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Here comes the weekend! The Spartans Preview

Thursday, October 3rd, 2024

It’s a hat-trick of Spartans away days this weekend as our teams go on the road in search of full points in their respective league campaigns.

On Friday night, our Under 20s head to Gannochy Sports Complex where they take on old adversaries Stirling University.  It’s the fifteenth meeting between the two sides in all competitions with Les Atkison’s young team edging the head-to-head with 7 wins to 5, with two draws – both during the 2022/23 campaign.

After six league games, Spartans lead the table from Kelty courtesy of a superior goal difference tally, with 27 goals scored and a defensive record of four clean sheets and only two breaches thus far.

Kick-off is 7.45pm.  Free entry.

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Douglas Samuel will be looking to pick up a win on the road which could propel his side back into the top four come 4.45pm on Saturday as he takes his charges to New Douglas Park to take on Clyde.

Last season saw the sides share the spoils on no fewer than three out of the four SPFL2 fixtures in a year that offered contrasting fortunes for the clubs.

Spartans were to take the upper hand in the other clash at Saturday’s venue last November, with Cammy Russell netting on the rebound after Blair Henderson crashed his effort off the bar before a Clyde Own Goal doubled the lead.  Peter Grant halved the deficit after the break however it was the tourists who headed home with the three points.

Both clubs will be keen to avoid any share of the points as they look to kick-start their campaigns in what is shaping out to be yet another fiercely competitive league.

Kick-off at New Douglas Park, Hamilton is 3.00pm.

Tickets for the game can be purchased here: https://clydefc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/clyde_v_the_spartans__5th_october_2024__spfl_william_hill_league_2

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It’s a visit to the City of Discovery for Jack Beesley’s Women’s team who will be keen to build on their 3-1 win over Aberdeen last time out in the SWPL 1 when they shape up against Dundee United at Foundation Park.

A spirited performance last week in the Sky Sports Cup away to Partick saw them edged out by the odd goal in five and along with that showing, two wins in their last three league games will give skipper Robyn McCafferty renewed confidence.

It’s a congested table outside the top five with just 5 points separating sixth place Partick from second bottom Aberdeen.  And whilst Sunday’s opponents may find themselves currently four points adrift at the foot, they will be familiar with the threat that former Spartan Katie Frew can offer.

Kick-off at Foundation Park is 4.00pm.  Admission Adults £7 Concessions £3.

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Nando’s discount deal is poultry in motion for Spartans Season Ticket holders.

Thursday, October 3rd, 2024

The Spartans are delighted to announce a partnership deal with local Nando’s restaurant situated at Craigleith Retail Park.

Season Ticket holders will receive a cheeky wee 20% discount on your meal at the Craigleith restaurant only from today until the end of the 2024-25 season!

Remember to show your Season Ticket to the Nando’s staff member when paying and you’ll get your chicken for less when you chook out.

Make Nando’s Craigleith top of your pecking order and feed your appetite today!

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Coming Up – A look ahead at the Spartans weekend

Tuesday, September 24th, 2024

After the dizzy heights going head to head with the SPFL Premiership joint-leaders last weekend, it’s back to league action for Sammy’s squad on Saturday, with East Fife making the trip across the water.

Following some 600 miles and twenty three hours on the road across the last two games, it’s a welcome relief to players and fans alike to be back at home – and we’d love to see as many of you there to be that 12th man against the Fifers.

It was a spirited, plaudit winning performance against Aberdeen and the Gaffer will be looking to take the positives into this crucial clash against Dick Campbell’s side.

Kick-off is back to the familiar 3.00pm this week.

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Our Under 20s are under the Ainslie Park lights on Friday night when they take on Cumbernauld Colts in the Development League.  Les Atkinson’s side remain undefeated in the league so far this season, averaging five goals scored per game and have only conceded two in the process. 

Promising early signs from a side that features a wealth of talent and worth ninety minutes of your Friday night.  Kick-off 7.45pm.

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Jack Beesley’s Women’s team picked up their first victory at home this season against Aberdeen on Sunday, propelling them up to 8th place in the SWPL 1 table in the process.

This weekend it’s a break from the league as they head west to Petershill Park where they face Partick Thistle in the Sky Sports Cup, with a 1pm KO.

After a narrow 1-2 loss in the previous outing in foul conditions, skipper Robyn McCafferty will be keen to lead her side to victory and embark on a lengthy cup run.

