Cowdenbeath 0 Heart of Midlothian 2 - 23/12/2014

I spotted this game last weekend as I was scanning the upcoming fixtures. I immediately sent a text to my Hearts-supporting mate to see if he was going. He wasn't, but it didn't take much effort to convince him we should try and get tickets. Hearts had apparently sold out their allocation long ago, so we were left with no other option than to try the home end. We were successful, although I was slightly worried my mate  - a diehard, slightly boisterous Jambo - wouldn't be able to contain himself for ninety minutes in the wrong end.

Our tickets were for the old stand. Apparently, at some point half of what was the main stand burned down. A new, modern stand was built alongside what survived. The old stand contains only wooden benches, as opposed to the plastic seats of the new stand. We were in the very back row, which is also apparently where the young team congregates. Indeed, I couldn't even sit on my allocated part of the bench as there was a young man standing on it! The atmosphere was good, someone had a drum and the young team were in fine voice. The old-fashioned tin roof that covers the stand kept the noise in well. My mate managed to contain his jam-tartness by joining in with some of the anti-Dunfermline songs. He even had a swig of one of the young team's Buckfast.

I honestly can't remember that much about the game - I was too busy enjoying the atmosphere and surveying the surroundings. One thing I definitely remember: it seemed like Cowdenbeath barely made it into the Hearts box in the first half. When Hearts inevitably scored, my mate managed not to cheer - instead he took a queue from a nearby Cowdenbeath fan and shouted at Jimmy Nicholl to 'fucking get this sorted oot'. 

Shortly before halftime we took a trip to the toilet, my mate insisting we could probably find a way into the Hearts end. As we were walking up to the large fence to survey our options we spotted a Hearts fan who'd been let through to go to the toilet. Bingo! We walked past the steward and squeezed through the fence. 'Are you boys Hearts fans?' he asked. 'Aye mate, just been to the toilet'. 'No bother' he shrugged. Although I had been enjoying the atmosphere in the home end, I was looking forward to getting a different vantage point and seeing the rest of the stadium.

We walked round to the opposite side of the stadium. The Hearts fans had been given the three all-terraced sides. Thousands of fans packed onto the terraces is some sight; it's just a shame the Hearts fans won't get to experience it again next season. The sooner safe-standing is introduced in Scottish top 

flight football the better in my opinion.

Looking across to the old and new stands.

Cowdenbeath improved after the break. Jimmy Nicholl obviously took the abuse he received from a Hearts-fan-pretending-to-be-a-Cowdenbeath-fan to heart and gave his team a kick up the backside. They didn't manage to equalise though, and Hearts soon doubled their lead. The second goal was what's known as 'a brammer', although if I was the Cowdenbeath manager I'd be slightly worried that Callum Paterson found time to chest down his own header before volleying into the top corner.

Central Park is a stadium that's full of character. The stock car racing track around the pitch, the continental fences to keep the fans off the track (or away from Jimmy Nicholl), the club shop in a portacabin, the old-fashioned floodlights, and the half-old stand / half-new stand all contribute to a nostalgic match-day experience. The one downer was that the bovril was twice as expensive as at Bo'ness United on the Saturday, despite almost certainly being the exact same stuff. 'Championship football', my mate consoled me.

I enjoyed my trip to Cowdenbeath, although I'd like to go back and experience it on a 'normal' match day, rather than when the big boys are in town. Plus I might actually get into The New Goth for a pint next time - this time it was heaving on the way to the ground, and closed on the way back!

Attendance: 3718

Wee Jimmies after the match.