“ 1995's Scottish Cup Winners 2013/14 - 29 May 2014 “here to edit.
BARRHEAD YFC 1995/96's UNDER 19'S SCOTTISH CUP WINNERS 2013/14
On Saturday evening Barrhead Youth FC became the first juvenile side from the town to lift the Scottish Cup in thirty one years after a resounding five two win over Colony Locos from Aberdeenshire at Airdrie FC’s Excelsior Stadium.
The squad many of whom have been together for over ten years started their cup final build up on Friday night with a trip to the bowling in an effort to relax the players and build team spirit ahead of the biggest games of their of their fledgling football careers. Although the players and coaches wouldn’t divulge who actually came out on top of the ten pin bowling contest its said that the three coaches, Mike MacRae, Chris Wilson, and Graham Vance filled the top three spots while another player pointed out that Mike was a bit of a shark, well that’s what it sounded like at least.
The highlight of the night though was when Graham Haughie took his mates words to heart and believed it was a fancy dress night and by all accounts he looked splendid in a flowery dress and wig.
Saturday morning saw the boys head to Cowan Park for a so called light warm up session to set them up for the day but rather than just a limber up they boys worked on a move that would result in something very special happening just hours later.
A light lunch and some pictures followed at Newton Mearns as the players donned their newly purchased cup final outfits and then it was onto the team bus, destination Airdrie. It was evident how the mood changed and the quieter the bus became as they approached the stadium and when the floodlights came into view you could have heard a pin drop as the reality of what was ahead seemed to register. Apart from this being the last game of the season and their biggest as a group it was also the end of an era for this group of players as coach Mick MacRae was hanging up his trackie after more than a decade of involvement with Barrhead Youth Football Club.
When the bus arrived outside the Excelsior Stadiums front door the players were asked to remain on the bus for what seemed like an age before they were ushered through the main doors and into the stadium. On the pitch currently was the 1997’s final between Antonine FC Blacks and Tyncastle FC which eventually ended two all before going to extra time then penalties which forced the kick off of Barrhead’s game back half an hour, not good for the nerves at all.
Just below the stadium there was a carnival and as the supporters buses from Barrhead started to arrive at the park there was certainly a carnival atmosphere as a sea of replica strips, scarf’s, and balloons swept into the ground accompanied by air horns a very vocal support that numbered well over five hundred.
The chorus of cheers that greeted the Barrhead side as they emerged from the tunnel must have given them a lift as straight from kick off the red and yellow stripped side swept into the attack and a long range effort from Brian Ashe went through the hands of Colony ‘keeper Jordan Garrow but his touch was enough to put it just over the crossbar.
Four minutes in and Ashe and Anthony Etherson combined down the left before feeding Fraser McLaughlin inside but his effort was well saved by Garrow. Two minutes later Ciaran O’Donahue went down after a strong challenge, after treatment he tried to continue but wasn’t able to and John Planas was brought on as a direct replacement for the midfielder.
Just after the ten minute mark a ball into the feet of McLaughlin saw the Barrhead player show great skill in spinning his defender and firing in a goal ward shot that was blocked. On twelve minutes the Barrhead side deservedly took the lead, Planas was brought down outside the box and Thomas McGaughey and McLaughlin stood over the free kick, McLaughlin took and although ‘keeper Garrow got hands to the ball he couldn’t keep the excellent effort out of the net sending the Barrhead support into raptures.
Barrhead were now well on top and it was not until sixteen minutes in that Colony had their first effort of the game when a great run from Alex Duguid saw him slip the ball inside to Greg Wood who was only denied by a great save from Ali Hughes in the Barrhead goal, from the resulting corner Daniel Wood rose highest but his header was bread and butter stuff for the impressive Hughes.
Three minutes later Alex Duguid took a free kick on the left for Colony and unforgivably his fantastically delivered ball that flew across the area between defence and keeper didn’t have any takers, that was to prove costly as on twenty five minutes Barrhead doubled their lead,
Jack Easdon went on a great run down the right before he was crowded out near the touchline but McLaughlin gathered the loose ball and whipped over a great ball which McGaughey headed on target; Garrow could only block the effort and Brian Ashe followed up to net the rebound.
Just after the half hour Colony gave themselves a lifeline when they scored a great goal to reduce the arrears, the ball down the right was held up by Alex Duguid who waited and waited until Grant Dawson ran beyond him then chipped a fantastically weighted ball into his team mates path who ran through and slotted the ball home to make it Barrhead 2 Colony 1, game on!
