Spartans 2001 are looking to add to the newly created 2001 Zidane level squad with a view to 11 a-sides in August 2013. Players of all positions required.

Please contact Bob Hutcheson on 07764 768839 or rhutcheson1@sky.com

Mike says –

“Over the 90 minutes we can have no complaints. Sure we pushed them at 2-1 and in one incident they blocked at least half a dozen goal bound shots but over the game as a whole the better team won. Stirling are a very good side and as I’ve said on here before they have now set the bar that ourselves, Whitehill, Gretna, Edinburgh City and anyone else who aspire to be EOS Premier Division champions must strive to better.

Our effort and commitment today was the equal or even better than that of Stirling unlike our league game through there two weeks ago. We let ourselves down at Stirling but nobody could say that of those in Spartans colours today. We came up a little short, didn’t get the breaks you sometimes need and have to live with the consequences.  Over the season Sam and I have been more than happy with the players at our disposal and with the effort they have shown.

There’s a chance Omar Kader, Gavin Malin and Dean Hoskins wont be with us next season so Sam and I would like to thank them for the service they have given to the club and wish them all the best in the future. Talking of future this season Kerr Dodds, Ali MacKinnon, Chris Anderson, John Grant, Jordan Finnie and Sean Wringe have come into the senior squad and despite the lack of silverware Sam and I are happy that we are on the right direction.  Kevin Sivewright deservedly won every Senior player of the year award this evening and hopefully there will be a good few others pushing him for those trophies this time next year.

Have a happy summer break.”

Mike

Mike says –

“After the ups then downs of last weekend we have a chance tomorrow to finish the season on a high. A chance for revenge? I think not – Stirling University deservedly won the league and for that they have been congratulated. They are well run, well coached, have very good players and will only improve over the coming seasons. As I’ve said on here they have been a breath of fresh air since joining East of Scotland football but tomorrow is a Cup Final and we would be desperate to win the game whoever the opposition was.

We’ve played Stirling three times this season and the stats sit at a win each and a draw so there is maybe something to play for as well as the silverware. We go out and try to win every game we play against East of Scotland opposition and tomorrow is no different. Sam and I will set the team out to try to take the game to the students but as a couple of weeks ago shows having an attacking formation is no good unless you have a decent share of the football. Ferguson Park is a great setting for a final but it isn’t the biggest playing surface and both teams will hope it has recovered from the hammering it took from ourselves and Whitehill a week ago.

We will be without Sean Wringe tomorrow and Dr Seeley who played a big part our win at Rosewell last week comes off nightshift a few hours before the game. There is concern over one other player who is carrying an injury so Sam and I will wait until the last minute before deciding on the starting eleven. By our standards it’s been a poor season but as I stated on here previously there have been mitigating circumstances (and a very good team from Stirling). Poor season or not Sam and I have been delighted with the effort and commitment shown by all our players old and new and we’d ask them for one final effort tomorrow.

My piece on here after we got the news from Innerleithen was interpreted on the P&B as though I was ready to chuck football and head for the Dean Bridge. Do any of these people know me? My first ever game in charge of a senior team was at Meadowbank against the Aberdeen team who had previously won the European Cup Winners Cup and their manager has now hit 70. His team lost the league on goal difference this season but I don’t read anywhere that he’s ready to walk. I hit 63 yesterday and there is still a lot of football life left in me I’m afraid.

Finally in re-reading my Tuesday piece (to see how morose it was) I noticed I’d missed mentioning Chris Anderson and Scott Fusco as new signings this season. After a bright start Scott lost his place in the team and decided to have a few months away when he couldn’t fight his way back into the side. Once he gets himself a regular game (here or elsewhere) and settles down he will have a long career ahead of him. Chris Anderson seems to have been around the club for ages hence me forgetting this is his first season. A good performance against us for Gala early in the season before last had us tracking Ando and his involvement with the Under 19’s means he’s in with the bricks. He’s played (and played well) anywhere Sam and I have asked him this season and he’ll hopefully be pulling on a Spartan’s jersey for the foreseeable future.

The season finishes tomorrow but there’s part of me wishes it was just starting. If the sun stays out get yourself along to Ferguson Park at 2.00 but remember to bring your sun block.”

Mike

Mike says –

“Of the four teams with a late, changed fixture tonight we stood out as the one who definitely didn’t want to play on a Friday evening without five of our regular starters. As things panned out only ourselves and Whitehill took to the park and for the neutrals who turned up at Rosewell they must have seen one of the most exciting games of the season.

Whitehill were brilliant tonight. Like us they were one or two short but Grant and Kevin had them well fired up in a game that had no real consequence to the home side. All Sam and I can ask for is the same level of commitment from The Vale against Stirling on Monday.

Tonight Whitehill caused us all sorts of problems, played attractive attacking football and scored four really good goals. On our side I don’t like to single players out but I must give a special thanks to two tonight. Murray Jackson in goal came into the lions den on a tight pitch where the ball doesn’t take long to be fired into the box and made save after save. He did himself and his watching grandad Gordon Marshall proud. Dr Seeley hasn’t kicked a ball in two months, sat exams in London this week, took 5 hours travelling up by train today, felt sick before the game and was magnificent from the first minute until the last. Add to them 11 other guys who gave it their all and you have everything Spartans stands for.

