Glebe Park, August 1st 2009

Brechin City 4 Elgin City 0

By Chris

It wasn't supposed to be like this. Some 5 or so months when we were in Gazelle (all the big plans seem to emanate there) and devised a journey to every Scottish ground I had visions of greasy pies, using Bovril as a means to retaining the feeling in your fingers, of sleeting rain blowing into your face as you missed a penalty claim by Albion Rovers.

Not a bit of it. I'd imagine on the lonely dark days at Peterhead and Arbroath in the winter months whilst we standing shivering in the terracing we will reminisce about this glorious start. The drive up was good, the Vectra unaware of the mammoth task that awaits it over the next 9 months or so. We arrived in the town (or is it a city?) of Brechin, famous for... well calling itself a city when it's really a town. Although we only partly drove through it, it looks a pleasant town to spend an afternoon.

And so to Glebe Park, what a surprise this was. A stadium flanked on either side by a hedge row with the just the tiniest stand breaking up the greenery on one side. Behind one goal was terracing and the other had a more modern looking stand occupying it. We may have been over eulogising given we were basking in the warm afternoon sun but it really is as picturesque a setting as you could get for football.

The game itself was never less than interesting, Brechin ran out deserved 4-0 winners with a couple from their star man (well maybe not according to Paisley) Rory McAllister. I'm not sure we could get away with wearing our respective team colours to every game but the locals here were non-plussed. After a brief interlude for some fish n chips in Dundee we began our journey home. It has been an auspiciously excellent start to our travels and roll on East Stirling tomorrow.

Journey - 8/10
Pies - 5/10
Bovril - 7/10
Ground - 10/10