Book review:

The good people at Apex Publishing recently sent me a copy of Graeme Ross's “The Scottish Football Quiz Book” launched at the end of last season.

It is a great book for anyone with an interest in Scottish football past and present. I say past and present because you'll find questions from way back to the 1800s and the early 20th century as well as thankfully lots from more recent seasons! You'll find it packed with a 1000 questions across 100 varied sections. These sections include Scottish football Legends, Scotland's World Cup Campaigns and International players, various memorable Seasons, General trivia and a section for each senior football club.

The Berwick questions, as you'd expect, include ones about 1967 and some from earlier but also includes an unwelcome reminder of a more recent game at Peterhead in 2008! As with a lot of other club sections it has a question about the club nickname.

The choice of clubs is interesting. Strictly it is all the current 42 senior clubs but strangely one is headed Airdrieonians/Airdrie Utd, whilst any mention of Meadowbank, Gretna, Clydebank or even Third Lanark are hidden away in questions in the book although there is a whole section dedicated to 'Those we have Lost'.

The book would be a great way of passing the time with a mate or a crowd on the long journey to Elgin or Stranraer, or even if you wanted to just test yourself. In fact a few of the sections work best for an individual, when you are given ten answers and ten questions on the same page and your job is to match them up.

I found honourable mentions for a few former Berwick players in the book too, like Willie Irvine, Neil Oliver and Yogi Hughes. Even that goalkeeper that scored on his debut against us for Aberdeen in 1980 makes it into the book. Give yourself a pat on the back if you know his name!

All in all the author has put together an excellent book that will stretch even the most dedicated football anorak.

Link to this book on Amazon.co.uk

Videos

A couple of excellent videos from BASU Warrior

At last... in Annan

Berwick made it back to back wins for the first time since April 2007 with a 2-1 defeat of 10-man Annan Athletic. Not long after we'd fallen behind to a 13th minute header from Kevin Neilson, their striker Steve Archibald was sent off. Nearly 70 minutes of the game to go with 10 v 11. Surely we could turn this around?

Fraser McLaren though he'd got one back when the keeper seemed to bring the ball back over the line but soon after Robbie Horn got the equaliser.

In the second half Berwick persisted with threading balls through for McLaren and Gribben to chase and it felt like only a matter of time before the winner would come. A few decent chances came and went before sub Ian Little delivered the killer cross and the excellent Chris McMenamin struck home the winner from outside the box. Two in as many games for him.

Good to see many of the "regulars" back today amoung the support at Galabank too.

A win at rock-bottom Elgin next week could make it 3 in a row.

above: Robbie Horn and team mates celebrate his goal

above: Chris McMenamin (7) is mobbed by his team mates after
hitting home what turned out to be the winner.

above: Fraser McLaren is bundled over

above: Darren Gribben

above: Stuart Callaghan

Fruitless in Forfar

Berwick lost on their travels again at the weekend when ex-Berwick Kevin McLeish hit a stunner into the top corner to take all 3 points for Forfar just as the game looked like it would end 1-1.

I thought Berwick, under Jimmy Crease and Ian Little, had some confidence about them and certainly played reasonably well in the first half when they had the wind advantage. Second half was pretty much all Forfar but Berwick looked like they had done enough to take a point.

I'm pretty certain there were more players in the Berwick squad on Saturday than Berwick fans at Station Park.

Photos from Saturday are below.

above: John Dillon watches as the Forfar keeper saves his penalty

above: Jamie Ewart (centre) turns away having got Berwick back level

above: Celebrations

above: Tommy Lennox

above: Darren Gribben pics


above: New boy Dayne Robertson on-loan from Falkirk

above: Chris McMenamin

above: Fraser McLaren

Debacle at Dumbarton (or Ridiculous at the Rock)

Berwick went down 5-2 at the Rock today. With seven goals it was a hugely entertaining game if you were a home supporter.

For Berwick, Mark Lunn made his debut in goal while Chris McMenamin started his first game playing right wing. Tommy Lennox lasted 30 minutes at right-back before being replaced by Graham Guy (Lennox walking straight down the tunnel). Gary Greenhill, who had been a late replacement for Stuart Fraser, was sent off for a hefty challenge, prompting "petulant" (as the announcer called him) Gribben to be subbed (similarly walking straight down the tunnel while also gesturing to the home crowd for which the ref checked on whether he should be sent off too before allowing Chris Anderson on). Craig Anderson and Jamie Ewart got our goals. Some photos below.

Dumbarton's wingers Carcary and particularly Murray ran the show with decent performances from McLeod and Clarke.

above: Mark Lunn picks the ball out his own net after 9 minutes of his debut.

above: Mark Lunn concedes goal no. 2 - from the penalty spot. The penalty looked
a pretty soft award in the first instance.

above: Craig Anderson played well in the middle of the park -
here he got through the Dumbarton defence and slotted home to make it 2-1.
Later Jamie Ewart headed home a Callaghan free kick.

above: Airdrie's Chris McMenamin making his debut on loan at Berwick

above: Fraser McLaren upfront with Gribben until Greenhill's sending off.
Striker Jim Lister was sold during the week.

above: Peter McMahon gets stuck in on man of the match Stevie Murray

above: Gary Greenhill earlier in the game

above: An ill-advised tackle meant Gary Greenhill taking an early bath

Shocking at Shire

Berwick lost to East Stirling on Saturday for the first time since February 1999. The 1-0 scoreline would have been 4-0 or 5-0 but for Ryan McGurk who pulled off several top-class saves to give Berwick a chance but we failed to create any real chances. We are now just a point off the bottom of the league after Elgin's demolition of table-topping Stenhousemuir. Check out highlights at ShireTV

Some photos from Ochilview follow below

A chance! However, it went wide.

McGurk pulls off another point blank save - this time with his feet.

Jim Lister, here with ex-Berwicker Michael Bolochoweckyj who got the only goal today.

Playing leftback - but replaced at halftime as McGonigal put Dillon to leftback and brought on David Greenhill.

Gary Greenhill and Stuart Fraser

Bonnar seemed to pull a hamstring seconds after this photo and went off to be replaced by Graham Guy.

...with another ex-Berwick man Eddie Forrest

Good to see Stuart back playing again.

Action from Ayr

I went along to the Co-operative Insurance game at Ayr this evening. First time watching Berwick under Allan McGonigal and it was good to see us go one up through David Greenhill. One of only two players in the 16 that I've seen play for Berwick before! It wasn't much better on the terraces with only a couple of familar faces amoung the 15-20 folk in the away end. How things have changed in 6 months. Ayr fought back and scored twice in quick succession before half time - the first one making a bit of a fool out of McGurk in goal. The second looked offside. However we weren't disgraced and I hope to be back again soon. For those of you, like me, unfamiliar with the squad here are some pics to help!