The Citizen - Issue 4 - 2023

We were disappointed not to get anything against Stirling last week. There wasn’t a lot in the game, both sides had really good spells, but I feel that our play was a bit disjointed at times – probably as a result of having a few players who hadn’t played together enough. There were aspects of our play we can improve upon and we will work hard to do so. There were lots of positives to take from our League Cup games despite the results. Ross County’s pace and intensity were a great example for us, and being able to compete for so long with a side of that quality did us a world of good. Playing Greenock Morton, again there were some things we could have done better, but we were good for an hour until we got a few injuries but we put some of the younger lads on for the experience.

It is always tough against the full-time teams, but it is another challenge we are looking forward to against Queen of the South.

Apart from Ben Stirling the injury situation isn’t bad too bad, although we’ll be keeping an eye on Kyle Jacobs and Robbie Leitch. As for new players, we’re not done yet – although there’s nothing imminent. We are working hard to improve the squad and will do so up until the window shuts. Thanks for your support and enjoy the game,

Ross County’s pace and intensity were a great example for us

CHAIRMAN

JOHN DICKSON

Good afternoon and welcome to Meadowbank Stadium, for today’s match against Queen of the South. The first home League match of the season is always an exciting occasion, and today will be no different as we welcome Marvin Bartley’s Doonhamers to the Capital. Like us, the men from Dumfries suffered opening-day defeat, missing out to Alloa in a seven-goal thriller at Palmerston Park. Queens have a couple of City old boys, with former loanees Cammy Logan and Jack Brydon in their ranks, so it will be good to reconnect with these lads – after the match is over!

It is clear that results have not gone our way so far; five losses in as many competitive matches is our unenviable record so far. My feeling is that this is not reflective of our performances to this point, given that in almost every match there has been a sliding-doors moment which, if it had gone for us instead of against us, we might be sitting here with an entirely different set of results. Nevertheless, we have started with a poor run and I know that Alan and the team are determined to rectify this, starting today hopefully.

Our squad has been boosted since last I wrote, with new loan signings Jack Wilkie and Kieran Offord coming in from Premiership sides Dundee and St Mirren respectively, whilst Lewis Spence, formerly of Hamilton, Dundee, Ross County and Dunfermline, has signed a permanent deal. Lewis’s experience will no doubt be key this season and he,

along with Kieran and Jack, all made encouraging debuts last week at Stirling. The summer was an incredibly pressurised one, given the changes behind the scenes at the club, as well as the mechanics of reverting to our traditional club identity. With that in mind, several aspects have been running behind schedule, not least our new kit! I know how much everyone – players and fans especially – look forward to the new kits being launched and this season, despite our starting point being much later than it should have been, sees our first collaboration with Hummel. Both kits are excellent, and we will be debuting our new home strip this afternoon. Preorders are now available on our club shop by visiting www.edinburghcityfc. com/store, and given the terrific support we have had this summer, I am sure it will be very well received.

Enjoy the game everyone! Yours in sport,

CAPTAIN LIAM FONTAINE

No one team dominated last week’s match against Stirling Albion. In the end it was a goal from a dead ball situation which was the difference between the two sides. Even after such a rigorous League Cup group, we perhaps needed a bit more time for the team, with all the new players, to gel. We created a few good chances to score; on another day we score them, and the way the game goes changes. Instead, we have to move on and do our best to meet the Gaffer’s targets for the quarter.

Against Greenock Morton we deserved better than a 4-1 defeat. We were the stronger team in the first half, and we weren’t overawed by them. Our players stood their ground and frustrated Morton. The big problem for us was the availability of players, and that with games every Wednesday and Saturday we just ran out of steam.

With Kyle and Callum taking injuries in the second half we had to fill the gaps with young boys, and although Morton hit us hard after that it was a great opportunity for them to gain some

experience against a Championship team.

Just three days earlier we were at home to Ross County of the Premiership. We looked good and dealt with a lot of their threats, but Ross County have a big squad and a lot of resources, and they had played a full pre-season. I’m not sure that I agree with the format of the Viaplay Cup, when we are playing sides of the level of Greenock

Morton and Ross County competitively with little opportunity to warm up or to get to know new players and new tactics. On the other hand, there is a lot to be said for an intense workout before the real business of the season, which is the League.

I was delighted to get back to playing when I came on against Ross County, but it’s still early days. I’m working with the Gaffer and the physio, and I had a good 90 minutes against Stirling last week. I’m not taking any risks at this stage - I’ve got enough experience now to know how to manage an injury.

Enjoy the game, Liam

WELCOME TO MEADOWBANK

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Meadowbank Stadium for our first home League encounter of the 2023/24 season, and your first chance to use your remarkably cheap season ticket. Our guests today are our friends from Dumfries, Queen of the South – a side we have never beaten (or even drawn with) in our entire history.

On pages 13-15 of today’s Citizen we welcome Queen of the South and look at how their season has started. Queens were horrendously inconsistent in 2022/23 and only moved into the upper half of cinch League 1 on the final day of the season. Our visitors were however capable of showing some

consistency when it came to playing the artists formerly known as F.C. Edinburgh, though, and they added twelve points and SPFL Trophy advancement to their record at our expense (more on page 16, if you must).

No shortage of news in today’s issue, but before we go on to our raft of new signings and our recent matches, we will mention our new Boys & Girls Academy, which we are setting up in partnership with Play2Learn Coaching Academy. This will be based at the Xcite facility in Winchburgh, which has already proved so popular with our men’s, women’s and under-20s sides since we moved there at the start of this season. More about the Academy on page 21.

