TT No.24: Mike Latham - Sat 18 October 2014: East of Scotland Juns, South Div: Dunbar United v Pumpherston Juns; Result: 8-3; Admission: £4; Raffle ticket: £1; Attendance: 100 (h/c) 

Matchday images (20) https://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/DunbarUnitedFC

Autumn seems determined to hang around as long as it can in the east of Scotland especially as far as Saturdays are concerned. Another glorious Sunny day with the temperature around 17 degrees, surfers on the beach near St Abbs Head and a chance to sip cappuccino in the garden of the excellent Graze cafe on Dunbar High Street as a pre-cursor to this game in the Juniors.

I love the Juniors- great football, great attitudes, great people. This game warmed the cockles. I had history with this ground, arriving on a very wet day earlier this year for a Junior Cup-tie that was postponed, quite rightly, because of a waterlogged pitch. Happily there was no problem of a repeat as the sun blazed down from a cornflower blue sky.

​Dunbar is an old whaling and herring port with some great golf courses and interesting buildings. There’s a superb community bakery on the high street and lots of independent shops, including a fine butcher’s and fishmongers. The football club now play at New Countess Park, a new facility inland from the High Street, the other side of the main line railway line. Very impressive it is and on such a lovely day it’s humming with activity as the adjoining rugby club are playing a local derby against North Berwick which attracts a crowd of several hundred.

Dunbar United are a friendly club, of that there is no doubt. One of the committee, manning the gate, recognised me as a visitor and made me welcome. A little later the home secretary came along and gave me a card inviting me to the committee room at half-time for refreshments, including my dog Finty who had accompanied me on this visit. She did rather well, munching her way through a ham sandwich and a custard cream and thoroughly enjoyed her first taste of football hospitality.

At first sight the ground is rather featureless, with a neat, post and rail fence around an immaculate playing pitch and a small covered area with a few bench seats. The clubhouse is shared with the rugby club, who kicked-off half-an-hour later.

But once the game began a different picture emerged. First of all, Dunbar played fantastic football, attacking at will and forcing endless corners. They were 4-1 up at half-time soon extended this to 7-1, the seventh goal being a Beckhamesque wind-assisted goal by the home #7 from inside his own half.

The beauty of the Juniors is that both teams always endeavour to play football and Pumpherston, despite being outclassed continued to press forward. They had the best of the last half-hour and scored two well-constructed consolation goals.

I loved my visit here- a lovely, friendly club who play great attacking football with friendly supporters and committee. It comes without saying that a Saturday spent at Dunbar United comes with my warmest recommendation

contributed on 18/10/14