Ho ho ho! Merry Hallowe’en everyone! It’s time to take a look through the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League and see how your club’s season is shaping up as we hurtle towards the midway point of the season.
I’ve flipped a coin this time to decide whether we’re starting at the bottom or the top of the league and the winner was… the bottom!
Gretna (Current Position: 18th)
Gretna, Gretna, Gretna. 2008, 2008, 2008. Five losses from six with a draw thrown in for good measure and Gretna have found themselves rooted to the bottom of the Lowland League table with one win, two draws and eleven defeats so far this season. Obviously, there’s always the caveat that relegation isn’t a threat this season so the issues facing Vinnie Parker’s side aren’t terminal and it would be easy to view this season as part of a wider rebuild of the club.
That being said, many Gretna fans would probably have expected more after retaining the majority of the squad who made such an impact last season. Last place in the Lowland League – as I’ve said before – is more of a ‘shame issue’ this season, so the Gretna faithful will be looking for an arrest of the slide which has put them on a -22 goal difference.
East Stirlingshire (Current Position: 17th)
The differences between East Stirlingshire and Gretna comes down to one victory. The ship seemed to be turning with a resounding 4-1 victory over Cowdenbeath at the beginning of October, but results haven’t been easy to come by for new Shire gaffer Callum Tapping. In much the same way as their ‘bottom of the table’ rivals, East Stirlingshire might be looking to commit to a rebuild ahead of the new Lowland League format for 2026/27, but their fanbase will not welcome a bottom of the table finish.
Heart of Midlothian B (Current Position: 16th)
As predicted, Angus Beith’s team have found the going tough in the last few matches, punctuated by a collapse from two goals up against Civil Service Strollers in midweek. Hearts do treat their B team as a proving ground for the first team, and results will likely remain inconsistent as young players come in and out of the squad. However, three wins from fifteen is less than the hierarchy at the SPFL Premiership club will have expected.
Gala Fairydean Rovers (Current Position: 15th)
GFR have slid down the league since we last caught up with them. In our last update they sat in 6th place but five defeats in six have dropped them down to 15th. There’s no significant cause for alarm at Netherdale though as those five defeats have mostly been to teams with top four aspirations this season.
Berwick Rangers (Current Position: 14th)
Berwick fans will likely be buoyed by the fact that two of their four wins this season have come in the last four matches, but there is little doubt that ‘bottom half’ wasn’t in the gameplay for Kevin Haynes’ side this season. Rangers have one of the better goal differences in the lower half of the division but winning games will be vital if they’re to climb up towards mid-table.
Albion Rovers (Current Position: 13th)
Sandy Clark’s side have fallen off a little since we last caught up with them. Four losses, bookended by two wins in their last six matches, have been less than ideal but given many would have expected Rovers to struggle at the foot of the table at the beginning of the season, things aren’t half bad. A resounding win last time out against Berwick Rangers will give a bit of impetus going into an important run of fixtures over the winter, including some fixtures against sides pushing for the top 4.
Civil Service Strollers (Current Position: 12th)
Just as predicted, Gary Jardine’s team are starting to move up the league with three victories in a row before a defeat away to Broxburn Athletic. I’d expect to see Civil Service Strollers fluctuate around the very middle of mid-table this season. Christie Gillies Park remains a tough away day for any side, as is playing against experienced Lowland League operators like Alieu Faye who has netted five times for Strollers this season.
Cowdenbeath (Current Position: 11th)
Another side in a similar boat to Strollers are Cowdenbeath whose form might not be spectacular but statistically it’ll keep them in mid-table as we move through the season. The biggest problem for the Blue Brazil is goals, with them being the lowest scoring team in the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League so far this season with just seventeen. Their defence is holding at around the average goals against for sides in the division which says to me that they won’t be moving far from their current position unless they can start finding the back of the net more often.
University of Stirling (Current Position: 10th)
Me previously: “It looks to be a season of inconsistency for University of Stirling this season as the students are pretty much registering a W-D-L every three games. There is no immediate cause for alarm for Chris Geddes’ side who have a unique opportunity to build upon an incredible 15-1 victory over Mid Annandale in the South Challenge Cup. A scoreline such as that is a rare occurrence and it will be fascinating to see what it does for Uni’s team cohesion as they move into a tough run of fixtures.”
