Scottish Double Header - Part 1 Motherwell

After a conversation a few weeks previously with a like minded chap at Dulwich who collects the Scottish grounds I booked myself a flight to Glasgow on Friday 26th October with a return the following night from Edinburgh.

On the Friday I was to take in Motherwell vs. Hibernian in the SPL for one of their Friday night games with a Saturday game the following day before flying back from Edinburgh.

My flight was booked with Easyjet for the 8.50 from Stansted to Glasgow International. The day before the wife had kindly decided to take the Friday off so that she could drive me to Stansted and thus save me an hour in bed.

We departed home just after 6.40am and after hitting a bit of traffic at the Blackwall Tunnel I pulled up outside the set down point at Stansted at 7.50am giving me enough time for my flight.
An on time flight had me leaving the plane at around 10am and into Paisley town centre for 20 past.

I had 3 pubs on my list to tick off in Paisley but unfortunately I didn't manage to do any. After a quick wander round town I arrived at the Wee Howff only to find it still closed, I then wandered around to the Bull Inn but was greeted with a large scaffold board outside the front of the pub that was well and truly sealed off to the public. My last choice was the Last Post, Wetherspoons back by Gilmour Street station but as it was only 10.45 by now they were not serving alcohol until 11am. With this I decided to head into Glasgow, so I went across the road and boarded the train into Central Station.

I was a tad disappointed as I left Central Station and walked across to the Horseshoe Bar on Drury Street, I had been in Scotland well over an hour and hadn't achieved anything yet! However the Horseshoe changed all of that. I had a very good pint, watched a bit of Sky Sports News and admired the decorative tiles (picture below). Pub number 1 ticked off.
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My hotel was a few minutes walk on Ingram Street so I stopped off on route at The Counting House which is a huge ex bank on the corner of St George Square that is now home to a Wetherspoons. The beer festival was one so from a choice of 16 pumps I choose a Lithuanian beer that was new to me which I supped while sitting and fiddling with the internet making full use of their free wifi.

I checked into the hotel and decided that the rest of my day on my own would involve ticking off more pubs in the area from the beer guide. My next port of call was The Blackfriars followed by The Babbity Bowster both of which are close to each other in the Merchant City area. The Babbity Bowster is possibly one of the finest pubs I have ever visited, it's an absoulete gem and well worth a trip if you are in that side of Glasgow. From here I went back to Buchanan St and boarded the clock work orange round to the West of the city at Hillhead.

Out the station and down Byers Road brought me to Tennants (number 4 on my list) where I had the choice 12 ales...love these pubs with a load of choice. After a decent pint I made my way to the last pub in the area being The Three Judges just at the bottom of Byers Road just on Dumbarton Road. Another good selection of ales had me choosing my 5th new beer of the day from this cracking little corner pub.

By this time it was almost 4.45pm and the text had come through to say that my football companion had arrived into Glasgow and was on the bus towards the hotel so I hastily made my way back onto the clock work orange round to the hotel. A local friend of my companion had also meet us after finishing work and the 3 of us made our way to the Blane Valley on Glassford St for a couple of pre match pints.

An hour later and we were on the train from Argyle Street to Motherwell for tonights football encounter. The friend left us a few stops before Hamilton and we continued on our own before disembarking at Airbles for the short walk to Fir Park.

Ground number 313 for me tonight. Fir Park is a tidy ground and there looked to be a fair crowd gathering for the match. A programme was obtained, we wandered around the club shop and then paid our £18.00 entrance into the stand opposite the Main Stand ready for the game.

Both teams were coming off the back of away defeats in the league. Motherwell losing the previous Sunday at Hearts while Hibs had been beaten by the odd goal in 5 at Ross County on the Saturday.

Both teams started well and it was the home side with Michael Higdon leading the line that nearly took the lead only for the final touch to let them down. Slowly Hibs came into the game with Leigh Griffiths and David Wotherspoon looking particuley menacing in the final third. On 28 minutes Hibs took the lead when Wotherspoon picked the ball up 20 odd yards from goal and drilled a cracking shot past ex Charlton 'keeper Randolph in the well net. The score remained like this to half time with Hibs shading the first half but not offering to run away with it!

The rain held off but it was blinking cold sat in the stand opposite the Min Stand as the wind seemed to whip in from the pitch, the hands and fingers going bluer and bluer...how I wished I had brought my gloves.

The 2nd half played out much the same as the first with both teams creating chances but Motherwell just not doing enough to bring an equaliser. Then a long raking ball was played for Griffiths to chase, he outpaced Fraser Kerr who was having a torid time at the heart of the 'Well defence and while he was going away from goal Randolph came out and made a stupid challenge that he really didn't need to make and the ref gave a penalty. Up stepped Griffiths and drilled the ball low to Randolph's left and into the net...2-0 on 64 mins.

Motherwell soon had an excellent chance to halve their deficit when James McPake was penalised for climbing all over Higdon. Up stepped Higdon and he cannoned the ball off the top of the bar and straight into the crowd behind! The groans and moans around me were getting louder and louder, then minutes later the 3rd penalty was awarded this time for Hibs when Wotherspoon was tripped just inside the box (however having now seen this on sky replays, it clearly was outside the box...another soft decision by Stevie O'Reilly who to be honest wasn't having he's best game). Griffiths stepped up again and beat Randolph with a near copycat penalty..3-0 and there as to now only be 1 winner.

The game was halted while the referee left the pitch and was replaced by one of the assistants. As the game wore on and the home fans started to leave in their droves a 4th goal was had as Handling tapped in from a couple of yards to round off a thoroughly convincing 2nd half performance. The 1500 Hibs fans celebrated as they should having seen their team smash Motherwell at Fir Park.

Myself and my companion made our way into the cold night air and off in search of the only 'spoons in town, up near the station. A wrong turn and half an hour walk later we arrived into the relative solitude of The Brandon Works. A couple of pints from the beer festival menu and it was time for the last train back to Glasgow. We wandered down to Trongate and had a pint in Maggie Mays before arriving back at the hotel for a pint in the bar before turning in for the night.

Tomorrow we were off to Edinburgh and I as planning on going to Livingston for their game with Greennock Morton while Mick was going to Tynecastle for the match with Ross County...there was however to be a last minute change for one of us....part 2 to follow shortly.....