Annan Athletic v Queen's Park, 25th September 2010

While I'll not give a blow by blow account of Queen's Park's fortunes, the odd game does merit a mention. This is one. Anyone who wishes to find out more about my beloved Spiders can go to the official website. You can also see match highlights on QPTV (honest).

This game fell on the September weekend holiday in the west of Scotland. It was my second visit to Annan. My first was at the tail end of last season when I saw Queen's win 2-0. I had a 3pm finish at work on the Friday. I usually take Fridays off from training. This week, I trained to give me Saturday off and allow for a lie in before heading south. My Dad came with me as usual. Whatever it was- the weather, holiday etc- my Mum also took a notion to come. This would be her first Queen's game.

Annan is a piece of cake to get to from East Kilbride. Down the M74 southbound, take the cut off for the B722, follow the road and you're there. To make things even easier, the ground is the first place you see. A short drive further along brings you to the High Street. The 82 mile drive is an absoloute pleasure to do, especially when you have control of the music and can play Bruce Springsteen all the way down.

I parked up and had some lunch while touring the high street. I learned some new things, like the fact Robert Burns was in Annan in the 1700s when he wrote the poem "The De'ils Awa' Wi' The Exciseman" (rough translation- "The Devil's Run Away With The Taxman"). I also admired some Dumfriesshire countryside before heading to Annan's social club for a pre-match drink. Just the one, I was driving after all. Annan Athletic were admitted to the league for season 2008/09 after the demise of fellow Borders club Gretna. They have gone out their way to become friends with every club they play. They are doing so successfully. Some Queen's fans even make a weekend of it, staying in the town after the game.

To the match then. Queen's came out in our blue away strip. Manager Gardner Speirs' hand was forced by our two best players last week, Jack Henry and David Murray, being injured and ill respectively. I was still optimistic. The healthy crowd of 546 saw a first half which ebbed and flowed reasonably enough, both teams having their moments. My Mum was enjoying it. Queen's hit the inside of the post with a shot which bounced along the line and out. Ian Harty gave Annan the lead with a shot Queen's keeper Adam Strain got a hand to. This only made the ball hit the net slower than it would have otherwise. Typical. Behind again after playing quite well.

Half time brought a lovely pie and bovril and a playing of "The A Team" theme as the teams re-emerged. The second half was as even stevens as the first. East Kilbride resident Jamie Longworth was having a great game for us. He fired in a shot in 50 odd minutes which Jamieson fisted away. Not long after, Gardner took him off for Michael Daly much to the dismay of the Queen's fans behind the goal. A fan who takes photos for our match programmes tipped me off that Longworth had been injured in the first 45 minute half.

We plugged away and an equaliser came. A cross from Ian Watt into the box went behind the inrushing Michael Daly. Craig Smith met it beautifully to make the score 1-1. We gained confidence thereafter. Watt whacked the crossbar so hard with a shot, it nearly collapsed. The momentum didn't last and we began to sit deeper and deeper into our own half. Annan's curly haired full back Muirhead played a neat one two, broke into our box and fired in an effort which Strain saved. We didn't heed the warning. A shot outside the area from David Cox in the last 10 minutes slipped under Strain's body and in. Think Robert Green at the South African World Cup. We had no answer and Annan comfortably saw out time to take the three points.

I had mixed feelings. On one hand, it was a pleasant trip to a lovely place. On the other, Queen's had again been masters of their own downfall. Not to worry, our day will come again. I managed to get home before dark and had time to relax with a couple of beers before looking ahead to the rest of the weekend.

Annan Athletic: Jamieson, Muirhead, Neilson, Aitken, MacBeth, Steven Sloan (Lewis Sloan), Steele, Gilfillan, Halsman (Felvus), Harty (Walker), Cox. Subs: Summersgill, Jardine. Booked: Cox, Aitken, MacBeth.
Goals: Harty, Cox.