■ Shout out to our Queensferry supporters (picture Tommy Lee)

AND COMMENT

downpour at Forthbank Andy did enough to make us confident that we wouldn’t be regretting we signed him. Welcome to Edinburgh City, Andy!

FAREWELL SAM RAMSBOTTOM

On 3rd August we announced that goalkeeper Sam Ramsbottom (above) would be leaving Edinburgh City as he was emigrating to South Africa, and that he had signed for Premier Soccer League side Cape Town Spurs. Wirralborn Sam, 27, joined us from Dumbarton as a back-up keeper at the start of last season, being named in the squad on 49 occasions and making 11 appearances, the last against Ross County on 26th July. We thank him for his services while at City, and wish him all the best with the Urban Warriors.

WELCOME ANDY McNEIL

For the Viaplay Cup match at Greenock on 29th July there was a new man in the number 1 shirt – the highly-rated third-choice goalkeeper of Raith Rovers, 22-year-old Andrew McNeil, signed on a temporary transfer to the end of the season. Bit of a baptism of fire at Cappielow, and the scoreline wasn’t any fault of his; while in last week’s

WELCOME KIERAN OFFORD

Opening day of the season saw three unfamiliar names on the City teamsheet, and the first of these is striker Kieran Offord (below), signed on a temporary transfer from St Mirren to the end of the season. Coming to Meadowbank to get regular competitive experience, Kieran, who is 19, has u-16 and u-19 Scottish caps, and scored twice against Malta last year. Good to have you here, Kieran!

AND COMMENT

WELCOME LEWIS SPENCE

Although we have recently been strengthening our squad with loan players, we have not been neglecting contract signings, and on Friday last week central midfielder Lewis Spence put pen to paper.

Also on Friday last week we signed 19-year-old Jack Wilkie from Dundee on a season-long loan deal. A centreback like his father, former Scottish internationalist Lee Wilkie, Jack’s debut for City was as a 26th minute sub after Kyle Jacobs was injured. He played on loan for Peterhead last season, including three matches against us. Welcome to Meadowbank, Jack!

Our new strip has yet to make its first appearance – it might do so today, but we’re not counting on it. We are in possession of the new home and away outfits, but SPFL regulations require that clubs can use only numbers, letters and patches produced by Elms Marketing, and there has recently been a supply problem. For a few weeks now we have been using last season’s F.C. Edinburgh kits with new advertising patches and without player names.

■ Lewis Spence

■ Jack Wilkie

LIAM FONTAINE SPONSORED BY

DANNY HANDLING SPONSORED BY

(H) Boab Fallon and Neal Rooney

KYLE JACOBS SPONSORED BY

RUSSELL McLEAN SPONSORED BY Lewis Mitchell

KIERAN MacDONALD SPONSORED BY

INNES MURRAY SPONSORED BY Lewis Dalgarno

OUZY SEE SPONSORED BY

RYAN SHANLEY SPONSORED BY George Czemartin and Craig Crichton

SPONSORSHIP

There are great sponsorship opportunities available at Edinburgh City – not only for the Club as whole, but for sides and players, including the First Team, our Women’s Team and our Under-20s!

Please go to the COMMERCIAL section on our Club website and check out the benefits of:

• Matchday Sponsorships

• Match Ball Sponsorship

• Captain’s Sponsorship

• Player Shirt Sponsorship

• Advertising at the Stadium

We are excited to launch the first-ever Edinburgh City Shirt Sponsorship Draw for season 2023/24. Being the premium sponsor of an SPFL team is a massive branding opportunity, and a unique form of brand-awareness, however it is a significant cost to any business. With that in mind, we are offering businesses (or individuals) a chance to get a sponsorship package worth five figures, for the price of a family inflatable hot tub!

So get over to our website and take advantage of this INSANE offer –https://edinburghcityfc.com/shirtsponsorship-prize-draw/

WE WELCOME LOVE/HEMP AS ONE OF OUR OFFICIAL BACK-OF-SHIRT ADVERTISERS!

KEENAN WEALTH MANAGEMENT WILL SPONSOR OUZY SEE’S BOOTS THIS SEASON!

We’ll be having a proper look at all our new sponsors in the next Citizen.

Proud Partner of F.C. Edinburgh

WELCOME TO QUEEN OF THE SOUTH

We welcome to Meadowbank Stadium for our first meeting of the season the players, coaches, officials and supporters of Queen of the South. It will be a tough encounter; as I mention on page 16, we have lost all our previous matches with the Dumfries men, a run of defeats stretching back to 1931.

But however consistent Queens have been against us, they seem to have misplaced that consistency in recent seasons. After a dismal time in the 1990s they were promoted back to the second tier of the Scottish game in 2002 and from then until now have spent only three seasons out of the Championship – 2012/13, 2022/23 and 2023/24.

Some of our games against Queens have been close and others not so close; but last season we couldn’t believe that the Doonhamers were not challenging for promotion.

So will this be Queen of the South’s year? The first signs are good. They got through their Viacom Cup Group stage without losing a game (although two of the games were drawn and Queens didn’t pick up the extra point). Last weekend the club lost their first cinch League 1 match, a home fixture in which the Wasps were 4-1 up at one point, although QOS pulled the score back to 4-3 in the end. More importantly, the bookies have them as fourth favourites, at fives or sixes.

