42

Christie Park

Saturday 11^th April 2026

I hadn’t planned on attending a game this weekend. After weeks of planning and various options being abandoned my mum was visiting and planning for meals and walks to fill the time had taken priority. Then I got home from Wednesday evening’s trip to Formartine United to discover that Brora Rangers had beaten Brechin City to prevent Brechin from sealing the Highland League title and instead level things up at the top of the table.

With today’s fixtures representing the last games for all the teams in the league both Brora and Brechin go into their respective games on 74 points from 33 games. Brora hold the edge though with a +62 goal difference leaving them top compared to Brechin’s +58 goal difference. Brechin were playing away at Turriff United (where I have already visited) knowing that they needed to better Brora’s result or, if both teams were to win, to win by five goals more than Brora to steal the title.

Brora Rangers however had the outcome of the title largely within their own hands. If they could win away at Huntly, and especially if they could do so by a few goals, then they would win the title for the second year running. A plan was made, I started looking at walks around Huntly and thought about how to sell an afternoon at Christie Park to my mum…

Somehow she needed no persuading at all, perhaps the excitement at the top of the Highland League has made its presence felt all the way down in Liverpool, more likely however is that she doesn’t know of any alternative options and just agreed to the first thing I suggested.

We woke up on Saturday morning to howling winds and driving rain, the kind of weather that you don’t want to go out in at all, nevermind a two hour walk followed by three hours standing on the terraces. A quick check of the forecast suggested that the worst of the conditions would pass by late morning and that the weather in Huntly was already better than Aberdeen. We decided to trust the forecast and set off after breakfast.

By the time we had made it past Inverurie the weather was already improving and when we arrived at Bin Wood for our walk it was actually starting to look quite nice. We had a few periods where the sun broke through and blue sky was trying to impose itself on the day giving us almost perfect conditions for walking. The walk itself was lovely with the exception of a short patch of the path which had been rutted by forestry vehicles and had turned into a quagmire with the overnight rain. Once that was navigated we were back to good paths and we’d completed our planned route in time to head for Huntly for some lunch.

Options in the town itself were very limited but we eventually found a nice cafe in a space shared with a locally run cinema and we were able to pass the time before the gates opened. As we walked over to Christie Park we arrived just behind the coaches of Brora Rangers supporters who were well lubricated after their three hour drive down and were quite happily singing ‘fuck you Brechin, we’re going to win the league’.

Although they were in good spirits and looking to welcome anyone and everyone into their party we decided to leave them to enjoy the social club and head through to the ground instead. As with most Highland League clubs so far the offering inside the ground was superb. They were selling the best programme I’ve seen at any ground this year (it turns out this was to celebrate their Hall of Fame inauguration day) and they had a club shop, refreshments stall, disabled viewing area, social club, a raised stand, and covered terracing. There was nothing lacking at all and if Huntly was your local team it would be very appealing to head there every other week during the season.

Right from the first whistle it was clear that the nerves were getting to Brora. They were obviously the better team and some of their players looked comfortably ahead of any of the Huntly team but they couldn’t string any serious attack together. After just seven minutes things took a turn for the worse. A corner from the far side was swung in by Huntly and their captain, Michael Clark met it at the near post. His glancing header went across the face of goal before settling in the far corner of the net. Brora were a goal down.

Just 17 miles away and 20 minutes later the task looked decidedly harder for Brora with news that Brechin had taken the lead against Turriff. This left Brechin three points clear at the top of the virtual table. Incredibly their lead only lasted two minutes before they were pegged back by Turriff and now a one goal swing in either game would change the situation again.

Huntly looked the more likely team to get the next goal and they went close just before halftime but their shot went just wide. Brora did show some intent though and from the resulting goal kick James Wallace judged that the ball would evade the Huntly defender and found himself clean through on goal. Only quick reactions from Huntly keeper Daniel Bell stopped Wallace from levelling things up.

Over at Turriff things were no longer level either. Just before halftime Turriff had turned the game, and the league, on its head by taking a 2 – 1 lead. Brechin had gone from winning the league to losing it in the space of just over ten minutes.

Brora weren’t in the changing room for long during halftime, they were sent out early for the second half and were on the pitch and kicking a ball around for over five minutes whilst waiting for Brechin to re-emerge. They had also made a change and brought on Connor Bunce. Right from the start of the second half Brora looked more lively. The first half had been a lesson in frustration and was completely lacking in imagination. Now Brora were creative, confident, and constantly threatening to get back in the game.

Despite the improvements and a string of chances Brora couldn’t get the breakthrough they were looking for. One effort was headed off the line by a Huntly defender before the clearance was volleyed back at goal by Bunce from the edge of the 18 yard box. His effort hit the post and went wide.

While a goal was eluding Brora and frustrating the away fans they were at least cheered by the news from Turriff. Prior to today Brechin had only conceded 19 goals in 33 games but now, incredibly, found themselves 4 – 1 down to Turriff. The game at The Haughs looked dead and buried and the Brora fans were already starting to celebrate despite being a goal down with more than 20 minutes still to play.

Credit to the players though who didn’t stop pushing for a goal despite knowing that they had basically won the league regardless of their result. Chance after chance came and went before the breakthrough finally came just as the game went into injury time. A cross from the right was met by Shane Sutherland who headed the ball down into the corner. Bell managed to get a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out and the players and fans finally had something to cheer in the game itself. Straight from the restart they almost nicked the win after Bell saved a shot low to his right and the rebound came back to a Brora player who headed just over with the goal wide open in front of him.

It didn’t matter though, Brora held on for the draw and with Brechin’s loss having been confirmed they had won the league by a single point. The players celebrated with their families and with the fans. The Brora manager, Michael MacKenzie, came over to see his wife who was stood next to us and started by saying, ‘well that was shite, wasn’t it’. He wasn’t wrong but no-one really cared. The trophy was brought out, champagne sprayed, and all the fans could enjoy their three hour drive home.

The Facts

• Ground
  • Christie Park
• Home
  • Huntly
• Away
  • Brora Rangers
• Competition
  • The Highland League
• Result
  • 1 – 1
• Scorers
  • Michael Clark | Shane Sutherland
• Attendance
  • Not announced
• Cost
  • £12
• Total distance travelled
  • 75 miles
• Transport
  • Car
• My MotM
  • Shae Keogh, it’s unusual for a right back to be man of the match but right from the start he looked liked the best player on the pitch to me. It was no surprise then to discover that he is currently on loan from Inverness Caledonian Thistle who sit second in League One and are probably the favourites to go up to the Championship.