Queen's Park: Strain, Little, Gallacher, Brough, Meggatt, Watt, Anderson, Quinn, Capuano (McBride), Longworth (Daly), Smith.
Subs Not Used: Hamilton, O'Hara, Lachlan.
Booked: Quinn, Brough.
Goal: Smith.

City of Stirling 10k Road Race, 19th September 2010

(My thanks go to Mark Williams and the website roadrunpics.com for the photos used in this article).

So far, I am attempting to bring my recent racing experiences up to date. I hope in due course to give a general summary of my athletics career up to now to show how I arrived at the point I currently find myself at. My involvement in the sport began at the age of 10. Fear not, it will strictly be a summary but I hope you find it entertaining and informative in equal measure. For now, I am content to drop in general hints of heroics of yesteryear to my race reports.

With another solid week of training at my back after Millport and in a good frame of mind after seeing Queen's Park beat East Stirlingshire 2-0 at Hampden the day before, I headed to Stirling in a positive frame of mind. Only if you are a Queen's Park supporter can you appreciate the significance of a victory. You do not see many. This one was the first time I had seen Queen's win in the flesh for 5 months. Cause for celebration had I not been persuaded by Cambuslang captain Jamie Reid to include the Scottish 10k Championships in my racing schedule.

I had been to the race venue twice before, to see Queen's lose a cup tie 4-0 when I was 16 then win a league match 3-0 in December 2008. I got to Stirling no problem when the problems started. I sought some reassurance from some locals I was in the correct vicinity. Only one person out of 4 could tell me where Forthbank Stadium was. Clearly not many of the residents are Stirling Albion diehards. Finally finding the out of town venue, I was directed to park in Morrisons. Forthbank car park full? I bet that hasn't happened too often during Stirling Albion's time there. By the time I parked I only had 25 minutes to cross the road to the race start. No problem if it hadn't also been raining.

I grabbed my gear and ran over. That was the warm up taken care of. I then did some stretching while wondering where to leave my clothing during the race. My prayers were promptly answered when I met club mate and occasional training partner Kirsty Grant and her fiance Mark Williams who very kindly offered to take my stuff for me. Following a chat with them it was time to convene on the start line where I met fellow Cambuslang members Robert Gilroy, Jamie Reid, Chris Wilson and Joe Kealey who breathed a collective sigh of relief I had turned up. They hadn't seen me at all before this.

At 10.15am, we set off on what I was assured is the fastest 10km race in Scotland. To my amazement, I found myself in the lead group with (bear with me on these names) Tsegezeab Woldemichael, Tewoldeberhan Mengisteab, Tsegai Tewelde, Robert Russell and Andrew Douglas. I thought to myself "I feel relaxed here. Either I'm having a blinder or these guys are jogging." Completing the first 3km in under 9 minutes told me the first answer was the most likely. I was even running at the front. I had never been as close to the Eritreans as this before. I had never even lead an Eritrean before. Breathing down my neck from behind were Paul Sorrie and Michael Gillespie, both of Shettleston. I couldn't let things slip.

I gradually fell back from the leaders but I was continuing to work hard and stretch my legs when the course allowed. I went through 5km in 15:14. This was 11 seconds faster than my 5km road PB. Was this me? The watch wasn't lying. Just after halfway, the course turned back to head to the finish albeit in a slightly different direction. This allowed me to see the chasing pack behind. I got a glimpse of how close Sorrie and Gillespie were. "Don't let it slip, what a breakthrough this could be" were the thoughts in the mind. For someone whos first 10k in September 2000 took them 45 minutes, this was incredible.

The further I went, the more it became a psychological battle to keep going. Michael Gillespie passed me between 7km and 8km. I attempted to keep it close with him which would also help me maintain a gap from Paul Sorrie.  This tactic is illustrated in action below.

We continued the battle, past Frankie and Benny's Restaurant, into the finishing straight. The young Shettleston man had too much. However, I was totally elated with 7th and a new PB of 31:12, beating my Clydebank effort of 32:01 in May this year. Woldemichael won in 29:29, 8 seconds clear of his two fellow Africans. This gave Shettleston team gold. Andrew Douglas (29:46) hung in well as did Robert Russell (30:14) and Michael Gillespie clocked 31:02.

