Laing Park, Midland League Premier Division, 27/9/25
Me still 358, Wee Man 216
Carnoustie Panmure Football Club
Founded – 1936
Nickname – The Gowfers
Honours – Scottish Junior Cup – 2003/04. Midland League – 2021/22 and 2022/23. East of Scotland Junior Cup – 2022/23. Tayside Premier Division – 1975/76, 1976/77, 1977/78, 1978/79 and 1980/81. East Region Tayside Premier -2003/04. Tayside Division One – 1970/71 and 1991/92 .Dundee Junior League – 1950/51, 1951/52, 1952/53, 1955/56, 1957/58, 1964/65 and 1965/66. Currie Cup – 1971/72, 1975/76, 1977/78, 2002/03 and 2006/07. North End Challenge Cup – 2001/02, 2004/05, 2006/07 and 2007/08. DJ Laing Homes League Cup– 2000/01. Intersport Cup– 1994/95. Division One (Downfield SC Cup) – 1989/90. Tayside Drybrough Cup– 1975/76 and 1977/78. Arbroath & District Cup – 1936/37. Courier Cup – 1949/50, 1951/52 and 1953/54. Cream of the Barley Cup– 1977/78. North & Tayside Inter-Regional Cup – 2017/18
Random Fact – When they won the Scottish Junior Cup in 2004, the final versus Tayport was the first ever all Tayside final. In the past Dundee Violet, Lochee Harp, Tayport, Tayport again, Tayport again and the Gowfers had reached a final, however never had two from the region faced off against eachother.
Heading to a game of his choice is a tradition for the Wee Man’s birthday . The first time this occurred when he was 4 which turned into his first visit to Pittodrie for a encounter with Motherwell on the 22nd of September 2018. Despite a win complete with a rare James Wilson strike he never took to the big crowds and our football habits changed massively soon after. Including giving up my season ticket to accommodate his fitba wants.Three birthdays passed with nothing as the 5th I was away for work, then the next two birthdays fared nothing due to the corona nonsense that was on the go. It wasn’t until his 7th birthday until we were back at it. A Scottish Cup first round tie between Formartine United and Cumnock was decided upon. I will point out here that he was told it could be anywhere in the UK except Celtic, rangers or Liverpool. His little mind decided on a game six miles from the door. But to be fair it was his first ever visit to North Lodge and he had driven past many times on the way to my folks so there were reasons. Despite being home by 5 o’ clock he chose well as the game headed to a replay after a 2 v 2 cracker. I was away for his 8th birthday unfortunately. He then turned 9, which is the usual sequence and it was a real out of the blue choice. “Annan Athletic as you said its one of your favourites”. He was correct as Galabank is a wonderful place to watch fitba for numerous reasons. A bit different to his local previous choice, 39 times the distance over a round trip different to be precise. The home side were brilliant on the day defeating Stirling Albion 3 v 0. Last year made sense as he wanted a trip up the Moray coast to Burghead Thistle as it would complete the North Region Juniors for him. As good a reason as any. A bonus for me too as again it is one of my best loved grounds in the country so any excuse for a visit to Forest Park is a good reason. He must have enjoyed it as we have been back since at his request. This year when asked, again with the same rules and exclusion of the certain three teams he chose to take us to arguably the most random to date…..Carnoustie Panmure. “I like their name” he told me. The mind of this eleven year is brilliant. I hope his attitudes to the game never change. There cannot be many kids of his age out there like him.
To the Gowfers we headed then. Keeping on the theme of attitudes towards fitba, Panmure had a big bearing on my present status as a roaming fitba fan. The reason being, back in May 2018 I decided to try something different. Basically get away from the local and SPFL fitba for a change (Aberdeen, Highland League and North Region Juniors). So I headed south on my own to Laing Park for a game between the Gowfers and Hill of Beath. Yes I had been hopping on planes taking on what Europe could give me but I had not been embracing what my own country had to offer. If this match was anything to go by I was missing out as it was a fantastic advert for the league, one which unbeknown at the time in what was a matter of days was away to split up with the visitors being part of the incoming East of Scotland League revolution. What a game it turned into. Carnoustie took the lead then it transpired as follows 1 v 1 , 1 v 2, 2 v 2, HT, 2 v 3, 3 v 3, 4 v 3 late winner. But it rough, it had bonnie fitba, there was a worldie. To my amusement, a rowdy touchline was ripping into the visitors with a Haws player giving as good as he was getting back to said touchline. It was just a magic night out. That trip to Angus opened a door in my brain and a new chapter in life. Dundee Violet, Camelon and Whitburn soon followed as did many more including todays visitors, the Spiders. This complete with the devaluation of my motors becoming rapid with the ever increasing mileage being clocked up. Times were well and truly changing. Seven or so years later later I was back at Laing Park with Carnoustie and Downfield now both out of the Junior set up also, now residing in the Midland League Premier Division.
