Christie Gillies Park, Lowland League East, 28/7/26
Civil Service Strollers Football Club
Founded – 1908
Nickname – Strollers
Honours –East of Scotland Football League -1925/26, 1926/27 and 1972/73. East of Scotland Football League First Division -1992/93. SFA South Region Challenge Cup – 2017/18. East of Scotland Qualifying Cup – 1921/22, 1929/30, 1979/80 and 1988/89. King Cup -1921/22, 1925/26, 1927/28 and 1990/91. East of Scotland League Cup– 2000/01. East of Scotland Consolation Cup-1920/21. Scottish Amateur Cup – 1910/11 and 1920/21
Random Fact – The club have played at Amateur, Junior and Senior levels of the Scottish game
A bit of a last minute effort this and another club for book three ticked off. Worth the effort despite the deluge from above and both of us being totally underprepared for it. As said it was a last minute effort and leaving Aberdeen under a bright sun and 25 degrees by the time we could see signs for Knockhill in Fife you could have took a photo and passed it off as winter. Down came the rain and the darkness due to the full clouds above. But the Strollers performance was worth getting a bit wet for and Wee Man got an enjoyable kick about. Results all round.
As the bottlers from four miles down the road were embarrassing their city, one of the great names of Scottish fitba, Civil Service Strollers were doing it proud on and off the park. After arriving at CGP and attempting and failing to avoid walking through the humongous puddles we were met by a fine mannie at the gate who showed us into the place, which I thought was a nice touch as its not the easiest of places to navigate on your first visit. (He was also to give Wee Man a kick about with a match ball later on).With the rain hammering down we opted for a drink in the bar listening to the build up to Hearts and their dead rubber match. Behind the bar we were agin met with fine folk. So nice the Wee Man even said to me when we sat down “you always say its nice to be nice, everyone is nice here”. I couldnt agree more. With kick off fast approaching we had to suck it up and face the elements. As we headed out it was almost dark which was mad considering it was a 19.45 KO. Going into it I thought the game would be close. With the Haws winning the EOSFL Premier last season. I thought they would hold their own up a level.Although as Wee Man pointed out, the Strollers grabbed a draw away at Lowland League Champions from 2025/25 Linlithgow Rose at the weekend. My prediction was really was not the case. The Strollers steamrolled them. It only took six minutes for the net to bulge for the first time when Tuacenio Dos Santos with on hand to beat the Haws keeper off a cross from the right to claim his second goal of the season. A rapid start from the home side. CSS were clearly the better team playing most of the game in the Haws half. Ten minutes later it was two when Jacob Glass headed in from a corner. Hill of Beath had not looked comfortable with balls into the box thus far and the fact two goals had come in this manner was the proof in the pudding. The visitors did rally a bit and towards the end of the half but their efforts were all just a fag papers width off target despite beating Whyte on the Stollers goal.
HT 2 v 0
Half time saw a quality game crested by the young one. Using a small training goal the aim was to from 20 yards hit the bar, the post, the other post then score but having to kiss the post with the ball doing so. A good way to fill in the 15 with both failing at the final hurdle. The game restarted and it was all played in the Hathorn half and you could see a goal coming and in excellent fashion it did when after some rapid feet and a pinpoint through ball via a tiny gap from Alieu Faye Dos Santos like shit off a shovel ran through to round the keeper and strike home into an empty net even though it looked like he had taken the ball too wide. The pace of the forward was absolutely devastating. He wasnt finished there either and if the third goal was a thing of beauty the fourth was a work of art. A fine multipass team move found Archie Wylie on the left who fired an inch perfect cross onto the head of Dos Santos who bulleted his way to a hat trick. A brilliant team goal and a very good hat trick for the Angolan. (Quite fitting that the last thing I would see prior to heading to work in Angola in the morning was a hat trick from a countryman). The Haws were dead and buried. Strollers kept at them too but were unable to get a fifth. As the game was in injury Wee Man said, “the Seville* keeper hasnt made a save”. I think he is correct on that too. A bad night for Hill of Beath and as we left the players were arguing outside the changing room. From a neutral perspective it was a great night out to finish a trip home. The drive home was ropey and to be honest a banana boat would have been a better mode of transport between Christie Gillies Park and about Perth. A fine performance and a chapter ticked off for the third book. No complaints from this guy.
*How he was pronouncing it all night
Entrance – Me £12, Wee Man Free
Attendance – 87 (Rough head count)
Pie – £4 Pie and Coffee
Pint – £4 Tennents, Clubhouse
Score Predictions – Me 1 v 1, Wee Man 2 v 1
Season Score Prediction Totals – Me 0 v 1 Wee Man
FITBAWBAG 