Cambuslang were not empty handed, taking team silver medals. Chris Wilson (31:38), Robert Gilroy (31:49), Jamie Reid (32:33), Joe Kealey (33:26) and Brian Campbell (36:17) ensured a team performance to bode well for the months ahead.



While the others regrouped for a warm down, I was feeling a little unwell so decided to wander back out to the course to see Brian and Kirsty finish. Mark, complete with my clothing, spotted me. By the time I had chatted a bit to him, Kirstly came through in a PB of 45:52, a significant improvement for someone who was running 52 minute 10ks only a year ago.

I eventually did an approximate 4 mile warm down from Morrisons into the town centre and back, headed back to East Kilbride, watched the Great North Run then went out that night with the family for an Indian curry and beer to mark my birthday from a few days earlier. Curry and beer will form the topics for future posts.

Round Cumbrae 10 Mile Road Race, 12th September 2010

I decided to get my 2010/11 winter season underway with this smashing little event which begins in the Isle of Cumbrae's only town, Millport, encompasses a lap of the island and finishes back from whence you came in Millport. I ran the race on my 19th birthday on 15th September 2002, clocking 64:01 on a blustery day, then in 2008 where a time of 57:04 brought 4th place. I welcomed the chance to return. I had taken a week off following a very successful summer (more on that in future posts) and having had a good week's training behind me, including a session of 8 x 3 minutes at the Glasgow Endurance Session the day before, I was looking for a good competitive run prior to the Stirling 10k the following week.

With my travelling support in tow (Maw, Paw and big bro), I embarked on the hour's drive to Largs for the 15 minute crossing to Cumbrae. A short bus trip thereafter takes you to Millport. I was there 2 hours before the 2pm start so I had some time to stroll along the coast, take photos, collect and pin on my number and sit in the Ritz Cafe for a caramel cake and mug of tea. During this time, I met one of my old work colleagues from Morrisons, now with Sainsburys, who was on the island doing a sponsored walk.

Race time drew nearer and the number of vest clad individuals hanging around grew. I chatted to one of my old Calderglen Harriers team mates, David Searil, who was in attendance with his wife. After a slight delay due to the starting pistol being lost, the field of 158 runners were off.

I soon found myself in a lead group of 4 with 3 Corstorphine athletes. One of these was David Simpson who had beaten me to the runners up spot at the Pencuik 10k in May. I had a loose game plan to take it relaxed to 3 miles then pick things up. By then, the other 2 guys had gradually dropped off, but not by much, and I found myself slightly behind Simpson in 2nd. I felt the race was still there to be won though a combination of ring rustiness and a slight lack of stamina attributed to my post-summer break put paid to that. I struggled in particular from 5-7 miles when the breeze was at its strongest. I was a relieved man to see the "Welcome to Millport" sign. The race is actually closer to 10.25 miles rather than 10. In those circumstances, I was pleased with a time of 53:02 which was in fact only 8 seconds slower than my 10 mile best from the Tom Scott Road Race in April this year. Simpson was a minute and a half clear of me in the end and I had a gap of half a minute on his 3rd placed club mate. I wasn't too disappointed to see my 2 road race winning streak following wins at the Dundonald and Irvine 10ks in August come to an end. I had enjoyed the company of some cyclists around the island and of one wee boy near the end who shouted after me "he wis oan ma bus." Only in Scotland.

After a mile or so cool down, during which I was given some advice by a non-running local about my lack of knee lift, asked by another little boy whether I had jogged round the island yet and barked at by a poodle, in the absence of shower facilities, I took a dip in the sea fully clothed in my club vest and shorts. Thereafter, it was feeding time at the town hall for the prize giving where I got the nice bonus of a £30 prize before jumping the bus then ferry then car to go homeward bound.

Whatever your standard, get this race in your diary. It will not disappoint.