WELCOME TO QUEEN OF THE SOUTH

CLUB AMALGAMATIONS

Queen of the South were founded in March 1919 when local enthusiasts came together to form a football club worthy of the town’s status. The clubs which amalgamated to form Queen of the South United (the suffix was soon dropped) were Dumfries F.C., 5th King’s Own Scottish Borderers and the works side of the Arrol-Johnston Car Company. Dumfries Amateurs declined to take part in the merger, and were defunct within a year.

The formation of Queens might be the last time a number of clubs got together peacefully to create a new side. Yet amalgamations were common in Scottish football until recently, and in other countries outwith the U.K. they still are. Some Belgian teams wear kaleidoscopic strips representing the colours of all the sides who combined to form the club. For many Netherlands teams with an ‘F.C.’ prefix the letters stand for the Dutch ‘Fusie Club’ (‘Fusion Club’) rather than the English Football Club.

Among the earliest ugly scenes arising from a proposed amalgamation were the hostile reaction to the Steedman Brothers’ plan in 1963 for Clydebank to merge with East Stirlingshire and move the new ES Clydebank west, giving Clydebank their own Scottish League side. The anti-amalgamationists went to court and the partnership was dissolved. In 1990 Hearts’ chairman Wallace Mercer mooted a new Edinburgh super-club where Hearts and Hibs would come together, play in one stadium and sell the other, and have the potential to take on Celtic and Rangers for dominance of Scottish football. He received death

threats. Even the most recent successful merger, between Highland League sides Caledonian and Inverness Thistle, caused a lot of ill feeling (especially among Caley fans) and much of the Inverness football public turned their backs on the new club, opting instead for Clachnacuddin or Ross County. If Caley and Jags had been in the Scottish rather than the Highland League, the move might never have gone ahead.

Aberdeen (a 1903 merger of Aberdeen, Orion and Victoria United) and Dundee (East End and Our Boys, 1893) are the most successful of the merged clubs; Ayr United (Ayr and Ayr Parkhouse, 1910) have also done well, and are the only example of two existing Scottish League sides coming together. Albion Rovers, Motherwell and Brechin City are also the results of mergers. But why are mergers so contentious now when they were acceptable before the War? Well, first of all, not all proposals from a century or so ago were acceptable; proposals to merge Falkirk and East Stirlingshire have always been hotly opposed. Back before big sponsorship deals and multi-millionaire involvement football clubs had to raise their own funds at the turnstiles or through supporter activities such as dances or whist drives, and sometimes supporters just couldn’t give any more. Football grounds were expensive to build and to maintain, and two or three in close proximity were seen as a waste of good building land and targets for speculators. And, of course, in days gone by it wasn’t the done thing to make a fool of yourself by screaming and blustering and issuing threats over mere sport.

WELCOME TO QUEEN OF THE SOUTH

CONNECTIONS

I’ve been able to find 13 players who have turned out for both Edinburgh City and Queen of the South and, remarkably, five of them have been goalkeepers – Callum Antell, Jack Leighfield, Alan Martin, Fraser Morton and Josh Rae. Of the outfield players, Kyle Jacobs (Queens 2015-19) is in the City squad today, while the visitors’ pool includes Jack Brydon (City loanee 2022-23) and Cammy Logan (City loanee Jan-May 2022).

On 3rd November 2012 when we were still an East of Scotland League side, Queen of the South visited the previous

Meadowbank Stadium in a Third Round Scottish Cup tie. The crowd of 1,038 was a record attendance for Meadowbank (not including friendlies) and it would stand for three years and six months – until 7th May 2016, when we met East Stirlingshire in the first leg of the Pyramid Play-off in front of a crowd of 1094. The record for the current stadium is 1320, achieved on 7th January 1320 when we were at home to Dunfermline Athletic in a cinch League 1 fixture. We hope everyone has a pleasant afternoon at Meadowbank this afternoon, and we wish you all a safe journey home.

■ A Challenge Cup tie at Ainslie Park on 21 July 2018

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

We like recording past meetings with our opponents of the day, more so if there have been lots of meetings from which we could pick and choose the matches upon which we want to look back; and maybe mention the defeats in small type in an obscure corner of the page.

Unfortunately we are facing Queen of the South this afternoon, and there are only defeats to look back upon. Today we will have our thirteenth competitive encounter with the men from Dumfries, and we have finished second in the previous twelve matches.

Even last season – the most successful in our history – the jinx persisted. In September we beat AIrdrie 6-0 on their own ground, only to lose our next two matches 1-4 and 0-4 at Palmerston, in League 1 and Challenge Cup respectively.

The complete record is: Played 12, City wins 0, Queens wins 12, drawn 0. City goals 14, Queens goals 45. But could this afternoon be a lucky 13th for Edinburgh City?

City and Queens were in the old Second Division between 1931 and 1933. In season 1931/32 we scored eight goals in our two matches against the men in blue. However, they scored thirteen against us; 4-8 at our old ground at Powderhall Stadium, and 4-5 at Palmerston Park (match reports above and right – the Scotsman and the Evening News.) Those eight goals, scored in three hours more than ninety years ago, are more than half the goals we have ever scored against Queen of the South.

SUPPORTERS ROBERT FALLON

Good afternoon Citizens, and to those travelling from Dumfries for today’s fixture!

