The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? - Album Review

Click here or read below for my album review of What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? by indie band, The Vaccines. It was published on the Pure Grain Audio website.

Rating: 7 / 10

So, here we have it, yet another indie rock band with bouncy, melody-ridden tunes, but are they adding anything new to an already saturated market? The Vaccines have only been around for a short period, in fact just two months short of a year. The London-based band consist of Justin Young, Árni Hjörvar, Pete Robertson and Freddie Cowan - brother of Tom from British alt-rock sensations, The Horrors.

Ok, so they have a link with the current world of music, but again, does this alone prove their worthiness upon our ears? Of course not. It does not help their cause when in amongst their début album What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? are throw away pop-junk songs such as opener “Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)” and the painfully irrelevant 'Wetsuit' in which lead singer Young demands the listener to “put a wetsuit on” five times in total.

However, after picking out the few weak numbers, there are some fantastic indie anthems which are the defining factors for their relative hype and indeed a place on the BBC sound of 2011 poll. "If You Wanna" and the wonderfully accurate story of "Post Break-Up Sex" will be bounced up and down to at many a festival this summer, while the epic "All In White", by far the most mature song, will leave hundreds in anticipation for more substance from The Vaccines in the near future.

So all-in-all, not bad, and well worth a spin or two on the old CD player, if yours is actually still working and not gathering dust somewhere in the attic. To describe The Vaccines in one sentence it would be: think of White Lies, without all the gloom and murkiness whilst throwing in a bit of teenage joy.

written by Will Lyon

Track Listing:

01. Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)
02. If You Wanna
03. A Lack of Understanding
04. Blow It Up
05. Wetsuit
06. Nørgaard
07. Post Break-Up Sex
08. Under Your Thumb0
09. All In White
10. Wolf Pack
11. Family Friend

Run Time: 35:59
Release Date: 03.14.2011

Letchworth Garden City Eagles with Tony Eden

Please read below for my interview with Letchworth Garden City Eagles chairman Tony Eden. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Queens Park Rangers, Chester and many more football clubs.

Letchworth Garden City Eagles

Letchworth Garden City Eagles

Herts Senior County League (HSCL) side Letchworth Garden City Eagles may well be a relatively new club, but they have had sizeable success already. Despite only having adult sides formed as recently as the 2008/9 season, one is already topping the HSCL Premier Division and chairman Tony Eden has applied for the club to join the Spartan South Midland League (SSML) next season.

Football Focus Magazine caught up with Tony this month to learn about the history and the projected future of the Hertfordshire club. “The club was formed in 1978/9 to provide a football outlet for boys who lived on the Westbury estate. It was originally called Westbury Eagles but later changed its name to LGC Eagles as number of teams increased. I have been involved with Eagles since the early 1990s when my son started to play football, and became chairman in 1995/6. There are now over 450 registered players at mini soccer and junior level and the two adult teams were formed in order to provide an exit route for our youth players, so youth football is very important to the club.”

Indeed, you do not need to look far to see how much young talent comes through the club and as Tony explains, there is one up and coming star in particular, who is a former Letchworth graduate. “Every season we lose players to the academies of professional clubs in London and locally. We have former boys at Spurs, Arsenal. Chelsea, Watford, Luton, Southend and MK Dons amongst others. I suppose our most famous current professional player is Jack Wilshere of Arsenal but others have enjoyed careers in professional football in the Football League.”

The old dugouts at Pixmore

With the footballing aspect of the club running smoothly and recently, some newly improved facilities for the players, Tony's attention is now focused on bringing the club forward to one that can host a higher level of adult football. “Our new changing rooms and clubroom were built in 2006 with the aid of a Football Foundation grant, and provide probably the best facilities for youth football in this part of the county. The facilities are however not yet of the required standard for adult football. We hope to erect a new spectator stand next to our senior pitch very shortly, and over the next two-to-three years we want to relay the playing surface, extend the clubhouse to provide a lounge and bar, and erect floodlights on the senior pitch.”

Whilst there is an exciting future ahead for the club, Tony is quick to point out that the current Letchworth teams, both male and female, are currently doing very well. “It has been a great season so far. Our under thirteen blues have reached the final of the Herts FA Challenge Cup for the third year running and a number of our youth sides are in contention for league honours. The first team adult side has reached the final of the Herts FA Senior Centenary Trophy, remain in two other cup competitions and currently are top of the Premier division of the HSCL, so there is still a lot to play for! We have 2 girls sides at the moment at u13 and u15. Last year one of the girls sides reached the County Final for their age group. We have no adult ladies teams at the moment but plan to do in the future.”

New dugouts at Pixmore

Tony is very grateful for all the local support that the club receives and firmly believes their contribution will be as important as ever over the next few years as the club chases it's lofty ambitions. “We are part of the local community and rely very much on its support and participation both for players, adult volunteers and financial support. We want to continue expanding our youth section, extend provision for girls and ladies, and for our adult first team to progress to the Premier Division of the SSML. Our biggest challenge over the next 5 years is to improve our facilities so that our adult teams can progress to playing at a higher level. As numbers of mini soccer and youth teams continue to grow, our playing facilities at our home ground are becoming increasingly stretched so we need more land to expand. In the longer term; the sky is the limit!”

written by Will Lyon

The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast - "Accents"

Click here to listen to this week's Terrace Podcast.