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Wherever or whenever you watch The Spartans this weekend, lets get behind the teams!!

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Premier Sports Cup: Spartans earn the plaudits in quarter final exit to deadly Dons

Sunday, September 22nd, 2024

Spartans fairytale League Cup run has come to an end after a defeat to Premiership Aberdeen. Aberdeen have now made it 11 wins in a row to start the season after they beat Spartans 4-0 at Pittodrie in the League Cup quarterfinal.   

Dougie Samuel’s side went into the game knowing that they could have caused a cup shock, after already defeated Championship side Livingston and Premiership side Ross County. But Jimmy Thelin’s side had made an impressive start in the league and are the 2nd top scorers in the League Cup competition with 16 goals.

Spartans made four changes from their midweek trip to Elgin, where they drew 1-1. In came the captain Kevin Waugh, for his first start in the League Cup, joined alongside Callum Booth, Jamie Dishington and Cammy Russell, who returned after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury. They replaced Kieran Watson, Danny Denholm, Brogan Walls and Rory Whittaker.

The hosts made just the one change from their 2-1 win against Motherwell, with Leighton Clarkson replacing Topi Keskinen.

This was the first meeting between the two sides with Spartans in their first ever senior competition quarterfinal. They are the first Scottish League 2 side to make it to the quarterfinals in the League Cup since Rangers in the 12/13 season.  

In what can only be described as a historic day for Spartans, in what was their biggest match in their history, it was always going to be a tall order to defeat Premiership opposition. It was the Dons who came out the faster of the two sides with on loan Millwall striker Nisbet missing from 12 yards out, after a lovely scoop pass from Nilsen.

It wasn’t long however before Aberdeen took the lead. After 14 minutes Pape Gueye scored his 6th goal of the season when a fortuitous break of the ball landed at his feet to smash the ball past Carswell from 12 yards out.

The Dons kept the pressure up and almost had a second just 5 minutes later. Clarkson put the ball on a plate for Nisbet, who completely missed the ball, in what can only be described as a let of for the team from the capital.

Palavera, who had an impressive first half, was then able to skip past Whyte, play the ball wide to MacKenzie who found McGrath who blazed the ball over.

There was then a flurry of bookings for Craigen, Nilsen and Booth with the latters foul leading to a Clarkson freekick that hit Carswells side netting.

There was just enough time for Aberdeen to get a second before the break. In the 45th minute Craigen’s chest control was picked off by McGrath. McGrath then spread the play to MacKenzie. His picture perfect cross was then converted from Nisbet, who couldn’t miss.

Goalscorer Gueye was replaced for Keskinen and it only took 40 seconds from Aberdeen to destroy the Spartan dream, as Clarkson scored a glancing header from a Rubezic cross.

A stramash of subs from both sides, with Shinne returning from illness and Sokler coming on to replace Nilsen and Nisbet. The away side also brought on Walls, Stowe, Ritchie and Kieran Watson for Dishington, Russell, Henderson and Paul Watson.

Carswell was again called into action and made a tremendous save from Shinnie, to deny him a 3rd goal of the season. But it wasn’t long before Aberdeen got their 4th. A nutmeg from Clarkson found MacKenzie with his ball being scraped into the Spartans goal by substitute Sokler.

Denholm then replaced Booth for Spartans, with MacDonald and Milne coming on for Molloy and Devlin.

A late chance for Spartans as Brogan Walls received the ball from Stowe on the right hand and had his shot from 20 yards out just tipped over by Mitov, who kept his 7th clean sheet of the season.

The final score may read out Aberdeen 4-0 Spartans, but it was a performance that Spartans should feel proud of. Aberdeen progress to the semi finals, with the draw being made for that after Celtic vs Falkirk game on Premier Sports. It is now 13 games without defeat for Aberdeen at home, who’s last loss came against St Johnstone on the 28th February.

The attendance was 11,615 with Spartans next facing East Fife at Ainslie Park next Saturday, with the Dons away to Dens Park to face Dundee.  

Match Report by Scott Gourlay

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Premier Sports: Henderson hopes for magical day against Dons

Friday, September 20th, 2024

Blair Henderson’s relationship with this season’s Premier Sports Cup has been a profitable one – so far. 

The Spartans’ hitman has scored in three out of the five ties with Henderson’s header against Premiership side Ross County setting up Saturday’s Quarter Final clash at another top flight team in the shape of Aberdeen.

