The Away Match

James McArthur

The first football match I ever attended was between St.Bernards and Hearts, the former club long since defunct. My uncle supported St.Bernards and no doubt wanted me to follow suit.

But I decided I liked Hearts best. Maybe it was because one of their players ruffled my hair as he left the field. Anyway, I became a Hearts fan and have suffered ever since (with the occasional highlight.)

Now it was 1946 and I was twelve years old. The occasion was the first game of the season and Hearts were to face Falkirk at Brockville Park, wherever that was, and I had never been out of Edinburgh on my own. Surely I wouldn't be able to see this game - or would I? Yes! Donald would go with me, I was sure of it.

On the Friday before the game, Donny and I planned everything after we read the train times chalked on the railway station notice board. We would take a local train to the Caledonian main-line station at the west end of Princes Street, then follow the supporters onto one of the football specials.

There was only one problem - no money, well very little. Donny had eight pence and I had seven pence, a total of one shilling and three pence. We were brought down to earth with a crash.

Then Donny remembered about his piggy-bank. "I can take coins out of it!" He said enthusiastically. "But I'll have to put some back." "I've got a piggy too," I said, "Maybe I can get money out using a knife." "Okay." He said and we grinned at each other.

I wakened early on Saturday morning and lay thinking. I knew the train driver would know the way to Falkirk, but where was it? How far away? It might take a long time to get back. Our parents would kill us if they found out why. I jumped out of bed and quickly found my school atlas of Scotland. Yes! There it was, about halfway between Edinburgh and Glasgow - not so far. I breathed a sigh of relief.

At breakfast, Nana casually announced that we would visit aunt Katie later. The spoonful of porridge stopped half-way to my mouth. "But Nana, we want to build Donny's new train set!" I looked at her with pleading eyes. It was true about the train set. Nana said nothing as I sat staring at her, spoon still in transit to my mouth. "All right," she announced with resignation, looking at the porridge sliding off my spoon, "But don't forget to thank Donald's parents for their hospitality!" With that, she rose and went into the kitchen. I attacked my porridge.

We got to Granton Road Station just as a train arrived puffing and hissing loudly. We ran down the ramp and joined the throng of men boarding. Donny and I ended up on the overhead luggage racks.

At Caley station, we squeezed in amongst the crowd making for a main line platform. I looked at my older pal. "We don't have tickets! How much did you get from piggy?" Donny's reply was "Look, there's no ticket collector!" True enough, we shuffled with the crowd and on to the train. My heart was beating wildly, we were on our way! I didn't know the places we passed except Linlithgow. I nudged Donny. "Mary, Queen of Scots was born here. But Donny, being English, just said "So what?"

It came as a surprise when we shuddered to a halt at Grahamston station and everyone poured out. Crossing the pedestrian bridge, it was easy to see Brockville Park. "This is great!" I said. "Look how near we are to the ground!" We joined the queues at the turnstiles and soon found ourselves at the front of two adjacent ones.3

"Lift me over mister!" I appealed to a big jolly Hearts fan and he duly hoisted me over the barrier with a wink at the turnstile operator, and that's how I got to see my first away match.

Once inside the ground, I waited some time for Donny to arrive. Then he appeared, jumping off the turnstile arm grinning all over his face. Someone had obviously taken pity on him and lifted him over too.

There was a huge roar as the teams came out but we couldn't see a thing. We squirmed down to the front but couldn't see past those leaning against the low wall. Then, just before kick-off, a man standing in front of us turned waving a small bottle and grinning. "Right boys, get here in front o' us afore we change oor minds! But ye'r no' getting' a sip oot o' this wee bottle, are they Jock?" Jock looked at his mate and laughed. They were both Falkirk supporters, and I've had a soft spot for 'The Bairns' ever since! It was a thrilling match and I think the score was 3-3.

Anyway, we had now to get home and swarmed out of the ground with thousands of supporters of both clubs.

Back at the Caledonian station in Edinburgh, the only ticket collector didn't even look at us. Outside, we caught a tram home. Incredibly, the whole day's adventure had only cost us a penny each on tram fares, but I must confess I had felt guilty about this at times.

I asked Donny how much he had taken from his piggy and he pulled out an extra shilling.

"What!" I gasped. "Is that all?" "Yes," he replied, "Mum caught me fiddling with it and took it away, but Dad gave me a shilling later." Donny looked at me. "Well, how much did you get out of your piggy then?" "Ninepence!" I declared, and we burst out laughing.

We knew we faced trouble at home, but not enough that we'd ever forget our first away match!