Four minutes later another great team move from Colony saw Philip Woodgreaves back heal the ball into the path of Grant Dawson whose effort was brilliantly blocked by Planas.
A minute later Joe Burr latched onto a poor clearance from the Barrhead defence but rather than try to fire the ball past Hughes he tried an over elaborate lob which Hughes gathered easily and a golden chance to level the game was gone.
This seemed to waken up the Barrhead side now and they started to come back into the game, just before the forty minute mark McGaughey sent over another fantastic free kick that was only half cleared but Sam McNeil couldn’t get his effort from the rebound on target.
Five minutes from the break came the moment of the match and a moment that was born hours earlier on the Cowan Park. Barrhead were awarded a corner on the left which saw McLaughlin and Easdon play short before rolling the ball square where Etherson raced in and from fully thirty five yards he make perfect contact with the ball that was hit with such power and accuracy wasn’t seen by Colony ‘keeper Garrow until it was coming back out of his net, a quite outstanding goal and to do in it in a national cup final is a this of dreams.
The second half started as the first with Barrhead going close in the opening minutes this time Ashe heading just over from McGaughey’s delivery but on three minutes it was four when Etherson fed Ashe who held the ball up for Conor Bradley who over lapped and when he picked up the ball just on the angle of the box he fired a low shot across the face of Garrow’s goal and into the opposite corner.
Etherson did well to clear from inside the six yard box at the other end but by now it was all Barrhead as the players started to relax and pass the ball around for fun bringing ole’s for ever pass from their support.
Thirteen minutes into the second half and Colony pulled one back when Grant Dawson scored with a great diving header at the near post following a a great ball in from Lukas Kennedy.
McLaughlin was causing Colony lots of problems with his pace and trickery and on twenty two minutes he went on a run that saw him evade four tackles as he cut inside and went along the 18 yard line before being brought down, he took the resulting free kick himself and as the Colony wall jumped he rolled the ball along the ground and watched on as it went agonisingly inches past the post.
On the half hour mark Barrhead scored their fifth of the game and ended the game as a contest, Ashe fed Planas from a throw in and the midfielder raced inside jumping one tackle before showing great nerve when faced with the out rushing Garrow he dropped his shoulder and rounded the ‘keeper before slotting the ball home.
Ryan Bell flashed an effort just wide then McNeil saw a header come back off the post with Garrow helpless as Barrhead chased more goals but there were to be no more as the final whistle sounded the Barrhead bench leapt to a man to congratulate their players and team mates on a quite simply fantastic performance, Barrhead Youth FC 1995’s Scottish Cup Winners, sounds good doesn’t it?
A special mention must go to referee Kenneth Burnett who along with his officials had a fantastic performance and let the game flow as well as he could.
After the game some of the players and coaching staff took time to give a quick mention on their feelings of the day,
Fraser McLaughlin who also claimed the man of the match award said ‘I cant describe the feeling at the moment, just outstanding. All season we have been great as a team and as a squad so lets go again next year and retain the cup’
John Planas ‘Just brilliant, what a feeling’
Thomas McGaughey ‘I cant put it in to words its just an amazing feeling’
Ali Hughes ‘We are not a team we are a family, what a day’
Bani Nhlapo ‘this is a fitting end to a fantastic journey’
Brian Ashe ‘Its just frightening, amazing, the best feeling ever’
Conor Bradley ‘The best day of my life’
Graham Haughie ‘This has been the best day of my life and its still early’
Ciaran O’Donahue ‘Gutted I had to go off early but so proud of the boys, in it together’
Tony Etherson ‘Speechless, one of the proudest moments of my life’
Ryan Anderson ‘Unbelievable day’
Jack Easdon ‘All in it together, what a day’
The coaches also had this to say,
Chris Wilson ‘I’m delighted for the boys, I’ve been involved here for five years and its all come to this, the boys deserve enormous credit for what they have achieved and I couldn’t be happier for them’
Mick MacRae ‘ I’m so proud, I’ve been with this group for over ten years they have won the West of Scotland Cup three times, a record I believe, the league and league cup and now the Scottish, some of the boys, Sam, Ali and Jack now have a full set of medals and I am so proud of each and every one of them. Today was my last game involved and what a way to go out, it just feels right.
