Shotts shoot down Auchinleck to win the Junior Cup

A special day in Livingston ... the sun shining, a big crowd and an exciting Junior Cup final on show

... and the hordes of  fans from Auchinleck ...

... and The Bot's number one fan ... the gyrating tatooed blonde bombshell (see the 'Away the Bot' tattoo on her shoulder - an Auchinleck bumble bee with the text below)

... a close of up of THE tattoo !

.... urging on her team ....

.... and looking downcast at the end of the afternoon

... and I was there to see it all !

Who will be livid in Livi ... will it be BOTtoms up or will Shotts call the shots ?

So the end of the first half of the road to to Hampden is in sight. Tomorrow, Auchinleck Talbot take on Shotts Bon Accord at Livingston's stadium in West Lothian. May the best team win.

I have come to realise over the last six months or so that the Bot are basically the Manchester United of Junior football. Musselburgh gave them a run for their money and the East's finest, Bonnyrigg Rose, too them all the way to penalties but the Bot have taken on all comers and have reached the final. I also saw them take on my beloved Hearts in the Scottish Cup 4th round and it was mighty close. If things had turned out differently that day the Edinbugh Scottish Cup final would not have happened. They are a very good footballing side and a credit to Junior football.

I know very little about Shotts Bon Accord but I am looking forward to seeing "North Lanarkshire's Finest"

Bonnyrigg pay the penalty as shots from the Bot set up final against Shotts

At last ! ... on my 4th visit to Auchinleck's tidy Beechwood Park I managed to get a programme (see below) and a rattling good read it is too. I can't understand why they printed so few for games in the earlier rounds. For the quarter final I got to the match 40 minutes before kick off with the intention of being early enough to make sure I got a programme and found that they had sold out.

I missed the first leg of this semi final tie in Bonnyrigg because I was at Hampden for the Hearts v Celtic Scottish Cup semi final. However, I still consider that my 'road' journey is authentic as no -one was going to be KO-d in the first leg. The first match finished 1-1 in front of an incredible 2,5413 fans. They are more use to success in Auchinleck and hence a smaller crowd turned out for the decisive leg - 1674 fans were in attendance for this one.  The match went to penalties and the Bot prevailed. Below is a pic taken a second after the decisive spot kick hit the net.

the Rose keeper is distraught !

Boness hung, drawn and KO-d in the quarters

Last week I saw Auchinleck Talbot beat Boness 2-0 in front of a large crowd at Beechwood Park. A tousy, closely contested affair with Boness the better team in the first half but The Bot well on top and worthy of their victory in the second half.

This is just a 'stub' entry so that I can upload the pics and then amend the text later

St Rochs hit the Rocks as Bot Batter Glasgow Greeens

Auchinleck Talbot 5 St Rochs 0

The Bot really are a very very good side. In a football environment where in many cases the players kick each other off the park and the pitches are in a poor condition the men from Auchinleck try to play slick passing football. This involves trusting their collective ability to control the ball quickly and to see and play a good pass. As a team they have these attributes and with their 'ginger magician' Spence controlling proceedings in a manner that strikes me as being a cross between a traffic policeman and a quarterback, they are a formidable outfit.

On a wet pitch that cut-up during the game they over-whelmed their visitors from Glasgow. A large crowd (difficult to estimate but probably around 500) looked on appreciatetively. Their match in Musselburgh in the previous round saw some of the 'fans' getting a bit agitated - here the locals watched on in quiet appreciation as their favourites scored at regular intervals to run out as easy winners. Spence was the man of the match. An authoritative performance in the centre of midfield and a well taken hat-trick too. I can't understand why this lad is not playing at a higher level. Having seem him also play at Tynecastle and play well their in the company of SPL players it is clear he could do well at SFL Div 1 level - easily.

The only noisy stuff from the crowd came from a samll section of inebriated St Rochs fans who sang their way through the match. The problem I had with this was that most of the songs were Celtic songs (what have they got to do with Junior football) and that many of their chosen ditties contained sweary words. I am no prude but why do kids going to see a Junior Cup tie with their parents have to endure a dozen or so drunken men singing "F**k the SFA" ?

Pie good - not sampled the lentil soup yet - but possibly in the quarter final

Journey Miles

Road Miles

Down to the last 16 and off to Ayrshire again

Following their excellent away at Musselburgh in round four, Auchinleck Talbot host St Rochs from Glasgow in the round of the last 16 - getting serious now.

Looking forward to popping through to East Ayrshire for this one later today. Look out for some very grainy pics which will be taken on my phone as I have left my camera in Boston Lincs.

Bot Bash Mussy to ease into round 5

The journey got a bit tasty a week ago in Musselburgh when the local team took on the curent Junior Cup holders in a repeat of last season's Junior Cup Final. The match attracted a big crowd - difficult to estimate the exact number but probably approaching 1000. The crowd were up for it and the players were up for it too. A feisty encounter with 1 sent off and 2 carried off. Enough incident and talking points to keep Sky and TalkSport staff occupied for weeks.

First time I have noticed a police presence on the 'road' and I do believe they were called into action with a little bit of banter-plus between some of the more animated supporters of the rival teams becoming a cause for concern.

The match has been very well described as follows on the Talbot web site :

Highlights for me were: (i) hearing [as at Tynecastle] the Bot supporters singing "Eeka Peeka Pukka Po" to the tune of Bread Heaven and (ii) the Musselburgh goalie being carried off on the back of the trainer and as he went past the Bot fans they very unsportingly sang 'Cheerio Cheerio Cheerio' and he was keen to get off the back of his human transport and remonstrate with the singers.

Another highlight - the Musselburgh pie ... a culinary thing of beauty and a bargain at £1.10. The usual muttony texture but a lot more meat than usual in the filling and a nice peppery aftertaste.

I also saw Auchinleck a fortnight earlier in the Scottish Cup at Tynecastle when they gave a very good account of themselves and they play good passing football and could compete successfully in the SFL without doubt.