The Bairns Of Falkirk At Livingston

Another couple of days in Scotland on business meant following on from my trip to Albion Rovers a fortnight ago this time it was step up to Division 1 and a trip to Livingstone for their match against Falkirk, thanks to my rather cheeky e-mail and the good auspices of the Livingston staff I was allowed in as Media and given pitchside access.

The Almondvale Stadium is about 18 years old and became the home to Livingston when the old Meadowbank Thistle moved and changed their name, as can be seen from the photographs it is a compact (10,000 capacity) but very pleasant place to watch football in with excellent site lines from all around the ground.

Prior to the match I was talking to one of the other photographers from the Scottish Daily Record who had been in the trade long enough to have used film and manual focus lenses,I have so much respect for guys like that who without all the modern aids got some truly awesome football photographs, however photographers here do have to watch out for the attentions of the local Lion

Livingston 3^rd in the table at the start of the match were facing 4^th place Falkirk who are a very young side and after the departure of manager Steven Pressley to Coventry were without a manager, although the next day former Scottish international Gary Holt was appointed. Falkirk started the brighter of the 2 sides and had chances early on but Livingston gained control and took a deserved lead when referee Brain Colvin gave a nailed on penalty that Livingston converted, as the half progressed Livingston created other chances and after 45 minutes although holding a slender lead looked the most likely winners.

What was in Falkirk’s half time Irn Bru I have no idea but not only did they totally dominate the second half but did it in a way that made the heart beat faster, the speed and quality of the passing and interplay was superb and the speed of closing down must have made the Livingston players wonder if Falkirk still had only 11 players on the pitch. I cannot remember when as a neutral I have enjoyed 45 minutes of football as much as I did from that second half Falkirk display and their performance got the merited rewards with 2 goals without reply to run out winners. Such a performance from young Scottish players does make you wonder why the national team are in such a rut at the moment.

As an aside much of the enjoyment of the match s a whole was down to an excellent performance from the aforementioned Mr Colvin who was spot on with his decisions, including the sending off of Livingston’s Iain Russell and used the old fashioned rule of Common Sense that so many refs in England seem to have forgotten

So a very pleasant evening and for those who read my wittering’s on the Albion Rovers match a much more pleasant experience weather wise without the horizontal snow flakes.