Where does that leave us? On the way to my local after the game tonight I received a text from the top (sports) man at Stirling University and my good friend Raleigh Gowrie. It said “Drama @ whitehill! Well done! RG”

As Dougie Hewit was driving my replay said “Ral at 4-2 we didn’t know if we should shut up shop or go for it. We make a change, go for it and nearly lose the game. Unlike us you know exactly what you need to do. It shouldn’t be like that.”

Now maybe Ral deserved a bit better from me but that’s how I felt and feel now. The EOS exec try their best and had the right idea in mind putting the two title deciding games together but as usual they came up short. If you can throw title deciding fixtures on the Friday night of a Bank Holiday at teams with little notice you can call off a second game if the first falls foul of the weather.

We could have started Jordan or Sean tonight but before the game they both knew they would take part. “One of you run yourself into the ground for an hour and the other will give fresh legs for the last 30 minutes.” Jordan got the nod and put in a great shift. Sean came on and got an important goal.

Then we get to the crux. 4-2 up and is it enough when the free scoring Stirling will know what to do on Monday? Chris Anderson had done well, we could have pushed Sean wide left, tucked Beezer in, gone 4 5 1 and settled for what we had. But we also know Chris Millican has energy and can score goals, Gavin also has energy and takes our spot kicks so we swap Chris for Chris.

We then miss three chances (one of them to Chris Millican in the inside right channel) before Whitehill go up the park and score two of the best distance chips your ever likely to see.

It’s all my fault or is it? I’ve made a lot of decisions in 20 years of management and over the piece I’d like to think I’ve got more right than wrong. Chris Millican was brought down for the penalty which decided the game and Gavin scored the winner from the spot, eventually.

What are my final thoughts? I could have tried to shut up shop at 4-2 but more imortantly I’m very sorry that those very, very important players to this club missed the most important game of the season.”

Mike

Mike says –

“I spent one of the most enjoyable afternoons in years watching the two Manchester teams fighting it out for the Premiership title in my local last Sunday. Everyone who has any interst in football knew from the start of the season the date the action would happen and everyone hoped the outcome would be as tight. The SPL isn’t quite as exciting but the final day is set in stone and the chance of such an exciting Sunday afternoon is possible.

We in East of Scotland football have our equivalent tomorrow. Stirling University and ourselves fight it out for our Premier division title as we head for Rosewell while the students travel down to Innerleithen.

There the similarities end. We were meant to play Whitehill in the league last Wednesday but the fixture was changed to a King Cup semi. Suddenly at two weeks notice on the Friday night of a Bank Holiday weekend with both Edinburgh teams contesting the Scottish Cup Final we are told we have our last and deciding league game.

When the fixture was changed Sam and I immediately raised the alarm. Our captain and 20 odd of his friends including some of our players (and a few from The Vale I hear) were heading to Bournemouth that weekend for his stag. Stirling were a few games and points behind us but we were told that if they caught us and the last two games were meaningful the date may be able to be changed.

By Monday afternoon we knew this wasn’t going to happen. The EOS secretary says the games could only be changed if all four teams agreed. I could ask him that when fixtures are changed to give teams games on the Friday night of a holiday weekend at two weeks notice maybe all four teams should be asked if they agreed to that change. How many Friday night games have there been at our level of football this season?

As it is we are missing five players who have started 95% of our league games this season, three of them ever present up until now. Don’t get me wrong Sam and I are happy with the side we will put out. We had four U19’s on the bench at Stirling last Saturday and tomorrow we will also pull in four of our Junior side as trialists.

The strength of our side is not as important as the fact that five of our regulars are denied the chance to play in such an important game. Players at our level play for the love of the game and despite the trials and tribulations they have had to put up with this season our lot have put themselves within a step of retaining their title. To play in that game has been taken away from them without any consideration whatsoever. It’s been raining today and I’ll happily do a rain dance tomorrow morning.

Finally the reason for the fixture change in the first place was because the original King Cup fixture between ourselves and Whitehill was cancelled three Saturday’s ago. Spartans match secretary Jimmy Murray and myself were asked out to Rosewell at 10.00 on the morning of the proposed game as the pitch was heavy. Jimmy, myself, the Whitehill management team and their representative on the EOS executive committee agreed although heavy, there was no surface water, it wasn’t raining and with no rain forecast we should go ahead with the game.

For some reason unknown to us all and just when I arrived home half an hour later I heard the game had been put off (having gone through the proper channels of course). To their credit I met Grant and Kevin at the Leith v Stirling game later in the day and they were as annoyed and dissappointed the game was off as I was.

I look forward to seeing them tomorrow and congratulating them on their excellent cup win on Wednesday. Whitehill should always be in around the silverware and I’m glad the current management team appear to have the Rosewell club back on the right track.”

Mike