One the way down we headed to Brechin first as there was some footgolf business to be taken care of. Both of us love this game and we had never played Brechin prior so this was a perfect excuse to do so. Thinking he had a birthday win when two shots ahead with three holes to go, I birdied then hit par on the last three as he bogeyed two of them. Raging does not cover it and he would not even shake my hand after. But, I have no qualms about this, not liking losing is a good thing in this soft as shit day and age where kids are taught “it is the taking part that counts”.
From here we headed the 25 minute drive to Carnoustie. Parking up at Laing Park early doors we decided for a wander about the town this taking us to the Corner Hotel for a bit of food and a pint before nipping back up the road for the fitba. Sometimes fitba clubs just immediately become good in your book. It happened today as we entered Laing Park, blethering with the guys on the gate started the ball rolling, inclusive of being let in for free. A brilliant gesture. One of the guys was the dad of the co-chairman Graeme Christie who had told Graeme we were there which led to coffee and a piece in the corporate shack while chatting with Graeme pre-game. Interesting stuff on the walls and also in the conversation with Graeme who is relatively new to his role. Also there were a group doing the full corporate and they were a fine bunch too. A good start to Wee Man’s maiden Laing Park adventure.
In terms of the game, going by the table it looked like an away win was on the cards. Turns out it was but this was a close encounter. A lot closer than both of us expected this despite what seemed a constant early throttling from Downfield which resulted in a early goal from Liam McCartney who was on hand to head in a knock down from a corner in the seventh minute. But after the goal the game slowed down with both teams failing to get the better of eachother. There was not much of a goal threat at either end, just a couple of chances. Luke Benvie tried his luck from distance for Panmure but his effort flew over the bar. Carnoustie really should have been on level terms towards the end of the half when Connor McFarlane burst through the Spiders defence with Ben Christie in support, unselfishly McFarlane squared to Christie who with a large portion of the goal empty to aim at struck his effort off the post.
HT 0 v 1
Carnoustie came out fighting early in the second half. Matty Riley was unlucky with an effort from distance as his shot was tipped wide after the Downfield defence opened up in front of him which was reminiscent of the Red Sea. This was soon followed by a Bryn Thompson header going wide. Whatever was said at half time was working for the home side. They were the team on the front foot and with Bruno Debembe up top I felt there was a goal in them. I was impressed with the diminutive attacker. However I couldn’t help but feel his strengths were not being played too. With the pace he had to burn his team mates should have been playing to his pace as opposed to picking him out as he is clearly rapid and tricky with the ball at his feet. It would have been interesting ro see the Spiders defence on the turn with him.at full pelt. Downfield felt their way into the half and created chances.The first when McCartney tamely struck an effort off a cross straight at Clarkson in the Carnoustie goal. One of those anywhere but there type efforts. The same man was then even closer to doubling his tally when somehow he found himself ten yards out, ball at feet with the freedom of Carnoustie but his effort on the turn beat the keeper but thundered off the upright. Was this miss to be costly, It certainly looked that way when the home side equalised soon after. Debembe received the ball in the box and shifted the ball to Christie on the left who took a touch before driving his effort into the net. The level score did not last long as Downfield restored their lead when Stuart Heenan knocked in a corner from close range. From where I was situated it looked like he was in far too much space. A third came for the Dundee side and it was goal of the game as Downfield countered with ferocious pace swiftly shifting the ball across the park, this led to McCartney having being given his second tap in of the match. But was there a handball in the build up as the ball was pinged out to the left. I am sure there was. Game over and I was looking like guessing the correct score for the third time this season. Head back to Bridge of Don on Friday night where Wee Man was adamant he was to get the correct score only to see this bust by a last minute goal. Well snap for me today, as Carnoustie nabbed a late goal via Christie which again was assisted by the impressive Debembe. This coming in the 90th minute. Again, the amount of times this happens to both of us is quite the thing. Not sure it has happened two games in a row before though. It wasn’t to be for Carnoustie, but that didn’t take away anything from our visit to Laing Park. A club which seems to know the people watching them are more than just a customer. A fine bunch and a quality club. The day ended with Wee Man being gifted a club tourie. Again, a superb gesture, topping off another memorable day out at the fitba.
Going back to the top of this piece, there are reasons my fitba watching habits changed towards the end of last decade. Two of them were in attendance today. Wee Man and the Gowfers and a day in the presence of them both today was a reminder why chucking my season ticket at Pittodrie to travel the country watching random games with my son was a very sound decision. I wouldn’t change it for anything. Aberdeen will be there when I am dropped for his mates in a few years. For now though, our trips seeing our wonderful country and memories made trump any cup wins or European games or whatever. This despite the shit I get from some for giving up on it. Roll on his 12th birthday. He is running out of clubs between Wick and the Tay Bridge, let’s see where he takes me.
To be noted, we watched the Aberdeen game after and today showed the polar opposites of fitba for me. A day in Angus showing why I love the sport followed by dangerously high blood pressure levels and remembering why I can seriously hate it too.
Entrance – Both free
Attendance – 99 (rough head count)
Pie – £4.70, pie, coffee, Galaxy
Pint – £4.20, Tennent’s, Corner Hotel
Score Predictions – Me 1 v 3, Wee Man 0 v 2
Season Score Prediction Totals – Me 2 v 1 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 