Staying in the beautiful Yarrow valley in the Scottish Borders I drove on a dark evening to Selkirk and on to Galashiels. Just as you drive into town I turned down towards the satellite local campus of Herriott Watt University whose main University is in Edinburgh. This is their School of Textiles and Design and complementing this is
‘The Great Tapestry of Scotland’ housed in a specially built gallery in the centre. This is a must see.
Textiles have been one of the reasons for the growth of this hub of the borders. However as I pulled into a very large shared car park it wasn’t the University but the football match that I had come to see, Gala Fairydean Rovers v Broxburn Athletic.
Getting out of the car you soon see a moody grey wall of concrete through the trees, back lit by sparkling floodlights. Eager to get in I found a few groups milling about outside. I asked one guy how to get in and he didn’t know, hadn’t even come for the football. I had noticed a few people going into a door in the concrete wall so I walked in to find a bar and a clubhouse and a helpful lady behind the bar who directed me to the entrance and told me it would be open at 19.15. When I re-emerged from the bowels of the stand people were leaving their cars and heading in. I recieved a friendly welcome at the ticket kiosk but was informed that there was no programme having been little time since their Saturday home fixture against Berwick Rangers. However they happily handed over a copy of that.
I was then shocked to see an immaculate artificial pitch, which looked heavily watered, I had for some reason been expecting grass. However I could now see that this was part of a wider spots complex, with rugby practice going on and a group of boys playing an impromptu football match, coats as goal posts, using the wider beam of the Gala floodlights to see.
The ground is open on three sides with a flat hard standing path all around with low height grass banking behind. On the half way line in the middle of the far side was a very small seated stand. To my right though was what many come to see, other than the football.
The stand is beautiful with its canopy pointing to the sky and its sharp edges saying look at me. It is dominant, a statement, however when you climb up an sit you realise this was built not just as a piece of architecture but for the football fan. The view of the pitch is just the right height, no structures in the way and the seating is at the right height with plenty of leg room. The view into the distance on a day must also be amazing.
The stand was built in the mid sixties and is a protected building as a Scottish category ‘A’ listed building. It was designed by Peter Wmerskey a famous Scottish architect with help from the engineer Obe Arup. The stand is categorised as Brutalist Modernism and has managed to survive where many other buildings of its type have been demolished. It was closed and then restored from 2018 and now looks magnificent and loved.
Records show that there was a football team in Galashiels as far back as 1894 but it wasn’t until 1907 that the name Gala Fairydean Rovers appeared but the club split into two clubs, Gala Fairydean and Gala Rovers before the First World War. Gala Fairydean reforming in 1923 as founder members of the East of Scotland Football League but Rovers didn’t resart until 1947.
Both clubs worked together to get the money to build the iconic stand. Gala Fairydean now made applications to join the Scottish Football League but none of them were successful. The last bid being in 2002.
The Gala Fairydean Rovers name was back in 2013 whe the two teams merged and joined the newly formed Lowland Football League where they have stayed until the reorganisation into East and West this season.
Broxburn Athletic were re-formed in 1947 after other teams in the area had folded. They moved up from the junior ranks in 2018.
Gala Fairydean Rovers 0 Broxburn Athletic 4
Gala Fairydean Rovers, 3G Arena Netherdale, Netherdale Road, Galashiels. TD1 3HE
Wednedsday 28th October 2026, kick off 19.45
Scottish Lowland Football League East.
The Braw Lads v The Brocks, 13th v 4th
Gala in orange shirts with black sleeves and black shorts. Goalkeeper in all purple
Broxburn in all navy blue. Goalkeeper in all bright geen.
Broxburn settled into a very slick passing game and dominated the midfield but it was the home team who had more shots on goal in the first fifteen minutes.
Broxburn gradually pressed foreard more and they gained the first corner of the game on nineteen minutes.
A minute later Jamie Docherty controlled a high through ball in the Gala ‘D’, after brushing off two Gala defenders, feigned to shoot to the advancing goalkeepers right and hit it to his left into the net.
Just four minutes later some overlapping play by the away teams number 9 allowed him to cross the ball into Docherty’s path who netted for two nil.
A devastating ten minutes for Gala was completed when Docherty rounded off his hat-trick on thirty minutes when he recieved a quick counter attacking ball and lobbed the goalkeeper from 15 metres out.
Galas luck certainly had left them in the first half when just before half time. after mistakes by the Broxburn defence and goalkeeper, a forwards good chance ended up only hitting the upright.
Gala came out strongly in the second half but couldn’t unsettle a resolute Athletic defence. By half way through the half the game had settled back a stalemate and Broxburn were taking control.
With fifteen minutes left, Errol Douglas made it four for the visitors flashing home a deflected shot after a pass from the right.
Broxburn ran out strong winners and gained top place in this very competitive league. Gala look vulnerable near the bottom of the league.
The football was good and the stand lived up to its billing, thank you Gala Fairydean Rovers.
A great night of football and such a good standard. I always marvel at the skill and commitment of Scottish football and wander why the National team just doesn’t live up to the grass roots.
I do feel the Scottish League system doesn’t give others a good enough chance to progress. In England the National League has become a strong fifth division. although here too three or four promoted would enhance the game.
No chips but an array of pies, but I didn’t have one having eaten an evening meal. I did regret it when after buying a coffee someone ordered a macaroni pie.
