Logie Park, Abbeyside League, 1/7/25
Me 348, Wee Man 209
Cullen Football Club
Founded – 1890 with periods of abeyance 1927-32 and 1960-65.
Nickname – N/A
Honours – Buckie & District Welfare League -1986, 1987 and 1988. Moray & District Welfare First Division – 2003,2019 and 2024. Tom Gordon Trophy -1986. Brown Cup -1946. Duncan Cup – 1967, 1973, 1987 and 1988. Buckie and District Welfare Consolation Cup – 1967. Maitland Trophy -1973. Ferguson Shield – 1975 and 1987. Ross Cup– 1987. WM Lamont Cup -1987. Ian Banks Cup -1987,1988 and 1999. St Valery Trophy – 1987 and 1992. Watson/Robertson Cup – 1988. Billy Lamb Memorial Cup – 1988. Anderson Cup – 1992. WJ Tewnion Memorial Trophy – 2003. Moray and District Welfare First Division Cup -2003
Random Fact -Over their history the club have been know as Cullen, Cullen Royals, Cullen Orion, Cullen Celtic and the brilliant Cullen Seaweeds before resorting back to Cullen Football Club.
I love my country and see my self as a proud Scot. No you will never see me flying saltires off a bridge on a Saturday, watching the national football team or listening to Runrig but I do love the country of my birth. What I am proud of is the history and the beauty the country brings to the planet and Scotland has is it in so many different forms. I always think myself lucky to live where I do there is so much to see not too far from the door in any direction. One thing I am a huge fan of is the coastline just north of us and the towns along it, Cullen being one that has been frequently visited with the Wee Man. Walks on the beach, the Rockpool Cafe, the Viaduct, the Cullen Bay hotel, it’s all great amd I have a load of time for the town but for a change this time, it was a visit for fitba. But first thing was first, we got a bonus visit to the town five miles east of Cullen,another fine coastal toon in Portsoy where as we were driving through noticed the ice cream shop was still open. A quick slam of the brakes and a rum and raisin and a raspberry/mango were the order of the evening and both went down a treat.
With the Summer Leagues in full swing we were back on the Moray and District set up for the second time in a week and as Wee Man pointed out a step closer to a visit to all the clubs. (Three remain after tonight, well four but tonight’s visitors are a no go as they play on the base). Once in Cullen’s home for 72 years Logie Park, it threw up “one of the best kick abouts ever” according to Wee Man. This being a set of goals perfectly positioned to have a crossbar challenge with one of us at each side. To be fair it was good fun even though I got humped in the first game.
On the pitch we both thought there would be a close game given the league positions. Bloody hell we were wrong and to be honest, it turned a bit shambolic in the end. The game actually started in a full throttle end to end fashion with numerous early chances. the RAF’s number 9, Daniel Finlay was unlucky with a curled effort from distance, it was watched by Charlie McKay in the Cullen goal as it went a coat of paint past the top corner. This was followed by a long range effort from James Keilloh which although had the power was just slightly off target flying over the bar. Cullen should have taken the lead when Greg Hay danced through the RAF defence, he did everything right, but his shot was hit at a good height for RAF keeper Rooney who got a solid hand to it. The RAF then spurned a huge chance which also should have been nestled when Finlay was on around the penalty spot with a clear shot at goal but his effort was too close to McKay who got down quick sharp to save. Probably shouldn’t have had the chance to though. The game then hit a bit of a lull with the goal action dying off after a bit of a frantic start. The first goal did eventually come and it was for the home side when Logan Mill leapt to head home a Jay Marandola corner with incredible accuracy into the top corner. This excellent use of neck muscles coming on around 25 minutes. This seemed to rock RAF who were also forced to make their only possible substitute before half time. This to be detrimental in the game. Before the half ended the home side doubled their lead. A mix up in the RAF defence saw Marandola nick the ball and break one on one with onrushing Rooney. Could he have went himself?. Absolutely. Did he? No, he opted for the square pass to Hay who buried it into an empty net.
HT 2 v 0
I got my own back in the second instalment of the crossbar challenge at the break, canna be losing to a ten year old. It wasnt long until the match was over as a contest on the pitch. No sooner had the second half kicked off and we had parked our asses on the bench on the hill to check out the views, Cullen had gone into a three goal lead through Marandola (deserved a goal after his first half) and then a fourth was pretty much immediate when Grant Bryceland curved a defensive clearance perfectly into the top corner. A brilliant hit. And the early flurry of second half goals were not over there either, as not even 55 minutes were on the clock and Cullen had a third of the half and fifth of the match when Mill beat Rooney at his near post from the right hand side of the box. Then things took a turn for the even worse for the RAF when they were put down to 10 men. Not due to a red card but because of an injury to Finlay which saw him leave the field and with their only sub on the park it was an man deficit for the rest of the match. No sooner had the RAF striker hobbled off his team knocked together their best move of the game and nabbed a goal when Ethan Matthew was on the end of a good team move tapping in from a couple of yards. Then for a few minutes after you could have argued RAF were better than they had been all game despite their disadvantage. It was not to last and Cullen took no sympathy. Marandola burst clean through with a team mate but he went for it himself and lashed the ball past Rooney. Offside? I think so but as I looked at the ref he was shielding his eyes from the retina burning low sun to the west. It was that sun that was to make me miss the seventh Cullen goal, I saw the ball in but as it headed toward the ‘mixer’ I lost it in the glare and the next thing there was a cheer. Wee Man says the keeper palmed the cross into the net(he was further down the hill so less affected by the sun). Jack Newlands was receiving the back pats, so I assume it was his goal. With the ten men RAF were nowhere to be seen and this was in danger of getting out of hand, well even more so. That is exactly what happened when substitute Kieran Ferguson added his own brace. The first when he superbly finished a switched ball. Following a great touch at the apex of the box he fired low across the goal and into the bottom corner. Then two minutes later a defence splitting pass saw Ferguson run through unmarked to poke the ball past Rooney before the ref put RAF Lossiemouth out of their misery by blowing for full time. A massacre in the end, one I doubt anyone in attendance was expecting and they have to do it all again on Friday night in the cup, surely with a lower score.Not one that will be remembered but Wee Man wants a return for the kick about so he was clearly happy with his night. Job done.
Entrance – Both Free
Attendance – 24 + 10 car loads
Pie – N/A
Pint – N/A
Score Predictions – Me 2 v 2, Wee Man 2 v 1
Season Score Predictions Total – Me 6 v 4 Wee man
FITBAWBAG 