As regulars to ‘Between The Lines’ and the online match service will know, October was seen out with a rare absence of live local coverage.
The reason? A long ago booked up trip to the Auld Reekie, Edinburgh, to take in Hearts v Ross County and the rugby league international between Scotland and England.
Being of Scottish bloodlines, Ross County were always my ‘team’ north of the border back in their Highland League days. Hearts were always my ‘league team’. I never thought in a million years they would ever meet in the SPL.
Joe and I, of course, had our take on things
[audio:https://www.phoenixfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Hearts-v-Ross-County-Preview.mp3|titles=Hearts v Ross County Preview]
And when Hearts took the lead
This was our take on it:
[audio:https://www.phoenixfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Hearts-1-0-Ross-County.mp3|titles=Hearts 1-0 Ross County]
It was a lead Hearts held until this penalty:
Joe and I were at a loss to understand why:
[audio:https://www.phoenixfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Hearts-1-1-Ross-County.mp3|titles=Hearts 1-1 Ross County]
Then, despite Hearts deserving to be on level terms at least, it was the visitors from Dingwall who took the lead, much to the delight of the hundreds of County fans that had made the 350+ mile round trip.
It was a decent goal, mind:
[audio:https://www.phoenixfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Hearts-1-2-Ross-County.mp3|titles=Hearts 1-2 Ross County]
Ordinarily, I’d have had this as a cast iron away win with such a late goal and turnaround. But not with the dramatic late finishes we’ve had online. And so it proved. John Sutton struck …
Both Joe and I, as you can imagine, went away happy
[audio:https://www.phoenixfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Hearts-2-2-Ross-County.mp3|titles=Hearts 2-2 Ross County]
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The following day we were at the quaintly named Meggetland for the rugby league interntional between Scotland and England.
We, of course, had our own spin on things:
[audio:https://www.phoenixfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Scotland-v-England-Preview.mp3|titles=Scotland v England Preview]
By half time, with the pipe band blaring, England were almost out of sight.
We were particularly pleased for one local player:
[audio:https://www.phoenixfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Scotland-12-28-England-Half-Time.mp3|titles=Scotland 12-28 England – Half Time]
The second half was the same. England ran out very easy winners, and London Broncos’ Dan Sarginson was a very happy European champion.
Whereas Joe and I were simply happy to have been there and seen England crowned champions on Auld Enemy turf:
[audio:https://www.phoenixfm.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Scotland-24-62-England-Full-Time.mp3|titles=Scotland 24-62 England – Full Time]—————
And that was why there was no live local coverage as October came to a close. A fabulous city, Edinburgh, teeming with so many things to do. With plenty of sport, as it turned out, too. Forget the quality, the entertainment from both games was worth the trip alone.
If you fancy a sporting weekend away from the norm, try Edinburgh. One way or another, you won’t be disappointed!
