A Snowy Night At Albion Rovers

Business took me up to Glasgow and initially a plan to go along to the Scottish First division match between Livingston and Hamilton Academicals, but the weather put paid to that,luckily the Division 2 clash  between Albion Rovers and East Fife had survived the weather so a trip to Cliftonhill Stadium in Coatbridge it was.


Albion Rovers are not having the best of seasons and currently sit bottom of the Second  Division 11 points from safety and 9 behind visitors East Fife,in addition its propbably the worst time for a small club to get relegated as they will more than likely miss out on the cash cow that are fixtures against Third Division leaders and presumptive champions Glasgow Rangers.

Cliftonhill is a rather faded stadium and I understand that one stand has been condemned and fans are banned from it,didn't stop them putting the club videographers there but I suppose they are expendable. I was made most welcome firstly by the ground security staff and secondly by Albion's club photographer Paul Reilly 


It was snowing before kick off and didn't relent during the match just relenting in intensity ans so I went over with Paul to the "Condemned Stand" side for the first half,Paul has had the common sense to get a waterproof camera and lens cover,a purchase I now know I need to make and so I was frantically taking shots and wiping snow from the lens every few seconds

What was pleasant was that Scotland has not gone down the false handshake before thee match routine forced on so many levels of English football,players and ref ran out as so many of us of a certain age knew from our youth

The match wasn't the most fluid ever seen but both sides gave everything and showed no little skill in coping with very difficult conditions, Albion took the lead after half an hour with a scrambled effort from Christopher Dallas but failed to capitalise and were pegged back before half time when Paul Willis hit an absolute screamer from 25 yards that Albion's keeper Scully could not get near.

I was wearing my AFC Wulfrunians jacket and at half time was approached by another spectator who asked in broad Black Country was I from the Wolverhampton area ,it's definitely a small world

As the second half progressed the conditions got worse and I wimped out hiding behind a wall to keep self and camera dry and popping my head out to get the occasional shot,got some good ones though so may try this technique again in the future

The match ended 1-1 Albion Rovers are almost certainly going to be relegated but hopefully I will return there again,the fans were friendly and vociferous, the team played football in the way I appreciate and similar to Non League in England there were no histrionics and Prima Donna behaviour,good luck for the future Albion Rovers