Prestonfield Park (Linlithgow Rose v Clydebank)

Today I went to Linlithgow in West Lothian, which is 30 minutes on the train from Glasgow Queen Street. The occasion was the Scottish Junior Cup second round tie between holders Linlithgow Rose and Clydebank at Prestonfield Park. I arrived in Linlithgow about an hour before kick-off so there was enough time for a couple of pints in one of the many pubs on the town's High Street. I picked Platform 3, which is an excellent small pub just outside the train station.

After two pints of Deuchars I made my way to Prestonfield, which is a ten-minute walk from the station. Lithgae's ground is a great-looking junior ground with a covered enclosure on one side and a modern-looking main stand, the Davie Roy Stand, on the other side. There is a high grass bank behind one of the goals. Behind the other goal there is room for standing and access to the social club. After the torrential rain of the past few days I had feared a waterlogged pitch but fortunately it was dry and sunny today. About 900 Lithgae and Bankies fans were in attendance.

The home team, 2010 Junior Cup winners and current East Region Superleague leaders, were the obvious favourites to progress to the third round of the biggest competition in Scottish junior football. Clydebank, who knocked out cup holders Auchinleck Talbot last season, were close to opening the score when a Ross McPherson header hit the crossbar. However Dario Quinn's header gave the Rose a deserved lead at half-time. After the interval Bankies seemed the keener side but they had trouble creating clear-cut chances and 1-0 was the final score.

After the game I had one more quick pint at the Old Post Office on the High Street before I took the 4:33pm train back to Glasgow.

First a couple of pints in Platform 3, a pub just outside the train station.

Entering Prestonfield.


The covered terrace was packed today.


The Davie Roy Stand.


A closer look at the Davie Roy Stand.


Looking towards the northern end of the park.


The grass bank in the southern end of the ground.


After the poor weather of the last few days some welcome rays of sunshine at Prestonfield.

The Bankies were unable to find the net today.

The Davie Roy Stand after the game.


The Black Bitch pub near Prestonfield is named after Linlithgow's coat of arms which shows a black dog chained to an oak tree.

Saturday 30th October 2010
Emirates Scottish Junior Cup Round 2
Linlithgow Rose 1 Clydebank 0
Goal: Quinn 34.
Att: 900

Prestonfield Park (Linlithgow Rose v Clydebank)

Today I went to Linlithgow in West Lothian, which is 30 minutes on the train from Glasgow Queen Street. The occasion was the Scottish Junior Cup second round tie between holders Linlithgow Rose and Clydebank at Prestonfield Park. I arrived in Linlithgow about an hour before kick-off so there was enough time for a couple of pints in one of the many pubs on the town's High Street. I picked Platform 3, which is an excellent small pub just outside the train station.

After two pints of Deuchars I made my way to Prestonfield, which is a ten-minute walk from the station. Lithgae's ground is a great-looking junior ground with a covered enclosure on one side and a modern-looking main stand, the Davie Roy Stand, on the other side. There is a high grass bank behind one of the goals. Behind the other goal there is room for standing and access to the social club. After the torrential rain of the past few days I had feared a waterlogged pitch but fortunately it was dry and sunny today. About 900 Lithgae and Bankies fans were in attendance.

The home team, 2010 Junior Cup winners and current East Region Superleague leaders, were the obvious favourites to progress to the third round of the biggest competition in Scottish junior football. Clydebank, who knocked out cup holders Auchinleck Talbot last season, were close to opening the score when a Ross McPherson header hit the crossbar. However Dario Quinn's header gave the Rose a deserved lead at half-time. After the interval Bankies seemed the keener side but they had trouble creating clear-cut chances and 1-0 was the final score.

After the game I had one more quick pint at the Old Post Office on the High Street before I took the 4:33pm train back to Glasgow.

First a couple of pints in Platform 3, a pub just outside the train station.

Entering Prestonfield.


The covered terrace was packed today.


The Davie Roy Stand.


A closer look at the Davie Roy Stand.


Looking towards the northern end of the park.


