Woodside Complex, North Region JFA Championship, 26/11/22
Me still 260, Wee Man 131
Glentanar Football Club
Founded – 1978
Nickname – Glens
Honours – Acorn Heating Cup – 2003/04. Grill League Cup – 2004/05. Morrison Cup – 2010/11.
Random Fact – Glentanar were the first Junior team I witnessed winning a cup in the Junior grade when I saw them defeat Formartine United 2 v 1 in the Acorn Heating Cup in 2004 . This was played at the home of Hermes, Lochside Park. I had a blether with Jim Leighton that night too as he was in attendance.
Off the Carlsberg and back on home soil, this meaning another tick in the “getting Wee Man to the NRJFA 30” campaign. A new one for him but this ground on the banks of the Don is well visited over the years by myself. This in punter form and in playing. As were the surrounding “lesser” pitches at the the complex which I played on from a very young age. If I am correct the first ever penalty shoot out I was involved in was played out here against one of the Juvenile Glentanars. I’m around 95% positive this is correct. I am 100% sure I stepped up first and buried mine too though. The place really hasn’t changed much since those days either unlike the adjacent Lads Club which looks shite now given there are new houses being built on the site. There were many a battle here and are a lot more memories for me from down off of Great Northern Road whether at Woodside or a few hundred meters away at Lads Club. I love these nostalgic vibes I get from some trips and being in this area on Donside was definitely one of these days.
Pre-game was simple. No shenanigans out and about for us. Wee Man told me he wanted to watch Tunisia v Australia. So that is what we did prior to our arrival at an Autumnal Woodside. The game opened with the Glens on the front foot for the opening quarter of an hour but there was never a threat to Ryan Brindle in the Vale goal. Glentanar were getting the balls into the box but the front men never seemed to anticipate. In amongst this I spotted a stonewall penalty when Vale defender Brendan Aitchison clearly handled in the box. I thought it was blatant but only one man in blue claimed which I found incredible. Wee Man and me were adamant it was a pen, but with no VAR it remained 0 v 0. The game was stuffy to say the least and the highlight came from one of the Vale punters, who returned a stray clearance off the pitch with a booming header. Pitch wise the action was low but there was one moment of controversy when after collecting the ball, Glens keeper Rose was clattered exceptionally late by Vale number 11 Scott. It looked to be a shoulder barge/stand on ankle. The fact his ankle was trapped as he was going down it led to a lengthy injury break and also led to the keeper hobbling for the remainder of the match. But incredibly there was no punishment for this belated foul. Strange one but in all honesty it summed the referee up as he didn’t look arsed all game. Very slow in keeping up with the play throughout. The first big chance of the game fell to Brodie Christie who flashed one past Rose but also past the post. It was around this point I noticed the amount of trains that pass this place. As stated earlier I have been heading to this neck of the woods(no pun intended) for a long long time, but ever the observant me had never noticed it before. On the other hand i was informed at FT that 10 trains had passed. Not all of us are oblivious. Before the half was out Glentanar defender Rennie was kicking himself after he saw a glorious chance to head his team into the lead go inches wide.
HT 0 v 0
Half time saw us enter the club house for a pie and coffee. This took us into a part of the place I had never been. The bar. In here the Poland v Saudi Arabia game was playing as the committees and low in number punters watched on. Also in here was something new for me. An honesty box for the pies. The prices were written down and you chucked the cash into a banged up old Roses tin with nobody checking. I admire the Glens faith in humanity. Once fed and watered we headed out again and Wee Man spotted a bin. This leading to a new game. Chip the ball in the bin. A bit like his Banks o’ Dee game but with one target and a smaller one than the inside of a tyre. Good fun. It wasn’t too long after playing this we witnessed the first goal of the game. It came for the visitors when a long diagonal found Christie who took a touch and drove the ball across the goal and into Rose’s bottom right. A tidy finish by the bespectacled forward who wheeled off into the corner with his team mates in hot pursuit. Then in quick succession it was two and it was that man Christie again. A defensive calamity from Thomas who tried to clear but instead played in Liam Wood who crossed to Christie who finished from close range. An avoidable goal leaving Glentanar with a mountain to climb. From here Islavale were all over the Glens and created a few chances but nothing too concrete. The Vale pressure lasted around 15 minutes but it petered off allowing the home side back into proceedings. This was aided by the sending off of Vale man Matthew Nicol who was given a second yellow for trying to put Glens custodian Rose off kicking out by shouting at him. A strange one. Glentanar had Islavale on the ropes but just couldn’t finish. The Vale were at sixes and sevens at times. So much so their keeper at one point bawled out “for fuck sake calm the fuck down we are all over the fucking shop” and he was correct. The discipline started to disappear as the game ticked away with a couple of bad tackles being fired in followed by multi man skirmishes. I think this was a combination of the Glens being aggrieved at not getting past Islavale despite penning them back for a long period and Islavale being aggrieved at losing a man in strange circumstances. The home side finished the better team but it was not to be for the Aberdeen team. However, for Islavale the win saw them jump their hosts in the table.With dark clouds forming above us we were off for a Chinese in company to add to a good afternoon, back together after the latest stint at work. Danish fitba is good but you cant beat the Juniors with Junior.
Entrance – £6 me, £3 Wee Man
Attendance – 17
Pie – £6 Pie x 2 and coffee
Pint – N/A
Score Predictions – Me 2 v 0, Wee Man 3 v 0
Season Score Prediction Total – Me 1 v 1 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 