We talk about the SPL action at the weekend including the Edinburgh derby and give our two pennies worth on the ICT v Celtic postponement where a gruff sounding Craig takes on the nonsensical role of the hard-nosed, old timer.

It wasn't just football that was worth discussing in the SPL as the Rangers takeover and Neil Doncaster proposal also took centre stage on this week's topics.

In the lower leagues: Falkirk are all but out of it, Livi have all but secured it and things get interesting if you are a Airdrie United fan... or is that Alloa... or is that Arbroath?

There is a jam-packed predictions section that includes midweek and weekend SPL fixtures, as well as the Challenge Cup Final between Queen of the South and Ross County. Who will want it more?

There is also our usual favourites in Where Are They Now? and Punt of the Week.

As usual, enjoy the show!

Calne Town with John Rumming

Please read below for my interview with Calne Town vice chairman John Rumming. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Queens Park Rangers, Chester and many more football clubs.

Calne Town

Calne Town FC

Calne Town Vice Chairman, John Rumming believes the best way to run a lower league club is to have a “hands on” approach. The Western Division One side - otherwise known as “The Lilywhites” - have numerous volunteers to thank for all their hard work to help keep the club running, despite financial constraints.

John is quick to admit that despite the side suffering relegation recently, the major challenge is keeping on top of the club's finances. “After relegation last season we wanted to get straight back up, but football's not always like that. It’s about beg, steal and borrow for us at the moment. We are a close knit club and have to be. Finance will be a major challenge for us into the next five years. We have work to do to keep costs down. Even marker paint for the pitches is going up!”

However, the financial constraints have not stopped John and the directors improving the club. “We have possibly been able to get a freebie via donations and are putting a new shower into the referee’s room.”

It is not only the referee's room that the club would like improved, but also the playing side. John though, is trying to breed some stability on the pitch and watch the players develop together in what is a historic year for the club. “This year is our 125^th anniversary and we want to be able to maintain our position and push on into the future. I’m keen to keep the squad and managerial team together for next season and see them grow and develop together. We want to grow gradually; they are a young bunch and we hope we can build for the future with them involved.”

With the season drawing to a close, Calne have recently announced the End of Season Presentation Night on 7 May at Bremhill View Social Club and it is sure to be an enjoyable night with DJ Drew providing the music.

written by Will Lyon

Portsmouth University with Bruce Suraci

Please read below for my interview with Portsmouth University football development officer Bruce Suraci. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Queens Park Rangers, Chester and many more football clubs.

Portsmouth University

Portsmouth University are a club who pride themselves on being completely run by the students, for the students. The philosophy surrounding the club is one of providing a stepping stone for the University's students, to guide them towards being increasingly well-rounded; as players and people, when they they graduate.

Indeed, using the club's impressive facilities, the development of players' talents is something Football Development Officer, Bruce Suraci, is very proud of and admirably, regards developing players' skills higher than simply grinding out favourable results for the competing sides. “We have excellent, state of the art changing rooms and it is generally commented that our facility has an excellent playing surface that is not only very wide and long, but also flat and well cared for. This allows for ‘good football’ being played, where it is more feasible to look to pass the ball on the floor over shorter distances to pull opponents out of positions and look to use clever and inventive bits of play to score goals. This fits in directly with our club philosophy where we put performances and playing excellent football before results.”

Most satisfying for Bruce, is that the club have numerous success stories to prove their hard work is not in vain. “There are a number of excelling players who have pushed onto higher levels. Kieron Lewis, James Potton and Dan Cox were selected from a squad of eighteen that ventured over to Chicago, Illinois in June 2010 to play for Chicago Fire Under 23’s on a Club Scholarship. Kieron and James were also selected for Chicago Fire’s National Squad, competing and winning a National Cup in Kansas.”

While nurturing young talent is a priority, there is no doubt that domestic success with the University's Hampshire Premier Football League (HPFL) men's side (which Bruce also manages) is also extremely important to the club. With the current season nearing it's climax, it means that every point is a prisoner right now and although Bruce clearly believes that player's technical skills are important; gaining a mental toughness to win consistently is another vital attribute. “Without a doubt, we are looking to challenge for the title this season. We currently have a few games in hand on teams above us, and are also due to play all of these teams at home over the coming months. Although we do not pertain to obsess solely over results - given the developmental stage of the players we are working with - we do look to bring in an element of learning to win, where players are given information in order to gain specific outcomes of specific games.”

However, it is not just the men's game that is succeeding at Portsmouth University, so too is the women's. “We have an extremely strong ladies football section of the club. Currently, our Wednesday women’s team compete in the BUCS Premier League in the country and our Sunday women’s team compete in tier three of the national system, a mere three leagues off the Premier League in the country.”

Clearly, this could be a highly successful campaign for Portsmouth University Football Club, but Bruce is adamant there is still a lot of hard work to be done in what is a challenging economic climate. “Due to the recession all facets of life have been affected, and non-league football is no exception. We hope to overcome these adversities and achieve our goals, despite the challenges we face.”