It has been a few weeks since my last update and it has been a fairly busy time for the club. As you will have noticed, the Gaffer has been busy building the squad for the coming season. Not only has he been busy with the team, on 31st July Alan managed to find the time to have a Q and A with a number of those signed up to the membership scheme. I was in attendance and found it to be hugely enlightening, and Alan gave some very thoughtful and considered answers to a number of questions. It was a most worthwhile 90 minutes or so, and those in attendance are looking forward to the next one.

Speaking of memberships, these are a great way to support the club, and the income goes directly to the player

budget. They include a wide range of benefits, including discounts on merchandise and other extras. Starting at £10, there are also kids and ex-pat options available. Having been involved with the board, regarding these, I am delighted to see the current uptake, and hope that this can be built upon throughout the season. I have been liaising with the board, regarding a number of issues over the last few weeks. As you may have seen pies are finally back on the menu! We hope that offering can be expanded upon, over the coming games. I can also share that the club are also working hard on merchandise and sponsorships, and we hope to see movement on the former very shortly. In terms of the latter, it has been brilliant to see several Citizens support our most local of partners, the Bellfield Brewery. Only a short walk from the Stadium, this has so far proved to be very popular. I can thoroughly recommend a visit, where a friendly welcome and award-winning beer is guaranteed.

■ Neal, Lewis and the editor fact-check the validity of Boab’s claims about the beer, food and service at the Bellfield. Again.

© Tommy Lee Photography

SUPPORTERS @ClubCitizens

I am currently working on a ‘Guide to Meadowbank’, which will include information on ticketing, transport links and things to do. I’m hoping this will be completed very soon and will be of use to all fans, both City and those visiting.

Should anyone wish to contact me, on any matter, please don’t be shy! I’m on Twitter (not X. It is, and always will

be, Twitter!) at @ECFCFanRep, though be aware that DM’s, under the current owner, can be filtered away. I can now also be reached, by e-mail, at fansrep@ edinburghcityfc.com. I aim to respond to you as soon as possible but if I haven’t, it means I am still seeking an answer to your questions. Also, should you see me at games, don’t hesitate to ask questions there as well. Just to note that, due to holidays and work commitments over the next few weeks, responses might be held up a bit. Finally, our latest podcast is now available, across many podcast platforms, and hopefully will be on YouTube at some point. Thanks to everyone who’s listened since our return. Your support is hugely appreciated! Thanks all

Boab

AWAY DAY ANNAN ATHLETIC

Our first return to Galabank since the glorious Play-Off Final second leg, back on 16th May 2022; Annan have since joined us in cinch League 1. Famously one of the most hospitable grounds in the entire SPFL, you will be made welcome in the Social Club at the ground. Admission is £16 adult, £12 for concessions (senior, 17-21, disabled), senior £6 for 12-16, and free for accompanied under-12s. Get tickets conveniently – Annan Athletic use Fanbase.

HOW TO GET THERE - ROAD

91 miles, takes about two hours. A702 to Abington, A74(M) to Junction 20, B722 goes directly to Annan and passes Galabank a few hundred yards inside the town boundary. Car parking at the ground.

HOW TO GET THERE - RAIL

No direct route from Edinburgh. Best way is from Edinburgh to Carlisle and a local train back to Annan. Times vary but around three hours. Ground 20-minute walk from station. Book online as far in advance as possible and look for cheap tickets; standard one-way price a ludicrous £89, but you could get a return for £40-£50 or even less.

HOW TO GET THERE - BUS

No direct route from Edinburgh. Changing from other major points, Stagecoach 79 runs frequently and gets to Annan from Carlisle, Dumfries or Gretna. Stagecoach West 382 or Houston Coaches 383 run between Lockerbie and Annan.

Your local business of fering a complete window & door packa ge.

We are an established local company. organisation and used by many Housing Associations for our expertise.

Part of the Edinburgh trusted trader

• Full window and door installations

• French, patio, and composite doors

• Replacement glass/double glazed units

• Full timber sash & case refurbishment & replacements

• Secondary glazing

• Shop fronts

COMMENT

NO PLACE I’D RATHER BE

The world is a tough place right now and when you get to my age life can seem particularly tough. And for someone as old as this programme’s esteemed editor, one can only imagine how tough life can be … (get on with it - Ed)

But I had a rare moment of mirth the other week when I read a post on social media from Maryhill Juniors - admittedly from three years ago but which I’ve only just come across - which went along the lines of:

“West Ham have just posted losses of £28.2m; Maryhill Juniors have posted record profits of £17.50 while our President is owed six quid for sock tape. Who would you rather be?”

The post highlighted the different worlds between those clubs at the very top and those at a much lower scale but who all purport to be the best at playing the game we love. Presently, there is a story about French striker Kylian Mbappe being the subject of a £259 million-pound bid from Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal. Mbappe’s current club – at the time of writing this article –is Paris St-Germain who have reportedly accepted the bid, knowing the striker can walk away from Paris for nothing next summer. Even in today’s moneyladen football world where television companies pay vast fortunes for the right to broadcast football games at times which are inconvenient for many fans, a quarter of a billion pounds is a

staggering amount to pay for one player, even a player of the considerable skills of Monsieur Mbappe. Any chance of Maryhill Juniors gazumping the Saudi’s offer? Probably not …

A few weeks earlier, Lionel Messi confirmed he would definitely leave Paris St-Germain and sign for Inter Miami in the Major League in the good old US of A. This prompted another social media post from Stenhousemuir F.C. who declared their bid for the Argentinian superstar would not now go ahead. Stenny agreed with my reply that Messi probably wouldn’t fancy playing Elgin City away in a bleak Tuesday night in December. However, one poster seemed to have lost touch with reality when they replied they couldn’t believe Stenhousemuir wouldn’t consider signing the world’s best player. The Larbert club’s suggestion that the poster should go and have a lie down probably went over their head … But money isn’t everything, as the programme editor told me when I invoiced him for this piece. A few weeks ago, Manchester United played another ➤

COMMENT GUEST WRITER MIKE SMITH

French club, Olympique Lyonnais, in a pre-season friendly at, of all places, Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium (I don’t know why but I suspect a marketing opportunity and money was behind the idea). A Wednesday afternoon kick-off may have brought back memories for fans of an older generation of a time when such kick-off times were common – in the days before floodlights, and the working class worked Saturday mornings but had Wednesday afternoons off. The match was during the school holidays, so a lot of people were off work.

