Continuing our theme of a Highland League winter of guests, we spoke to former Lossie, Vale and Rothes goalie Mini McConnachie! Over almost two hours we done a deep dive on Minis career from early days at Elgin to actually still playing in the Highland League at the age of 42! Some hilarious stories from the shot stopper and the truth behind why a number of ex Football Journals guests think he's a bit mental! A strong XI is also included in this episode with a back line you would take to war with you! Hope you enjoy the episode as much as I did!
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This is an episode I've been wanting to do for a good while now and thankfully I managed to make it happen. The human encyclopaedia of the Highland league and long standing servant of Buckie Thistle football Easton agreed to talk to me on his knowledge of Buckie Thistle and the Highland League as a whole! Due to connection issue there is a small part of it the connection/sound is inaudible but we managed to get all of the important stuff! We talked about Easton's entry in to north football and how it began, the numerous positions he has held for Buckie throughout his long association with the club and Easton's general love for the league and the game up north. If you are a fan of Buckie Thistle or the Highland League in general this is not a episode you want to miss!
No guest this episode as scheduling hasn't worked out this week but schedule shall resume as normal next episode with a big guest! This week in the meantime though we recorded a little episode fresh of the back of a controversial Glasgow Derby, we talked a lot about current events and football and we also decided to build the ultimate XI of guests we have had so far. In what was a great chance to reflect on our time so far on the podcast we talked about our favourite episodes so far and looked forward to some up and coming guests! Hope you enjoy something different this week and look forward to a huge winter of guests upcoming on the show.
What an episode we have for you this week! Former Elgin, Leicester, Everton, Besiktas and Scotland midfielder Ian Wilson talked to us this week about his fantastic career in the game which culminated in playing for his country against the likes of Brazil and England. The former Leicester captain recalled some great memories from his time in the game which featured early days in Scotland and eventually led to playing the game at the highest level! Beating a Liverpool side who were unbeaten at home for 3 years, winning league titles in Türkiye and cutting his cloth in the Highland league are some of the fantastic stories from this episode, this isn't an episode you want to miss!
What better man to speak about the black and whites than Elgin City's Supporters Liaison officer , social media whizz and all round superfan of the club Michael Allan. For the past 20 years he has followed the club through thick and thin and travelled the length of country in doing so! From the glory of the playoffs to the lows of a famous cup defeat this isn't an episode you want to miss! Be sure to leave a 5 star rating if you are enjoying the podcast!
n this special episode, we sit down with former Fraserburgh goalkeeper Billy Gordon, whose time between the sticks earned him a reputation as one of the Highland League’s most dependable and passionate shot-stoppers.
Billy opens up about:
His early journey through grassroots football and how he found his calling in goal
The Fraserburgh years: the club’s unique culture, memorable cup runs, and what it meant to wear the black and white
Standout matches at Bellslea Park, including derbies, title pushes, and tense penalty shootouts
His views on the modern game, how goalkeeping has evolved, and advice for young players dreaming of Highland League success
From gritty winter nights on the pitch to unforgettable celebrations with the Broch faithful, Billy reflects with honesty and humour on a career that may not have made national headlines, but left a lasting impact on the people and club that shaped him.
This is one for the true football romantics — tune in!
There is no better way to celebrate 2 years of the football journals than an episode very close to my heart , on the club I formed with a friend in 2024. From what started as an idea in a car journey on the way to a game , it turned into a labour of love for us all and helped the club build a great base and finish in a very respectable position in its first season in the league. 2 players and the manager joined me in over 90 minutes of looking back with some great laughs and memories also. Thank you all for your continued support the past 2 years its been amazing!Mon the Bish!
The Football Journals is proudly sponsored by Chris Foot , ECFC and ECFCW Director
In this episode of The Football Journals Podcast, I'm joined by none other than Scott Barbour; Fraserburgh FC's all-time top goalscorer, former Formartine United forward, and a true legend of the Highland League. With a career defined by blistering pace, clinical finishing, and unwavering loyalty to the Broch, Scott shares his journey from his early days at Fraserburgh to becoming a record breaking hero at Bellslea Park, where he's still banging in goals today.
Amazingly we have reached episode 50! What better way to take the milestone with Biscuits, a man who has been mentioned many times by previous guest, in the studio to tell his own story ! The former highland league player of the year had us in stitches for almost 2 hours with some hilarious stories from his own career. Thank for supporting us through the first 50 episodes! We look forward to bringing in the next 50 with you too!
The Football Journals podcast is proudly sponsored by Chris Foot ECFC and ECWFC director
In this episode of The Football Journals, I sit down with former Rangers striker Billy Urquhart, whose journey from the Scottish Highlands to the iconic turf of Ibrox and back is nothing short of inspiring. Billy shares candid stories from his time at Inverness Caledonian, his dream move to Rangers, and the realities of life as a professional and semi professional footballer in the 1970's and 1980's.
From the thrill of scoring goals in front of thousands to the quieter lessons learned off the pitch, Billy offers heartfelt insights into the game's changing nature and the enduring spirit of Scottish football. Whether you're a Caley die-hard , love the highland league or a fan of Rangers this is an episode you don't want to miss.
Braveheart Colin Hendry was our special guest in the studio this week . We were truly honoured to be joined by the last man to lead Scotland out at a world cup and is also a premier league winner with the great Blackburn team of the 90s. In what was a detailed look back on Colins career from start to present its an episode you don't want to miss!
Martin Charlesworth joined us this week to talk through his career which included youth days with ICT, Ross County and Elgin City. Throughout his time in the league Martin was known as scorer of important goals and we talked through some of them and also about his title winning season at Buckie Thistle. Stick around for a fantastic best XI also!
Ahead of their testimonial this week, Lossiemouth players and brothers Ross and Liam Archibald were in the studio this week! The twins looked back from early days at east end primary school through to their continuing careers in the highland league to this day. A fantastic hour and a half with two fantastic guests. Good luck to the lads ahead of their well earned testimonial with Lossiemouth on the 28th of June.
Some silverware in the house this week as Alex took in Lossiemouth uniteds NJRFA league trophy for a visit to the studio! A phenomenal rise since the return of the club in the past few seasons and the man at the helm gave us over 2 hours of great insight into the historic club!
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Yeah its me in the hotseat for once. Chris Foot our show sponsor requested that for once I answered the questions and he was the man to ask these questions! For the first time in almost 50 episodes ill be answering instead of asking the questions. If you have any interest in Celtic , Elgin or Henrik Larsson you are in luck!
In episode 43 I spoke to Mark Holmes who played for many sides in the Highland League, and professional clubs. As well as talking about his playing career, we also discussed his football academy that reaches all corners of the globe, and his current life coaching in the current game.
In this week's episode, I sat down to chat with one of the greatest goal scorers the Highland League has seen in the last thirty years. Former Keith & Formartine Utd number nine, Cammy Keith.
Episode 41 features ex Scotland and Aberdeen goalkeeper Bobby Clark! Bobby was in the studio to talk to us about his career which included playing for Scotland 17 times and being the 3rd highest appearance maker for Aberdeen Football Club.
This week we had an old school football team mate of Lees, in former Deveronvale, Inverurie Lossie midfielder and current Huntly manager Colin Charlesworth. Colin talked us through early beginnings at Elgin and going on to play well in excess of 300 games in the highland league. The Xi in this episode would also be highly capable of winning titles in the league!
In the studio this week we have Ex category 1 referee Scott Macdonald. Scott talked us through his remarkable start in refereeing and how it came about. Scott reached the highest level of Reffing in Scotland and has some fantastic stories from his time in the middle in Scottish football!
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