany me. He will pick the team. Just for his own pleasure
If a double header is possible, example, if I am in England on the Saturday and driving home and I can get one of the Scottish teams en route home the second team does not need picked out of a hat
If a chance of seeing any other teams out with the fifty presents itself I will be going. Not that there will be much spare time
Teams
SPFL
1-Hamilton Academicals-New Douglas Park – One of the five left to complete the 42
2-Livingston – Almondvale – One of the five left to complete the 42
3–Queen of the South – Palmerston – One of the five left to complete the 42
4–St Mirren – St Mirren Park – One of the five left to complete the 42
5–Stranraer – Stair Park – One of the five left to complete the 42, Coronad off last season v Dumbarton
Lowland League
6–Bonnyrigg Rose– New Dundas Park – Weathered off last season v Bo’ness United
7– Galafairydean Rovers – Netherdale-Want to see the main stand in all its glory. Coronad off v East Kilbride last season
West of Scotland League
8- Arthurlie – Dunterlie Park – One of the four left of my every team to win the Junior cup in my life challenge. Weathered off last season v Renfrew
9- Blantyre Victoria – Castle Park – Wee Man wants to go after seeing them at Shotts Bon Accord
10-Glenafton Athletic – Loch Park -One of the four left of my every team to win the Junior cup in my life challenge. Coronad off v Kilbirnie Ladeside last season
11-Irvine Meadow – Meadow Park – Want to see the main stand in all its glory
12-Kilbirnie Ladeside – Valefield Park – They once played in Ellon on the pitch next to us v Ellon United and we had to stop so the flare smoke could clear. Also drove past on another trip and Wee Man asked to go
13- Kilsyth Rangers – Duncansfield Park – Coronad off last season v Neilston
14-Kilwinning Rangers – Buffs Park – One of the four left of my every team to win the Junior cup in my life challenge
15- Maryhill – Lochburn Park – That’s a train day and on the beers in Glasgow
16- Renfrew – New Western Park – One of the four left of my every team to win the Junior cup in my life challenge. Weathered off last season v Petershill
17 -Vale of Clyde – Fullarton Park – That’s a train day and out on the beers in Glasgow
18-Vale of Leven – Millburn Park
Have you seen the place. Amazing. Also a potential day on the lash
East of Scotland League
19- Arniston Rangers – Newbyres Park– Played them at Juniors in the SC
20 – Broxburn Athletic – Albyn Park – Coronad off last season v Camelon
21-Bo’ness United – Newtown Park – Coronad off last season v Penicuik
22-Easthouses Lily – Newbattle Complex – Coronad off last season v Tynecastle
23-Peebles Rovers – Whitestone Park – Excuse for a hotel job with Wee Man down that way
24- Whitehill Welfare – Ferguson Park – One of those names I used to always see in the early Scottish cup as a kid. Saw them play Fraserburgh in the mid 90s at Bellslea
North Region Juniors
25- Bridge of Don Thistle – Aberdeen Sports Village – Never been in since it became the Sports Village. Close one in case of nights out etc
26- New Elgin – Nicol-Togneri Park – Wee Man wants to go. Close one in case of nights out etc
44 – Rothie Rovers – Rothienorman*** – Newest team in the NJFA and only 8 miles from home.
27 -Stoneywood-Parkvale – Arjo Wiggins Park – Coronad off last season v Fraserburgh United. Close one in case of nights out etc
East Region Juniors
28- Armadale Thistle – Volunteer Park – Looks like an old classic ground. I have wanted to visit for a long time
29- Brechin Victoria – Victoria Park– Close one in case of nights out etc
30- Dundee North End – North End Park -Either a day out on the train on the beers or close one in case of nights out etc. Also one of two left to complete Dundee Juniors
31-East Craigie – Craigie Park– Close one in case of nights out etc. Also one of two left to complete Dundee Juniors
32-Forfar Albion – Guthrie Park – Close one in case of nights out etc
North Caledonian League
33- Golspie Sutherland – King George V Park – Only league to not be graced by myself from Juniors up. Picked to be the team to pop my NCL cherry
South of Scotland League
34- Creetown – Castle Cary Park – It just looks really cool and different. Simple as
35-Wigtown and Bladnoch – Trammondford Park – I mentioned visiting them in Red Final article in reference to me being a bit of a fitba geek. So I will go
Scarfers
36-Accrington Stanley – Crown Ground – Read a book by Mat Guy which made me want to go. Coronad off v Fleetwood Town last season
37- Bohemians – Dalymount Park – Oldest team in ROI. Trying to go to the oldest league teams in UK and ROI
38-Brann – Brann Stadion – Norway is great and I want to go back. Coronad off v Molde this season by the looks. Rebook later in the year
39-Cefn Druids – The Rock-Oldest team in Wales . Trying to go to the oldest league teams in UK and ROI
40-Crusaders – Seaview – Drove past it on holiday last summer when in Belfast and Wee Man asked if we could go. I also think Belfast is one of the greatest cities in Europe. So its an excuse
41-Grasshopper Club Zurich – Letzigrund – I saw them away at Luzern a few years back and their fans were excellent. I want to see them in their own house. Coronad off last season v Winterthur
42 – Juventus – Juventus Stadium – Coronad off last season v Torino
43- Kortrijk – Guldensporan Stadion-Ticks of K in my see a foreign team for every letter of the alphabet. Close to Ypres where I want to go for historical sightseeing reasons
44-Leeds United- Elland Road – The second most read about team after Aberdeen for me is the Bremner, Hunter, Jordan era Leeds. This is just a tribute to that side
45- QPR – Loftus Road – Ticks of Q in my see a foreign team for every letter of the alphabet
46- Roda JC – Parkstad Limburg Stadion – I have seen them three times in the past, but never at home
47- Rot Weiss Essen – Stadion Essen – Did a course with RWE fans and they were sound. They told me its a great day out. Got caught in an ambush with their fans in Oberhausen last season too
48-Sheffield Wednesday – Hillsborough – Just always wanted to go. Famous old ground
49- Sparta Rotterdam – Sparta Stadion-To complete the three big Rotterdam teams. Just a daft thing I have set myself after being at Excelsior and Feyenoord
50-Željezničar -Stadion Grbavica – Ticks of Z in my see a foreign team for every letter of the alphabet. Always wanted to go to Sarajevo for historical sight seeing
***Replacement for Leeds United
FITBAWBAG 