Cappielow Park - Greenock Morton

All good things must come to an end, unfortunately this is the final blog post for now...

Last but certainly not least, the final Scottish football ground to be analysed is Cappielow Park. Home to Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton.



Travel - The journey to Cappielow from Glasgow Central is fairly straightforward. The nearest station to the ground is Cartsdyke which is on the Glasgow Central to Gourock line. The train journey takes just under 40 minutes and costs £6.80 (£4.50 with a railcard). After arriving at Cartsdyke station Cappielow Park is only a five minute walk away. You can get to the ground by heading under the railway bridge, walking down the road and turn right at the end. The stadium can be found along the road on the right hand side. If you're on the lookout for somewhere to grab a pint or three before the match The Norseman Bar is the closest place to the ground and is a very popular destination on matchdays. Alternatively, the ground is only a mile away from Greenock town centre where there is no shortage of pubs for a prematch refreshment.

The Stadium - With a capacity of 11,100 Cappielow park is one of the bigger stadiums in the Scottish Championship. The ground is visibly dated and could do with some refurbishments but the stadium certainly doesn't lack in character. The ground can seat up to 5,741 fans in both the grandstand on one side of the stadium and the infamous 'Cowshed' on the other. The grandstand is a single tiered, all seated stand while the Cowshed has seats at the front and terracing at the back. At each end of the pitch are open terraces in which fans fully exposed to the often miserable weather in Greenock.


Price of Ticket - Adult £20    Concession £15    Child £10    Under 12s £1

Greenock Morton find themselves at the lower end of the spectrum in terms of admission prices in their division. The cheapest ticket in the Scottish Championship is priced at £18 while at the other end each of the Dundee clubs charge a hefty £26 for a single match ticket.

Pie Review - The scotch pie I sampled at Cappielow Park was priced at a very reasonable £1.50. I have no major complaints about the pie. I'd say it was a pleasant pastry which reflected it's price-tag. The pie was generously filled and well seasoned. Overall it was tasty, well priced and well needed on a cold night at the Cappieliow.

Forthbank Stadium - Stirling Albion

Another blog post, another Scottish Football Stadium. This week's post is about a trip to Forthbank Stadium, home to Scottish League Two outfit Stirling Albion.

Travel - The closest train station to the ground is Stirling Railway Station, which is just over a mile away from the Forthbank Stadium. You can take the train directly from Glasgow Queen Street Station to Stirling which takes just over 30 minutes. A return train ticket can be purchased for £8.50, however the use of an 18-25 railcard is advised as this takes the price down to £5.90 which is reasonable considering the time and length of journey. Upon arrival at Stirling Railway Station you can either walk for around 20 minutes or jump in a taxi in order to get to Forthbank Stadium. On my last visit to Forthbank stadium I opted for the taxi option due to being pushed for time and also laziness.

The Stadium - Forthbank Stadium is situated on the outskirts of town which means there are disappointingly few options when it comes to pubs for prematch pints. However an advantage of the location of the stadium is the pleasant views of the surrounding countryside. The stadium was opened in 1993 has a capacity of around 3,800. There are two seated stands either side of the pitch and a small terrace at either end. The larger of the two stands is the West Stand which is a covered, single tier, fully seated stand.This is where the home fans are situated. Away fans are allocated the smaller East Stand.

Price of Ticket -  Adults: £14    Over 65s and Students: £10    Under 16s: £5    Under 12s: Free

At £14 for an adult matchday ticket Stirling Albion is one of the most expensive stadiums in their league. However Stirling Albion are evidently another forward looking club. Heavily discounted ticket prices for students and under 16s is great to see. Letting under 12s accompanied by an adult in for free is another great incentive which shows the club are looking to attract their next generation of fans.

Pie Review - A steak pie accompanied by a cup of tea was £4 which is rather pricey so I was expecting big things. It's fair to say I was left disappointed. The pie had an inviting appearance as the pastry looked perfectly golden brown. However the taste of the pie did not live up to the first impressions. The pie was scarcely filled and a lack of gravy made for a very dry pie, not ideal.

Firhill - Partick Thistle

The second Scottish football arena to feature in the Blog is 'Firhill', home to The Jags, Scottish Championship side Partick Thistle.



Travel - Firhill is one of the cheapest destinations to travel to that will be included in the blog as it happens to be the closest Scottish professional football league ground to Glasgow city centre. There are a number of options when it comes to travelling to Firhill. One option is to get the subway to Kelvinbridge which is the closest subway station to the ground, however the walk from Kelvinbridge to Firhill is far from straightforward.This involves crossing Great Western road and turning right, turning left on to North Woodside road and then turning left onto Maryhill Road to get to the ground. A return subway ticket can be purchased for £3.30 making Firhill a cheap away day. Getting the subway to Hillhead is another option if you fancy a drink in one of Byres road's fancy establishments prior to the match.

The Stadium - Firhill has a capacity of just over 10,000. For Championship matches, home fans occupy the Jackie Husband Stand and the John Lambie Stand. Away supports which are than 500 are housed in the Colin Weir Stand while smaller away supports of less than 500 are located in the north end of the Jackie Husband Stand.



Price of Ticket - Adults - £20   Concessions (Over 65s, Students, 16-18 year olds) - £15

                            Under 16s - £5
              
                            
With many fans in the top flight insisting that 'Twenty is Plenty' Partick Thistle should maybe be charging a little less as a Championship side. However the club are clearly looking o the future by offering discounts to young people up to the age of 18. A student discount is also great to see! The Jags aslo offer free season tickets to under 16s which is a great incentive for young Partick Thistle fans.

Pie Review - The pie I received at Firhill was adequate, bot not impressive. For £2.20 I'd be looking for a lot more in a scotch pie. The pastry was slightly under cooked and didn't have the desired crispy golden look. The pie was fairly well filled but not well seasoned. All things considered it was a disappointing pie.