Stair (Park) Lift
This week sees us continue our quest to complete the 42 SPFL grounds of Scotland, at the ferry port of Stranraer.
The Blues will be facing off against early-season front-runners, the Spartans, who are neck-and-neck with newcomers East Kilbride.
Stair Park is a ground I’ve been wanting to visit for a long time, but due to geography, one I haven’t been able to reach without a weekend stopover.
On public transport from the Northeast, it takes most of a day to get to Stranraer, and the same to get back. This means a single game would need a two-night stopover.
Luckily, I will be getting a lift to the game from a friend’s brother, and the three of us will be taking in the match together and getting home on the same day (all being well).
This will take me down to just seven SPFL grounds still requiring visits to complete the 42, but each one entails a nightmarish journey, and/or a stopover.
With this in mind, it may still take me a while to complete the 42.
Needless to say, I’m looking forward to checking out Stair Park while I have the opportunity to do so at a reasonable cost.
So, with all that said, let’s get on with the review.
Stranraer – The Journey
I started the day by catching the 07:53 X1 to Newcastle, getting off at John Dobson Street at 09:00.
Not a good start, as I was due to meet Jamie and Jonathan at 09:00 outside Newcastle Central Station.
Luckily, their timing was even worse than mine, and it was 09:30 before they pulled up near the station.
It’s always strange getting in a car with people you don’t really know, but from the start, conversation was easy, and the three-hour journey to Stranraer soon passed.
Well, it did for the two of us not driving anyway! 😂
The countryside along the way was magnificent. We followed Hadrian’s Wall along the A69 up to the outskirts of Carlisle.
Here we briefly picked up the M6 before turning west once more on the A75 at Gretna.
This took us directly to Stranraer via Annan and Dumfries, arriving around 12:30.
For much of the journey, the rain lashed against the windscreen, and we were hopeful that it would stop before we reached Stranraer.
It did, and it held off until we resumed our journey home. There was even some lovely sunshine along the way!
While we park the car, why not have a read about the town of Stranraer?
Stranraer
Stranraer is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
It is located at he southern end of Loch Ryan on the southwest coast.
Stranraer lies 85 miles southwest of Glasgow, 105 miles west of Carlisle, 424 miles northwest of London, and 175 miles west of my home in Hetton-Le-Hole.
According to the 2021 Census, the population of Stranraer and its surrounding areas was 9,751.
The etymology of the town’s name derives from the Scottish Gaelic words ‘An t-Sròn Reamhar‘, meaning ‘the broad headland’ or ‘the fat nose’.
1307 witnessed the bloody Battle of Loch Ryan, during the Scottish Wars of Independence. An invading Scottish force, 1,000-strong, was defeated, with all of the leaders executed.
By the 17th century, Stranraer had become a market town for the larger area. The town was made accessible via a military road, built to transport people from Portpatrick (7 miles southwest of Stranraer) to Ireland for the organised colonisation of Ulster.
Stranraer’s first harbour was built in the 1820s, with a railroad arriving in 1861. This allowed Stranraer to become the area’s major port, with the tracks leading directly into the harbour itself.
Disaster Strikes
Disaster struck in 1953, in Britain’s worst post-war sea accident. After leaving Stranraer, Heavy seas caused the stern doors of the MV Princess Victoria, bound for Ireland, to open. The hull flooded, causing the ship to list and eventually sink.
One hundred and thirty-three lives were lost, including that of Stranraer resident and ship’s radio officer, David Broadfoot, who was posthumously awarded the George Cross for bravery.
During the Second World War, Stranraer played a key role in protecting the North Channel’s shipping lanes. Flying boats were used to counter the threat of U-boats, and the Supermarine Stranraer was named after the town.
Winston Churchill left Stranraer in a flying boat for his second wartime visit to the United States.
Stranraer was, until recently, a major ferry port, linking mainland Great Britain with Belfast and Larne in Northern Ireland. In 2011, services were transferred to the nearby village of Cairnryan, midway up the eastern side of the loch.
Stranraer is undergoing redevelopment as part of a ‘Gateway to Galloway’ plan to bring in tourists and improve the town for locals.
Notable People from Stranraer
SNP politicians, Richard Arkless and Emma Harper – George Cross awardee, David Broadfoot – Victoria Cross awardee, Thomas de Courcy Hamilton – fantasy and sci-fi author, William King – Rear Admiral and Antarctic explorer, John Ross.
