Words: Rory Bryce // @_BryceCube
Up the Kirkfieldbank Brae to Park Place and onto Bannatyne Street via the High Street. Quick jump into Morrisons for some essentials, walk up Whitelees Road (or the back road as some call it), cut across Home Street onto Hyndford Road, then walk 200 steps.
I repeat this ritual every other Saturday. If you were to do the same, you’d arrive at Moor Park, home of Lanark United.
At the time of writing, the club are playing in the West of Scotland Football League Division 2 - technically the 8th Tier of football in Scotland. Prior to restructuring and the exodus of clubs who joined the Scottish football pyramid, Lanark were one of the many prominent ‘junior’ teams dotted around the country. It’s important to note for non-Scottish readers that the term ‘junior’ when referring to football in Scotland does not refer to the age of the players, but instead the level of football being played.
Let’s get some important context out of the way. The Scottish Junior Football Association was formed in October 1886 and succeeded an earlier Junior FA which only lasted a year and disbanded in 1881. ‘Junior’ football had existed in Scotland, officially or unofficially, since the football craze had began sweeping the nation. Effectively, these were localised football clubs who were not members of the SFA, instead competing in local or regional competitions or attaining membership of a regionalised FA. The JFA was created to administrate these clubs and act as their moderator. They also founded the Scottish Junior Cup, their equivalent of the Scottish Cup, which is still competed for today.
Junior football is essentially Scotland’s non-league, and it’s been popular since its inception. Think of all the reasons people have started flocking to non-league or local football today and why it’s been loved for so long; most of the people playing you went to school with and they grew up in the town. You can take your kids in for free and tickets are otherwise cheap. It’s ‘proper football’ and the people playing do so for the badge or the love of the game. It was the same back then.
There were numerous reasons why some football clubs didn’t want to join the SFA. In short, many of these reasons revolved around finances, travelling for fixtures, or frequently being on the receiving end of tankings during the Scottish Cup. In a nutshell, Scottish Junior Football became what Step 6 and below is to The Premier League, or what the Regionalliga is to the Bundesliga. Where the difference lies is that the Junior football leagues weren’t incorporated into Scotland’s pyramid structure until 2021. They operated entirely independently for a while, which further developed this otherworldly aspect to Junior football. Some prominent Junior clubs in Scotland are Auchinleck Talbot, Darvel, and Pollok, to give you an idea. To be a Junior club means to straddle the lines between part-time and amateur, and despite now technically being members of the SFA and Scotland’s mainstream pyramid, they’re still referred to as Junior teams.
Lanark United were founded in 1920. They were the third attempt at establishing a consistent football team in the rural market town, the other two clubs dissolving in 1882 and 1904. Neither were active for longer than 4 years, but interestingly, both competed in the Scottish Cup. Lanark United instead jumped on the Junior bandwagon, and have been a mainstay of Scottish Junior football since. Their success has been limited to local or regional trophies, and annoyingly they’ve never won the Junior Cup. Last season I witnessed them win the West of Scotland Third Division and at the start of this campaign they won the coveted Clydesdale Cup, now contested as a pre-season tournament among the local rivals of Lanarkshire’s Upper Ward. At the time of writing, Lanark are 4th in the West of Scotland Second Division. Things are looking alright for Lanark, despite Junior football in Scotland remaining somewhat unsettled and volatile.
Moor Park, home of Lanark United.
Excluding a 7-year hiatus, I’ve lived in Lanark all my life. Well, technically just outside of it in a village, but you get what I mean. I went to school there, all the shops are there, and I spent almost all of my time there growing up when I wasn’t at home. It’s a small, rural market town. I don’t think there are any more than 25,000 people living there, and there was never enough to do. One of those places.
You’re made aware of the presence of a local football team from day dot. As early as I can remember there were passing references made to them throughout the town, whether in conversation or otherwise. If you asked about them, you were always told things like “they were never any good”, or, “they don’t play in the same league as Celtic or Rangers or Motherwell”. So, despite them being ever-present, to me, they were this almost taboo team who mysteriously kicked a ball around every weekend. The only time I saw their ground, Moor Park, was when they hosted the annual fireworks display. It was a strange dynamic.
But, for this reason, I’ve always viewed them as part of the fabric of our town, albeit a distant one. Though many people actively choose not to engage with them or attend games, they’re still always present – always being spoken about, always mentioned, always remembered. If you and your parents and their parents have grown up in the town, chances are you’ll know someone who has played for them at some point. That kind of football club. This is likely the same as non-league fans across Scotland, England, Ireland or wherever else. It’s especially true if you come from a small town where you’re surrounded by hills, fields and countryside and everything feels that little bit more cut off.
I started going to Lanark games properly in 2022. I can’t remember who they played or what the score was. It was a bit of a spur of the moment decision. I’d had a shit day at work and it was a nice night, so I went for a walk. As I walked past the gates at Moor Park I saw cars streaming in and rightly deduced they were playing a match. So I thought ‘fuck it, why not’. I’m a big believer in watching football being an activity where you can switch off, relax and reflect a bit and generally just take it easy. A tenner later I had my entry, my pie and my bovril. Bargain.
