Mike says -

“First of all a “well done” to the players and management of the Junior side. I know they had a difficult week and were struggling to field a side so to get a 3-0 result is fantastic. Keep up the good work.

For our part my quote to Keith for the Evening News right after yesterday’s game was “Glasgow Uni take the plaudits and we progress to the semi final” and that about sums our afternoon up.  Sam and I took some wry comments from the committee after the game about our half-time team talk as we never played after the break. I actually reminded the players that the last time we played Glasgow Uni at Garscube we were also 3-0 up and half-time and scraped a 4-2 win. The Glasgow students wouldn’t lie down and would fight for the entire 90 minute. We would have to keep the tempo to the game up and to keep the ball to see the game out. It seems more that our sponge man are a little hard of hearing.

Chris Townsley, Keith McLeod and Gavin Malin coming off didn’t help our rhythm but Chris was feeling an injury and Sam and I had Preston on Tuesday on our minds. Omar Kader has been playing really well for us considering he’s been commuting from London every weekend but with him being unavailable for the Preston game Danny O’Donnell came back into the side and turned out a “man of the match” performance. Danny’s fitness was never in doubt but he needed some game time before such an important game as Tuesday will be.

Cloudie (Keith McLeod) and Gav (Mailn) will be fit and we’ll just have to wheel big Towner (Chris Townsley) onto the park such a big influence on the side he has become this season. Final thoughts on Saturday – as Archie (captain “two goal” Ross Archibald) said on the M8 coming home – “it might just be the kick up the backside we need”.

Time will tell.”

Mike

Mike says -

“The snow caused major disruptions to training and playing games over the festive season and this week it’s been the turn of driving rain and gale force winds. There was little structured Mike could do with the players at training last night so Sam was sent home early while the rest of us, players, management and coaches alike had over an hour of football. Well football of sorts as the wind caused havoc and will do should any games go ahead tomorrow.

I was at Ferguson Park, Rosewell last week and as the thaw had fully taken the park got very heavy indeed over the 90 minutes. I watched Whitehill edge out a very organised and competitive Edinburgh University side in a game that was a very good advert for East of Scotland football. Whitehill know should they beat us tomorrow that they are right up there as our main challengers for the Premier Division title and we expect a full examination of our footballing capabilities.

Whitehill were the top dogs in EOS football for more than a decade and our recent successes would suggest we have a chance of taking over that mantle as the team to beat should we maintain our consistency over another few years. That means every time the two teams meet, in any competition, you can expect a feisty affair.  I don’t mean that sparks will fly tomorrow but there is an extra competitive edge to games between Whitehill and Spartans you don’t get in any other East of Scotland game. Football fans at our level know that and we expect a good turn out and a terrific atmosphere tomorrow.

For our part Stewart Fowlie still has a back strain, David Etale is still on commando training and Dr Seeley will be on duty saving lives this weekend. Two other players are carrying injuries but such is the importance of the game that they want to grin and bare it and who are Sam and I to deny them the opportunity to play.

Lets all hope the wind and rain abate and the game we are all looking forward to takes place.”

Mike

Mike says -

“It goes without saying that everyone in East of Scotland football is desperate to get back to playing competitively. A couple of teams have even given up home advantage in this the first round of the King Cup just to get a game. As a precaution I sounded out playing Gala on our Field Turf after the Junior game should the rain that’s forecast for tomorrow cause us problems. The jury is still out on that but it hasn’t been discounted that’s for sure. Let’s just hope Colin and his team beat the weather and get us back playing and running about on grass for the first time since last November.

We’ve played Gala twice this season winning narrowly on both occasions with the first cup game going to extra time.  Our boys have nothing but respect for Fraser Lothian’s team and we know it’ll take a very good performance to progress to the second round. Gala scored against us in both previous games and are the only team to score twice against us in 90 minutes this season so we know that defensively we will have to be on our toes.

Over the last couple of months the weather and the festive period has curtailed every teams training schedules so in some ways it’s going into the unknown for players and managers alike. The start of the season is preceded by a number of friendly games played on grass but no-one tomorrow goes into their cup-tie with that luxury behind them. It’ll be interesting to see which teams get back into their stride the quickest.

Apart from David Etale, Stewart Fowlie who’s back is giving him problems, and Dr Seeley who’s busy with his day job this month we have a clean bill of health. Training has been sharp and competitive this week as everyone senses that we are nearly back playing in earnest. The boys know they will have to be at the top of their game tomorrow and everybody is really looking forward to that first blow of the referee’s whistle.

I hope you can get down to watch the action.”

Mike

Mike says -

“Selkirk have been one of the surprise team in East of Scotland football this season. OK they shipped 6 goals to Stirling on the first day of the season and Bo’ness repeated the goal doze last weekend but in between they’ve won 5 games including victories against Premier sides The Vale, Strollers and Preston. They are also the only team this season to come out on top against Edinburgh University.

We always find it difficult when we travel down to Yarrow Park but tomorrow we expect to find a team even higher in confidence than usual and ready to take the scalp of the current league champions.  Paul Brownlee has a few players to call on we know well but the new boys have obviously given the club a lift and we expect a stern test of our footballing abilities.

For our part David Etale is still away on manoeuvres with the Army (well playing football for them) but we hope Cloudie and Omar make it safely up from London. Alex King and Jack Beesley are still not 100% fit so there’s a good chance the team will be on the same lines as that which won at Riccarton last Saturday.

We are all looking forward to yet another away day.”

Mike