I was working that day, but I wouldn’t have gone in any case. £56 for a ticket to see what was effectively a glorified training session just wasn’t for me. For less than a hundred pounds more you can buy a season ticket to watch Edinburgh City play eighteen games, rather than just one – one of the best season ticket deals you can get in the cinch SPFL.

Ridiculously inflated transfer fees result in ridiculously inflated admission prices, meaning the ordinary working-class fans find themselves priced out as the sport

threatens to become elitist. If Mbappe does go to Al Hilal one wonders how much the price of a ticket to see the Saudi team will leap to. Mind you, money will seem no object to many of their supporters …

Personally, I’d much rather go and see the honest, hard-working spectacle that is Scottish football, particularly in the lower leagues. The skills and ability aren’t, perhaps, on the same level as Paris St-Germain or Al Hilal but I would suggest the entertainment is just as good and the feeling Edinburgh City fans get when their team record a victory is more appreciated than the fans of those money-laden clubs who expect to win every week.

Will Edinburgh City win today? Who knows and, being a half-empty glass kind of fella (no kidding – Ed) I watch City more in hope than expectation. Rather like getting paid for this article. But do you know what? There’s no place I’d rather be…

Twitter @Mike1874 www.thefitbason.com

RESULTS AND TEAMLINES 2023-24

(H) Lg

26. 06 Jan Alloa Athletic (A) Lg

27. 13 Jan Falkirk (H) Lg

28. 20 Jan Reserved date SC4

29. 27 Jan Annan Athletic (A) Lg

30. 03 Feb Kelty Hearts (H) Lg

31. 10 Feb Montrose (A) Lg

32. 17 Feb Queen of the South (H) Lg

33. 24 Feb Stirling Albion (A) Lg

34. 02 Mar Cove Rangers (H) Lg

35. 09 Mar Hamilton Academical (A) Lg

36. 16 Mar Alloa Athletic (H) Lg

37. 23 Mar Falkirk (A) Lg

38. 30 Mar Kelty Hearts (A) Lg

39. 06 Apr Montrose (H) Lg

40. 13 Apr Queen of the South (A) Lg

41.. 20 Apr Annan Athletic (H) Lg

42. 27 Apr Stirling Albion (H) Lg

43. 04 May Cove Rangers (A) Lg

12 - Starter 12 - Substitute used

1 - Goal scored P - Penalty goal

Contract Players

Under-20s

12 - Substitute not used

In scorelines, City score always given first

SNIPPETS THE RAMBLING REPORTER

Last weekend saw the preliminary rounds of the F.A. Cup begin, which allows me the opportunity to return to writing about my love of non-League football here in England. I’m always drawn to teams with odd names, or who play where I used to live or some such thing, and the first name to catch my eye in the cup this year was A.F.C.

VARNDEANIANS F.C. - and if A.F.C. means anything other than “Association Football Club”, there’s a bit of redundancy in that title. This football club was originally set up in 1929 and, at that time, only accepted former pupils of Varndean school in Brighton. Well, that idea quickly went out the window and nowadays the club, who play in red and black striped shirts with black shorts and socks, participate in the Southern Combination Premier Division and will take anybody at all! They finished 17th out of 20 teams, which probably didn’t fill them with confidence before travelling to the village of Knaphill, set in Surrey between Woking and Farnborough. Rightly so, cos they were gubbed 3-0.

I noticed that Varndeanians play home matches at the Withdean Stadium, which kind of rang a bell with me, but I wasn’t sure why. It turns out Brighton & Hove Albion played there between 1999 and 2011 after they’d flogged off the Goldstone ground for commercial redevelopment. It was voted the fourthworst football stadium in the U.K. by The Observer (but what do they know about

football, eh?). Initially, amplified music was banned in the stadium with one exception: “Sussex By The Sea”, written by a Lancastrian guy (!) and adopted as an anthem by Brighton. Who knew? Then, when Brighton were playing Sheffield United, they re-named the stadium Palookaville, temporarily. That was the name of Fatboy Slim’s album, and as it was released on Skint Records, the shirt sponsors of Brighton at the time, it seemed a good idea! Varndeanians play in the ninth tier of English football.