Although times are hard, Bruce predicts a bright future for the football club. “In line with our 2010-2015 Football Development Programme, we aim to work closely with the Soccerette Academy to establish a complete pathway; recruiting players from the age of 4, progressing to Portsmouth College and the University of Portsmouth with the aim to finish the programme as part of the Soccerette Academy’s Annual Chicago Tour. The players who develop the greatest, gaining a Club Scholarship and hopefully being drafted into the MLS at the end of the process – with a degree to fall back on.”

Looking closer to home, Bruce desires even better facilities for the players and improved success in the domestic leagues. “For the men’s HPFL squad we aim to gain promotion to the Wessex League and aim for the Men’s BUCS Wednesdays first team to be competing in the BUCS Premier League. We are also extremely keen to improve our current facilities. Ideally, we would like to ascertain the ground requirements to gain promotion to the Wessex League. To do so, we need to find funding for small stands, floodlights, hard standing and a pitch barrier. This is something we are looking into as part of our 4 year development plan until 2015. ”

written by Will Lyon

Hitchin Town with Neil Jensen

Please read below for my interview with Hitchin Town media officer Neil Jensen. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Queens Park Rangers, Chester and many more football clubs.

 Hitchin Town

Hitchin Town Football Club

Southern League Division One Central side Hitchin Town, otherwise known as 'The Canaries' – due to their yellow and green strip – were actually formed under the original name of Hitchin FC almost 150 years ago, in 1865. Despite the club initially struggling as a professional outfit, they remarkably reached the quarter finals of the first ever FA Cup in 1871-2.

Hitchin's luck took a turn for the worst after a devastating fire at ground Top Field in 1911. However, the club reformed in 1928 and as club Media Officer Neil Jensen informs us, the immediately following years would be a time of unprecedented success for the Hertfordshire club, only for a certain Adolf Hitler to upset the apple cart. “The 1930s were halcyon days for Hitchin Town. With players like Reg Smith, who later played for Millwall and England, Wally Odell and Les Clarke, there is little doubt that this was a golden age for Hitchin Town. The club won the FA Senior Cup in 1932 and in 1935, won the Spartan League Premier Division. The club entered the Athenian League in 1939, but after two league games and a Herts Charity Cup tie, all of which saw Hitchin score seven goals, Hitler intervened!”

With Hitler now firmly in the past and a tough economic climate in the present, Neil believes the emergence of youth is more important than ever. “We have an affiliated youth section in the form of Hitchin Town Youth which runs football from very young ages to under-18. In this 'age of austerity', we could see youth football become even more important – we certainly believe that a successful youth scheme is vital to a progressive non-league club.”

While the development of future talent is important, Hitchin's current squad are competing well and in the driving seat for promotion to Southern League Premier League. “We have a young side and we are on target to win promotion – after 26 games, we were unbeaten in the league.”

Off the pitch, Hitchin Town work hard to keep the local community involved with a host of different programs. “In the past few years” explains Neil, “we have launched a series of initiatives aimed at embracing all areas of the local community. As well as a 'ladies day' and 'forces day' we also held a 'community day' last season where we invited special guests, youth football clubs and local politicians and councillors.”

Top Field - The home of Hitchin Town

Although the local community is important, Neil is also adamant that Hitchin Town must improve their ageing ground if they are to continue progressing, although breaking the bank to do so, is not an option. “Our ground is very old – a 1920s period piece. The club recognizes the need to develop, as there is a limited time frame in respect to how long the facilities can last. But we are well run, prudent with money and will not put the club in jeopardy in any way.”

In fact, Neil will be sad to see the old lady go when she eventually meets the end. “The ground is much-loved by regulars as it has a charm of its own. But nostalgia aside, the club has to move on!”

Indeed, with a sizeable home support, Neil says Hitchin are aiming for glory as soon as possible. “We are a well supported club - averaging close to 350 people per game. We feel we can realistically win promotion and then to challenge for Blue Square South.”

In fact, the club has recently been commemorating “The Boys Of '61” who fifty years ago, ran out to meet Walthamstow Avenue in the FA Amateur Cup semi-finals. Although the 30's are regarded as the most successful decade of the club's history, this 1961 side are believed by many, to be Hitchin Town's finest ever side. During the same season, Hitchin also faced Crystal Palace in the FA Cup before an incredible 21,000 spectators. The club will be hoping that the current group of players can take inspiration from those Canary heroes.

written by Will Lyon

Walker Wonder Strike Keeps Rovers In The Hunt

Click here or read below for my match report of this afternoon's fixture between Raith Rovers and Dundee. It was published on the official Raith Rovers website.

Raith Rovers 2 v 1 Dundee

Raith Rovers managed to keep themselves just two points behind league leaders Dunfermline Athletic after a last minute 25-yard Allan Walker strike at Starks Park this afternoon.

Raith dominated the majority of the game and deservedly went in at the break a goal to the good thanks to a fabulous Gregory Tade volley.

However, Dundee hit back on the 71st minute when Stephen O'Donnell squeezed the ball home from the tightest of angles.

