Denmore Park, Grill League Cup, 2/8/22
Me still 236, Wee Man 113
East End Football Club
Founded – 1887
Nickname – The End
Honours – North East Premier Division – 1977/78. North Regional Cup 1977/78.Aberdeen & District Junior League– 1926/27 and 1933/34. North Division One – 2006–07. North East First Division – 1984/85, 1986/87 and 1992/93. North Regional Cup- 2016/17 and 2017/18 Archibald Cup -1927/28, 1929/30, 1933/34, 1976/77, 1977/78, 1978/79, 1993/94, and 2016–17. McLeman Cup – 1926/27, 1929/30, 1954/55 and 1965/66. Duthie (Acorn Heating) Cup– 1904/05, 1906/07, 1922/23, 1927/28, 1929/30, 1931/32 and 1966/67 .North East League Cup – 1989/90
Random Fact – The club are the oldest senior club in Aberdeen, arriving on the scene two years earlier than next in line, Aberdeen University.
With Wee Man back in tow I showed him the Grill Cup fixtures and he was swithering between Glentanar v Hermes and here. Impressively he picked East End when he remembered New Advocates is next to the Sports Village which means “East End should hate Bridge of Don”. His exact words and reasoning for his choice. So we found ourselves in the shadow of Pittodrie watching the closest senior derby in Scottish Football, the two share a perimeter fence so you don’t get closer. However in the end we didn’t actually find ourselves in Linksfield but three miles away at currently in abeyance Hall Russell’s ground Denmore Park. This due to New Advocates Park being damaged and unplayable which I only found out in the morning. However this was no big deal as the same scenario was in front of us, a new ground for Wee Man and played and viewed at in the past many times by myself.
With the change of venue it put the thought of cooking tonight out the window with the Mill of Mundurno so close by to Denmore Park. To be honest the food and the blethering there with Wee Man was more interesting than the game. Our pre game predictions were well out the window 3-0 and 3 v 1 Bridge of Don and we witnessed a dire affair. Which to be honest can happen often in the early season Grill Cup. No offence to either team but this was a very poor showing. The fact I couldnt get team lines for Bridge of Don summed up the story of the night to be honest.
The first half was made up of very little action, despite an early strike off the East End woodwork from a visiting 22 effort. Then there was a truly awful piece of refereeing when Bridge of Don 8 hauled the East End striker down who was away clean through twenty yards out with no covering defender. It was one of them that if its a foul it has to be a red card by the letter of the law but the referee deemed it worthy of a yellow. This puzzling myself, Wee Man and acquaintance Jock who spent the game with us. Shite and astounding in equal measures. Bridge of Don again hit the post via 22 again. The only other action was probably the ultimate highlight of the game when Bridge of Don keeper Keith Robertshaw was called into action pulling off a world class save. An effort was rifled at him from the edge of the box and was top corner bound but the keeper got a hand to it putting it on to the bar and away. A bloody stunning piece of goalkeeping. One that would have been raved about in the pro game.
HT 0 v 0
I will not even attempt to polish a turd here as the second half was worse than the first and there was even less action. East End keeper Ellis had one smart save from a header. Then the “home” side won it when Odlin was in free space to head home. That was that. I have seen both teams put in very good performances in the past but today just was not one of them. You have to take the rough with the smooth when watching fitba and this falls in the former category. However we have travelled to Stranraer to see a 0 v 0 in the past so it could always be worse. We will no doubt see both sides again this season and they will be a lot better.
Anyway after five weeks away I’m back with my best pal so who really cares about the theater in front of us. As long as hes there.
Entrance – £5 Me, £0 Wee Man
Attendance – 73
Pie – Shut
Pint – £4.45 Birra Moretti, Mill of Mundurno
Pre Match Predictions – Me 1 v 3, Wee Man 0 v 3
Seasons Predictions Scores – Me 0 v 0 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 