The next team to catch my eye was AVRO. Who are they and where do they play? Well, It turns out they are from the Oldham area and Avro are or were originally an aircraft manufacturer. Might still be, for all I know! Anyway, the football team, who play in blue and black striped shirts with white shorts and blue socks with black tops to them, were crap! After various relegations, they got better. Now they play in the North West Counties League Premier Division. Except they don’t. Forget that, cos despite their

SNIPPETS THE RAMBLING REPORTER

record they actually got promoted last season to the Northern Premier League Division 1 West after finishing second. Despite their colours, their badge is actually red and yellow. Must be some logic there but it’s way over my head. Avro won their Cup tie 2-0 away from home. Seems they have got better. (News just in – AVRO are no longer a separate aircraft manufacturer; they were absorbed into Hawker Siddeley sixty years ago - but in their day they produced one of the most iconic British bombers, the nuclear-armed Avro Vulcan - photo from Wikipedia.)

their home ground is known, against Sevenoaks Town from Kent, but lost 3-1. They are now moving home, temporarily I hope, to nearby Horley, whose ground is called The New Defence. Now, there’s a joke there that’s far too obvious for me to state.

Finally, I’d like to give a shout out to my old friends at Lingfield F.C. This is a village in Surrey where I spent five or six years of my life. Known pretty much solely for its horse racing track, the old Queen Mother’s favourite, apparently, Lingfield is a cute wee place. I’m sure your editor must have come visit me there, but whether he saw the football or not, I can’t remember. The Lingers, as they are strangely known, are another team who play in striped shirts, though there’s are more akin to Partick Thistle, being red and yellow, with red shorts. They played at The Lair, as

I’d just like to state that I hope all my work that went into help paint The Lair hasn’t gone to waste!

But that last line wasn’t entirely meant in fun. Non-League clubs rely on volunteers to help out – maybe even League clubs, too. So if you’ve even a little bit of time on your hands, please think what you could be doing for your local club. You’ll get so much out of it when you’re watching a game thinking “I painted that fence”! I promise you. That’s it for today. Enjoy the game and safe journey home.

MATCH REPORT

Viaplay Cup Round 1. Pictures by Tommy Lee Photography

MATCH REPORT

STRANRAER 2 EDINBURGH CITY 1

The second match of the Viaplay Cup campaign and the second defeat. Both sides had spells in the ascendancy but in the end it was a penalty for the homesters twelve minutes before the final whistle which settled the match. City were short-handed – no Fontaine, Crane, or See, Ben Stirling still injured after the Kelty match, and three under20s on the bench – but in all fairness Stranraer were also missing several members of a not-too-large squad. Once again, both our clubs had to use a competitive match as effectively a pre-season, team-building game. Either side could have won, but Stranraer were a bit snappier, especially in the first half, and would no doubt have been glad to defeat us at Stair Park at last – in our previous two meetings in Galloway it was luck rather than skill which saw us mug the Blues for the three points, if truth be told. Stranraer last beat us on their home field in October 1947.

The weather was fair, and the grass pitch was in beautiful condition. Stranraer kicked off towards the covered end and were soon putting City under some pressure. Forrest had an early shot blocked and put another one over the top, and Orr went down in the box after being tackled by Mercer but was deservedly ignored by Mr Hardie. The striker was unfortunate in 14 minutes when Dolan found him with a long ball out of defence, and his low shot from outside the box beat Ramsbottom but came back off the right-hand post. Stranraer had won four corners before City first posed a threat, Innes Murray’s 25-yard attempt curling wide in 20 minutes. Another Murray attempt had a similar outcome, and home keeper McDonald did well to grab the ball from Shanley’s feet after Murray had put him through.

But the compass swung due Stranraer once more, and in 29 minutes Orr flicked

Viaplay Cup Round 1. Pictures by Tommy Lee Photography.

MATCH REPORT

STRANRAER 2

EDINBURGH CITY 1

Viaplay Cup Round 1. Video by STRANRAER FC LIVE – Used with thanks

a Forrest corner over the bar when it looked easier to score. City were having problems with both the grass pitch and the new Puma match ball but the home side coped far better. Stranraer pummelled the City goal, ex-Blues man Hamilton conceding a yellow card when it looked as though Orr would break through, while in 36 minutes a brilliant Ramsbottom save from Hawkshaw allowed Hamilton to clear off the line. However, Stranraer got the goal they deserved in 38 minutes, with Dolan taking the ball down the left before cutting back to Ben Armour, whose first-time shot from the edge of the box gave the City keeper no chance.

The visitors came out reinvigorated, and within four minutes of the restart were

on level terms. Hamilton broke up a Stranraer attack, Jacobs put the ball out to Mahon on the right and he switched the ball to Murray via a Handling pass. Murray took the ball into the box but his shot was going wide right, before Ryan Shanley raced in to tap home at the back post, a few yards onside despite the defenders’ appeals. Two minutes later Shanley was one-on-one with McDonald after Ross slipped, but missed the opportunity to take the lead when he shot a yard the wrong side of the righthand post. A couple of minutes later and Ross managed to put Shanley off enough to allow McDonald to narrow the angle and force Ryan into shooting wide – there was a suggestion of a tug on the City man’s arm in the build-up, but not

STRANRAER 2

Viaplay

EDINBURGH CITY 1

really enough to make a difference. Stranraer came back into the match in the closing minutes, and got the winning goal in 78 minutes. McIntosh crossed from the right, Ramsbottom stretched to finger-tip the ball clear and Jacobs hit it towards the right touch-line; a City defender (couldn’t make out who) tried a short pass towards Hamilton but Armour intercepted and found Tam Orr who immediately bore down on goal. Murray desperately tried to retrieve the situation

but ended up bringing Orr down – not much contact but there didn’t need to be; Innes had no chance of getting the ball. Second yellow card for the City man, and Orr took the spot-kick himself, Ramsbottom guessing correctly but unable to keep the ball out of the bottom right-hand corner. With moments to go Orr went down in the box again, but the officials correctly ruled that Hamilton had got the ball first (a close one, admittedly).

