Westfield Park, Home of Dunipace FC

Image: © Ian Dodds Taken: 17 Sep 2022

Scottish Cup First Round, Dunipace 1 Broxburn Athletic 1 (after extra time), Dunipace won 4-2 on penalties, estimated attendance 300 As a traditionalist I don't like the use of penalty shootouts to decide cup ties for any reasons that aren't pragmatic. For whatever reason, that is obviously pragmatic for the SFA in some way this year, but unclear to outside observers, all Scottish Cup ties - with the exception of the previous preliminary round - are to be decided on the day through extra time and penalties if required. The drama created by the penalty shootouts of great European and international tournaments can never be replicated in such small-scale settings as this. Plus replays bring in extra revenue, the big league teams are not yet involved, and even if they were, Scotland is not in this year's weirdly timetabled winter World Cup either. Bring back the old days of the occasional third replays I say! Dunipace are based in Denny, a small town a couple of miles West of Falkirk. An area of Denny, not too far away but on the opposite side of the River Carron from here, is still shown on today's maps as being the actual Dunipace, so presumably the team - established as long ago as the 1880s - has not been based here from the start. Dunipace are in the seventh tier of Scotland's football pyramid, and had won 12-0 in the preliminary round - their (currently) bearded striker David Grant, who was playing in this game, scored a remarkable 9 goals in that match, which probably would have got more attention were it not for the fact that someone apparently scored thirteen in the most famous historic cup tie of all time well over a hundred years ago - Arbroath 36 Bon Accord 0. It must be quite high up there though in the record lists and I am surprised that the story didn't do the rounds more in the media. Dunipace scored first with a very good classic cross-to-header goal, but after that it was mostly all Broxburn who, despite being in the next league higher up, and spending a great deal of the time in or close to the Dunipace penalty area, lacked the ability to fire a decent shot on goal (apart from the equaliser obviously!) This lack of killer instinct was evident again in the penalty shootout; the two that got in only just did so. The long green and black shed on the far side of the pitch is where the dressing rooms are, and the only stand is tiny and oddly-positioned compared to other small clubs' lone stands - it is to the right of the goal in the distance and only has enough room for about 50 spectators. Dunipace are in the black and white, and the ball is just to the right of the floodlight at the left of the picture (I think!) On top of the usual pies, burgers and hotdogs were also available at the kiosk - always nice to have a few more options I think. But why a Bovril was more expensive than a tea or coffee is beyond my simple mind.

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