The teams

The Dees looked to have stolen a point until Walker stepped up and drilled home in unstoppable fashion.

The first half was almost entirely dominated by the home side, but it was not until the 13th minute that they managed an attempt on goal. A Scott McBride long throw found Tade who managed to loop a header over Rab Douglas, only to see the ball land on top of the goal.

Two minutes later Rovers should have taken the lead. An Allan Walker corner was flicked on to Iain Davidson at the back post and with Douglas floored, the midfielder somehow managed to blaze over the bar.

Dundee were sitting deep and the Kirkcaldy side were struggling to break through as Douglas mopped up long range attempts by Walker and John Baird.

However, with just a minute remaining in the first period, Raith broke through. Baird knocked a freekick into the path of Tade who volleyed home from the edge of the box superbly.

Despite having little to do in the first half, Raith goalkeeper Andy McNeil was forced off at the break with a back problem and gave way to David McGurn.

Dundee managed their first shot on goal almost immediately after the interval when Davidson brought down Gary Harkins at the edge of the box, but McGurn was more than equal to the playmaker's effort.

Despite their early pressure, Dundee were forced back again and Baird went close with a scissor kick after Kevin McBride curled a shot just wide of the target.

Action in front of the South Stand

On the 60th minute Kevin McBride was causing more problems as he had a strike deflected wide for a corner. From the set piece Dougie Hill just failed to convert at the back post.

Dundee however, were not going to go down quietly and started to fight harder to keep their unbeaten run going. Raith manager, John McGlynn sensed the change and replaced Davidson with Mark Ferry.

Despite the substitution, disaster struck five minutes later for the Starks Park side. Connor Rennie filtered a ball through to O'Donnell who brushed off Hill and stroked the ball past McGurn at the tightest of angles.

McGlynn responded by changing from a 4-4-2 system to 4-3-3, taking off Scott McBride for Graham Weir.

Dundee were struggling to keep possession and on the 84th minute were in more trouble as Craig McKeown brought down Baird and earned himself a second yellow card.

The visitors were now camped in their own half and Raith should have re-taken the lead on the 84th minute. Walker swung a corner into the box which was flicked on by Grant Murray but somehow Baird couldn't find the net at the back post.

With Dunfermline winning away at Cowdenbeath it looked as if Rovers would end the day four points behind their closest rivals, however, they were not done yet.

A freekick was cleared by the Dundee defence only as far as Walker who, from 25 yards out, smashed a ball at goal with it dipping just at the right time, clipping off the underside of the bar and into the back of the net, leaving Douglas helpless and Dundee's unbeaten run in tatters.

It was a thoroughly merited three points for Raith but credit must be given to the heavily weakened Dundee team for a phenomenal 23 game unbeaten streak.

Rovers next match is a Fife Derby against Cowdenbeath at Starks Park next Saturday and a win against Jimmy Nicholl's men would take them back to the top of the league due to Dunfermline's spare weekend.

written by Will Lyon

Warrington Town with Gary Skentelbery

Please read below for my interview with Warrington Town chairman Gary Skentelbery. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Queens Park Rangers, Chester and many more football clubs.

Warrington Town

Last month, Football Focus caught up with Warrington Town Chairman Gary Skentelbery. Gary and his colleagues have admirably guided the Evo-Stik First Divison North side out of severe financial problems and now look set for a bright future. Gary was kind enough to explain how the situation has progressed. “The club was in a dire financial situation with dwindling crowds of less than 100. But, we’ve been able to organise some good sponsorship deals and get key partners in the community involved in the football team. We all believe that a town of our size should have a football team able to ply its trade at a higher level.”

Indeed, branching out into the community seems to have played a vital role in the resurgence of Warrington Town. Gary says the club “work hard to get their support. We’ve been able to secure a £50,000 grant from land recycling group, Wren, to create an all-weather pitch which will give us an all year round income and profile.”

With the newly installed pitch in place, Gary is hoping that it will attract more youngsters to come to Warrington, firstly enjoy themselves and then to become part of the club. “We’ve teamed up with Active Soccer, who will bring kids down to the club during the summer holidays and let them know what’s available for them in Warrington - it’s a vibrant place to be at the moment.”

The future of the club looks fantastic, but Gary believes the biggest challenge is the one facing them on the pitch right now. “We feel as though we have the infrastructure in place to compete at the next level up. We are on the fringe of the North Division playoffs but it is a very competitive league to get out of. I’d love to see us playing the Conference North and once the club is properly on the map at that higher division I believe anything is possible.”

Warrington have actually made a new signing recently; the much travelled Andy Heald. He joins from fellow Evo-Stik First Division North side, Leigh Genesis. The experienced midfielder has played at Conference North and Conference National level in the past and will no doubt be a vital addition to Warrington's playoff push.

Written by Will Lyon

Terrace Travels #6: Brazil 2-0 Scotland - A Journey

Click here or read below for my travel nightmare to London for Sunday's Brazil v Scotland fixture. It was published on The Terrace Scottish Football website.