Cup Round 1. Pictures by Tommy Lee Photography.

Resin CreationsMemorials by Yvonne

MATCH REPORT

EDINBURGH CITY 1 ROSS COUNTY 3

A match against Premiership opponents is always going to be an important fixture for a League 1 side, and when it’s not a humiliating thrashing it can be one of the high points of the season. Ross County won this Viaplay Cup Group Stage match by a 3-1 scoreline, but City played well, especially in the second half, and didn’t feel the need to slink out of the ground in shame.

It might not have been one of the shock results which have peppered this season’s competition, but it was a worthwhile exercise, and if the home club had had just a bit more luck the scoreline could have been narrower still. And despite the occasional physicality the match was played in a good spirit, with only one yellow card and no player so badly knocked about that he was unable to play at the weekend. There were a fair few Ross County supporters who made the 338-mile round trip from Dingwall, and overall the crowd of 449 was decent for a match in which nothing was at stake

for City. The home side was missing Kieran MacDonald and Robbie Mahon, while Innes Murray was suspended after his two yellow cards at Stranraer; but Quinn Mitchell returned, Callum Crane made his first start of the season, and the presence of Love Island idol Ouzy See brought a cluster of people whose age and sex aren’t commonly seen at the Meadowbank turnstiles. We were also delighted to see Liam Fontaine come on as a 75th minute substitute, to be ceremonially presented with the captain’s armband by his understudy

Danny Handling (picture on page 39). It was also to be Sam Ramsbottom’s last game with the club, although the fans didn’t know that at the time.

County lost the toss and the first-ever meeting between our two sides started with Ross County shooting towards Wishaw Terrace. City were the first to attack, a slightly-deflected shot by Leitch being safely collected by Munro with McLean hovering. However, the Premiership side soon took control, Jacobs heading away an attempt on

Viaplay Cup Round 1. Pictures by Tommy Lee Photography.

MATCH REPORT

EDINBURGH CITY 1 ROSS COUNTY 3

Viaplay Cup Round 1. Video by Video by Dode Allen Media .

the line and Mr Steven spotted a County handball in the City box. A slack back pass from Crane was pounced on by Allardice, but Ramsbottom saved well. But the Dingwall men took the lead in 20 minutes, with a corner from the left to the back post bagatelling around the City goal area until Connor Randall found himself in the right position to prod the ball home from six yards out. The visitors poured on the pressure, and following a breakaway an excellent tackle from Callum Crane prevented a quick second goal for the Highlanders. The defence did well, and although Ross County had maybe ten more attempts on goal in the remainder of the first half, at the break it was still that one strike which separated the teams. Ciarán

Brian replaced Russell McLean at halftime, the big striker having taken a knock. But the Premiership side doubled their lead three minutes into the second half. Josh Sims sent in a cross from near the corner flag and Simon Murray put in a perfectly-placed header from seven yards out, off the post and into the net. The Staggies didn’t keep that twogoal lead for long, though – just until the 51st minute, when Ryan Shanley shook off Baldwin’s clutching hands to collect a throw-in up the right touchline and made himself a little space at the corner of the penalty box before unleashing a magnificent left-footed shot which crashed off the back of the net while Munro was still diving. ➤

MATCH REPORT

EDINBURGH CITY 1 ROSS COUNTY 3

Viaplay Cup Round 1. Video by Video by Dode Allen Media.

For a while we thought City had a chance of getting an equaliser, but County restored their lead in 58 minutes with a powerful surge down the right. Crane chested down Sims’s pass and Jacobs’s clearance hit Randall’s elbow, but Mr Steven ruled it accidental and while City hesitated Randall ran in –his close-range shot was parried by Ramsbottom but Jordan White was on hand to scramble in the loose ball from two yards out.

Ross County kept on trying to increase their lead, but a sterling performance from the City defence kept them at bay and despite a plethora of shots few of them would trouble Sam Ramsbottom. Ryan Shanley was yellow-carded in 67 minutes for a reckless tackle on Harmon and Liam Fontaine made his first appearance of the season replacing Callum Crane, but there no further goals. A creditable performace by City.

TEAMLINES

26 July 2023

VIAPLAY CUP

Edinburgh City 1-3 Ross County

Edinburgh City: 1. Sam Ramsbottom, 4. Lee Hamilton, 5. Scott Mercer (Devine 80), 7. Ryan Shanley , 8. Robbie Leitch, 9. Ouzy See (Mair 60), 10. Danny Handling, 13. Kyle Jacobs, 25. Quinn Mitchell, 30. Callum Crane (Fontaine 75), 33. Russell McLean (Brian 46).

Substitutes: 17. Liam Fontaine, 19. Elijah Anukam, 20. Brodie Devine, 21. Cammy Quate (sg), 22. Ciarán Brian, 26. Struan

Mair, 28. Gwong-Rwad Peter.

Scorer: Ryan Shanley (51) CSC Player of the Match: Quinn Mitchell

Ross County: 21. Ross Munro, 2. Connor Randall (Loturi 61), 4. James Brown, 5. Jack Baldwin, 6. Scott Allardice (Turner 67), 11. Josh Sims, 15. Simon Murray, 16. George Harmon (Reid 67), 17. Jay Henderson (Sheaf 79), 26. Jordan White (Mackinnon 79), 35. Will Nightingale.

