Loony Joons: Why the Juniors should never buckle to Barcelona & Co.

Apr 19 2012

Inside the wacky world of Junior football with Glaswegian hack and Johnstone Burgh goalkeeper Fraser Wilson

JOHNSTONE BURGH v Barcelona might sound like a mismatch of monumental proportions but we stuck two fingers up to the La Liga superstars this week.

Okay we didn't quite go toe to toe with Pep Guardiola's European champions and I'm pretty sure they've never even heard of Junior football in these parts.

But we scored a moral victory when we opted out of a bizarre SJFA decision to move Wednesday night's fixtures forward 24 hours to avoid clashing with Barca's televised Champions League match with Chelsea.

Why should junior players, supporters and officials have to fit in around a Euro tie which doesn't even feature a Scottish team - particularly when we don't even cancel fixtures on a Scotland match day?

If we start rescheduling games to fit in around Fabregas, Iniesta and Xavi then it's all going to get a bit Lionel Messi.

'El Classico' it might not be but we were down to play St Roch's in front of a hundred or so fans at Keanie Park and that was a fixture far more important than the one at Stamford Bridge. To us at least.

No supporter or team mate I spoke with wanted it switched and I'm pleased to say the Burgh stood firm in the face of Barca and refused to reschedule.

And our fans were rewarded with a hard-fought 1-0 victory which made the decision all the sweeter.

Speaking of supporters it was great to see 2430 packed into the Scottish Junior Cup semi final first leg between Bonnyrigg Rose and Auchinleck Talbot at New Dundas Park on Sunday.

That was the fourth highest attendance in Scottish football at the weekend and proof that the juniors can still pull the punters in.

Closer to home and Petershill now face an agonising wait to see if they have done enough to clinch the Superleague Premier Division title.

Peasy could only draw 1-1 with local rivals Ashfield in their final match of the season on Saturday and now lead Irvine Meadow by 10 points.

But with the Ayrshire side still having seven matches left the odds are stacked heavily in their favour for this year's title.

Match of the day this weekend, other than the second legs of the Junior Cup semi finals, is at Saracen Park where Ashfield will look to stall Irvine Meadow's championship charge.

Equally important, two divisions down, is the clash between Belshill and Glasgow Perthshire where the visitors need just a point to clinch the title.

In the first division, Rutherglen Glencairn make the short trip to Renfrew and Thorniewood United host Dalry Thistle.

Match of the day: Ashfield v Irvine Meadow, Stagecoach Premier League, Saracen Park, 2pm.

Team of the week: Step forward Rutherglen Glencairn who took six points from six against Thorniewood United on Saturday and East Kilbride Thistle on Wednesday to ease their relegation worries in the first division.