Early.               Edinburgh trades and it’s rained every day. I’m off on Work Option and what do I do today with the boys? They’re going to Leith Waterworld tomorrow so the Commie is out. Clown Around (wherever that is) or Clambers have been mentioned.  Now if Irene only fancied a move to Spain!!!

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? 

Late.               Jimmy and I had a somewhat heated debate in the pub tonight about team selection for pre-season friendlies.  Like the competitor he is he wants to win them all and field our strongest team at all times (well within reason). I on the other hand want all my players as fit and more importantly, match fit as possible before the season starts.

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.