King of Hearts

In the Scottish Premiership, HEARTS played their first league game and won 2-0 at home to Aberdeen. Hearts have now scored in all of their 5 games played including their 4 game 1^st round League Cup group stages. They have taken their goals tally to 18 and are our best team to date.

English and Scottish Weekend Results

We had a total of just 28 of our teams in action over the weekend and out of them, 6 failed to score any goals. 

In League One, CARDIFF CITY win 2-1 at home to PETERBOROUGH UTD. BLACKPOOL lost 3-2 at home against Stevenage. WYCOMBE lost 2-1 away to Bradford City. HUDDERSFIELD TOWN won 3-0 at home to LEYTON ORIENT. PLYMOUTH lost 3-1 at home against Barnsley. STOCKPORT COUNTY won 2-0 at home to BOLTON. 

In League Two, GILLINGHAM drew 1-1 away to Accrington. BARNET picked up their first blank score sheet after they lost their first league game 2-0 at home to Fleetwood. CHESTERFIELD won 1-0 at home to Barrow. First blank for MK DONS after they drew 0-0 at home to Oldham. CREWE won 3-1 away to Salford City. BROMLEY picked up their first blank score sheet as they drew 0-0 away to Shrewsbury Town. WALSALL won 2-1 at home to SWINDON TOWN. NOTTS COUNTY drew 1-1 away to Newport County. 

In the Premiership, in there first game of the season, Champions CELTIC drew 1-1 at home to St Mirren.  RANGERS drew 1-1 away to Motherwell. HIBERNIAN won 2-1 away to Dundee. 

In the Championship, ROSS COUNTY drew 2-2 away to Airdrieonians which takes their goals total to 13, which their 4 group stage league cup games.   

In League One, COVE RANGERS picked up their 2^nd blank of the season after they lost 2-0 at home to Queen of the South. EAST FIFE lost 4-1 away to Peterhead and are on a total of 6 goals. STENHOUSEMUIR lost 2-1 at home to Alloa and picked up their 4^th goal of the season. 

In League Two DUMBARTON won 2-1 at home to CLYDE. Dumbarton are on a total of 4 goals while Clyde are on 6 goals.

First League Games of the Season

The very first league games in Season 43 have now been played. In League One, LUTON TOWN have picked up their first goal of the season, after they won 1-0 at home against AFC Wimbledon. 

In the Scottish Championship, AYR UTD have kept their 100% scoring record after they had scored in all of their 5 games played including the 4 games in the 1^st round group stage of the league Cup. They drew their first league game 1-1 away to Arbroath. 

Barnet Out of League Cup

It’s the start of the new League Cup Preliminary Round this week and in the first match, we have newly promoted BARNET in action. Barnet after 90+ minutes, drew 2-2 at home to Newport County scoring two very late goals in injury time. Barnet then lost 4-2 on penalties.

Scottish League Cup 1st Round Results

In the Scottish League Cup first round group stages all of the games have now been played. We had a total of 8 of our teams in action. Out of them only 2 have made it through to the second round and they are AYR UTD and HEARTS. 

In Group A, Falkirk finished top of their group winning 3 of their games. COVE RANGERS finished second after they had won just 2 of their games. They first won 1-0 at home to The Spartans and then they drew 0-0 against Falkirk at home and then lost 4-2 on penalties. They won their next game 3-0 away to Brechin City and then lost their last game 2-1 away to Queens Park. Rangers are on a total of 5 goals. 

Group B, Partick Thistle finished top winning all 4 games. ROSS COUNTY finished 2^nd winning just 2 of their games. They first drew 1-1 away to Stranraer and then lost 6-5 on penalties. They then won 1-0 away to Queen of the South. The next game they won 8-0 at home to Edinburgh City. In their last game they lost 3-1 at home to Partick Thistle. County are on a total of 11 goals. 

Group C, Alloa finished top with Airdrieonians in second place.  

Group D, St Mirren finished top with AYR UTD finishing in 2^nd place. They first won 6-1 away to Annan and then they won 4-0 at home against Arbroath. Next they won 3-0 at home to Forfar. In their last game they lost 2-1 away to St Mirren. Ayr are on a total of 14 goals.

