Scott Struthers

Last Saturday’s IRN-BRU SFL First Division match between Hamilton Academical and Queen of the South saw New Douglas Park Club Secretary Scott Struthers reach the personal milestone of watching 5,000 games of football and Sunday’s Ramsdens Cup Final will be game 5004.

Accies 3-0 success over the Doonhamers was the 5,000th game that Struthers has attended since he began keeping his personal record over 30 years ago and he said: “I had been to a few games before I started keeping my own notes but I don’t know how many but this one is the five thousandth since I started keeping a record as a young football fan.”

Struthers, who watches an average of over 150 games a year, has seen his side play at various levels in over 2,000 games and he added: “I have been to over 2,400 games involving a Hamilton side be it the first team, reserves or under-19s.  The rest are made up of Scotland matches at various age groups and other games I have seen in either an official capacity with the Leagues in Scotland or UEFA.

“Mind you, there are a lot of games at Junior level and upwards that I have turned up to watch football when I have fancied taking in a game.” 

Game 5001 came on Sunday when Scotland Under-17s went down 3-2 to Denmark at Cappielow and 5002 came on Tuesday when the Scotland’s Under-17 Ladies side defeated their Swedish counterparts 4-2.

Struthers said: “Game 5003 will come on Saturday although I am not sure where I will be for it but the game against Falkirk will be Game 5004.”

It is also number four in terms of Challenge Cup Finals for Hamilton and Struthers said: “I have been at the previous three and obviously, the two that we won are happier memories than the one that we lost.

“Our first win in December, 1991 was a particularly great day as it was our first Cup Final since the Scottish Cup of 1935.  Winning it 1-0 over Ayr United at the home of our Lanarkshire rivals Motherwell also made it a bit special."

The following year Accies defeated Morton 3-2 to lift the trophy at Love Street and Struthers, who has worked for the New Douglas Park club for 29 seasons, was in attendance as he was in November, 2005 when they lost 2-1 to St. Mirren.

Of all the games he has watched, Struthers was asked to pick out his most memorable and he said: “The most important game I was ever at was the 1998 World Cup Final between France and Brazil in Paris that the host nation won 3-0.”

Much closer to home, he said: “There are dozens of games over the years that I can think of as being great games. We had a 5-0 win over Morton and a 6-1 success against Dumbarton when we won the First Division Championship in season 1985/86.  I also enjoyed a very exciting 4-3 success at Brechin City in season 2001/02.

“When we won the First Division Championship again in season 2007/08, we had a 5-0 win at Dunfermline and like most football fans, you tend to remember these games better than ones where you lose.”

One other game sticks vividly with Struthers, who said: “Of course, beating Rangers 1-0 at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup in 1987 thanks to Adrian Sprott’s goal was a great win especially as it was so unexpected.”