Princess Royal Park, Highland Football League, 26/7/25
Me 352, Wee Man 212
Deveronvale Football Club
Founded – 1938
Nickname – Vale
Honours – Highland Football League – 2002/03, 2005/06, Aberdeenshire Cup –1947/48, 1950/51, 1951/52, 1961/62, 1965/66, 2000/01, 2006/07, 2011/12. Aberdeenshire Shield– 1994/95, 2002/03. Scottish Qualifying Cup (North)– 1951/52, 2001/02
The kick off for the greatest league in the world was upon us. With two big games in amongst the nine fixtures , Broch v Formartine and Locos v Clach I was hoping the Wee Man picked the former (there was no way he will ever pick a trip to the Locos). Nope he picked the Vale and PRP. A club we visited maybe three weeks ago so a swift return to Banff. The Vale v Wick seemed random to me but there was a perfectly legitimate reason for it. Junior wanted sweeties from the Spotty Bag Shop. An absolutely valid reason for the short trip up the A947.
Banff is a town I really like. It’s like no other town in the country with it’s architecture heavily reliant on Georgian buildings. It’s a bonnie old throwback of a place. Being early after the sweetie grab, we went for a wander about, down random streets I had never set foot in before, followed by a gander at the harbour taking in the views of Banff and neighbouring Macduff. Also, with a five minutes watching the gannets divebombing the sea, the guillemots on their wee island and the scurries making a whoor of a racket from their rock. We headed back toward the centre stopping off at the Market Arms, 1585 this place dates to and is a juicer right up my street. A swift libation was had before entering Princess Royal Park for the inevitable kick about which Wee Man puts as the best there is (possibly further reason for his want for a visit).
The game itself couldn’t have been better for a neutral. Five goals, two braces, a bust coupon, fine weather, tray bakes and an incredible amount of penalty shouts. Overall there was not much between the teams but the points stayed in Historic Banffshire in the end. The Vale clad in their new shirts(which include a silvery grey in them) had the first real chance of the match when Jack Mitchell smashed an effort at goal from ten yards out but Academy keeper Lewis Gallacher did brilliantly to keep it out. The Vale then missed a great opportunity through their own doing soon after when Fergus Alberts missed a header from a few yards. I was positive this was to be the first goal of the HFL season for us but incredibly the ball hit the side netting and away. In terms of play the teams seemed pretty evenly matched and very similar. It was the visitors who were to strike first when a move well worked out on the right from the Scorries saw Marc MacGregror with enough space in the box to tap in the cross. He couldn’t miss really as he was allowed to ghost in unopposed. The scoring for our own personal HFL season was up and running. It wasnt long until the second of the season went in. This time it was for the Vale and it was a strange one. A looped ball headed goal ward, Gallacher got hands to it and sent it on to the bar, from where we were a handful of yards away, it looked as if the ball was going for a corner. But the ball may have had spin on it as after hitting the woodwork it bounced back into the box giving Gallacher serious problems, this causing absolute bedlam in the area. The Scorries defence could not clear leaving the ball to finally break to Fergus Alberts who lashed it home from close range. The striker with a goal on his league debut. If we thought there was little time between the first and second goal, the second and third must have been seconds as Academy went straight up the park and restored their lead. Euan Kennedy and George Ewing did well out on the left with the latter teeing of MacGregor who hit from range across goal into the bottom corner. Wick weren’t finished for the half as Gordy McNab tried his luck with a pile driver late on but Hopkinson stood up to it.
HT 1 v 2
After the HT kick about on the astro and a blether with my old neighbour Ace, I went for munch. Let me tell you, if the Vale are selling their tray bakes all season I will be back and a lot. The rocky road type thing I had was a bloody delight. Academy should have equalised early in the second half when Kennedy couldn’t believe his luck when he was found at the back post with Vale keeper Hopkinson on the ground but he somehow headed wide.Quite incredible and a huge let off for the home side. Deveronvale then hit the bar with a long range freekick from Murray Esson. Wick’s Ewing then sent a header over Hopkinson’s bar from inside the box. This off of a McNab set piece. The Scorries were to rue their misses as a couple of minutes later the score was level when that man Alberts was in the right place to skelp into the net from close range. Other end of the park from us but he seemed to be in far too much space. The Vale clearly got a lift from this and with 15 minutes to go took the lead when another debut goal saw Austin Sparkes get to an Esson corner before anyone could react giving Deveronvale a full compliment of points on the opening day. The action was not over though, Deveronvale were to lose Grant Moroney late on. As he went down and his team mates shouted it was a head knock to the ref I thought they were at it with some shenanigans. Then the Vale 3 sat up with a face burst open and redder than the shirt on his back. I gather it was head clash as he prevented a potential Wick equaliser on the line. The post obscured my view of the incident. A sare een no doubt though after seeing the aftermath. Wick had one last chance in them when they were awarded a free kick 25 yards out. McNab sent it in and there was a good old fashioned stramash. The ref Ms Crawford had her whistle in her mouth so it was clear that if the ball was cleared it was game over and that’s exactly what eventually happened after various legs were thrown at the ball.
A fine season opener for a neutral as said at the top. Just missing one of the vast amount of pen shouts to be given. But hey ho, a good game none the less. The aim was get sweeties from the Spotty Bag Shop and we did so mission accomplished on that front. Everything else that transpired were added bonuses(I got a heap of Polish beer, my real bonus)
The greatest league in the world is back and I for one am more than chuffed
Entrance – Me £12, Wee Man free
Attendance – 292 (Rough Head Count)
Pie – Pie, coffee, rocky road, crisps, £7.50
Pint – £4.20, Tennent’s, Market Arms
Score Prediction – Me 1 v 1, Wee Man 1 v 0
Season Score Prediction Totals – Me 0 v 0 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 
magic report, get it up em #stc
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