Merson Park, Abbeyside League, 27/6/25
Me still 347, Wee Man 208
Buckie Rovers Football Club
Founded – 1889, period of abeyance and resignation from the Junior ranks 2021. Re-established 2023
Nickname – The Rovers
Honours (at Welfare Level) – Abbeyside League – 2024. Mike Simpson Memorial Trophy 2024. WJ Tewnion Memorial Trophy – 2024. Moray Community Cup 2024/25.
Random Fact – The club will apply to join the North of Scotland League (formerly the Juniors) for 2026/27
Merson Park, somewhere that reminds me of two things. Wind and battles with Rovers striker ‘Beavis’* when I played for Buchanhaven Hearts. The playing days may be gone but the wind is still there trying to spoil games that’s for sure. The reason for this visit across to Moray was a promise to Wee Man after having a kick about on the pitch prior to a visit to the towns HFL club Buckie Thistle. This was just prior to Rovers resurrection and I knew the possibility was there.
Turning up early to ensure another Merson Park kick about possible allowed us to meet vice chairman Francie who stopped us for a yap as we entered. This gave the clubs vice chairman a chance to work out if we were who he was looking for. Turns out this was so he could gift Wee man a club tourie. A extremely fine gesture from the club that stemmed from speaking to club secretary and player Ross Fiske over Twitter prior to the game to see if he could sort out the team lines for me. A greatly appreciated piece of friendliness and a good start to the visit. The kick about was a strange one. There is lashings of grass to play on adjacent the pitch. But it’s not all grass, it’s made up of what I am assuming is gorse and grass. Jabby and made underfoot feel like a natural astro and made your arse hurt if you sat on it, as Wee Man was to find out. There was also a moment of panic when I sent the ball out the ground towards the lower level of Buckpool after it caught in the wind and went over the perimeter fence. The panic set in when I realised I didn’t know what was on the other side of the thick gorse surrounding Merson Park, was the ball now on its way down towards the “Old Bicycles by the Sea”. Luckily there is path between the park and the drop. There is also bonnie views of the Moray Firth where on a clear night like tonight you can see for miles. But more importantly the yellow ba’ lived another day.
After looking at Craigellachie’s last couple of results I expected a do in, that was until the aforementioned Ross informed me of numerous starters being missing tonight. So I opted for a comfortable 3 v 0 win. Oh I came so close to wrapping up the shield this season. But I was outdone by a late goal for the visitors. On them and to be fair to them, I thought they were a lot better than expected after two sore hidings recently. Things could have started badly for them as they were very close to being one to the bad early on when Buckie’s Jordan Mackie hit a speculative effort from distance seeing Christie off his line but the keeper saved well. Craigellachie’s Angus Low was cursing himself as he knew he should have put the visitors in the lead on ten minutes but from ten yards out he dragged his effort wide, the power was there but the accuracy was lacking. A big big chance. Something that as the game ticked on was clearly a rarity for the visitors. The game was a physical one with numerous fouls in the first half. None of which were punished by the book. But don’t you talk to the ref, even claim for a throw* or you will head on to the naughty list (*As Buckie’s Matthew McMillan found out) . This a bit of a theme throughout. The opener came for the home side who were shading the game in the better team stakes. Evan Smith fired a rocket from the edge of the box into the net, this after looking to take too many touches but he did well to get this thing away from a mid-goal 18 yard out position. A fine finish. A second wasn’t long in coming. A ball into the box was not cleared by the Craigellachie defence, leaving it to break to Jordan Bisset who struck across the goal into the far side of the net. This was looking like a shoe in for a Buckie win now. The reason for this thinking was, for all of Craigellachie’s attacks, Buckie keeper Fraser was as good as a spectator in the first 45. Not what you need when you are two nil down.
HT 2 v 0
A kick about on the gorse was had again during the break which seemed a long pause for this level of fitba. This suiting Wee Man. Buckie were better in the second half and really should have had a third early on. This after a Cafu-esque run up the right from fullback McMillan, he laid the ball on a plate for numerous team mates in the box but it wasn’t to be and the ball was wasted resulting in a goal kick. The run deserved a goal and McMillan’s family (mum, dad, sister, fine folk) next to us were aggrieved the ball was not in the net. Ross Fiske went close for Rovers when he ran in behind. With a defender catching he sent him the wrong way switching the ball to his left, but the powerful effort was well saved by Christie. The Craigellachie keeper was soon back in action again when Buckie forward Jordan Mackie pulled a tidy save out of the purple clad keeper up to his right. The resulting corner was sent deep into the box where the head of centre half Kris Murray cushioned the ball down to Mackie where this time the Buckie number 11 made no mistake. 3 v 0 and an extremely high chance the points were staying at Merson Park. A time ticked on it looked like I was getting the score correct which would see my name engraved on the shield** for the first time as we will have two more games left this season and I would be in a three game lead. However, step up Harry Kendrick who got in behind the Buckie defence to lift the ball over Fraser who had rushed toward him to narrow the angle. A tidy finish but a pain for me personally. But chances are I will still get my maiden bragging rights come the end of next week. A point of note today which I was impressed with, Buckie had a 16 year old in their starting line up in Lucas McPherson and finished with a further two of the same age come full time. Great to see and if Rovers have aspirations of returning to the Juniors….or North of Scotland League as it is now known, getting young loons a couple of seasons at Welfare level against men may come in handy. On the aspirations of the club, it looks to be run like a Junior club as an outsider looking in. A club also full of friendly folk, Francie, Ross(who came over when he was subbed for a face to face), the folk in the pie shack, the McMillans. I wish them all the best with their plans I hope it all goes well. “Weel May the Boatie Row” as the motto of the club says and very “weel” it has rowed so far since the Rovers return.
* Graham Shand, a fine dude who recently bought both my books after a decent fitba yap and a reminisce of older days . I heard he is actually playing in the Abbeyside league for Ugie this season.
** We have a shield called the “Fit’s the Score Going To Be Shield” which has so far seen a Wee Man win and a draw since it’s inception for the 2022/23 season
Entry – Both free
Pie – £6.50, pie, coffee, juice, chocolate
Pint – N/A
Score Predictions – Me 3 v 0, Wee Man 2 v 0
Season Score Prediction Totals – Me 6 v 4 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 