Alloa Athletic are the visitors to Balmoor this Saturday in William Hill League One with a 3pm KO.
The fixture sees sixth-placed Peterhead hosting fourth-placed Alloa Athletic, with both teams firmly involved in the congested middle section of League One. Alloa Thletic are in 4th place with 34 points from 23 matches while the Blue Toon sit in 6th place with 27 points from 21 matches.
With fewer games played, Peterhead have an opportunity to close the gap on the promotion play-off positions making Saturday’s clash particularly significant.
Almost a year ago, after making some away games in the 23/24 season, Luke decided he wanted to visit every football stadium in League 2. A lofty ambition for an 11 year old, P7 whose skint and only method of transport is his push bike and a skateboard! But after (not) much persuasion we decided 24/25 would be the year we hit the road.
Luke’s journey began with a birthday trip to Easter Road for the cup game. And then back down the road the following week for Bonnyrigg Rose and the first league game of the season. Ben Armour’s last minute winner made that trip to the capital better than the previous week. Over the course of the season we (mum and dad as taxi drivers) would visit everywhere from Elgin to Stranraer and Forfar to Stirling. We took a caravan holiday to go to Stair Park in Stranraer, we had nights away in Methil to go to Bayview. As a family we made amazing memories on our journey up and down (but mostly down) the road! We saw some wonder goals (Danny), some hilarious moments (McCarthy wellying the ball off the goalie at Forfar 🤣) and some not so good moments (Elgin- never going back! Ever!) but that is the beautiful game! Luke has loved every moment of this season and he was absolutely devastated to miss Peterhead winning the league at Balmoor as we were on holiday. Really terrible planning by his parents 🙈 We landed back from our holiday on Friday and stayed overnight in Hamilton so he could complete his list and make it to Clyde for the last game of the season. Yesterday’s game (despite the score) signified everything we love about Peterhead FC. Luke got to take part in the half time cross bar challenge alongside lads from the Supporters club, he was lucky enough to get Caleb Goldie’s match shirt and thanks to Jamie McNee and his wonderful wife, got a photo with the League 2 trophy and Andy McCarthy. The players and staff went above and beyond for this young supporter and he is so thankful.
He’s also had some epic memories at Balmoor, being lucky enough to be mascot with his best friend, getting to be Sammy the Scurry for the day (Luke’s personal highlight) and a cheeky wee hospitality experience.
He now can’t wait to do it all over again for League 1! And eventually he wants to visit all the stadiums in the SPFL! (Mum says he can go to Annan when he is old enough to drive himself!) If you ask him, his favourite stadium other than Balmoor was Ainslie Park and the least favourite was Meadowbank. Usually the rating system was down to the quality of the pies on offer rather than the performance 🤣
We just want to say thank you for all the moments, highs and low and the memories we’ve been able to make by following our team home and away. We hope that all the players and staff get a well deserved break before the football starts again. We wish those who are moving on, the absolute best in their careers or where ever the future takes them. Luke will see you all on the road for League 1 in August!
From Howard Drysdale: “Our involvement with the club all started when the crew of the Malaviya 7, which had an all-Indian crew who hadn’t been paid their wages and were detained in the Port of Aberdeen for 18 months.
Peterhead directors, through the club chaplain, Neil Cameron, invited the crew to attend a game for the full hospitality package as their guests. They had a great time – so did I. I was very impressed by the setup.
Fast forward to March 2018 when Byron had been to an Aberdeen game with his carer. I was surprised to discover that he really enjoyed it. I looked at options for a season ticket, but the prices at Pittodrie were expensive. Then I remembered my visit to Peterhead and thought I would give it a try. I called Neil and asked if I could book in for that Saturday’s game. He said, “Leave that with me, just get here around 1 pm.”
Byron and I were given a warm welcome and the full hospitality package. Byron enjoyed his first visit and even left with the match ball! We never looked back.
Byron has additional support needs, and while he is currently 24, he operates at the level of a toddler with limited speech and significant balance issues.
We have been attending for many years now, and he looks forward to the games and even attends the away games on the team bus. The players, to a man, always speak to him, as does just about everyone at the club.
On his 18th birthday, the club kindly gave him a very special birthday gift – presented by Rory McAllister!
Each Saturday, when I pick him up from Camphill and tell him it’s time to go to Peterhead, his face lights up, and he gets very excited. We usually travel to the match with a fellow supporter and good friend, Gordon Duthie. Byron knows the routine very well. He looks out his scarf along with mine and puts them in his backpack, then we are picked up by Gordon. Byron knows Gordon’s red car and gets very excited when he arrives around 12:30, then we head for Peterhead.
