9/42 - Glebe Park, Brechin

29th June 2018
Ground Number: 9
Ground: Glebe Park, Brechin
Home of: Brechin City FC
Match: Brechin V Dundee
Score: 1-1
Attendance: 851

Ah pre-season. That time in the football calendar when the football is back but it's not really. Those meaningless friendlies when all we really want is for the "real" action to get underway! Nevertheless it's also a chance to get a ground or two in and tonight we're in Brechin, home to Brechin City (imagine that!). 

Glebe Park is famous for the hedge. Yes that hedge! Before we get to that though, we find free on street parking close to the ground and make our way down towards Glebe Park. Everyone enters at the turnstiles behind the biggest stand at the ground (David H Will Stand) and tonight it's a fair price of £8 to gain entry. The opponents are Premiership outfit Dundee in what is their first pre-season action.

Once in the ground we're immediately greeted with the Club shop. It's so handy when this happens and you don't have to go hunting for it. Pin badge secured (plenty stock at the start of the season!) we go and check out our surroundings and, frankly, they are delightful. Maybe it's the summer sun or maybe this is just a splendid setting for a game of football. Whatever the reason first impressions are good.

Glebe Park does have a bit of a strange layout though it has to be said. There is a large stand behind one goal. Directly opposite that is the "cementery end" which is covered terracing usually occupied by the home support. On one side of the pitch is a very small stand / pavilion which houses the changing rooms etc and seems to be where directors and officials sit and, yes, opposite that is the world famous hedge which runs almost the length of the pitch. Frankly it's a thing of beauty.

Do they employ a full time gardener at Brechin?

We decide to take residence in the large stand for the first half and the large crowd who have assembled are ready in anticipation. There's the World Cup in Russia and then there's Glebe Park, Brechin. I know where I would rather be!

Anyway, a pretty non eventful first half ends goalless and we're basking in the summer sunshine. Why aren't we playing the main football season in the summer? It's madness that we aren't to be honest. Tonight we do something we haven't done so far on the tour. We switch ends at half time! It takes me back to Somerset Park in Ayr where we witnessed the mass changing of the ends. Why not though eh?

Off to the cementery end we go and en route we get to pass (in full!) the famous hedge. It's a work of art quite frankly and should be grade A listed right now! It's a glorious evening and the added bonus is the second half brings goals. Two of them to be precise. Dundee, having changed their entire team at half time grab the lead midway through but Brechin quickly equalise and it's like they've won the World Cup! Maybe these pre-season friendlies are more important than we give them credit for!?

So with that it's the second draw in a row. That's 4 home wins, 3 away wins and 2 draws now just in case you're keeping score. Oh you like the stats? Ok well, we're now 21% of our way through the tour. We've seen 23 goals so far. We're averaging 2.5 goals per game. We've dodged a goalless draw. In total we've driven (or David has!) 782 miles so far.

So that was Brechin. Very pleasant. Enjoyable. We liked it. But where to next? Well, over the border into England, of course! Controversial.