By Michael Anderson (Causeway Chronicle)
Go to a Belfast airport any Saturday and you will see football fans setting off to cheer on their favourites.
Normally it’s scarves and shirts of the usual clubs on display… Liverpool, Manchester United, Rangers and Celtic.
Last Saturday wasn’t quite the norm though.
Heading off for the ‘big game’ was over a dozen supporters from Bushmills, preparing to go and watch… Stenhousemuir!
Proudly wearing ‘Stenny’ hats, the guys took in Saturday’s top of the table clash with Inverness Caley Thistle.
Over 1,000 watched the 1-1 draw at Ochilview, which saw Stenhousemuir come from behind to grab a point and stay top of League One by two points from their weekend opponents.
However, Inverness went top after winning their game in hand 2-0 at Peterhead on Tuesday.
The Bushmills group has been travelling to cheer on the Warriors for several years now.
It all came about through lifelong Stenny fan Ian Anderson, originally from Scotland.
“Ian married a local girl and moved to Bushmills,” explained Ian Thompson, who was part of the travelling party.
“About three years ago he suggested going to a game and about six or eight went.
“Since then the trip has grown in popularity,” added Ian.
“Karl Smith organised it through the Bush House pub,” added former owner Ian, whose daughter Trudy now owns the popular bar.
“For Saturday we had 15 making the journey.”
Stenhousemuir’s growing North Coast fanbase is well known around the club.
“A lot of us have done the hospitality before,” continued Ian.
“We are on first name terms with a some of the supporters and officials.”
And the club’s Northern Ireland fans were content with the hard fought draw.
Matthew Aitken converted a penalty for the hosts nine minutes from time to cancel out Thistle’s first half lead.
“It was a decent game,” said Ian. “Stenny scored a penalty near the end.
“Overall I think everyone was happy with a point.”