He has his regular seat, and the ladies all know he has a J2O and bring him his soup, with a glass of ice to cool it down for him. He scoffs his roll and soup, then it’s his main meal. He is a good eater! The staff get him a bowl of chips to go with the main course, and Nat Porter (and a few others) try to pinch a chip or two off him, which he finds funny! Mary looks after him too and is a firm favourite!
Byron especially likes the puddings – usually eating mine as well! He also knows that once I have my cup of tea, it’s time to go to the toilet, then out to our named seats, primarily to watch the team warm up. He does this in sunshine or rain, whether it is warm or, more often than not, freezing!
Graeme McLean, the matchday announcer, usually comes over to Byron and gives him two bags of Haribo sweets, one for each half. Then, at 3 pm, the players get set to start the game. Byron matches me in his enthusiasm, shouting encouragement to the players. The fans all around us are very kind and helpful towards Byron. Throughout the game, Byron expresses his joy and desire to see Peterhead win! I have been known to engage in some banter with the away team managers (we sit behind their dugout) saying “Watch your language mate, there’s kids up here!!” The best one was when ex Clyde manager Danny Lennon spewed a tirade of abuse towards his players and I said to him to watch his language… He didn’t look up, just said sorry and hid in the dugout. Silence in the crowd ensued during which Byron shouted clear and loud, “FxCK!” to which I shouted down, that is why I don’t want you swearing! His response? He didn’t come out of the dugout, but simply gave a thumbs up! Everyone had a good laugh…
At half-time, we look forward to the 50/50 draw, with Byron holding up his tickets – even though he hasn’t won, but nobody minds that!
When it’s an away game, we head to Kingswells, and he really enjoys the bus journey. The supporters all have a bit of banter with him, as do the players.
Whatever the result, he still smiles and can be heard shouting out for the “Blue Toon!” Indeed, one of the players spoke to me after one heavy defeat, saying, “We love having Byron on the bus… even when we play badly, he still smiles and cheers us all up!”
Byron continues to sponsor captain Jason Brown, and he gives him a shout or two at every game – wonderfully, Jason never tires of responding and often speaks to him.
We then head home with a very happy young man…
I suspect that the directors who made that act of kindness to the crew of the Malaviya 7 never thought that it would result in gaining two executive members!
Everyone at the club is so welcoming to Byron, and he really loves his time there. Personally, I just love the family of supporters and staff at Peterhead who make us feel a valued part of that wonderful family.
It’s back to Balmoor again this Saturday as 2nd face 7th when Stranraer visit the Blue Toon on league duty for the first time this season.
Stranraer travel after a defeat on the road to Clyde last weekend whereas Peterhead have made it two wins from two after taking all three points with a late winner against Forfar Athletic on Saturday. From Jordon Brown: “It has been brilliant to start with 6 points from 6 and of course with the high of the 2 late winners which have both been of great quality, but it is very early days and we want to continue to build and improve week on week on this positive start – a home game against another team who took points off us across the 4 games last season gives us more chance to improve. Momentum and fine margins are massive, especially in this competitive league where there are no easy games and as a group we are all eager to achieve our targets. The competition for places throughout the team remains high and that helps drive standards up consistently with all focus on the next game and an extra incentive tomorrow is to remain at the top of the league with other teams in cup action. Team news wise is a bit mixed, Caleb who had started the season really well had a head knock from the first game that ruled him out last week and on his return to training this week he has unfortunately broken a bone in his foot so we are awaiting a full diagnosis on how long he will be out. Ben and Rory are carrying slight knocks and will be assessed. Dylan has been under the weather slightly but we are sure he will be okay and will not want to miss this one against his former club. On the plus side Cammy got his second full week of training under his belt with the team and is getting closer to increasing his match fitness after his 2 positive sub appearances. It was also great to see Connor Duthie start his first match in midweek for Albion Rovers and perform well, just over a year since his injury. Shanks continues to progress his rehab with Donal.
We currently have a vacancy within our Balmoor club office and are seeking a detail-oriented and organised Business Administrator to join our team. The ideal candidate will be responsible for helping oversee the day-to-day administrative operations of the football club ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in all tasks. They will have a can-do attitude and must be willing to learn new skills and have the capacity to think on the job.
Background:
• Experience: Customer service – 1 year (preferred), Administrative experience – 1 year (preferred)
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Familiarity with office management procedures and basic accounting principles
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
As Office Administrator, you will support a range of business activities by accurately completing general business admin and supporting the General Manager with delivery of a top-class customer experience.