The pie hut.
It’s a common trope for people to say “I didn’t know at the time, but this had sparked something in me” and all that. Not this time. I knew exactly that attending this fixture had changed something in me. It was immediate, and I knew it was immediate because from the moment the final whistle went and I began walking towards the gates, I missed it. I was sad that it was over, and I wanted the next match to be played as soon as possible so I could be there. It had been a while since I’d felt the pull of anything like that in a while. I think Lanark had shipped 6 goals that night or something as well. I was hooked.
There were a few key things which pulled me in; some obvious differences between watching football in Tier 9 and Tier 1 in Scotland, but which typify the Junior experience. As I’ve already mentioned, entry and refreshments were cheap. If you wanted a lager or cider, they were readily available and affordable too – in cans, of course. You could stand where you liked, or sit in your car if you really wanted to and watch the game through your windscreen. The setting played a big part; the mid-Spring sun was shining, it was a warm night, and Moor Park looked great. It reminded me of my summers as a kid, truthfully.
This feeling, in heritage speak, is called ‘phenomenology’. It’s pretty hard to describe, but it essentially boils down to experiencing something first hand, such as an event or a place, to get a true understanding of it. It’s kind of like the eye test for football players, but for places or events; there’s only so much you can learn by writing, reading or hearing about something, but you can never understand it until you’ve been there and felt it for yourself. Going to this match felt like discovering a new world on my doorstep. I’d finally been to experience the team that everyone spoke about but never really wanted anything to do with.
I want to take a moment to talk about the setting of Moor Park. Don’t get me wrong – during the harsh Scottish winters, it’s cold, damp and miserable like pretty much everywhere else. But if you catch it on an evening in late Spring, where the warmth is starting to creep into every breeze, it’s stunning. I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with where I live, but it’s during our few warm, sunny months that I really appreciate it and realise that I’ve taken some of its beauty for granted.
As the name would suggest, Moor Park is situated on (or, technically speaking, next to) a moor. On one side you have large residential houses; the type that would line the road into a thriving market town back in the day, occupied by wealthy merchants. On the other side is Lanark Loch and a golf course. This particular area is town is fond of a conifer tree, and they dominate the area behind the dugouts. There’s also a ditch which runs a quarter ways around the park, which I can only describe as being akin to the moat. It’s full of dry shrubbery, and is a nightmare for the ballboys collecting wayward free kicks. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Junior clubs like us who play out in the sticks; their grounds are truly marvellous because, for the most part, they’re not surrounded by urbanity and have some stunning locales.
As always at these types of grounds though, perspective is everything. It’s all about where you stand and what’s in the background while you’re watching the game. I’ve always stood in the shed, so the backdrop to my game includes the aforementioned conifers, a few posh gaffs and the moor walkway where people ramble or take their dogs out. Stand directly opposite me though, behind the dugouts, and you’ll have a magnificent view of the beeches, a wet grassland landscape complete with rolling hills and ruined farmsteads. You might just be able to see Tinto and the Pentland Hill’s western extremities peeking over the houses. On a warm day, the setting is magnificent, and I live for it.
The hills creeping out from behind the pie hut.
But the biggest thing for me was the people. The patter. The old guys who played for the club coming to back them. The people who knew your dad and his pals. All that kind of stuff.
That’s what makes a community, whether it’s in a town, city or at a football club. With Lanark being as small as it is, there were people there who I knew and recognised. My love for Junior football had been kickstarted.
Or so I thought. Bar a trip to Lanark’s local rivals, Lesmahagow Juniors, I wouldn’t attend a match at Lanark for another year or so. A mixture of things caused this; a busy work schedule, a busy life schedule, clashes with Celtic fixtures – it could have been anything. All excuses at the end of the day, as I know now, but the feeling always sat with me. I’d had a great night. So one evening in August 2023, under similar circumstances, I made my return.
Reflecting on this decision is an interesting one for me; after my first experience, I’d obviously identified Lanark matches as a place where I could switch off and chill for a bit. Excluding the scoreline and opposition, my experience the 2nd time was a carbon copy of the 1st. I loved it. From here, I began going much more frequently.
A few things contributed to this decision. I’ll start with my ‘big’ team – Celtic. I love Celtic and I always will. I’ve been a season ticket holder at Parkhead for years. The community which Celtic provides is immense and undeniable. Yet, on matchdays, it’s hard to look past how commercial the club has become, a far cry from it’s charitable roots in the East End of Glasgow. With transport prices skyrocketing which services were cut, I found it increasingly harder to make it to home games. This is perhaps a truism of many non-league or Junior purists; disillusionment with modern football. It definitely played its part.
Along with access and affordability, I can’t deny that looking over hills, rolling fields or the confiers which line Moor Park is much nicer than staring at the other end of a stadium. In Spring and Summer, Lanark and its surroundings look magnificent. It’s a beautiful place to play and watch football, and too often I take for granted the walk from my house through the town to see Lanark play in the warmth.
