There was a time when the last whistle of the last game of the season would signal at least a 6 – or 8-week hiatus action. That gap would every two years get filled by a World Cup or European Championship, but those days are gone. The “International” calendar is a never ending 12 month cycle these days, certainly at the top end. Our combatants here would have had at least a month off, and given all involved are part-time, playing for the love of the sport rather than the spoils, that only seems fair.
Stranraer versus Larne has become a staple of the opening fixtures of any given season. I hadn’t ever indulged in this cross Irish Sea clash, so I decided on the Summer Solstice, starting my football season with an intriguing friendly was better than joining in any druid activities round standing stones or in the meadows of this land.
A 1pm start was an unusual kick-off, but something to do with the ferry crossing I suspected. It meant an early departure from Edinburgh, and with the Royal Highland Show raging near the airport, getting along that road early was a good idea. It wasn’t early enough as chaos ensued. Those visiting Edinburgh during this excessively popular four day farming festival, I hope they get sufficient warning regarding getting to their flights on time. It really could add a ridiculous period to your journey unless you take the tram!
Anyway, I had a pit stop in Girvan, not desperately far from Stranraer, but the first coffee had worn off, and I was in need of additional fuel. Wearing my natty Racing Club de Avellenada style Stranraer away shirt of old, I was approached by an enthusiastic Blues fan. He was somewhat deflated that he couldn’t go due to a glamping weekend with his wife. However, great pearls of knowledge were imparted, and this game’s mythology was growing arms and legs. He also hinted, and an even older “traditional” fixture was being resurrected in a few weeks’ time. I was listening intently, more later.
With a good hour to spare and on a lovely summer’s day, I decided I would stretch my legs pre-match by going for a spin around Stranraer’s town centre, something I hadn’t done for many years. Stena Line ferries used to sail from here. They moved their operations to Cairnryan up the coast, nearer the mouth of Loch Ryan for faster crossings and giving it parity with P&O, who had long sailed from here. The loss of the ferry traffic has undoubtedly seen a reduction of visitors to Stranraer, giving it a more sleepy hollow feel than it previously had. Whether in hope, more than expectation, the Ro-ro bridge for ferry traffic still sits on a large jut of land where many trucks, containers, caravans, and cars would have waited for their boarding process. It all has a depressing feel for those of us who recall the additional bustle it brought.
To be fair to Stena, they might have moved six miles up the coast, but they have remained loyal to their sponsorship of Stranraer Football Club, with what I believe now is the world’s longest continuous shirt advertisement, clocking in around 30 plus years. One curiosity though, if you get a train down the coast to catch a ferry to Northern Ireland, Cairnryan doesn’t have a railway station, and you get a bus back north from Stranraer.
My Girvan encounters chat seemed to be largely true, everywhere you walked, a gaggle of red and white shirts (or suitable away kits) of Larne were frequenting outdoor seating at many an establishment, including the Fitba bar, Stranraer FC’s own little goldmine in the town, essentially their social club. A new bar just outside the stadium seemed to be doing roaring trade too, although, when they all congregated for the match, I estimate the vistor numbers was closer to 250/300, rather than the 500 I had been told. Maybe with Europe on the Larne roster tgese days, a trip to Stranraer is no longer a dig deal.
My last visit for a friendly here had been an absolutely top of the range affair with FC Twente Enschede from The Netherlands. The Dutch had travelled in similar numbers, and on an even more glorious day, the little bandstand had been set up for a sausage sizzle and some beers post-match. As you can imagine, that was a bit of a mis-match, even if the 0-5 half-time score was the full-time score, too. That was partly due to a complete alteration in the 11 Twente players at the break. The same thing would happen here, with Larne going for a full line-up switch at the turn too.
Stranraer is Scotland’s most southwesterly club. A club with a history going back to 1870. For more than 100 years, it just bobbed along in the lowest league, but a Challenge Cup success versus St Johnstone was followed by brief visits two levels up in the Championship. These truly were days to remember, a small town team punching well above its weight.
