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Sat 2nd August

1st XI Friendly Spartans 3 (Donal Henretty 2, Nicky Walker) Newtongrange Star 2
2nd XI Aitkenhead T 1 Spartans 1 (Nick Reid)

Fixtures

Tue 5th August

Friendly 1st XI vs 2nd XI at Peffermill ko 7pm

Sat 9th August

1st XI League Spartans vs Coldstream at City Park ko 2.30…lets have a big turn out for the first competitive game of the season
2nd XI League Spartans vs Wishaw at Peffermill ko 2pm

Sun 10th August

Womens 1st XI SWPL Kilmarnock vs Spartans ko 2pm

News

1. Talk 107

Having been right behind out SFL bid Talk 107 want to do a weekly Spartans 5 minute slot on their Friday programme around 7pm – it starts this Friday and we’ll have a rota with a mix of committee, coaches, players and supporters (Mena and Womens) previewing the game on the next day and also talking about what else is happening across the club.

2. The Academy Community Football Development Officer Role (funded by Children in Need)

Douglas received over 25 applications for the role and we’ve selected eight for first interview. All but one was last week, with the one remaining interview this week. The final stages will be run during August and we will make the appointment ready for a start in early October. We are just finalising the funding with the SWFA for a second role. When the Academy opens we will have then have two full time roles in place in addition to Douglas’ management role so we will be ready to make a big impact in the Community.

3. Thank you to Cameron for spotting that Hibs are at home the same day as us for only one of our home league games across the whole season – we are therefore hoping to entice as many Hibs fans down City Park and then Ainslie Park. Hopefully we will e able to entice some of the non travelling Hibs fans to enjoy a season watching Spartans at home – season tickets details will be on the web site tomorrow night.

4. Training for the 3s and 19s at Peffermill on Tuesday and for all teams on Thursday.

Wednesday 13th August
EOS League Premier Division
Preston Athletic v Spartans (7:45pm)

Saturday 16th August
EOS League Premier Division
Dalbeattie Star v Spartans (2:30pm)

Saturday 23rd August
EOS League Premier Division
Spartans v Edinburgh City (2:30pm)

Saturday 30th August
EOS League Premier Division
Selkirk v Spartans (2:30pm)

Saturday 6th September
Image Printers EOS Qualifying Cup second round
Coldstream v Spartans (2:30pm)

Saturday 13th September
SFA South Challenge Cup second round

Saturday 20th September
EOS League Premier Division
Spartans v Peebles (2:30pm)

Saturday 27th September
Scottish Cup first round

Saturday 4th October
EOS League Premier Division
Heriot-Watt University v Spartans (2:30pm)

Thursday 9th  to Sunday 12th October
Image Printers EOS Qualifying Cup third round

Saturday 18th October
SFA South Challenge Cup third round

Saturday 25th October
Scottish Cup second round

Saturday 1st November
EOS League Premier Division
Spartans v Edinburgh University (2:00pm)

Saturday 8th November
Image Printers EOS Qualifying Cup semi-finals

EOS League Premier Division
Coldstream v Spartans (2:00pm)

Saturday 15th November
SFA South Challenge Cup fourth round

Saturday 22nd November
EOS League Premier Division
Spartans v Dalbeattie Star (2:00pm)

Saturday 29th November
Scottish Cup third round

Saturday 6th December
EOS League Premier Division
Easthouses Lily v Spartans (2:00pm)

Saturday 13th December
SFA South Challenge Cup semi-finals

EOS League Premier Division
Whitehill Welfare v Spartans (1:30pm)

Saturday 20th December
EOS League Premier Division
Spartans v Lothian Thistle (1:30pm)

Sunday 21st December
Image Printers EOS Qualifying Cup final (tbc)

Saturday 10th January
EOS League Premier Division
Spartans v Preston Athletic (2:00pm)

Saturday 17th January
King Cup first round
Spartans v Easthouses Lily (2:00pm)

Saturday 24th January
EOS League Premier Division
Edinburgh City v Spartans (2:00pm)

Sunday 25th January
SFA South Challenge Cup final (final)