Best seat in the house.
As I said though, the people factor played the biggest part. To be completely honest, this wasn’t massively different to any other match I’ve been to, Celtic or otherwise. The big difference was that you could stand with people you knew, the chat was good and you knew almost everyone there. Some of the chat was incredible. At the following match I bumped into an old family friend, Frankie. This would prove pivotal in the months to come. He was at most games – whenever Hamilton weren’t playing at home – and is always good for a catch up.
When 2024 came, I chose to make it to as many Lanark games as I could before the end of the season. This coincided with a phenomenal run of form which saw the club win the league and promoted to Tier 8. Incredible stuff. I’d been there supporting when I was able. As I often stood with Frankie, this often meant standing with his old squad of pals and getting to know them. These were guys who’s faces I’d seen in and around town all my life, but never actually knew. Having a few folk to stand with, and being a regular at the fixtures, meant I’d become more than an infrequent attendee to everyone else – I’d become a supporter like them. It was a nice feeling, knowing that.
On top of everything though, I finally felt like I was getting to know the club who were always an afterthought in everyone’s minds. They weren’t just the guys who kicked about up the back moors any more. Here you could stand with former players, club secretaries, linesmen, recently-sacked managers and everyone in between. The players are guys from around Lanarkshire or local to Lanark itself – one of them I grew up with at school. It’s one thing supporting a club in the top flight, but it’s another thing being a part of the club from the place you grew up in. You feel like you’re exactly where you’re meant to be. You feel that you’re in your community. It feels like home.
Whenever I miss a fixture these days, people ask after me, and I get hit with pelters when I next make it, just the same as anyone else who’s a regular attendee. The harsh Scottish winters always cause havoc with the fixture list at this level of the game. At the time of writing in January 2025, I haven’t made a game since December. I had planned to on Saturday, but unfortunately damage caused by Storm Éowyn meant the game was off. As it stands, they won’t play another home match until March. Gutting, but it is what it is. Some things are worth the wait. The feeling of walking through the gates at Moor Park certainly is.
Lanark United v Lesmahagow Juniors
The club are enjoying a good season back in the WOSFL Division 2. They started the season well, winning the Clydesdale Cup in pre-season. There was even a pyro show before and after from the ‘utras’. It’s good to see so many kids enjoying football at a local level. At the moment, it’s fair to say Scottish football is enjoying a big uptick in local support, particularly from young people. Long may it continue. There are many reasons for this, some of them I’ve touched on in here. That’s a conversation for another time. The general feeling around the club at the moment is good.
What would be better though is if they got more people along to games. The highest attendance I’ve saw at a game was in the Clydesdale Cup final v Lesmahagow. A derby, an historic local trophy would demand a high attendance; but ultimately, it was a pre-season tournament. League matches against Lesmahagow and other local rivals like Forth or Carluke haven’t really touched the sides. I know it’s a bit rich for someone who’s been an active supporter of the club for about 2 years to go on about wanting better attendances, especially when I don’t go to every game myself. It would just be nice to see more people there.
Clubs like Lanark are interesting when we talk about heritage, particularly given the added dynamic of Junior football in Scotland effectively being a separate world to Senior football for so long. They’re the same as any other club as far as place is concerned. They’re rooted in very specific, small and remote places - in some cases, even just streets or neighbourhoods. Despite being largely localised and provincial, they rarely match the crowds of the more senior clubs in town. In the same vein, they’re often viewed as feeder teams for the closest Senior team. The people who attend their games every week do so for a very specific reason. This isn’t really any different to any other football fan, but to me, it always seems to be deeply personal. Maybe they played for the club or ran it as chairman. Something like that.
Junior football clubs are so much more than that though. The deeper insight they give us into our communities si invaluable. Just look at Ayrshire. If you drive from Lanark to Auchinleck, the home of one of Scotland’s biggest Junior football teams, you’ll pass through 5 or 6 towns who house a Junior club. It’s a topic for another time, but to small industrial communities, mining towns and the like these clubs have provided a source of recreation and entertainment which goes back centuries. They’re vital to understanding the game north of the border.
Ultimately, what Junior clubs offer is an alternative - a place where football is affordable, on your doorstep and close to the soul. Though these clubs are part of Scotland’s pyramid structure, there is still a place for them to offer this alternative as non-league clubs. You’ll struggle to find anything that matches the atmosphere or feeling of attending a Junior football match, and in my opinion, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who can truly argue the case for Senior clubs to match it. It’s not a case of being bigger or better. They’re just incomparable.
Next up for Lanark is a trip to Forth Wanderers, another local side with who I have a fondness for. We’ve just hit February, and the nights are getting a little brighter. I’m looking forward to the warmer evenings at Moor Park and seeing the usual faces in the shed. Most of all, I’m excited to be home.
Up the Yowes.
Lanark United v Caledonian Locomotives.
I’ve taken far too many photos at Lanark games to leave them all out. Here’s a selection from my time following the club.
All photos by Rory Bryce.