Sunday was all set up for an unforgettable day. Scotland had come off the back of a comfortable 3-0 win over Northern Ireland while their matchday opponents Brazil were on a two game losing streak. The home of Arsenal, the Emirates Stadium, was to host this International Challenge match. Thousands of Scottish fans made the long journey down. For some, it was longer than others as Will Lyon found to his cost…

Scotland in action against Brazil

The plan was simple. Take a train to London on the Saturday, watch the match on Sunday, have a few beers and take the train back home on the Monday. However, as it transpired, things wouldn't be so straightforward...

Walking into Edinburgh Waverley train station at half past three on the Saturday and seeing the three o'clock Kings Cross train still sitting in its’ berth was not a comforting sight, but spirits were high and I shook off any worries and made my way to the platform for my four o'clock departure.

As I took my seat at the platform, my worst nightmare began: “The 4 o'clock service to Kings Cross is delayed.” Fifteen minutes later, the situation spiralled to a new level of doom: “The 4 o'clock service to Kings Cross is cancelled, Network Rail apologises for any inconvenience caused.” Before the panic could take hold of the hundreds of bewildered passengers, we were ushered by a marshal to head for the three o'clock Kings Cross train and told that we were “just going to have to squeeze in.” The train was not a pleasant place to be. Cramped in-between a huge suitcase and an arguing couple, I started to wish I was elsewhere as I heard news of my team Raith Rovers grabbing a crucial equaliser in their league fixture against Falkirk.

The minutes ticked by and just as the dreaded text came through informing me that Raith went on to lose the important game at Falkirk, an announcement was made over the tannoy of the train: “This service to London Kings Cross has been cancelled. There is a major signal fault at York and there will be no services to London for the rest of the day. We will operate an hourly service to Newcastle, but passengers looking to travel to London are advised make other plans or come back tomorrow.” Unfortunately, the first train to London on the Sunday would not arrive in time for the match and there was no guarantee that the signal fault would be fixed in time. With a seat on a plane costing over £150, the next best option was the dreaded Megabus – the infamous last resort of travel. The next bus was to leave St Andrews Station at half past 10 and arrive at London Victoria eight hours later. At a measly £27 the opportunity could not be missed.

After grabbing some dinner, I received a phone call from my mate who had made his way up to London for the game. He had turned up at the hostel we were booked into, only to be greeted by a receptionist who informed him that: “The system crashed when you made your booking, so although you received a booking confirmation, we do not have your booking here and we are now full.” So with that news my mate started running around London looking for somewhere to sleep and I made my way back to the bus station.

Upon arrival, I was shepherded onto a bus and with just one seat at the front and a few more at the back nearby a boisterous Tartan Army group. So I decided to sit at the front where I might be able to catch a bit more sleep. But as the bus started reversing out of its dock, the back of the bus immediately erupted with a chorus of “We'll Be Coming”. The driver was clearly amused, muttering something along the lines of “thank f*ck I'm handing this bus over to someone else,” while the Russians to the right of me looked confused and maybe even a little frightened.

As we made our way out of Edinburgh, I soon realised the man next to me (who had not even glanced at me since I had sat next to him) was on the verge of passing out, probably due to a few too many lemonade shandys on Rose Street. His head flopped back and forth, but he seemed fine – for now. Meanwhile, the Tartan Army were in full voice and mocking the lack of atmosphere at the front of the bus: “Can you hear the front sing? No, no. Can you hear the front sing? I cannae hear a f*cking thing, no, no, no.” The driver and I were laughing, the man next to me was still oblivious to the world around him and the Russians continued to look fearful for their well-being.

As we headed for the border, the man next to me uttered his first words - they were not words that I wanted to hear: “Is there a sick bag underneath the chair?” he gargled. Frantically, I searched for one but found nothing. He crashed his head back on the chair in front and grunted “ahh sh*te.” A few unpleasant noises followed, but thankfully nothing would emerge from his mouth. The bus gradually descended into silent sleep, only to be intermittently interrupted by one of the Russians whose snore was reminiscent of a foghorn.

The bus arrived in London around seven o'clock and the bleary-eyed passengers dragged themselves onto the street. I made my way to Kings Cross to meet my mate who had ended up staying in the Premier Inn near Wembley for a costly £70. We decided to check into our new hostel, which I had booked just before getting onto the bus the night before, ate some breakfast and then did what comes natural to most football fans – we hit the pub. By 11 o'clock, the atmosphere in O'Neill's was already simmering and “Flower of Scotland”, “We'll Be Coming” and “Doe A Deer” were regularly belted out at full volume.

The fans gather around The Emirates Stadium - Home of Arsenal FC

At midday, we began the migration to the Emirates Stadium, with each pub along the way looking just that little bit more full than the one previous. As the stadium loomed in the distance the atmosphere turned to one of a carnival. The Brazilians were thumping away on their drums, surrounded by samba dancers with some additional entertainment being provided by the odd drunk Scot trying to join in.

With match day scarves and programmes purchased we decided to enter the stadium. It was hard not to be blown away by the grandness of the place when you are used to visiting beauty spots such as Cowdenbeath's Central Park. There were no crumbling terraces, filthy seats or limited legroom at The Emirates and the pitch was akin to a bowling green. Behind us were two cockneys - gasping at the fact that only five Old Firm players were in the Scotland team - who were kind enough to point out that Charlie Adam was the nation's only top class player.