Five years ago, when Covid broke up the season, Stranraer were badly adrift in League One, headed for the bottom league once more. It has been a struggle since, culminating in a 2023/24 ‘team 42’ tag, finishing bottom. It saw them required to play the Lowland/Highland winners East Kilbride to save their very long and proud league status. They duly managed that to the delight of the majority present at Stair Park and beyond, but last season, with a bad collapse in the latter stages, saw them back nearer the bottom. Indeed, a six point deduction for Bonnyrigg Rose was largely the only reason that the final games were more comfortable than they might have been.
Stair Park is a lovely wee venue, its “modern” main stand for some reason has lost a swathe of its seats on one side of the stand. I am sure they will be replaced at some stage, but from the opposite side, it just looks a little odd. The ground sits in a public park, complete with the aforementioned bandstand and play park. It’s an easy amble from the town centre for a game if you have come by train.
A bit like the FC Twente game, segregation was in play for this match. This seems a bit over the top in my book, given the nature of the game as a friendly and the longstanding nature of the tussle. Years earlier, the Dutch fans forced a half-time gate opening, partly because they wanted to plunder the club shop, (now outside the ground in the back of the stand) which was only in the home end at the time. I am sure that particular day, it was one of its best sales days ever for merchandise at Stranraer. The Twente fans really were onboard and enjoying the occasion.
Larne, who I was to learn more about in the days prior to this match, courtesy of an exquisite tour of Ireland’s football in Chris Lee’s excellent Shades of Green book, are having a real purple patch in the club’s history. Champions 2022/23 for the first time ever, then defended successfully the next year too. Indeed, heading across to Stranraer, they might have come up short of making it three on the trot, but finishing second was still a commendable effort, and another European campaign awaits. I chose the colour purple as my description, given the man who would raise the fortunes of the club made his money from a business carrying that name.
The clubs four previous European escapades, all in the last four season’s, have had quite extraordinary twists along the way. In the Conference League of ’20/21, Bala Town and more impressively AGF Aarhus from Denmark were beaten before going out to Portuguese opposition Paco Ferreira The following season, with a Title challenge maybe the top priority, a first round exit to the Gibraltans, St Joseph’s was a low mark. In the Champions League, for the first time in ’22/23, they took HJK Helsinki to extra time and then were thrashed 7-1 in the Europa League Balkani from Kosovo. However, last season, another pummelling, this time by RFS from Riga (7-0) in the Champions League, saw them involved in the Conference League Round 3, having been given a bye in the second round. Balkani were back, and after trading 1-0 wins, Larne gained revenge on penalty kicks to progress to the play-off round. Here, they also gained revenge, this time on Gibraltar in the shape of Lincoln Red Imps. This saw Larne involved in the first ever multi-team group stage, a rare appearance by any North Irish side at this stage in a European campaign. Okay, five losses were registered, but a famous 1-0 win over Gent lifted them off the bottom of the pile. Auda from Latvia will be the first step in this year’s Conference League.
Now I know that all the players involved in this friendly would only have been back training, maybe a week ahead of the match. I also know the Northern Irish Premier League is largely part-time too, but I was expecting a larger gulf in class. It was never on display here, and while the second half eleven of Larne seemed to have greater control, they created very little. Stranraer worked hard at containing, and they were able to spring forward on occasion, and on another day, they might have grabbed a goal. As it was, a well worked move sent Larne through, and with the linemans flag remaining by his side, they finished well. Larne won 1-0 in what was a really entertaining encounter. A friendly can get lost in the flurry of substitutions, but the complete line-up change by visitors and only minor alterations by Stranraer helped the flow of the game.
Crusaders from Belfast are headed back to Stranraer before the season starts, a match-up with Stranraer that has more historical context than Larne, but it hasn’t been played for many years. Oddly, the Northern Irish always head for Stranraer, the Scottish club don’t venture the other way! It will be interesting to contrast Crusaders with Larne, and see if another two weeks of pre-season makes a real difference.
Stranraer will be hoping this new season will bring a more comfortable and higher league placing, while Larne will dream of another lengthy European campaign and maybe, just maybe, getting their Northern Irish league crown back.
Football Adventures with James Rendall 