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Management thoughts on tomorrow’s Scottish Cup game.
November 27, 2009
“It’s been a long time coming. Over a period of five or six years a pipe dream finally became a reality when the Academy pitch opened at the start of this season and tomorrow we get to play our first ever Scottish Cup-tie at our new stadium. City Park was a great “Scottish” home for us and time will tell if Ainslie Park can bring the same excitement and positive results. Common sense would suggest otherwise as our new, big flat pitch excites the opposition rather than intimidates them like the old lady across the road did.
Whatever, it’s another Scottish Cup day and everyone in the home dressing room has been looking forward to it since the draw was made. The fact that one of our own now plays for Forfar and is the country’s leading scorer has definitely added spice to the occasion and his dad Dick Campbell is a well known face to all at Spartans.
Do we have a chance? Let’s put some facts on the table. Forfar are fourth in the SFL Third division and pushing for promotion. Since Dick took over they have a very good cup record and they got to the 5th Round of the Scottish last season before being knocked out by Rangers. The one thing we won’t do tomorrow is catch our visitors unprepared.
I watched Forfar beat our friends from Annan three weeks ago and they are big, strong, organised, streetwise and have one or two really talented players. On that day at Station Park Chris Templeman and Martyn Fotheringham caught my eye as did the workrate of their front two, Ross Campbell and Ian Harty.
An answer to my question above - of course we have a chance. We may not catch SFL sides by surprise anymore but our group of players have risen to the occasion in the past and they can do it again. We may have a chip on our shoulders – who knows but everyone in the home dressing room feels we have something to prove and the players will give it their all from the first whistle to the last.
The result is important but moreso is the chance to show we can compete against an SFL side. Credibility is the name of the game when the Scottish comes around and that is our main target tomorrow – the result can take care of itself.
We have no injury worries and our players are all looking forward to the game. For my part I’m normally very apprehensive on a Saturday morning before an East of Scotland game because all the pressure is on Sam, myself and our team. Tomorrow the pressure rightly shifts to the away dressing room and I can enjoy my corn flakes and watch Soccer AM without a care in the world.
If you believe that…………..”
Mike
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