Fourteenth Eye
Face for Radio
Hamilton Accies as that's where the Scottish side of my family hail from
Berwick Rangers - cos they're in England!
(and technically still at war with Prussia, I think).
This, I’ve looked out for their results for 25+ years and to be honest I can’t remember a successful season in all that time
Always followed them because they were in England but mainly because of Andy Fitzgerald. I played Sunday league football with him in Lewes many years ago, he lived and worked in Lewes (on the railway from memory) but he had a season ticket at Berwick Rangers and used to go to most of their home games! He even sponsored one of their players!
Give my earlier comment about lack of success, I can’t imagine that many people from Berwick went to watch them, so I was in awe of someone who travelled 800+ miles to and from every home game!
He was absolutely crackers, not sure what happened to him, the last I heard he was running the Gardeners Arms in Lewes but that was a while back... thanks Andy for my passing interest in the results of Berwick Rangers
Aberdeen, ever since the 1970s. No idea why, other than they are not Rangers or Celtic.
To this day I have never set foot there.
Partick Thistle. Was born just down the road from Firhill. Dad started taking me from the age of 5 and lifted me over the turnstiles til the age of 12 (handful of coppers passed across the grille to turnstile guy) at which point I had to gently point out to him that I was about five foot tall and it was getting to be a bit of a squeeze. We did then try experimenting with me crawling UNDER the turnstiles, but this was soon deemed to be a bit of a non-starter, mainly on account of the accumulated puddles that were a feature for most of the year. Was a bit of a mixed blessing shortly after when dad knackered his knee playing non league football and could barely walk. So me (and my brother) were allowed to to travel the length and breadth of Scotland watching The Maryhill Magyars, on trains jam-packed with Auld Firm fans. They'd pat us on the head and give us sweeties. Was a pretty carefree time, and even more economical than being lifted over the turnstiles. Dad worked for the railways so we got issued with Privilege Tickets for free train travel. Plus we swiftly became adroit at loitering outside the ground an hour before kick-off and getting complimentary tickets off the Thistle players - who appeared to be given handfuls of tickets each without any realistic hope of being able to give them away. So, although I was as ardent a Partick Thistle as they come during my formative years, I feel a slight twinge of guilt that i never put any money into the club coffers other than buying one single scarf and a regular programme and a Macaroon bar