A special game

Posted on Friday, October 12th, 2012

Tomorrow we welcome Mickey, Mike, Scott, the Players, Officials and supporters of ‘The Welfare’ to Ainslie Park, for this our first meeting of the season. 

It is only right and fitting that I start congratulate Peter ‘Mr Whitehill’ McGauley on his recent 50th anniversary landmark and milestone.  To volunteer at the one club for so long is truly special, something unique.  Of course we also welcome Mickey back to AP today for the first time since his amazing tenure (with Sam) at ‘The Spartans’ came to end.  What he has achieved at The Welfare followed by his time here at Spartans also puts him in a category and class of his own.  Similar to Peter, I suspect the list of trophies won under his management will never be matched.  

Spartans vs. WWFC has been  a special game for as long as I can remember, for as long as I have been involved in E of S football.  The Welfare are flying just now, high after scoring goals for fun in recent weeks and taking Stirling University’s notable scalp so convincingly last week.  I’m confident Micky will deny it (and hate it), however, that result has let everyone know that Welfare are the team to beat at this moment in time.  

For our part, last week was another good performance, especially first half.  In the first half Harry scored what surely ranks as his best ever goal at Spartans, with Beezer also producing a touch of real class on the day to score the winner. Sadly the win came at a cost, Danny is suspended for today and both Sivvy and Granty picked up dead legs which mean both miss out today.  We also have a further 2 players on the ‘not available’ list.  On the upside, Cuish has returned from holiday and is available for selection.  There’s been a real honesty, a hunger and an intensity to our play in recent weeks. All of these attributes will be tested to the full tomorrow, in what I expect to be a high scoring affair. 

Sammy