JUNIOR FOOTBALL – PA FRIDAY JULY 1

Jul 1 2011 Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THE new season opens for business on July 16 – although the official fixtures won’t kick off until Wednesday, August 3, with the League Cup competitions.

By then, the clubs will have played a host of friendlies.

As agreed at the recent agm, the various League Cup competitions have been re-styled and with Perthshire teams, as in the past, playing in the ACA Sports and DJ Laing competitions, they have been drawn in the following sections:

ACA Sports Cup: Section A – Kinnoull, Glenrothes, Luncarty, Newburgh, Scone Thistle. Section B – Bankfoot, Kirkcaldy YM, Jeanfield Swifts, St Andrews, Thornton H. Section C – Ballingry, Crossgates P, Kelty H, Hill o’ Beath, Lochore Welfare. Section D – Lochgelly Albert, Crossgates Primrose, Oakley, Rosyth, Steelend Vics.

DJ Laing Cup: Section A – Brechin Vics, Carnoustie P, Co Angus, Forfar West End, Kirrie Thistle. Section B – Arbroath Vics, Blairgowrie, Forfar Albion, Montrose Roselea. Section C – Broughty Athletic, North End, Tayport, Violet. Section D – Downfield, East Craigie, Lochee Harp, Lochee United.

l l l

Comments from managers about the sections their teams have been drawn in:

Gavin Price, Kinnoull: “The sections are more varied than in past seasons and will no doubt prove to be a very interesting start to the season.”

Scott Brown, Jeanfield Swifts: “We are in a tough section but are looking forward to the challenges it will pose.”

Ian Duff, Bankfoot: “It’s certainly a very testing section we have been drawn in and it could also prove to be a very interesting one.”

Alan Robson, Coupar Angus, said of his baptism as a manager in the league cup: “With two Super League sides in the section its certainly a tough one.”

l l l

The season’s first fixtures were issued in midweek and they are as they affect Perthshire Clubs, in the ACA Sports and DJ Laing League Cups in August.

ACA Sports Cup

Wednesday, August 3: Section A – Kinnoull v Luncarty; Newburgh v Glenrothes. Section B – Jeanfield Swifts v Thornton H; Kirkcaldy YM v St Andrews.

Saturday, August 6: Section A – Glenrothes v Kinnoull; Scone Thistle v Newburgh.

Section B – Kirkcaldy YM v Jeanfield Swifts; St Andrews v Bankfoot.

Wednesday, August 10:

Section A – Luncarty v Scone Thistle; Newburgh v Kinnoull.

Section B – Bankfoot v Jeanfield Swifts; Thornton H v Kirkcaldy YM.

Saturday, August 13:

Section A – Luncarty v Newburgh; Scone Thistle v Glenrothes.

Section B – Thornton v Bankfoot; Jeanfield Swifts v St Andrews.

Saturday, August 20:

Section A – Kinnoull v Scone Thistle; Glenrothes v Luncarty.

Section B – St Andrews v Thornton H; Bankfoot v Kirkcaldy YM.

Kick off’s – Wednesdays 7pm; Saturdays 2.30pm.

DJ Laing League Cup

Wednesday, August 3: Section A – Carnoustie P v Forfar West End; Kirrie Thistle v Brechin Vics.

Saturday, August 6: Section A – Co Angus v Kirrie Thistle; Brechin Vics v Carnoustie P.

Section B – Montrose Roselea v Blairgowrie; Arbroath Vics v Forfar Albion.

Wednesday, August 10: Section A – Brechin Vics v Co Angus; Kirrie Thistle v Forfar West End.

Saturday, August 13: Section A – Forfar West End v Brechin Vics; Co Angus v Carnoustie P.

Section B – Montrose Roselea v Arbroath Vics; Forfar Albion v Blairgowrie.

Saturday, August 20: Section A – Carnoustie P v Kirrie Thistle; Forfar West End v Co Angus.

Section B – Arbroath Vics v Blairgowrie; Forfar Albion v Montrose Roselea.

Kick off’s – Wednesdays 7pm; Saturdays 2.30pm.

l l l

Coupar Angus held their agm this week and they will have a quite new look committee at the helm as only Les Stewart and Gavin Brown remain from last season. The following office bearers and committee were elected: president – Les Stewart; secretary – Gillian McCall; treasurer – Hazel Burges, takes over from Gavin Brown. Gavin, who gave up this post due to business commitments, joins the committee along with Steven Sheed and Billy McGregor, who was a player with the club for many seasons and its likely there will be that there will be a few additions in the near future.

Luncarty manager Mark Potter has certainly been busy on the signing front as he has made a host of new signings, three of whom have played in the junior game for a few years and will give his squad the experience they lacked last season. They are Mark Caldow and Scott Lafferty, both of whom were with Bankfoot last season and both having previously played with Scone Thistle and Jeanfield, are midfield forwards. Scott McCabe has been signed from Scone and he is a versatile defender. His previous clubs were Bankfoot and Kinnoull.

There are five recruits from the amateur ranks, goalkeeper Gordon McGillivray, Jamie Fairlie, Mickey McAnspie and Noel Meehan, who are all midfield players. This will be Meehan’s second stint with the Bleachers.

Another addition is Robbie Goodwillie who is a promising young striker.

Jeanfield Swifts started training in midweek and the session was well attended. Tomorrow Swifts will have a four hour stint commencing at 10.30am with a break for a light lunch between 12.30–1.30pm, followed by a second session from 1.30–3.30pm.

Scone Thistle hold their first session tomorrow commencing at 1.30pm at Farquharson Park.

Manager Eddie O’Conner says anyone who wishes to join in will be made welcome. Paul Anderson was named as Scone’s player of the year while Chris McLeish was the players’ player of the year.

Bankfoot will hold their first training session on Monday at 6.45pm.

July 16 will see the start of the pre-season friendlies and with most of the clubs still in the process of arranging games, they will appear in next week’s column.