Fochabers Playing Field, Abbeyside League, 20/6/23
Me 280, Wee Man 151
Football Club Fochabers
Founded – 2012
Nickname – N/A
Honours – Moray & District Welfare Football Association Premier Division – 2022 and 2015. Moray & District Welfare Football Association First Division – 2021 and 2014
Random Fact – On both occasions the club have won the Premier League, they had won the First Division the season previously
Back on the Welfare tour again, but also as I was informed in the car, Wee Man’s 200 chase. Game on in terms of both counts. Another look at the Moray and District Welfare league and a second Aberlour Villa viewing in the Speyside heat.
Scotland may have been on the box and Wee Man’s favourite player from the season past Khvicha Kvaratskhelia may have been on show but the boy always chooses the real thing and not the TV show which fills me with immense pride. I really hope this way of thinking stays with him.
To a Fochabers we headed with a swift pokey of chips from officially one of the best chippers in Scotland. Handy as the Fochabers Chip Bar sits at the top of East Street and the fitba further down the same road. How would this game go? When taking our pre match guesses we were both scoobed. Villa were above Fochabers in the league, however Fochabers are defending champions leaving us both unsure. We were both wrong and with this Wee Man wins the competition for the season as there can only be one game left for the 2022/23 season and he is two ahead. Yes an eight year old has defeated me. That is why I rarely gamble.
For kick off we took our perch on the elevated wing. From here you get a great view of proceedings (not as good as at Villa Park in Aberlour but decent none the less). The game started with the visitors on the front foot for the first quarter of an hour. They didnt create anything clear cut but a couple of pot shots weren’t too far away. They were definitely looking like the better side and I thought a goal was imminent. I was correct with a goal but it was Fochabers who scored first. Against the run of play? Absolutely. Heavily aided by a defensive error? Also affirmative but they all count and Warren Orford wasn’t caring as he burst clean through to slip the ball calmly past Villa keeper Robertson who was left cursing his team mates. As i noted the scorer a wee loon came up to me and asked if i was a scout for a bigger team looking at Fochabers players. “Nah I am just a fitba geek” was my reply when “aye min, head of recruitment at Aberdeen” should really have been my answer to put his mind in overdrive. It should have been two immediately when Orford pulled off a stunning piece of skill on the bye line leaving his defender for dead and the keeper in no mans land with his fleet footwork but with an open goal staring at him he skied the ball over the bar. Not much happened in the second quarter and Wee Man and myself were more amused with some of the nicknames of the players than entertained by the fitba. Chimpy, Shooter, Stimpy and Toaster to name a few. But before the half ended the lull in proceedings were forgiven as we along with the other 22 in attendance were treated to a truly sublime goal from that man Orford again. Again questions will be asked of the defending but that takes nothing away from the finish. As Orford who found himself as good as clean through went for a different approach this time and lifted the ball delicately from twenty yards catching Robertson off guard leaving the keeper to watch the ball drop below the bar and in behind him. One of the best goals I have seen this season for sure. With that the half time whistle went.
HT 2 v 0
They may have been two down at the break but the Villa were not out of this and they were arguably the better team in the half. They had better ideas but unfortunately for them cost themselves dearly at the other end. They started the second half on the attack and were denied what looked a certain goal when Simpson was thwarted by a brilliantly timed last ditch tackle from Scott Robertson eight yards out. A heroic piece of defending. The resulting corner found the head of Villa man Morrison who beat keeper Burchell only to see the effort headed off the line. Aberlour had another big chance when substitute Michael Patterson hit the side netting almost unopposed from a few yards out. He had to score. Next up was Rauri Watt who saw an well struck effort deflected off the post. Would Aberlour rue these untaken chances? Yes being the answer as Ewan Edwards sewed up proceedings when Villa keeper Robertson came to collect a high ball only to collide with his own player leaving the Fochabers sub to poke the ball home into an empty net and that was that.
As it turned out and as the saltire flew above us all night, we had not actually missed the Scotland game due to the omnishambles that unfolded at Hampden. We left the burnt grass of Fochabers and got home bang on the Scotland game restarting after the typhoon conditions in Glasgow. An added bonus and an excuse for a few cans. But if I am honest, give me the buggered goal mouths, square posts and quality nicknames of Welfare fitba over the international game. Some folk may think I am a weirdo, I will take that.
Entrance – Free
Attendance – 22
Pie – N/A
Pint – N/A
Score Predictions – Me 0 v 1, Wee Man 1 v 1
Season Score Predictions Total – Me 2 v 4 Wee Man (Wee Man wins the season)
FITBAWBAG 