The grass bank in the southern end of the ground.


After the poor weather of the last few days some welcome rays of sunshine at Prestonfield.

The Bankies were unable to find the net today.

The Davie Roy Stand after the game.


The Black Bitch pub near Prestonfield is named after Linlithgow's coat of arms which shows a black dog chained to an oak tree.

Saturday 30th October 2010
Emirates Scottish Junior Cup Round 2
Linlithgow Rose 1 Clydebank 0
Goal: Quinn 34.
Att: 900

Javier Hernandez Football Pictures

Javier Hernandez Poster

Javier Hernandez Football Wallpaper

Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov Celebrate

Javier Hernandez Manchester United Soccerr Player

Javier Hernandez Football Picture

Javier Hernandez Football Pictures

Javier Hernandez Poster

Javier Hernandez Football Wallpaper

Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov Celebrate

Javier Hernandez Manchester United Soccerr Player

Javier Hernandez Football Picture

Javier Hernandez Football Pictures

Javier Hernandez Poster

Javier Hernandez Football Wallpaper

Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov Celebrate

Javier Hernandez Manchester United Soccerr Player

Javier Hernandez Football Picture

Tour of Estadio La Rosaleda (Málaga CF)

I did not get to see a game this weekend which meant I finally I had some time to post the pictures I took during the stadium tour at Esatadio La Rosaleda, home of Málaga Club de Fútbol. On Monday 6th September 2010 my wife and I took the train from Benalmádena, the resort we were staying in, to Málaga. I do not think there is direct bus link from Maria Zambrano, the main train station in Málaga, to La Rosaleda so we embarked on a 30-minute walk to the stadium. The alternative would have been a taxi but it is an easy walk, no steep hills or anything like that and basically one straight road.

The stadium was opened in 1941 and there have been several renovations in recent years. The current capacity is 28,963. La Rosaleda also hosted three World Cup first round group matches in 1982, including Scotland v New Zealand (5-2) and Scotland v Soviet Union (2-2). The other game was the mouthwatering clash between the Soviet Union and New Zealand (3-0). The stadium is not owned by the football club, its ownership is shared between the municipality of Málaga, the Málaga Provincial Council and the autonomous Government of Andalusia.

Before we left for Spain I had already seen there was the possibility of a stadium tour on the club's official website. Luckily we were able to get tickets for the home game against Valencia on 28th August but I thought it would be nice to see other parts of the grounds as well. Normally the tour, which includes a visit to the museum, costs €10, however there was a reduced fee of €5 in place now because the stadium was once more being renovated and we were not able to see some parts of the stadium that are normally part of the tour. That meant we did not get to see the press room, home team dressing room or the hall of fame. My wife and I were the only visitors when we arrived at the museum at 10:30 and we were given a private tour by Rocío. She spoke a little English but it would probably help if you understand Spanish (which I do not) because we were not given a lot of additional information by the guide and all plaques etc. in the museum were in Spanish only. Luckily the short film that was shown in the museum had Spanish subtitles.

All in all an interesting visit especially if you are not able to see any games at the ground.

Approaching the ground.

The ticket windows.

I assume this picture was taken after Malaga CD had beaten Real Madrid 6-2 in the 1983/84 season.

Executive seats in the Tribuna.

The Fondo stand.

The Preferencia stand.

The Gol stand.

The away dressing room had just been painted.

And again the away dressing room.

Also a new lick of paint in the massage room.

The home dugout.

The new seats for the fourth official.

The away dugout.

The Tribuna seen from pitch-level.

The Fondo end seen from the pitch.

The Gol end seen from the pitch.

Málaga won the Intertoto Cup in 2002 which meant qualification for the 2002/03 UEFA Cup. They exceeded everyone's expectations and reached the quarter finals in which they lost on penalties to Portuguese outfit Boavista.

Last season's strip I believe.

Good to see that dodgy football songs are not only recorded in Britain and Holland.

Plenty to see in the museum but some knowledge of the Spanish language would definitely be helpful.