Graham Vance ‘Its just unbelievable, the togetherness of this group of players is something I have never witnessed before, a fantastic bunch of guys and also fantastic players, so proud of them all’
here to edit.
On Saturday evening Barrhead Youth FC became the first juvenile side from the town to lift the Scottish Cup in thirty one years after a resounding five two win over Colony Locos from Aberdeenshire at Airdrie FC’s Excelsior Stadium.
The squad many of whom have been together for over ten years started their cup final build up on Friday night with a trip to the bowling in an effort to relax the players and build team spirit ahead of the biggest games of their of their fledgling football careers. Although the players and coaches wouldn’t divulge who actually came out on top of the ten pin bowling contest its said that the three coaches, Mike MacRae, Chris Wilson, and Graham Vance filled the top three spots while another player pointed out that Mike was a bit of a shark, well that’s what it sounded like at least.
The highlight of the night though was when Graham Haughie took his mates words to heart and believed it was a fancy dress night and by all accounts he looked splendid in a flowery dress and wig.
Saturday morning saw the boys head to Cowan Park for a so called light warm up session to set them up for the day but rather than just a limber up they boys worked on a move that would result in something very special happening just hours later.
A light lunch and some pictures followed at Newton Mearns as the players donned their newly purchased cup final outfits and then it was onto the team bus, destination Airdrie. It was evident how the mood changed and the quieter the bus became as they approached the stadium and when the floodlights came into view you could have heard a pin drop as the reality of what was ahead seemed to register. Apart from this being the last game of the season and their biggest as a group it was also the end of an era for this group of players as coach Mick MacRae was hanging up his trackie after more than a decade of involvement with Barrhead Youth Football Club.
When the bus arrived outside the Excelsior Stadiums front door the players were asked to remain on the bus for what seemed like an age before they were ushered through the main doors and into the stadium. On the pitch currently was the 1997’s final between Antonine FC Blacks and Tyncastle FC which eventually ended two all before going to extra time then penalties which forced the kick off of Barrhead’s game back half an hour, not good for the nerves at all.
Just below the stadium there was a carnival and as the supporters buses from Barrhead started to arrive at the park there was certainly a carnival atmosphere as a sea of replica strips, scarf’s, and balloons swept into the ground accompanied by air horns a very vocal support that numbered well over five hundred.
The chorus of cheers that greeted the Barrhead side as they emerged from the tunnel must have given them a lift as straight from kick off the red and yellow stripped side swept into the attack and a long range effort from Brian Ashe went through the hands of Colony ‘keeper Jordan Garrow but his touch was enough to put it just over the crossbar.
Four minutes in and Ashe and Anthony Etherson combined down the left before feeding Fraser McLaughlin inside but his effort was well saved by Garrow. Two minutes later Ciaran O’Donahue went down after a strong challenge, after treatment he tried to continue but wasn’t able to and John Planas was brought on as a direct replacement for the midfielder.
Just after the ten minute mark a ball into the feet of McLaughlin saw the Barrhead player show great skill in spinning his defender and firing in a goal ward shot that was blocked. On twelve minutes the Barrhead side deservedly took the lead, Planas was brought down outside the box and Thomas McGaughey and McLaughlin stood over the free kick, McLaughlin took and although ‘keeper Garrow got hands to the ball he couldn’t keep the excellent effort out of the net sending the Barrhead support into raptures.
Barrhead were now well on top and it was not until sixteen minutes in that Colony had their first effort of the game when a great run from Alex Duguid saw him slip the ball inside to Greg Wood who was only denied by a great save from Ali Hughes in the Barrhead goal, from the resulting corner Daniel Wood rose highest but his header was bread and butter stuff for the impressive Hughes.
Three minutes later Alex Duguid took a free kick on the left for Colony and unforgivably his fantastically delivered ball that flew across the area between defence and keeper didn’t have any takers, that was to prove costly as on twenty five minutes Barrhead doubled their lead,
Jack Easdon went on a great run down the right before he was crowded out near the touchline but McLaughlin gathered the loose ball and whipped over a great ball which McGaughey headed on target; Garrow could only block the effort and Brian Ashe followed up to net the rebound.
Just after the half hour Colony gave themselves a lifeline when they scored a great goal to reduce the arrears, the ball down the right was held up by Alex Duguid who waited and waited until Grant Dawson ran beyond him then chipped a fantastically weighted ball into his team mates path who ran through and slotted the ball home to make it Barrhead 2 Colony 1, game on!