Me today, looking at Uni in 10th with three wins in their last five: “THEY DID IT!”
Cumbernauld Colts (Current Position: 9th)
Another side who had suffered a bit of a dip in form when we last caught up with them, Colts have rallied a little with two wins and a draw in their last four to take them back up to 9th. Josh Jack has found his scoring boots with seven goals in the league this season. Colts will probably be relatively happy to find themselves here, but they’ll have designs on moving up the division with some fairly winnable games coming up in their next run of fixtures.
Celtic B (Current Position: 8th)
As I mentioned last time out, I would expect Celtic B to be higher up the league, but they are where they are on merit after some underwhelming performances from the SPFL Premiership B Team.
Caledonian Braves (Current Position: 7th)
I can’t shake the feeling that Braves will be disappointed with their season so far. After mounting a title challenge last season and building the squad up over the summer, Ricky Waddell’s side will have been hoping for more of the same but find themselves adrift by twelve points from the top of the table. Three wins in six does not title form make and they’ll be hoping that the sides above them hit their own patches of rocky form if they’re to put this season back on track in their pursuit of SPFL football.
Bo’ness United (Current Position: 6th)
Tom Grant’s eight goals for the season have propelled Bo’ness United into 6th place in the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League. They’ve suffered a bit in recent weeks but the BUs are one of the league’s feel-good stories this season. They might be ten points off the top, but I imagine that the hierarchy at Newtown Park will be happy with the progress they’ve made this season.
Bonnyrigg Rose (Current Position: 5th)
Bonnyrigg Rose are home! The big news for Rose recently is their return to New Dundas Park after extensive works were completed. Their temporary home at Ferguson Park wasn’t a particularly happy hunting ground and, having involved the community extensively in the stadium renovation with 1,100 spectators (including a strong contingent of visiting fans) turning out for their homecoming. They’ll be hoping that they can turn NDP into a fortress for the rest of the season and push on in pursuit of a top four finish.
Tranent (Current Position: 4th)
Five wins in the last six from the Big T. You absolutely love to see it because they’ve got form for going on a mid-season charge. Robbie Horn’s charges. Harry Girdwood and Cammy McKinley lead Tranent’s league scoring charts with eight and five goals respectively, and they’ll be hoping to add more in the coming weeks.
It’s time for the top 3!
Last time out I said that with “…7 points between second and third place in the league, it’s getting harder and harder to look beyond one of Rose or Clydebank as potential champions … but it’s going to be a fantastic battle between these two teams, with several sides poised to strike if they begin to experience a slump.”
Linlithgow Rose (Current Position: 3rd)
It’s telling in the story of this season’s Park’s Motor Group Lowland League that two losses in six matches could be considered a slump. Linlithgow Rose have lost two matches that – with all due respect – they would have expected to win against Hearts B and University of Stirling who managed to beat Rose 5-4. There’s a need for Gordon Herd’s side to arrest this as they go into a mixed run of matches over the next few weeks.
Broxburn Athletic (Current Position: 2nd)
Wait, what? Broxburn Athletic might have played more matches than their nearest rivals but their run of SIX WINS IN SIX MATCHES has to be applauded as they have smashed my ‘it’s between Linlithgow Rose and Clydebank prediction’ to put themselves in contention for the Lowland League title. Errol Douglas continues to smash them in while Jamie Docherty has been keeping pace with seven goals for the season. Keep your eyes on Broxburn over the next few weeks – there are a few big tests in there that will put their ambitions through their paces.
Clydebank (Current Position: 1st)
Four wins, one draw, one loss in their last six matches. Bonnyrigg Rose inflicted Clydebank’s first defeat of the season last time out and it will be interesting to see how they bounce back from that going into a run of five matches in which they’ll play most of their title rivals.
Whatever happens over the next few weeks, the Park’s Motor Group Lowland League is shaping up for another exciting season.