What you’ll be doing:
Management of documentation including invoices, updating spreadsheets, filing etc
Answering and directing telephone calls in a professional and friendly manner
Purchasing of required goods and services
Acting as first point of contact to visitors
Overseeing site amenities and maintenance requirements as required
Organising catering for meetings, stocks of general office supplies
Assiting with event organisation including football match days
Job Type: Part-time, Permanent
Hours: approx 20-25 per week
Schedule: Flexible but will include Saturday home match days (1 per fortnight)
Education: Standard Grades or equivalent (preferred)
Please email a current CV to: office@peterheadfc.co.uk
Peterhead welcomed Stranraer to Balmoor on Saturday in The Blue Toon’s 11th fixture of League 2. Stranraer came out on top of the reverse fixture earlier in the season with a 2-1 victory however since then have endured a 5 match losing streak in the league; winning only once since they welcomed Peterhead to Stair Park.
STARTING XI: McKenzie, R. Strachan, Jas. Brown (C), Ross, Goldie, McKee, Jack Brown, O’Keefe, Ward, Shanks, McAllister.
After a morning of showers in Peterhead, the sun shone down on Balmoor in time for a two minute silence which was impeccably held. Joe McKee got the match underway with league leaders Peterhead having a point to prove. With neither side enjoying comfortable spells of possession, the first few early chances fell in favour of Peterhead as O’Keefe’s effort soared over the crossbar and a Shanks header from a McKee delivery was claimed by Budinauckas in the the Stranraer goal. With the Stranraer defence pinned back by The Blue Toon attack, Shanks drove into an area of space through the centre of the pitch where Stranraer attempted to stop the counter attack. Their defending efforts only fell to Rory McAllister who did what he does best and found the back of the net with his curling shot into the far bottom corner. With The Blue Toon in front and in control, Stranraer looked to hit Peterhead on the counter attack in the form of forward Ben Armour who found himself 1-on-1 with Stuart McKenzie. With a huge stop, McKenzie made himself big in the Peterhead goal to deny Armour’s effort and keep Stranraer at bay. After McKenzie’s heroics, Stranraer equalised through former Peterhead forward Ben Armour who after a cross into the Peterhead penalty area, tapped home from close range. With the scoreline level, Peterhead immediately looked to regain control of the match through Ward after another McKee delivery, Ward’s attempt was blocked by the face of Budinauckas. With McKee providing yet again another inch perfect delivery from the corner, the head of Scott Ross aimed towards goal and after some controversy, Kieran Shanks claims he got a touch on it and claimed Peterhead’s 2nd of the afternoon. With Stranraer enjoying a spell of possession before half time in an attempt to level the scoreline once again, Matthew Grant’s effort was denied by McKenzie to keep The Blue Toon in front going into the interval.
HT: Peterhead 2 – 1 Stranraer.
The visitors resumed play after half time and after enjoyable spells of possession from both sides and a yellow card apiece, McAllister took aim from range to grab his 2nd of the afternoon. After catching Budinauckas off his line and chipping the ball in from 25 yards, McAllister’s goal was chalked off having been adjudged to have been offside in the build up prior. His next effort would be a set piece in the form of a free kick from around 25 yards out; however his attempt flew high. With Peterhead pushing to put the game to bed, Shanks’ effort from the edge of the visitors’ penalty area was wide after Ward did well to find the forward in space. Against the run of play, a quick attack from Stranraer resulted in a corner and after failing to properly clear their lines, it was Caleb Goldie who turned the ball into his own net. Subsequently, Ward made way for Jordon Brown in Peterhead’s first replacement of the afternoon. With neither team looking like scoring, Peterhead were enjoying more possession as Jack Brown drove forward however his effort was narrowly wide. The Blue Toon made their 2nd substitute of the match as Aaron Reid was introduced to the match to replace Conor O’Keefe. As the final whistle drew nearer, the fixture looked as though both sides would share points at Balmoor; until Joe McKee stepped up. Awarded a free kick in similar territory as McAllister’s set piece effort earlier, McKee managed to loop his shot over the Stranraer wall and into the bottom corner; leaving Budinauckas with no chance. With Peterhead in front in injury time, a final tactical change saw Ryan Strachan make way for David Wilson to keep things tight for the dying minutes.
FT: Peterhead 3 – 2 Stranraer.
MOTM: Rory McAllister.
After the long trip up north, Stranraer may have felt aggrieved to leave Balmoor empty handed after a 5 goal thriller in Peterhead. The Blue Toon got their much anticipated revenge on Stranraer after the reverse fixture resulted in defeat earlier in the season. With now 6 league wins on the bounce for Jordon and Ryan, eyes immediately look to an away match against in-form Stenhousemuir on Tuesday evening.