Saturday 31st January
EOS League Premier Division
Spartans v Selkirk (2:00pm)

Saturday 7th February
EOS League Premier Division
Peebles v Spartans (2:30pm)

Saturday 14th February
King Cup second round

Saturday 21st February
EOS League Premier Division
Spartans v Heriot-Watt University (2:30pm)

Saturday 28th February
EOS League Premier Division
Edinburgh University v Spartans (2:30pm)

Saturday 7th March
TBA

Saturday 14th March
King Cup third round

Saturday 21st March
TBA

Saturday 28th March
EOS League Premier Division
Spartans v Easthouses Lily (2:30pm)

Saturday 4th April
EOS League Premier Division
Spartans v Whitehill Welfare (2:30pm)

Saturday 11th April
King Cup semi-finals

EOS League Premier Division
Lothian Thistle v Spartans (2:30pm)

Saturday 16th May
King Cup final (tbc)

NB. The dates and draw for the League Cup is to be arranged. 

Anyway, what am I talking about? Oh, aye – Every time I get a text from Moira it comes in duplicate, sometimes it even arrives three times. It’s a bit like that old joke about the Irishman sitting the Highway Code part of his Driving Test.

“What does a yellow line at the side of the road mean?” asks the Instructor. “No Parking, to be sure sur” replies the Irishman.

“What does two yellow lines at the side of the road mean?” the Instructor asks again. “No Parking, to be sure, to be sure sur” Sam’s cousin replies.

Moira covered Sir Alex and his return to Pittodrie on Saturday but I got a text from her (well two) wishing us all the best and asking me to text her the score. She must also know Steven Tweed or be interviewing him for the SOS as she’d been winding him up and wanted me to say she’s going to divulge his “dodgy secrets.”

Have you seen the size of him? There was no way I was going to be other than very polite to the big man. I wasn’t going to cross the Tweed (boom boom).

He played well. To be honest East Fife passed the ball really well especially in the first half, but they just couldn’t break us down. The game meant more to us than it did to them and it showed in the end.

Back to Mr Tweed – I don’t know if he was hanging about or not but half an hour after the game as I headed upstairs for a cup of tea he was there at the reception area waiting to shake my hand and wish us all the best.

A nice gesture Mr Tweed and appreciated – you can finish your career with us if you want.

How can Moira “Two” Bentleys have anything dodgy to say about a gentleman like that?

The game had similarities to Thursday where the “senior” side had more of the ball but we kept our shape and were sharp on the counter attack. Oh! for a season where EOS sides come at us and we can pick them off – “it won’t happen Michael”.

Two games down on two perfect parks and we showed we can pass the ball on both occasions. Of course the games meant more to us than they did to Falkirk or East Fife but if anyone stumbles on a Spartans training game where I’m in either team they’ll soon find out that every game means everything to me. Give it your best shot, and I mean your best shot and you can walk away with your head held high whatever the score.

Lunn, O’Donnell, Fowlie, Hoskins, Archibald, Kader, Campbell, Manson, Walker, K McLeod and Henretty started and Young, Preston and Burns came on. Take a bow all 14 of you.

East Fife had the breeze behind them in the first half and young Mark was easily the busier keeper having several first class saves. We had our moments too however and Archie hit a shot narrowly over while Donal had a shot blocked by a defenders legs five yards out.

We expected an onslaught in the second half but it didn’t materialise. In fact we got stronger as the game went on and ran out worthy winners. Naomi scored with a 12 yard header from a free kick swung in by Robbie from the left near the halfway line five minutes into the second half.

We continued to pass the ball and with seven minutes left Donal made a great challenge in front of our dug-out, released Naomi who threaded a through ball for Struan. A bit of turbo from the holiday boy and he was through with the keeper to beat. A sclaf across the keeper and it was 2-0. Game over.

Now the feet on the ground bit. Our best performance last season bar none was beating Deveronvale 6-0 at Peffermill in a pre-season friendly. It won us nothing. In fact two month later we were out both the Scottish and Challenge Cup and a defeat in the league at Easthouses was eventually to cost us the league.

