Bo'ness United Season 1999/00

BO'NESS UNITED 1999/00 REVIEW

Expectations were low entering the 1999/00 campaign, following the narrow escape from relegation the previous season. Surprisingly, Bo'ness finished an excellent fourth place in the league - ahead of Scottish Junior Cup winners Whitburn - but, by contrast, ended the season empty-handed, having won two trophies in 1999. It certainly is a funny old game.

It was an inauspicious start to the league campaign, losing at home to a good Newtongrange side in the opening league match. Not such a bad result, viewed from the other end of the season, with Newtongrange finishing runners-up. There was also an early win at Haddington, and a 4-4 thriller away to Bonnyrigg, who would also challenge for the title.

Early season midweek football was supplied by the Carlsberg League Cup, in which Bo'ness reached the quarter finals with two penalty shoot-out wins, and then went out the same way against local rivals Linlithgow. It was a pulsating match, in which Bo'ness twice led (with their second being an incredible long-range lob from Dougie Todd) but were always being outplayed. Goalkeeper Neil Binnie was outstanding, but a late equaliser by the visiting Rose forced penalties, where Bo'ness' luck deserted them.

Revenge was had shortly afterwards in the league in another memorable encounter, in which the BUs prevailed 4-3 at Prestonfield; this sparked off an encouraging run, which saw progress in the Fife and Lothians Cup (2-1 at Lochgelly) and in the big one, the Scottish (an uneventful 1-0 win at Newtown Park against North region side Stonehaven).

The season's hopes were rocked, however, by events involving star striker Paul McKinlay. First, he requested a transfer from Bo'ness; and then he suffered a leg-break in a league defeat at home to Whitburn.

Bizarrely, this sparked off a run which would last from November until the following March, in which Bo'ness found themselves in irresistable form and rocketed into the title fight. Progress was also made in the Scottish, in a dramatic win at Central League Second Division club Glasgow Perthshire. As Bo'ness appeared to be cruising with early goals from Brown and Loney, Binnie was harshly sent off for picking up the ball outside his area (if indeed he did). The visitors were later reduced to nine men in the second half when Loney was ordered off for a second yellow card, but remarkably still managed to extend their lead when Jimmy Burns converted a penalty. Perthshire almost mounted a remarkable comeback, scoring twice late on for a 3-2 scoreline, but Bo'ness were worthy of their win after a hard-fought game.

Although elimination from the Fife and Lothians at the hands of Fauldhouse followed, Bo'ness defeated Arniston in the league before exiting the Scottish in an unlucky loss away to Central League champions, and eventual semi-finalists, Shotts Bon Accord away from home.

That was their last game of 1999; and they began the year 2000 in sensation style, with four straight league wins (including one at Newtongrange) and two 5-1 wins in the East of Scotland Cup.

Eventually, however, they came off the rails. As their title challenge appeared to be becoming very real, a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Haddington sent the BUs season into decline. Another home defeat, on penalties in the Brown Cup (a competition they had won the previous three years) against Edinburgh confirmed the downturn in form. Hopes of winning the league were almost certainly ended, realistically if not mathematically, with a 1-1 draw at Bathgate when Bo'ness were denied victory when a late Jimmy Burns goal was controversially disallowed.

They rode their luck to pick up two victories after this; a 3-0 win against Newtongrange in the East of Scotland Cup semi-final, even thought the Star were clearly the better side. It was the same the week after, when a lucky 2-1 win against a vastly superior Bonnyrigg side ended their visitors' hopes of winning the league.

League form dipped with three straight defeats after this, including a 3-0 loss to Linlithgow, but the league campaign was at least rounded off with two victories, including a 3-1 win against eventual Scottish Junior Cup winners Whitburn.
Action from the 2-1 East of Scotland Cup Final defeat to Linlithgow

All of which left the cups to concentrate on, but this was only to produce two final defeats. The first was against Linlithgow in the East of Scotland Cup final at Camelon. Bo'ness had to play without regular goalkeeper Neil Binnie, but all appeared to be going well when Gary Smith put them in front early on. But it was not to be - Brian Kemp was red-carded for a second yellow card, and Linlithgow went on to win 2-1.

Worse was to come in the St Michaels Cup. Having secured a final place with a surprise win at Bonnyrigg and a home defeat of Second Division champions Harthill, the final against Armadale was an immense disappointment. Bo'ness, expected to win against lower league opponents, were shambolic and thoroughly deserved to lose 2-1 in front of a poor crowd at Pumpherston. Having went behind, Gary Smith's equaliser gave some hope, but as Armadale regained the lead and record all-time goalscorer Jimmy Burns was substituted for the last time before retirement, there was a sense of inevitability about the result.

Revenge for Armadale for last season's unlucky loss to Bo'ness in the Brown Cup final; for the BUs, another bitter pill to swallow at the end of a season which had promised so much.

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