Crombie Park, North Regional Cup 1/4 Final, 3/5/25
Me still 343, Wee Man still 205
Culter Junior Football Club
Founded – 1891
Nickname – N/A
Honours – North/North East Region Top Tier -2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2010/11, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2022/23 and 2023/24. North East Junior Division 1 – 2000/01. North Regional Cup –1989/90, 1999/00, 2011/12, 2013/14 and 2022/23. McLeman Cup – 1988/89, 1992/93, 2000/01, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2022/23 and 2023/24. Grill League Cup – 2005/06, 2010/11, 2022/23 and 2023/24. Archibald Cup – 1987/88 and 1989/90. Jimmy Gibb Trophy – 2000/01. Aberdeen Cable TV Cup – 1989/90 and 1992/93. Acorn Heating Cup – 2002/03 and 2004/05
This weekend the super computer picked a trip to the edge of the city boundary for us. Seven games went into the bingo machine across the Juniors and Amateurs up our way. This was something we did last weekend and Wee Man loved it so why not do it again? Also like last week the day started off in with a wander in the Duthie Park with both the Wee Men. Duck feeding, crow chasing and Wee Wee Man and me and our daily visit to our crow friend to feed and chase him. Trust me when I say this, you can befriend a crow . To be seen to be believed, it’s amazing. From the city centre it was to the extreme west of the city boundary to Peterculter for a pizza and fitba. The pizza at Borsalino’s was magic and I can see why they have been in business for almost 50 years. An eatery I have driven past hundreds of times previously but never ventured in, glad I have popped that cherry now. Then there was a little history lesson for Wee Man on Rob Roy, who’s statue stands above the Culter Burn, which is a subsidiary of the River Dee. One thing that’s not right is the fact the modern statue is without MacGregor’s targe unlike the old version. Small detail? Not when the local fitba team’s badge is based on said item.
Back to the pizza topic, we had just feasted on it, but we were following it up with a 1/4 final in the “Pizza Cup” or the Dominoes Pizza North Regional Cup to give it its current full moniker. Wee Man was looking forward to this visit to Crombie Park as he thought Maud were decent on Tuesday despite chucking their three goal lead versus Hermes, he also remembered there was a training pitch for a kick about. We inevitably took advantage of the training area but his other point was not so correct as Maud didn’t turn up today, with this turning out to be a very routine victory for the hosts. Pretty much no sooner had I had my first bite of my steak, chilli and cheese pie* purchased for kick off, Culter were in the lead when Cammy Fraser had beaten Jamie Shingler from inside the six yard box. Defensively poor and a terrible start in any game, but when up against the best in the area you are asking for an extremely taxing afternoon. Fraser should have made it two three minutes later when he was picked out at the back post once more, Shingler came to meet him and the strikers effort went past the far post. A bad miss or a decent piece of goalkeeping to put him off? I would go with the latter to be honest. The big keeper could do nothing about what was away to rocket past him a few minutes later. Goal of the season contender for goals seen by me personally this season. Absolutely. Ryan Stewart (who I thought was very good throughout for the record) received the ball 30 yards out and decided to unleash an Exocet missile directly into the top corner leaving Shingler admiring the sublime finish. Just a fucking beautiful scud of a fitba put simply. During the half, where we were positioned we were in line with the Culter back line. It gave us a close up of proceedings and was interesting to see/hear the off the ball antics and verbals between Culter defender and captain Richie Petrie and Maud striker PA Bruce. This the part of the game I loved when I played and the only part I missed when I stopped. At one point the two were squaring up off the ball and to be fair to the ref, he sensibly just told them to wise up without any fuss or even stopping the game. The common sense approach. Culter were screaming for a pen when Ryan Smart went tumbling but he was quickly told to get up, again I am with the ref on his actions as it would have been soft if given. In the grand scheme of things, Culter did not need the spot kick as they were cruising here and and third came in spectacular fashion. If I thought Stewart’s goal was a goal of the season contender then bloody hell, how do you class the home sides third. Ex-Aberdeen youth player Kevin Hanratty received out on the left wing, with the ball bouncing the Culter wide man shaped himself and struck the ball from 25 yards out towards the by line and looped it over Shingler, who bear in mind is no shorty and is a solid keeper. The ball went up and down like a mortar and nestled itself in the side of the net. What a hit this was, a true worldie of a goal. Unfortunately for Hanratty his game was not to last much longer as a collision with Shingler sent the left winger off the park with a more than obvious limp.
*I am a boring traditional steak pie and coffee type man, but this pie was a bloody delightful change of scenery. Worth a visit to Crombie Park alone.
HT 3 v 0
We were treated to an elongated half time kick about as the break lasted maybe 19 minutes. Culter were out raring to go and Maud, nor the officials were in sight for a good few minutes. During the break we saw a dog who looked like it could have ate Wee Man and asked for seconds. This thing was a beast and a half but stunning all the same. That’s two Saturdays in a row I have been wowed by a dog at the fitba despite not being a dog man. We perched our asses on a bench behind the Maud goal for the second half as we expected a few more but to be honest the game was spent after the first half. The second didn’t really throw much up in terms of entertainment. The game was gone lets say and went through the motions a bit. Culter added two more. The first when Cammy Fraser burst clean through, possibly offside and sent the ball under Shingler. Then almost with the last kick of the game Ryan Smart added a fifth from close range. Not much happened in between the teo goals. There was one brilliant moment, in an amusing sense and in a decent goalkeeping sense. Culter broke, the ball was sent into the box where Smart was prowling. The big striker attempted a classy backheeled finish from five yards out but Shingler made himself big and saved with his forehead, which in turn was a cracking defensive clearance with the distance it generated. But that was about that for entertainment. Five goals, decent kick about and a glorious pie. Who can complain about any of that that? However, me being a moan, the bi-polar weather was the only thing worth a grumph about. Hat on, hat off, hat on, hat off
Entrance – Me £6, Wee Man Free
Attendance – 117 (rough head count)
Pie – £5, Pie, Coffee and Mentos
Pint – £6 Birra Moretti Sale di Mare, Borsalinos
Score Predictions – Me 2 v 1, Wee Man 3 v 1
Season Score Predictions Total – Me 5 v 4 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 