People from the world of sport include:
Footballers: Callum Booth – Scottish international, Colin Calderwood – Ryan Hardie, Kevin Kyle, Rory Loy, John McQuillan, and Shaun McSkimming.
Scotland takes the sport of curling very seriously, and Stranraer has a number of people from that sport.
Naomi Brown, Ken Dickson, Alan Hannah, Blair Haswell, Euan Kyle, Bobby Lammie, Hammy McMillan, Harry McMillan Jr.. Andrew McQuistin, Hugh Nibloe, Peter Wilson, Phil Wilson, and Vicky Wright.
A Wander Around Town
After parking our car outside the turnstiles of Stair Park, we headed towards the town, along London Road and Bowling Green Road.
This brought us to the harbour wall, which faces Loch Ryan, leading out towards the North Channel, with the Atlantic Ocean beyond.
We stood gazing out into the Loch for a short time before moving west, towards the town.
Stranraer’s railway station has a unique location, situated on a spur of land that juts into Loch Ryan.
The single track leads to the station at the far end of the spur.
The Stranraer Oyster Festival was being held today, and we passed by.
My one attempt at eating an oyster at Mrs Hopper’s behest makes me never want to go near one again, thank you very much!
I’m convinced that nobody actually enjoys oysters, and it is something of an Emperor’s New Clothes scenario.
Someone just needs to be the first to say they are vile things!
Castle of St. John
From here, we headed inwards, down Princes Street, left onto George Street and onto the square where the Castle of St. John is sited.
Built around 1500 AD by the Adairs of Kilhilt. Used as a court, a prison and a military garrison, the tower house stands proudly in the centre of Stranraer.
If there had been more time, I would have gone inside and had a look around, but with time short, it wasn’t worth it.
There is also a monument to Queen Victoria‘s longest reign as monarch, erected in 1897, assuming the plaque on it is correct.
We wandered across to the coffee shop opposite, where Jonathan got himself a drink before we started back towards Stair Park.
A bar is located behind the north stand at Stair Park, known as the Pavilion Bar.
With Jonathan being a Muslim and a teetotaler, I decided to swerve suggesting a drink, and instead we entered the ground.
I only mention it so that anyone reading will be aware that a bar is available outside the ground.
Stranraer – Stair Park
Getting In
Entry to Stair Park was via the turnstiles on the northwest corner of the ground.
The cost was £15.00, with cash-only turnstiles in operation. Just like the good old days!
We entered the ground and found ourselves in the corner of the ground.
I will start my review of Stair Park by going left, along the north side of the stadium.
North Side – Coo Shed
The Lactalis Stand, known as the ‘Coo Shed’, forms the northern side of the stadium.
Does that name come from the word lactate? Lactate = Milk = Cow? Or is that just a complete coincidence?
Please let me know in the comments if you know the answer to that.
The Coo Shed straddles the halfway line and takes up around half the length of the pitch.
Either side of the all-seated and covered stand is a shallow, seven-step open terrace.
There is sometimes segregation in place at Stair Park, and the Coo Shed is split down the middle, with the eastern side for away fans, along with the east section of the open terrace.
I asked the steward if it would be okay for me to walk through the dividing gate to get photographs around that side of the ground. After a brief chat, he allowed me to do so.
Thank you, sir!
A small snack hut for away fans stands on the other side of the divide, with toilets on the far corner.
East End – Approach End
I’m not sure if the East End Terrace is also used for away fans, but I assume it is, as access would be difficult for home fans.
It consists of a shallow five-step open terrace, backed by grass before the boundary fence.
I walked as far as the main stand on the south side before heading back the way I had come, thanking the steward once more as he opened the gate for me.
West End – Toon End
At the western end is a covered, shallow, five-step terrace for home supporters.
A series of photographs from Stranraer FC’s history lines the rear wall of the Toon End, with a couple of Stranraer flags also festooned on the wall.
This is the end from which I would be watching the game.
South Stand – McLean’s Taxis Stand
The southern side of Stair Park is dominated by the large main stand sponsored by McLean’s Taxis.
The open terrace from the east end wraps around to the edge of the main stand.
At the western end, a wall contains more history of Stranraer FC, each section labelled with the phrase ‘Blues Banter’, accompanied by a snippet of club history.
Also at this end is a food truck, whose opening was much anticipated by the gentleman who had been keeping Jonathan and Jamie occupied while I wandered around.
