Keith Park, BUCS Scottish Tier 1, 17/11/21
Entrance – Free
Attendance – 25 at biggest and 2 dogs
Pie – N/A
Pint – £ 3.13, Belhaven Best, Brig o’ Don
Founded – 1872
Nickname – Uni
Honours – Queens Park Shield -1921/22, 1922/23, 1927/28, 1929/30, 1932/33, 1936/37, 1937/38, 1940/41, 1945/46, 1946/47, 1987/88, 1948/49, 1949/50, 1950/51, 1954/55, 1956/57, 1962/63, 1965/66, 1968/69, 1969/70, 1987/88
Random Fact – Uni have entered the senior Scottish Cup on three occasions facing Raith Rovers(1907), Peebles Rovers(1913) and Dundee United (1925) losing 5v1, 3v0 and 5v1 respectively.
A ground with history for me is Keith Park(some call it Hillhead but when I was a nipper it was Keith Park so I am sticking to it). At U13s my boys club had a shock 2 v 1 victory v the Aberdeen Youth development squad here. So outplayed they resorted to booting us all over the park. Good times and a very good squad we had them. I also had a random game in goals in my Buchanhaven Hearts days versus Wilsons XI. An injury to our keeper in the warm up saw the rest of the team hide and throw me under the bus and don the gloves. We didnt win that day in the scorching Donside sun . Worth it in the end as I got bought a lot of pints in the Brig o’ Don after for taking one for the team.
Wee Man at school, good lady at work and fitba on thats between the school runs. Too right I’m on it and it gives me the start of a first for my fitba viewing habits. A midweek double header in Scotland as I was to head to the Highland League clash between Turriff United and Brechin City at night with Wee Man and his yellow ball.
I have watched many a game at Keith Park over the years including seeing Ellon Thistle win a cup there the season after I chucked playing after winning nothing in my time with the club. Funny that. But it has been ages since I have been there 2012 I think was the cup final which was my last visit So way before my daft thumbs up photo collecting. Today I added it to the collection.
Pre-game I had the pleasure of meeting AFC Heritage man Jock Gardiner who I was to spend the game with and set the world to rights. Fine company to keep I can safely say. We were wondering if these teams would be the same players that ply their trade in the North Juniors and EOSFL. Going by a comment from the Aberdeen manager during the warm up about the effort being a lot better than at Longside which was “fucking shocking” and the fact The Side thumped Aberdeen Uni 6 v 1 at the weekend it could be the case the teams are the same if not very similar
To the game on this very Autumnal afternoon, it looked to be one way early on with Heriot Watt on the front foot and they had the ball in the net after five minutes in a very simple fashion. Number 8 slotted a ball through to the unmarked 11 was wide open and through. The striker lashed home into the bottom right corner with the home keeper not even moving to save. Heriot Watt stayed on top and seemed to win every battle and every high ball. Their physical stature was more impressive across the squads too. Everyone in the small crowd must have expected a long afternoon for the hosts. This was backed up by the possession for the visitors but they did not do much with it. There were chances, one eighteen yard pilediver that the Aberdeen 10 came out of nowhere to block with his back in unorthodox and amusing fashion. But another couple of opportunities went a begging. The fact they weren’t clinical, let Aberdeen back into the game as they steadied themselves and got into the match. So much so they found an equaliser after the playmaking 8 slid through the frizzy haired 15 at the apex of the box on the right. He proceeded to let fly an effort like a dart which as soon as it left his foot I said to Jock “thats in” and in it was squeezing just in past the post and into the side of the net. A brilliant hit. Incredibly Aberdeen took an unlikely lead right on the stroke of half time when the(right footed) left back went on a bit of a jungle run and played the ball to the 8 who with one touch played a fantastic ball to 10 whos run was equally as good left him with only the keeper to beat from five yards. This he did with ease. Quite the swing of fortunes here in Seaton.
HT 2 v 1
Heriot Watt got their half time dressing down and deservedly so as they should have been three up at least in the first half. It seemed to work to as again the scored early doors, albeit fortuitously. A nothing ball into the box landed at the Aberdeen 12s feet but as he tried to clear he tied himself into a clove hitch with the ball eventually ending up loose leaving the Heriot Watt 11 with a tap in. Entirely avoidable and summed up Aberdeen’s defending for the day. HW had the ball in the net again soon after but it was correctly ruled out for offside. But yet again the defending was terrible. More chances fell to the Edinburgh side with the best being a finger tip stinger from 8 which was in fact a very tidy save. As I had the school run the last action I saw was a sitter from the Aberdeen 7 who from ten yards tried a World Cup finish by putting his laces through the ball with venom. The result, high wide and handsome. Placement was the order of the day but he made a mess of it. With 12 minutes to go I said my goodbyes and left for the country. The game finished 2 v 2 in the end and it doesn’t sounds like I missed much. Entertaining enough viewing but Heriot Watt will be disappointed with their wastefulness. In all honesty they should have destroyed Aberdeen.
Me still 212
FITBAWBAG 