Group E, HEARTS finished top winning all of their 4 games. They first won 4-1 at home to Dunfermline, then 4-0 away to Hamilton. Next they won 4-0 away to Stirling and in their final game they won 4-0 at home to Dumbarton. Hearts are on a total of 16 goals. Dunfermline finished in 2^nd place.  DUMBARTON finished in 3^rd place after they won just 2 games. They first won 1-0 at home to Stirling and then they lost 4-0 at home to Dunfermline. Next they lost 4-0 away to Hearts. In their last game they won 1-0 away to Hamilton. Dumbarton are on a total of 2 goals. 

Group F, St Johnston finished top with Raith Rovers in second place. 

Group G, Motherwell finished top with Greenock in 2^nd place. CLYDE finished 3^rd in their group. They drew their first game 2-2 at home to Motherwll and then lost 5-4 on penalties. In their second game they won 2-1 away to Peterhead. In their third game they drew 2-2 at home to Stenhousemuir. In their last game they lost 3-0 away to Greenock. Clyde are on a total of 9 goals. STENHOUSEMUIR finished in 4^th place. They first lost 3-0 away to Greenock and then lost 1-0 at home to Motherwell. They then drew 2-2 away to Clyde and then lost 4-3 on penalties. In their last game they won 1-0 at home to Peterhead. Stenhousemuir are on a total of 3 goals. 

Group H, Kilmarnock finished top with Livingston in 2^nd place. EAST FIFE finished in 3^rd place. They fisrt lost 2-1 at home to Livingston. They then won 1-0 away to kelty Hearts. Next they won 3-0 at home to Brora Rangers. In their last game they lost 4-0 away to Kilmarnock. Fife are on a total of 5 goals. 

League Cup 2^nd Round - Golden Goals teams are in bold caps  

CELTIC v Falkirk

Kilmarnock v Dundee United

RANGERS v Alloa Athletic

Livingston v HIBERNIAN

St Johnstone v Motherwell

Greenock Motron v Aberdeen

Partick Thistle v AYR UTD

St Mirren v HEARTS 

Ties are to be played on the weekend of 16th/17th August.

Book Now Closed

 

The book is now closed on our 43^rd Season of Golden Goals. We have ended up with a total of 111 players, and becomes our 9th best season. But the good news is that it’s our 13th consecutive season of 100 or more players. A BIG thank you to all who have entered.  

How the team selection finished 

We have ended up with just 46 English teams this time round with Liverpool leading the way this season with a total of 49 votes. Arsenal are second with 26 votes. In third place with 19 votes we have Manchester City. In fourth place we have Chelsea with just 12 votes. In fifth place with 11 vote we have Sheffield United.

With the Scottish teams we have a total of 11 teams with Celtic leading the votes once again with 70. last season they had 40. Rangers are second again with just 10 votes. Hearts are third with just 3 votes. All the others have one vote each. 

We welcome back into the football league BARNET with 1 vote this season.  

The first News Sheet should be with you on Monday 11th August with all this seasons facts and figures.

Join In The Fun

We have just one week before we close the books for season 43. The good news is that we have had 78 entries back and this is beginning to look like we might pick up the same as last season’s score of 114.

But we once again have no interest from the world outside the UK. Golden Goals is a very simple and unique football competition once again. All you have to do is choose three football teams from any English or Scottish leagues or from both, pay an entry fee of £8. Sit back and watch your three team’s results as it’s their goals that count. The News Sheet will be sent to you each week via email.

The goals come from League games, League Cup and the the FA Cup. Cash prize money is paid out every week with £100 to our next Champion at the end of the season.

If you would like to know more about the rules and entry form, then you can e-mail me Steve at goldengoals1983@gmail.com  once the deadline of midnight 21 July 2025, you will not be able to take part. 

The most popular combination that I have been asked for this season is Arsenal, Celtic and Ipswich Town. PLEASE DO NOT PICK THESE AS THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN. 

Now with the team voting we are now up to 36 English teams with Liverpool well out in front with 35 votes. In second place on 20 votes we have Arsenal and in third place with 16 votes is Manchester City, while in fourth we have Newcastle with 9 votes.With our Scottish teams they are starting to be picked up as the last post I gave you we have 10 teams, Celtic lead the way by far with 50 votes while Rangers in second place have just 6. Cove rangers and Hearts are third with just 2 votes each.

The good news is that Last season’s champion is also back Clara Stephens and a few more past Champions. So if you would like to join in the fun with the sport you like, then it’s Golden Goals for you. There’s still time for you to receive your free entry form to join in. Email me, Steve at goldengoals1983@gmail.com