The main stand itself has a nominal capacity of 1,524, but a significant portion was missing seats at the eastern end. Presumably, they are awaiting replacement seats, though I’m not sure.
Stair Park Facts
The capacity of Stair Park is 4,178.
For sponsorship purposes, Stair Park currently bears the name Eco-Gen Stadium.
The stadium drew its record crowd in 1948, when Stranraer took on Rangers. Six thousand spectators were present to witness the Glasgow giants pip Stranraer by a single goal in the Scottish Cup fixture. Rangers went on to win the cup that season.
The football stadium sits in a public park of the same name. The Earl of Stair gave his name to both the park and the stadium when he bequeathed them to the local governing body.
Although confirmed sources aren’t readily available online, the death of John Hamilton Dalrymple, 10th Earl of Stair, in 1903, suggests that he was the Earl who donated the land, with the construction of Stair Park Stadium following in 1907.
Stair Park added floodlights in 1981, becoming the last league football ground in the United Kingdom to do so.
Stranraer – Stair Park Gallery
I asked the gentleman talking to the boys if there was a club shop I could visit to get a programme or a pin badge.
He told me it was behind the main stand, and I wandered off to hunt down my prizes.
The club shop turned out to be a small blue hut. Unfortunately, no programmes were available, but I did manage to get a pin badge, costing £5.00.
I was told the badges were fresh in stock from a supplier in Dublin, and I think part of the shipping costs may have been added on to the value of the badge…
A supporters ‘Buy a Brick’ wall adorns the side of the main stand, with varying costs from £100 for a white brick to £250 for a gold brick.
And I thought £5.00 for a pin badge was a bit steep… 😂
While I wandered around the stadium, I noticed that the music being played over the tannoy seemed to have a very short playlist that was repeated.
Maybe three times, I heard ‘We Are Young’ by Supergrass, and at least twice ‘Teenage Kicks’ by The Undertones.
Not bad music by any means, but the playlist could perhaps be extended a little?
Stranraer Tidbits
The Stranraer Football Club was founded in 1870.
This makes them the third-oldest club in Scotland, behind Queen’s Park (1867) and Kilmarnock (1869).
By comparison, Stoke City was formed in 1863, and the world’s oldest football team (still playing), Sheffield FC, was founded in 1857.
The Blues won the now-defunct Scottish Qualifying Cup in 1938, defeating Bo’ness 5-3 in the final. They almost repeated the success in 1947, but lost the final 3-2 against Berwick Rangers.
Despite its long history, it wasn’t until 1949 that Stranraer began to compete regularly against the professional teams of Scotland. After admission to Scotland’s C Division, they faced the reserve sides of the established league clubs.
However, the Blues had played in the Scottish Cup since 1877/78. (The competition was first played in 1873).
After scrapping the C Division in 1955, Stranraer was placed in the B Division. They remained in the bottom tier until the 1993/94 season.
Modern Day
That 1993/94 season saw the restructuring of Scottish football’s league system. As champions of the Second Division, Stranraer was promoted to the new Division One (the second tier).
It didn’t last long, with the Blues relegated the following season with 17 points.
In the 1995/96 season, Stranraer won the Scottish Challenge Cup, defeating St. Johnstone 1-0 at Broadwood Stadium.
After three seasons in the Second Division (third tier), they again won promotion under Campbell Money.
History repeated itself, with Stranraer again earning just 17 points and relegation. One bright spot was an away win at Hibernian‘s Easter Road.
Despite reaching the Scottish Cup quarter-final (best-ever run), the 2002/03 season saw Stranraer relegated to the Third Division (fourth tier).
An immediate promotion followed, with Stranraer winning the Third Division title under Neil Watt. He wasn’t content with that and led them to back-to-back promotions as runner-up in the Second Division.
In 2005/06, immediate relegation from the second tier followed. After finishing in 9th place, they lost the playoff final against Partick Thistle, dooming them to relegation.
As swiftly as the Blues had risen, the demise was just as rapid, and a second relegation was confirmed the following season. Another playoff defeat against East Fife sent them hurtling back to the fourth tier of Scottish football.
Promotion came again in 2007/08, as they finished runner-up to East Fife.
Almost Gone (Twice!)
Financial difficulties became apparent in January 2009. The sale of Grégory Tadé and the Friends of Stranraer FC consortium was enough to save the club from collapse.