Four minutes later another great team move from Colony saw Philip Woodgreaves back heal the ball into the path of Grant Dawson whose effort was brilliantly blocked by Planas.
A minute later Joe Burr latched onto a poor clearance from the Barrhead defence but rather than try to fire the ball past Hughes he tried an over elaborate lob which Hughes gathered easily and a golden chance to level the game was gone.
This seemed to waken up the Barrhead side now and they started to come back into the game, just before the forty minute mark McGaughey sent over another fantastic free kick that was only half cleared but Sam McNeil couldn’t get his effort from the rebound on target.
Five minutes from the break came the moment of the match and a moment that was born hours earlier on the Cowan Park. Barrhead were awarded a corner on the left which saw McLaughlin and Easdon play short before rolling the ball square where Etherson raced in and from fully thirty five yards he make perfect contact with the ball that was hit with such power and accuracy wasn’t seen by Colony ‘keeper Garrow until it was coming back out of his net, a quite outstanding goal and to do in it in a national cup final is a this of dreams.
The second half started as the first with Barrhead going close in the opening minutes this time Ashe heading just over from McGaughey’s delivery but on three minutes it was four when Etherson fed Ashe who held the ball up for Conor Bradley who over lapped and when he picked up the ball just on the angle of the box he fired a low shot across the face of Garrow’s goal and into the opposite corner.
Etherson did well to clear from inside the six yard box at the other end but by now it was all Barrhead as the players started to relax and pass the ball around for fun bringing ole’s for ever pass from their support.
Thirteen minutes into the second half and Colony pulled one back when Grant Dawson scored with a great diving header at the near post following a a great ball in from Lukas Kennedy.
McLaughlin was causing Colony lots of problems with his pace and trickery and on twenty two minutes he went on a run that saw him evade four tackles as he cut inside and went along the 18 yard line before being brought down, he took the resulting free kick himself and as the Colony wall jumped he rolled the ball along the ground and watched on as it went agonisingly inches past the post.
On the half hour mark Barrhead scored their fifth of the game and ended the game as a contest, Ashe fed Planas from a throw in and the midfielder raced inside jumping one tackle before showing great nerve when faced with the out rushing Garrow he dropped his shoulder and rounded the ‘keeper before slotting the ball home.
Ryan Bell flashed an effort just wide then McNeil saw a header come back off the post with Garrow helpless as Barrhead chased more goals but there were to be no more as the final whistle sounded the Barrhead bench leapt to a man to congratulate their players and team mates on a quite simply fantastic performance, Barrhead Youth FC 1995’s Scottish Cup Winners, sounds good doesn’t it?
A special mention must go to referee Kenneth Burnett who along with his officials had a fantastic performance and let the game flow as well as he could.
After the game some of the players and coaching staff took time to give a quick mention on their feelings of the day,
Fraser McLaughlin who also claimed the man of the match award said ‘I cant describe the feeling at the moment, just outstanding. All season we have been great as a team and as a squad so lets go again next year and retain the cup’
John Planas ‘Just brilliant, what a feeling’
Thomas McGaughey ‘I cant put it in to words its just an amazing feeling’
Ali Hughes ‘We are not a team we are a family, what a day’
Bani Nhlapo ‘this is a fitting end to a fantastic journey’
Brian Ashe ‘Its just frightening, amazing, the best feeling ever’
Conor Bradley ‘The best day of my life’
Graham Haughie ‘This has been the best day of my life and its still early’
Ciaran O’Donahue ‘Gutted I had to go off early but so proud of the boys, in it together’
Tony Etherson ‘Speechless, one of the proudest moments of my life’
Ryan Anderson ‘Unbelievable day’
Jack Easdon ‘All in it together, what a day’
The coaches also had this to say,
Chris Wilson ‘I’m delighted for the boys, I’ve been involved here for five years and its all come to this, the boys deserve enormous credit for what they have achieved and I couldn’t be happier for them’
Mick MacRae ‘ I’m so proud, I’ve been with this group for over ten years they have won the West of Scotland Cup three times, a record I believe, the league and league cup and now the Scottish, some of the boys, Sam, Ali and Jack now have a full set of medals and I am so proud of each and every one of them. Today was my last game involved and what a way to go out, it just feels right.
Graham Vance ‘Its just unbelievable, the togetherness of this group of players is something I have never witnessed before, a fantastic bunch of guys and also fantastic players, so proud of them all’
here to edit.