The match kicked off under a blazing sun and as expected, Brazil dominated from start to finish. The deadlock was broken three minutes before half time when Andre Santos' cutback found Neymar alone in the box and the youngster coolly slotted past Allan McGregor. The second half saw more of the same Brazilian domination and 13 minutes from the end Neymar made it 2-0 from the penalty spot. And with that, the game was over.

From a fans perspective, it was a wonderful day out. The Tartan Army took control of the city and the atmosphere was electric wherever you went. The whole experience only added to the cravings for an away day to Wembley to face the Auld Enemy.

As well as being a presenter on The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast, Will is sports editor of 'The Student' at Edinburgh University and the official match reporter for Raith Rovers FC. You'll also find other pieces of his scattered around the blog world - search them out! Follow Will on Twitter: @wrl1989

Brazil, Mixu & Takeovers

Please click here to listen to the latest installment of The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast.

There was no SPL action at the week, but there is still plenty talk about, starting with all the international goodness of out potassium-filled trip to face Brazil. We'll discuss what we learned, what's next and what the atmosphere was like among the throngs of Scots down there.

In domestic matters we'll have a round-up of what has been happening in club football, including talking Mixu, and potential takeovers of St. Mirren and Rangers.

Last night was a massive night in the SFL, particularly in the ever-changing race for the SPL taking place in SFL1, while Livingston and Arbroath look shoe-ins for SFL2 and SFL3 respectively. We also want to hear from Alloa and Clyde fans; what has happened with your clubs in the past couple of weeks?!

There's action to preview, including the vital Scottish Cup quarter-final tonight (which is only £10 / £5 to get into - get on that!) between Motherwell and Dundee United as well as a full card of SPL fixtures - including the Edinburgh derby.

There's also our usual goodies of Punt of the Week and Where are they Now?

Email: thetterrace@scotzine.com / Twitter: terracepodcast

Rovers & Staggies Share The Spoils

Click here or read below for my match report from this evening's fixture between Raith Rovers and Ross County. It was published on the official Raith Rovers website.


Raith Rovers 1 v 1 Ross County

The teams

Raith Rovers stay top of the First Division after a 1-1 draw against Ross County.

The visitors scored the opening goal just four minutes into the second half when Jonathan Flynn headed home, but Raith replied immediately after Gregory Tade stabbed home following a stramash in the County box.

The first half was a fairly stuffy affair with the Dingwall side dominating possession but after taking the lead, looked second-best to Rovers, who started to apply more urgency to their play.

Raith created the first real opportunity of the match on the 7th minute when a Scott McBride freekick was curled to the back post where the inrushing Dougie Hill just failed to connect.

County hit back five minutes later after Stephen Simmons gave away a freekick on the edge of the box. From the set piece Steven Milne managed to flick an attempt on goal, but Rovers keeper' Andy McNeil was able to tip onto the bar.

Simmons was clearly struggling after being on the receiving end of a 50/50 tackle early on and was replaced by Mark Ferry on the 15th minute.

County continued to control possession, but failed to create another chance till a corner on the 26th minute. Milne again managed an attempt at goal - which seemed to take a slight touch off an arm - before McNeil was able to gather.

Away fans in the McDermid Stand

The next twenty minutes were fairly uninspiring, although County could have grabbed a goal in stoppage time when a freekick was touched on by Richard Brittain, but Andrew Barrowman's scissor kick fell just wide of the post.

The game was in desperate need of a goal and one arrived four minutes into the second half. Iain Vigurs curled a corner to the front post where the unmarked Flynn glanced his header into the Rovers net.

County manager Jimmy Calderwood immediately changed his side's 4-4-2 formation to a 3-5-2 and may have been punished for this six minutes later when Craig Wilson was able to cross a ball in from the right hand side which John Baird could not quite connect with, but Tade was on hand to send the ball home.

The home fans roared their side on and Raith should have scored another on the 56th minute when Ferry swung a ball into the box but Tade headed over the bar.

The momentum was clearly with Rovers and County had to thank their lucky stars when Allan Walker somehow managed to shoot wide when it looked easier to score. Baird raced past the Highlander's defence high up the pitch and smashed a shot at keeper' Michael McGovern who could only watch as the ball spun over him and onto the bar. 

Raith fans in the South Stand

From the rebound, the ball bounced back over Tade and landed in the path of Walker who awkwardly stuck a foot out but could only watch as his effort scraped the post.

The pressure continued and 20 minutes from time Tade met a Ferry cross but hit his shot into the turf and McGovern was able to gather.

However, Raith were almost caught out when a weak Mark Campbell pass caught Iain Davidson cold and Michael Gardyne nipped in and ran clear at goal, but with Campbell bearing down on him, he snatched at his shot and hooked it wide.

Rovers flung men forward and their last chance would fall on the 88th minute when another Ferry cross was headed at goal by Walker but McGovern dealt with the effort comfortably.

Looking back at second half chances, Raith just about deserved the three points, but in the end, it was too little too late. If they had shown the same urgency and desire in the first half, they may have come away with the three points, especially as the County defence looked shaky when under pressure. 