None of this prevented relegation back to the fourth tier, and incredibly, this meant Stranraer had spent the last eight campaigns in a different division each time.
Despite finishing third in 2011/12, Stranraer was promoted once more, as Rangers were booted down to the fourth tier in financial ruin.
This time, they managed to remain at the higher tier for eight consecutive seasons.
This spell of consistency incorporated another league restructure, as the Second Division became the current League One (3rd tier).
Relegation eventually caught up with them in 2019/20, and since then, they have remained in the Scottish League Two
The club’s main priority over the last couple of seasons has been to avoid relegation from the league system. They narrowly escaped such a fate in 2024 by defeating East Kilbride in a tense playoff final. 1,800 fans were at Stair Park to see them win 3-1 in extra-time, sparking a joyous pitch invasion.
Already in 2025/26, they sit ninth of ten, with only a points-deducted Edinburgh City between them and disaster.
It is the task of current manager Chris Aitken, to help them achieve the aim of retaining League football.
They Played for Stranraer
Alex Burns – Paul Cairney – Joe Carson – Jackie Copland – Frank Coulston – Jimmy Duncanson – Mark Durnan – David Farrell – Danny Fox – Declan Gallagher – Ricky Gillies – Jamie Hamill – Brian Hamilton – Derek Hamilton – Tony Higgins – Bobby Lawrie – Tommy Leishman – Lee Mair – Ali McCann – John McTavish – Dave Millar – Christian Nadé – Billy Ritchie – Ian Ross – Ryan Stevenson – Grégory Tadé and Frazer Wright.
Unsurprisingly, players with connections to both Stranraer and Stoke City are scarce.
The only one I found was Stephen Farrell, who made two substitute appearances for the Potters in 1990 and four games for the Blues in the 1994/95 season.
Stranraer – Pre-Game View of Stair Park
Stranraer v The Spartans – The Game
Form
Coming into today’s game, both teams had played five games.
Stranraer had won none, drawn one and lost four, lying in ninth place in Scottish League Two.
In those five games, they have scored three times, conceding eight.
In their last game, they were beaten 1-0 at Stirling Albion, with their single point coming from a 1-1 draw at home to Clyde in the previous match.
Conversely, the Spartans are challenging at the top of the table, along with newly promoted East Kilbride.
Of their five games, they have won and lost one, including a potentially important three points gained away at East Kilbride.
They have scored nine goals in those five games, while conceding four.
Last time out, they defeated Annan Athletic in a 1-0 win at their Ainslie Park home.
I feel that Spartans may be too strong for Stranraer today, and I’m going with an away win.
Pre-match prediction: Stranraer 0 Spartans 2 (Great success!)
Kick-Off
Summary
Much of the game was a dour affair, with the action largely consisting of a rearguard defensive display by the home team.
The reason for that was the sending off of their right back, Sean Docherty, on the half-hour mark.
Having previously been booked, he was shown a second yellow in the 31st minute for a rash challenge, with the ball already going out of play.
Even before the sending off, the Spartans had edged the game, particularly in the air, with a couple of dangerous headers.
Ironically, Stranraer’s best chance of the half came from a free-kick after Docherty had been fouled as he burst forward.
The resulting set-piece ended with Daniel McManus firing just wide of the near post.
The half played out with no more real chances for either team, and now it was time to try out that food truck…
Half-time – Stranraer 0 The Spartans 0
I bought myself a cheeseburger and chips, using cash. At the time of writing this, the better part of two weeks has passed, so my memory of costs is probably off.
I think it cost about £8.50 for the two, but the portions were good and the food was decent.
Having said that, this is why I usually stock up at Greggs before leaving, as it works out much cheaper than buying scran at stadiums.
No complaints from me about the food, it scratched the itch quite nicely.
It was nice to check my phone at half-time and see that Stoke were winning again. Even better, we held on for an unusual home win against a bogey Birmingham City side. I’m more acclimated to seeing us losing, and all these wins are starting to unnerve me.
Second Half
The second half picked up where the first half had left off, with the Spartans trying to break down a stubborn Blues defence.
Ex-Stranraer player Ayrton Sonkur put a close-range header against the bar, and there was a general feeling that Stranraer may just be able to hold Spartans at bay.
The Breakthrough
However, it wasn’t to be, and the Spartans increased the pressure; the goal finally came.
Some fantastic defending and last-ditch tackles resulted in a corner for the visitors in the 77th minute.
