The release of the fixtures for season 2013/14 is an exciting time for football fans as they plan whatever else happens in their life around trips to see their favourites in action up and down Scotland.
Whether it is a home match with Elgin City or an away game at Stranraer, knowing where you are going and what time kick-off will be is key to successfully following your team across Scotland.
Two fans who know which football grounds they are going to, and when over the next few weeks, are teachers Anthony Smith and Alan Taylor from Webster’s High School, Kirriemuir.
The duo are embarking on an over 1,000 mile journey around the 42 senior League clubs and 18 Highland League sides in the space of a fortnight and Smith said: “We have called our trip "Tour de Ecosse" as it is happening by bike!”
It is a second time around event for the Maths teacher who explained: “Thirty two years ago, I completed what I considered, at the time, to be a fairly unique tour. It involved cycling round all 38 senior Scottish Football League clubs in the space of a week.
“I decided to do it again and convinced my colleague Alan to re-enact that tour and also to be on a far more ambitious scale. Our aim is to visit all 18 Highland league clubs, as well as the 42 senior clubs, covering a distance of over 1,000 miles.
“We estimate a fortnight to complete the tour and we have earmarked the end of June and early July to get it done.”
The journey that Smith completed in September, 1981 was acknowledged in Arbroath’s programme of the time which included a group photograph to mark the end of the original cycle tour and he is seen kneeling in the centre of the front row.
When he takes his cycling voyage this time, he will be visiting many a new place as the landscape of Scottish football has changed considerably in the past 32 years.
Ross County and Inverness Caledonian Thistle were three Highland League clubs back in the 1980s and this will be a first visit to these grounds.
Smith said: “St. Johnstone will be a new top flight ground as well as they were still housed at Muirton Park in 1981.”
“Peterhead’s Balmoor, Elgin City’s Borough Briggs and Annan Athletic’s Galabank have been new entrants to the SFL since my last trip as well.”
Whilst these clubs are new, there will be a number of old clubs in new grounds as Smith added: “I visited Meadowbank Stadium, home of Meadowbank Thistle, who had only recently changed their name from Ferranti Thistle. This time I will be visiting Livingston in the Braidwood Motor Company Stadium.
“On my last trip, I also visited Bayview, Shawfield, Broomfield, Boghead, Brockville and Annfield. This time I will be visiting the new homes of East Fife, Clyde, Airdrieonians, Dumbarton, Falkirk and Stirling Albion.”
Missing out on a solo visit this time is East Stirlingshire, who left their old home of Firs Park just over five years ago to become tenants at Ochilview and, of course, Clydebank’s New Kilbowie.
As well as visiting old and new places, the cycle tour is in aid of a good cause with Smith explaining: “We are looking for fans to back us on this event in a simple way by helping us to go 'Round the grounds for a pound!'
“Their help will raise funds to assist fund our school’s link with Litein High Scholl, which is based in North West Kenya. Money raised from the event would primarily help pay for several pupils and staff from Litein to complete an exchange visit to Webster’s High, Kirriemuir.
“Previous exchange visits were funded by the British Council but that funding has ceased.”
The clubs being visited have been asked to support the fundraising by providing a set of autographs of the clubs’ current playing staff and donating a youth’s replica football strip from their club.
Smith said: “The clubs’ autographed sheet will go into a specially bound folder, which we plan to auction as an entire set. It will provide a unique snapshot of Scottish football for Litein.
“The collection of donated football strips will be presented to Litein, who would value their worth well beyond the cultural links they provide. The boys in Litein are crazy about football despite having no boots or strips, other than those that have been donated.
“Planning for the event is currently nearing completion but cannot be finalised until we know the level of support from the clubs that have not been back in touch yet. Hopefully, they will be back in touch soon.”
Smith said: “I appreciate clubs get many requests but on this occasion, I hope that they will recognise there is minimal involvement required from them but collectively, there is potential to raise substantial funds by endorsing and supporting ‘Tour de Ecosse’.”
The tour starts in the north and then goes further north with Smith saying: “We plan to set off from Highland League side Fort William’s Claggan Park on Thursday, 27th June and then visit Clachnacuddin, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Ross County, and Brora Rangers. We will then head to the most northerly football ground at Wick Academy.”
Smith said: “We will visit the grounds in a well worked out order. Planning for the trip has taken over six months and the idea is to complete it, as we did the original one 32 years ago, by finishing at Gayfield Park, Arbroath on Friday, 12th July.
“From the outset we wanted to keep it simple in terms of sponsorship, hence the logo, ‘Round the grounds for a pound!’, so we ask only a pound from anyone who cares to support the ride.”
There are other opportunities to help with Smith saying: “People are also invited to pick a ground on our tour and predict the exact time of arrival for a £5 entry fee.”
Finally, Smith said: “When we are on tour we will be wearing clothing with our special logo as designed by one of our S6 pupils. If fans see us it would be great if they could help us get 'Round the grounds for a pound!' by handing one over as we go along.”
The logo for the route that Smith and Taylor will be taking, as well as their planner, can be seen as part of the article.
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