The Main Stand

However, across the River Tay, Dunfermline Athletic could only draw at Dens Park, so Rovers stay two points clear at the top of the league and with just seven games left, it is all to play for.

Meanwhile, with Cowdenbeath losing to Greenock Morton, County move back out of the relegation playoff position and into 8th place.

Peter Lorimer - Player Profile

Below is my player profile of Leeds United and Scotland legend, Peter Lorimer. It was published in the latest Scotzine fanzine which can be bought for just £1.00 here.

 Legends of Football - Peter Lorimer

I never missed a Scotland game through choice and I’m pleased that I didn’t. I wanted every cap that was offered to me. You never get that time back and it’s always dangerous to assume that you’ll be asked twice if you say no once.

Lorimer in Scotland colours

Those are the words of former Leeds United and Scotland winger, Peter Lorimer, taken from his column for the Yorkshire Evening Post published as recent as February. It is an attitude that current Scotland forward Steven Fletcher appears to be lacking after he turned down Craig Levein’s call-up for the Carling Nations fixture against Northern Ireland last month. Ultimately, Fletcher would not have even been able toturn down the chance to play for his country in the 1970s as he would not have been good enough to get into that talented squad in which Lorimer was an integral part of.

Lorimer was born in Dundee, 1946, and signed his first football contract in 1962 with Leeds United at the age of just fifteen, making his first team debut later that year. He would go on to make 676 appearances in two spells for United, scoring 238 goals which is all the more impressive considering he featured predominately on the right wing.

Of course, it could have been a completely different story. With their son attracting the attention of numerous club scouts from anearly age, Lorimer’s parents were allegedly offered a £5,000 bung from Manchester United scouts to sign schoolboy forms with the club. The Red Devils’ offer was accepted by the working-class parents, understandably so, considering the immense value of £5,000 just short of fifty years ago. It later emerged that The Reds’ manager Sir Matt Busby was not impressed with his scouts’ unauthorised actions as he informed them he had already ‘promised’ Lorimer to Leeds boss, Don Revie. When approached by Leeds soon after, Lorimer’s parents returned the £5,000 to Manchester United and their son would soon move south of the border to join the Yorkshire club.

Lorimer joined Leeds at a time when the club had just narrowly avoided relegation to the English Third Division and they were struggling financially. However, under Revie’s guidance the Elland Road side would achieve promotion to the top tier after just three years in charge. Indeed, Lorimer would play an integral role in Revie’s ‘glory years’ at Leeds United where the club won the old First Division (1968/9 & 1973/4), League Cup (1968), the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (1968 & 1971) and the FA Cup (1972). Despite all of Lorimer’s medal collecting, he could have had so much more. During the period, Leeds finished second in the league five times, lost in the FA Cup final three times, finished runners up in the Fairs Cup once and also fell to AC Milan in the European Cup Winners Cup in 1973.

It was also during this spell that Lorimer became a Scotland regular, making twenty-one appearances and scoring four goals in the process. He will arguably be best known in a Scotland shirt for his star performance in the admirable goalless draw against Brazil in the first round of the 1974 World Cup. He had numerous efforts on goal but was thwarted each time by goalkeeper Emerson Leao. The most eye-catching moment of thematch from Lorimer being a freekick forty yards from goal which he, after a Roberto Carlos-esq run up, blasted the ball at goal with Leao just managing to tip over for a corner. It was one these fiercely struck shots that would give Lorimer nicknames such as “hotshot” and “lash”. Sadly, Scotland failed to qualify for the next round of the World Cup on goal difference and the nation would regret the chance missed by Lorimer and his team-mates, arguably the best talent this country has ever seen, with greats like Billy Bremner,
Kenny Dalgish and Jimmy Johnstone, who remarkably failed to even come off the bench once at the tournament.

Lorimer left the rapidly declining Leeds in 1979 and decided to travel afar to ply his trade at Toronto Blizzard, York City, Vancouver Whitecaps and University College Dublin over the next four years. His spell in Canada at the Whitecaps was probably the most successful period away from Leeds, where the now ageing Scot, would score 23 goals in 87 games.

37-year-old Lorimer rejoined Leeds in 1983 who were now occupying a spot in the Second
Division and he spent three final seasons at the club under the stewardship of former team-mate Eddie Gray. Lorimer broke the club’s top goalscorer record during this second spell at the Yorkshire club and would in total score a total of 17 goals before he retired just immediately prior to his 40th birthday.

Lorimer has kept himself involved in the game as a director at Leeds United, a pundit for BBC Radio Leeds and as mentioned previously, a columnist for the Yorkshire Evening Post. Lorimer also owns a pub in Leeds, situated just a thirty minute walk away from Elland Road, so if you are in town for a Leeds United match be sure to wet your appetite for the football at Lorimer’s Commerical Inn.

By Will Lyon

Doing A 'St. Mirren'

Click here to listen to this week's Terrace Scottish Football podcast featuring Alan Temple, Craig Fowler and myself.

In this week's show we discuss the first trophy of the season being  handed out to Rangers, who defeated Celtic after extra-time in a pleasantly watchable enounter at Hampden yesterday. We pick through the bones of that one and bestow praise and scorn on deserving parties.