Enjoy the moment boys – I will – but in the greater scheme of things it matters diddly sh**.

Finally for now a good few of our Spartans family missed today’s game for various valid and not so valid reasons. You missed a performance I doubt we will be able to repeat this season – it was that good.

Hopefully we can build on it and try to reach these heights on a regular basis but it’s a hard ask.

Whatever the season holds Derick, Bob, Burnsie senior and Max can always remember Methil to put a smile on their faces.

Anyway the stranger on the couch wasn’t really a stranger. Paul Taylor and I were married to sisters. The third sister was married also, and still is to our good friend Jazz. One out of three is bad I suppose.

Paul played for East Fife but gave up SFL football when he opened a sandwich bar at Cannonmills next to the then newly opened Standard Life building. Getting up at 4.30 and playing senior football didn’t mix so decide to concentrate on his job.

Are you reading this Electric?

It didn’t stop him playing junior football and Paul ended up playing more games for Whitburn than any other player in the club’s history. He’s now a very mature Edinburgh University law student with a year to go.

His also says his boots are polished and he’s looking to kick the ball Sammy.

East Fife tomorrow and a very hard game for us. They’ll be bigger, stronger and more physical than the Falkirk boys and I’m sure well know we’ve been in game by 4.00. Mark Lunn who has recently been released by Livie will be in goal for us and with Jono away and Dan in the Park, Stewart will step into central defence. That leaves an opening for Deano to play at left back letting Donal move further up the field.

It’ll be a big test for the two youngsters.

Finally Ral was on earlier talking about last night. He told me Yogi and Brian Rice were very impressed by our performance and I take that as a big compliment. These games are only pre-season friendlies but as well as fitness players must strive to always take something from playing against senior oppositon whatever the score.

I hope our boys learn a bit more about themselves and playing football tomorrow.

Why am I really talking about the weather? I know that preparatory work is taking place at the Academy in order to sow the seed for the new pitch. The grass grows remarkably quickly when it’s down but the wet weather doesn’t help at present in fact it’s a hindrance.

Despite everything that’s happened over the last week we want to get into our new home as soon as possible but not at the expense of the playing surface. 

If we get a fixture list which maps out the proposed league games and cup dates for the whole season I don’t really care how they set the League Cup out tomorrow evening. Don’t get me wrong I preferred the old sections of 4 with 2 Premier and 2 First Division sides where you could bed in and give all your signed players a couple of starts but I’ll go with the flow.

I think the two biggest problems last season other than the weather (it always comes back to the weather) was not playing mid-week games at the start of the season when it was still light enough and not having fixtures on a Saturday because Scotland were playing. I think we could probably have fitted in at least another half dozen games each before Christmas and that would have helped come April and May.

Anyway, like everybody else I’m looking forward to the fixtures coming out. Working with football players is therapeutic as it helps you forget disappointments and takes away the worries of your real world. The season can’t come quick enough, in fact Thursday and Falkirk Under 19′s can’t come quick enough.

Now where’s that team Jimmy told me to start? 

We ended up with an 11 a side game tonight albeit with three guests playing (it was actually 12 a side as Dougie and I sneaked on at either end – he won 1-0) and I want all of them to get a start over the next 5 games.

Against Falkirk U19′s on Thursday where we’ll do a bit of chasing we’re without Burnsie and Fowlie (both in London with their work), Cloudie (who gets a scan that evening), Dave McLeod and Deano (who’ll both train with the Seconds for fitness reasons) and we’re not sure about Seeley. Naomi was going to train with Heriot Watt as he’s behind with his training but I pulled him in when I was reminded Burnsie wouldn’t be there.

The trialests have been told to do their own thing until next Tuesday at least.

This sort of thing happens every pre-season and we want everyone to get their chance to peak at the same time.

Tarzan and Hutch won’t be through on Thursday as they both are going to the EOS meeting where there is a lot to discuss. Who goes where – how many teams in either league – format for the league cup – all the cup draws.

I have it on good authority that the full set of fixtures will not be released until Sunday or Monday at the earliest.