From the resulting set-piece, the ball eventually found its way to defender Jamie Dishington on the edge of the box. His low shot bobbled agonisingly past the home goalkeeper, who will probably feel he should have done better.
There was a lot of anger directed at the linesman, as the home support believed an offside player had interfered with the keeper’s vision.
However, if you watch the video below, you will see that Bernard Coll was standing on the line, guarding the near post.
Eight minutes later, a second goal for the Spartans sealed the victory and the three points.
It was a lovely finish that wrapped up the game, with Cameron Russell thundering a shot into the bottom corner from just outside the box.
Who knows how the game would have finished without the red card?
Maybe Stranraer could have got a result, but with eleven men, they could have been more adventurous and lost by a bigger margin because of it.
We will never know, but red cards so often spoil games as a meaningful contest.
Stranraer battled well against the odds, but ultimately fell to my predicted scoreline.
You can read a full Match Report here, courtesy of the Stranraer website.
Full-time – Stranraer 0 The Spartans 2
Attendance – 412
Entrance Fee – £15.00
Programme – N/A
Stranraer v The Spartans – Match Highlights
Up Next
Next up for Stranraer is another home fixture against Elgin City on September 20th (EDIT: This game finished 1-1).
They will then travel to Dumbarton (27th), before heading back to Stair Park for a (kind of) derby against Annan Athletic on October 4th.
Stranraer is a fairly isolated place, and Annan (88 miles) and Queen of the South (71 miles) are among the closest teams geographically, along with Ayr United (51 miles) to the north.
They face the only team currently below them, Edinburgh City, on the 11th. Though it should be noted that Edinburgh City were docked seven points before the season began.
For Spartans, they host Stirling Albion on September 20th (EDIT: Spartans suffered a 3-1 defeat), before travelling to the far north to face Elgin City (27th).
October begins with a home fixture against city rivals, Edinburgh City (4th), before travelling to Dumbarton on the 11th.
Stranraer Thoughts
Stranraer is an isolated pain in the ass to get to, but it is worth the effort.
Stair Park is a surprisingly good venue for watching football, and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit.
Facilities were decent, although, like most clubs at this level, a windfall or a cash injection would be very welcome, I’m sure.
The seats in the main stand need replacing, but apart from that, I didn’t notice any significant deficiencies.
The club shop is a little… spartan, if I may be excused using that word… and I thought the pin badge was a little overpriced at £5. The average price for pin badges appears to be around £3.50.
The food truck provides some decent scran
Regarding the music played over the tannoy, while I love the choices used, they should probably consider getting a longer CD or upgrading their Spotify account.
All moans are very minor ones, and Stranraer is a place you should definitely get yourselves along to if you get the chance.
I wish Stranraer much luck in what is shaping up to be another tough season for them. It would be a real shame to lose this club to the non-league scene.
Stranraer – After the Game
Following the final whistle, we made for the exits, with the car literally parked just outside the turnstiles.
Getting out was quick and easy, and we were soon making our way back along the A75.
The scenery was stunning, with a moody sky and flashes of the Scottish coast through the trees.
At one point, we noticed the base of a rainbow somehow piercing the gloom-laden sky, but unfortunately, my camera didn’t pick it up very well.
The rain set in again and lashed it down for most of the rest of the journey back to Newcastle.
Again, the journey went pretty quickly, and I was soon being dropped off at Central Station.
I gave my heartfelt thanks to Jamie for driving us all the way there and back, before making my way to the bus stop.
By now it was around 20:30 and I got to the bus stop ten minutes later. After waiting for a further ten minutes, the X1 arrived to take me on the leg home.
I arrived back home around 21:40 to a curry, freshly made by the wonderful Mrs Hopper.
Another successful Hop in the books, and a curry in mah belleh!
Next Up for Hoppers Guide
Next weekend, we will be resuming our attempt to visit every Northern League ground.
This continues with a first trip to Grangetown Boys Club.
They will be facing Tadcaster Albion in the FA Vase in an all-North Yorkshire game.
Nicknamed Boysie, Grangetown are one of three teams in the Middlesbrough area that I still need to get to. The other two are Boro Rangers in Division One and Redcar Town in Division Two.
It seems a good time to visit those two, with Boro Rangers expected to be fighting for promotion, and Redcar Town currently flying at the top of Division Two.
For now, though, our sights are set firmly on Boysie and their big day in the Vase competition.
On to the next!