Throwing away positive positions in the last 10 minutes of a football match must now be known as 'doing a St. Mirren', and Hearts were the beneficiaries as Danny Lennon's men absolutely St. Mirren-ed it at Tynecastle on Saturday. That and much more in the SPL round-up.

It's almost time for the Scottish invasion of England. We preview the Scotland vs Brazil friendly at the Emirates as I let loose the dorment side of my mind which wants to go topless in London.

A preview of Brechin's trip to St. Johnstone, the SFL round-up and Where are they Now? make up the rest of our weekly offering.

Email us: theterrace@scotzine.com / Twitter: @terracepodcast

Enjoy the show.

The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast - "Givin' Out Daps"

Check out the latest Terrace Scottish Football Podcast here where Alan Temple, Craig Fowler and myself talk Scottish Cup, SPL, SFL, Scottish League Cup and Europa League. Enjoy the show!

Raith Rovers 0 v 2 Partick Thistle

Click here or read below for my match report from today's fixture at Starks Park this afternoon. It was published on the official Raith Rovers website.

Rovers Slump To Fifth Home Defeat

Raith Rovers slumped to their fifth home defeat of the season against Partick Thistle this afternoon after two second half goals from Kris Doolan and Paddy Boyle.

The home side struggled to find any sort of rhythm, while the visitors created numerous chances and could have won by a larger margin in the end.

Remarkably, this was the first time Thistle had overturned Raith since the Kirkcaldy side won promotion to the First Division in 2009.

With Dunfermline securing a 2-1 win away to Falkirk it means the Pars have closed the gap at the top of the table to just two points.

After an encouraging display at Dumfries last week, hopes were high amongst the Starks Park faithful as the teams emerged onto the park at three o'clock, but it was Partick who would cause the early problems.

Just three minutes into the match Raith midfielder Stephen Simmons lost possession in his own box, but thankfully for the league leaders, the ball was cleared behind. From the corner Ryan McGowan headed the ball into the ground and as it viciously bounced up towards goal Andrew McNeil managed to tip over the bar.

Raith tried to gain a foothold in the game but ten minutes later they were struggling to clear their lines once again. A succession of Partick shots were blocked, with the final one landing to right back Paul Paton whose shot was deflected wide by Simmons for another corner.

The corner resulted in nothing, but minutes later Partick had another opportunity when Chris Erskine was played in on goal, only for Dougie Hill to slide in and make a great last ditch tackle to divert the ball wide of the post. The corner was swung in and Rovers fans held their breath as Doolan looked just inches away from connecting with the cross.

Halfway through the first period McGowan had a clear sight of goal as the ball broke to him outside the Raith box, but his effort was comfortably dealt with by McNeil.

Partick's final attempt on goal in the first half arrived on the 34th minute when Paton's cross was glanced past the post by Martin Grehan.

Raith - still being backed by the home fans – finally managed to get a grasp of the game with their first real chance falling on the stroke of half time. Midfielder Allan Walker slipped a delightful through ball to the pacey John Baird who connected well, but Thistle keeper' Scott Fox tipped wide and the half time whistle was blown by Frank McDermott.

Despite being second best for the first period, Rovers fans were encouraged by the final flurry, however they were soon to be disappointed when Partick took the lead on the 49th minute. A corner was curled into the box and the unmarked Doolan headed down through McNeil's legs.

Looking for a quick response, Raith finally managed a few more shots on goal. A freekick was headed wide of the post by Hill, before a cross to the back post was caught on the volley by Walker, only for Fox to tip his effort over the bar.

However, Thistle regained control of the match, causing numerous problems. On the 66th minute, Chris Erskine went on a lung bursting run down the left wing, cutting inside and blasted the ball at goal but McNeil was able to tip over for a corner.

From the corner Grehan managed to flick a cross ball at goal, but McNeil was able to gather.

Raith's Grant Murray nodded over from a corner before McNeil made yet another save, this time from Doolan who was looking to add another goal to his tally.

Rovers manager John McGlynn rung the changes on the 72nd minute as Mark Ferry, Gregory Tade and John Baird were replaced by Gary Wales, Graham Weir and Iain Davidson.

Raith's final chance came five minutes later after a corner fell to Mark Campbell who laid the ball back to the onrushing Simmons, but his effort was high and wide.

The home side threw men forward as the final minutes ticked away, with Partick relieving the pressure admirably and in the final minute of regulation time they sealed the win. Boyle took advantage of a mistake by Campbell who was unable to get the ball out from under his feet and the left back slammed the ball past McNeil to seal Partick's first away victory since October 2010.

All in all, a very poor Rovers performance and the players will have to pick themselves up quickly for Tuesday evening's fixture against Cowdenbeath.

Meanwhile, the victory for Partick means they have moved up to fourth in the league, comfortably clear of the relegation places and top spot respectively. Ian McCall's side will probably have one eye on next season already now.

written by Will Lyon

Terrace Travels #3: Queen of the South 0 - 2 Raith Rovers

Click here to read my article published on The Terrace where I describe a day out at the fitba' down Dumfries way.