The Doocot, Forres and Nairn Welfare League, 8/8/25
Me 354, Wee Man 213
The Vikings Football Club
Founded -2019
Nickname – Odin’s XI (unofficial)
Honours – None
A somewhat last minute plan to head up to Elgin tonight. This brought on by a change of days for Wee Man’s game this weekend from Sunday to Saturday to accommodate the early kick off at Pittodrie. This kyboshing our first viewing of the season of Ellon Thistle as they travel to Kincorth. With the young one being fitba daft he asked for a game tonight instead and after seeing the fixtures, asked for Clachnacuddin ‘A’ v Inverness Thistle in the North Caley up at Evanton. But with a game tomorrow that would have been too late a night. I managed to sell a trip to the Doocot to him though, somewhere I was intrigued about in terms of fitba quirks but also to see the Vikings as when I saw them away at ECCT last season I said to Viking man Gary Souter we would head across some day for a home game.
Now, for you less Scottish folk reading, a doocot is a dovecot but in Scottish terms and this place has one around a handful of yards from the touchline with pigeons coming and going throughout a match. It is now one of my favourite idiosyncrasies I have come across on all my travels. It made the journey worth it. Then add in an action packed seven goal game, it was a top night in the end. Sometimes the more “unplanned” plans pay off.
Berserkers v the army it was but it almost was not. I was wondering why the 19.15 kick off time had been and gone and the players were still warming up. We were hanging about around the north goal having a usual knock about a guy in a Vikings training top passed us with a tin of paint and a roller clearly returning from the nearby B&Q. Was he away to paint the lines? Yes, that’s exactly what was to happen as the ref had complained about the touchline at our side. Off popped the lid and two Vikings players got to work. 13 minutes late the game kicked off but worth the wait as it was action packed from the first whistle. The ball was in the Vikings net within the first couple of minutes when Sappers man Homer struck an effort low which was saved by keeper Johnson the rebound fell to Richmond who seemed to sclaff his effort at Johnson and the keeper then looked to follow up by putting the ball into the net himself , was it in already? We had a bad angle to tell for sure. OG or not the Sappers were off to a flyer and the Vikings were caught cold. The home side were not to perturbed by this as they took the game to Kinloss and created some decent chances with Paddy Gault in the thick of things. Firstly he had a lobbed effort cleared off the line by defender Kye Taylor. The same man was immediately in again but this time clean through but he denied by Sappers keeper Wilson-Marr. The keeper was then again thwarting Gault when he pulled off a fantastic save with his left foot after an initial save from Jamie Lees. It seemed the Sappers goal was eventually going to be breached and it was on the quarter hour mark when Lees was picked out perfectly front post by fullback Alfie Young with the cushioned finish being as aesthetically pleasing as the ball in. The Vikings tails were well up as the searched for the lead. It took them 15 more minutes but it came from the boot of Lees again when a long Johnson clearance set Lees and Sappers defender McCairn on a foot race, Lees won it and finished well past Wilson-Marr. The lead lasted a couple of minutes before Kinloss were level again, but aided heavily by the Vikings. A ball into the box was to be claimed by Johnson who as he caught the ball clattered into his own defender dropping the ball for Jamie Cattel to knock into what was as good as an empty net. What a game this was turning into and the action was not finished for the half as the game threw up what seems to be a dying occurrence in fitba these days, an indirect free kick in the box for a pass back. This happened when Johnson was harshly penalised for picking up what was a miscued clearance. But the kick could only find its way into the nine man Vikings wall. Then to end the half, the Vikings re-took the lead when Mark Wood rattled home cross from the right with a minute to go. Great stuff for a neutral.
HT 3 v 2
An unusual kick about for us as Wee Man created a game where he would go flying into 50/50s with me. Basically he would try and hit the ball as hard as he could against me planting my foot. Daft but funny none the less despite the numerous stains that would require a suppy Vanish appearing as he was sent to the turf many times. The Vikings started the second half as they finished the first, with the ball in the net. It was far too easy for the home side and it was also a hat trick for Lees when he was played in behind on the right clean through and he made no mistake from 8 yards. Fair play to the Sappers who weren’t giving up and reduced the arrears when Cattel grabbed his brace after taking advantage of a misjudgement from Johnson. The Viking were getting forward a lot and this was proven by the amount of times Wee Man went to retrieve the ball for Wilson-Marr. But that also told the story of the chances spurned. Off the top of my head I think they only hit the target in the second half once after the goal when Gault headed a corner with venom which Wilson-Marr did well to tip over. As the game was running out of time Kinloss were more on the attack and with the last kick of the ball Richmond struck at goal pulling a very tidy save out of Johnson who was up quick to recover the second ball. He may have been guilty for Sappers goals but this save kept the points at the Docoot as no sooner had the big keeper released the ball the final whistle sounded ending a very enjoyable night. Seven goals, a hat-trick and an inhabited docoot. What more do you need in a game?
Entrance – Both Free
Attendance – 32
Pie – N/A
Pint – N/A
Score Predictions – Me 2 v 4 , Wee Man 1 v 4
Season Score Predictions Totals – Me 0 v 0 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 