In what is arguably one of the biggest profile games in the Club’s history, the bookies may have the high-flying Dons odds-on to head to Hampden for the Semi-Finals however the talismanic striker is relishing the opportunity to take the game to the Reds.

“What’s crucial is that we make a good showing of ourselves again.  Perhaps realistically, I don’t think we could go into it saying we’re hoping to win, but we’re keen to play well and hopefully we can do some of the things the gaffer talks about and one of those is score a meaningful goal and you just never know.

“But I think first and foremost we’ve just got to go there and enjoy it.  Our fans and our families getting to go along can all enjoy the moment too.”

The travelling Spartan Army head to Pittodrie having seen their side already put in winning performances over Championship side Livingston along with a 0-5 win on the road against SPFL 1 outfit Cove Rangers in the group stages of the tournament.

Henderson added, “Saturday is very much a reward for everyone at the club.  The players, the staff, the board and everyone else connected with it too.  The fans have backed us throughout and across some big games over the last couple of seasons and this is another, with hopefully more in the future. It’s definitely one that everyone can go and enjoy and hopefully we can do ourselves proud.”

Last season’s Scottish Cup game saw Henderson and Co run Hearts close in a pulsating encounter at home, a performance that the side can draw inspiration from.

“I think you’ve got to take confidence from wherever you can for games like this, but its not at Ainslie Park which will be a big factor as well.  It makes it more difficult for us going there rather than having it at home but we’ll go into the game to go and enjoy it, to be as confident as we can be and just see what happens on the day.”

With 94 goals under his belt across his Spartans career, Henderson will be keen continue that tally as it heads towards an impressive treble figure.

“The last couple of games I’ve missed some chances which has been pretty frustrating on my part.  It’s not like me, I’ve been a bit wasteful but hopefully if I get a chance on Saturday then I can take it as we’re not going to get many.  That’s going to be my job on Saturday, so when that chance does come, we / me can take that opportunity and you just never know!

“Its going to be really difficult and its not going to be a game full of chances for us so we’ll need to be clinical when do we do get that chance.”

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SPFL 2: Ritchie rocket sees points shared in Elgin

Tuesday, September 17th, 2024

Hamish Ritchie netted his first goal for Spartans in a battle at balmy Borough Briggs against an Elgin City side who remain undefeated so far this season.

Gaffer Douglas Samuel once again rung the changes in what is a busy week of football for the Club with Cammy Russell left out the squad and Rory Whittaker making the starting XI.

Spartans looked to get on the front foot from the off and went in search of an early opener.  Whittaker made a run into the box looking to get behind the defence, only to be pinged for an infringement.

It was rather akin to a game of basketball in Mediterranean conditions with play raging up and down the park and it was the home side with the next chance, only for the offering to rise way over the bar.

Danny Denholm went on a solo rampaging run, forging open an opportunity however he could only direct his shot wide.

The hosts were keen to build on their late show win over Bonnyrigg and pressed hard however the Spartans defence were resolute in return.

Dayshonne Golding was perhaps fortunate not to receive a caution from Referee Joel Kennedy when he clattered into Blair Carswell as the Spartans keeper looked to launch a clearance up the park.

HT: Elgin City 0-0 The Spartans

Spartans made a double change at the interval with Jamie Dishington and Kevin Waugh replacing Whittaker and Hunter.

A couple of early Spartans corners were to offer little in the way of success as the visitors looked to open the scoring as the second half progressed.

The first clear cut chance of the night then fell to Blair Henderson who took the ball down well in the box only for the covering defender to do enough to put the striker off enough to make his send his chipped effort just over the bar.

Another Spartans change just after the hour mark saw Calum Booth replace Denholm.

A fine diving save from Blair Carswell kept the game on level pegging as both sides continued to seek the opener.

A further brace of changes saw Hamish Ritchie and Mark Stowe come on for Walls and Henderson.

It was an inspired substitution when just three minutes later, Hamish Ritchie found himself in space at the edge of the box and his low drive proved to be elusive and crept inside the near post.

That lead was to last all of 60-odd seconds as Elgin levelled with a header from Jack Murray who converted a Golding cross.

Play raged onto into injury time, with Ritchie having another opportunity to score, only to be foiled by a fine stop by the Elgin keeper.

FT: Elgin City 1-1 The Spartans

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