Substitutes: 7. Kyle Turner, 10. Yan Dhanda, 12. Max Sheaf, 14. Victor Loturi, 20. Adam Mackinnon, 30. Dylan Smith, 32. Connall Ewen, 41. Logan Ross (sg), 43. Josh Reid.

Scorers: Randall (20), Murray (48), White (59)

Referee: Colin Steven

Assistant Referees: Chris Rae and John Stewart

Attendance: 449

29 July 2023

VIAPLAY CUP

GREENOCK MORTON 4-1 EDINBURGH CITY

Greenock Morton: 1. Ryan Mullen

4. Darragh O’Connor, 6. Calum Waters, 7. Steven Boyd (Garrity 73), 8. Cameron Blues, 9. Robbie Muirhead, 10. Jai Quitongo (Bearne 73), 14. Robbie

Crawford, 15. Kirk Broadfoot, 21. Grant Gillespie (capt.) (King 52), 22. George Oakley (McGrattan 73).

Substitutes: 17. Lewis McGrattan, 18. Michael Garrity, 19. Jack Bearne, 25. Alex King.

Scorers: Broadfoot (33), Crawford (67), King (75), Blues (88).

Edinburgh City: 1. Andy McNeil, 4. Lee Hamilton, 8. Robbie Leitch, 9. Ryan

Shanley, 13. Kyle Jacobs (Peter 55), 16. Liam Fontaine (capt.) (Mahon 46), 18. Innes Murray, 22. Ciarán Brian , 24. Quinn Mitchell (Devine 46), 28. Danny Handling, 30. Callum Crane (Mair 65).

Substitutes: 11. Robbie Mahon, 19. Gwang-Rwad Peter, 20. Brodie Devine, 21. Cammy Quate (sg), 25. Struan Mair.

Scorer: Murray (83)

CSC Player of the Match: Innes Murray

Referee: Calum Scott

Assistant Referees: Sean Carr and Craig Macrae

Attendance: 1404

Booking Sent off

CITY WOMEN @EdinburghCityW

Our fantastic Double-winning Women’s side start their season a week tomorrow when they travel to face Dryburgh Athletic C.C. –who, as you will remember, are the side we defeated in the final of the Championship and League 1 Cup at Alloa back in December. It was a tough match, City (or F.C. Edinburgh as we were at that time) only winning 5-4 on penalties after a 0-0 draw, so the Dundee girls will be looking for revenge and a flying start to the new season. Of course, the City team this season are not the same outfit who breezed through last season without losing a League 1 match. Our coach Andy Enwood left at the end of May, taking over the hot seat at Boroughmuir Thistle 24 hours after Suzy Shepherd stepped down, with the brief of finally getting the team into SWPL 1 – the club are notorious for their inconsistency, regularly beating

the leading sides in SWPL 2 but throwing away points to the lesser lights.

Andy is building a new squad at the Meadowbank-based side, and looking at the squad listed for their recent friendly against Spartans, that squad includes Amy Lynch, Hannah Markley and Jayden Simmons, all of whom were with F.C. Edinburgh last season. But if you were worried that City were going to be plundered of all their top talent for the forthcoming season, there is good news. The Women’s Twitter site is, in its countdown to the new season, revealing day by day the girls who will be in the new squad, and at the time of writing we have signed or re-signed Ellie Crawford, Amy Hay, Niamh Naysmith, Katie Bryce, Louise Vaughan and goal machine Nicole Rutherford, who has been appointed the new club captain. Latest news about the Women’s team in the next Citizen.

WOMEN'S FIXTURES 2023/24

MORE FIXTURES WILL BE ADDED AS CUP COMPETITIONS ARE DRAWN

Our Women's Team are members of the SWF Championship, and play their home matches at Meadowbank Stadium on Sunday afternoons. Kick-off times vary –please check social media as close to kick-off time as you can manage.

The under-20s started their season on Friday 4th August with a friendly match against their powerful Haddington Athletic counterparts at the Hi-His’ secondary pitch at Whittinghame Drive. City’s early lead was soon cancelled out and the score at the interval was 3-1 to Haddington, and that’s how it finished. Our first Conference A match was against Spartans here last night, and on Friday we will be away to Kelty Hearts.

On 25th May we met Stirling University at Armadale in the final of the League Cup (East) but sadly lost 0-2. My thanks to Tommy Lee Photography for the match pictures.

Scottish Lowland Development Football League Conference A Final Table

UNDER-20 FIXTURES 2023/24

MORE FIXTURES WILL BE ADDED AS CUP COMPETITIONS ARE DRAWN

Our Under-20s are members of the Scottish Lowland Development Football League, Conference A, and play their home matches at Meadowbank Stadium on Friday evenings, kicking off at 8:00 p.m.

www.sldfl.co.uk • twitter.com/OfficialSLDFL/ • www.facebook.com/officialsldfl/

Edinburgh City F.C. Hospitality Partners

The Best Taproom in Scotland

Stadium

Lower London Road

Greenend Motors

Bellfield Brewery

Stanley Place

Taylor Place

AND COMMENT

PYRO WARNING

Not something which impressed the Bonnyrigg stewards. There were some incidents of smoke bombs in early City matches this season, but these seem to have died away. You may feel that, while flares and fireworks are obviously dangerous, smoke bombs are harmless and add a bit of atmosphere to a match; you might likewise be of the opinion that the supporters of certain clubs have carte blanche to create elaborate pyrotechnic displays without anyone appearing to object. That’s as may be. Edinburgh City are not one of those “certain clubs” and we have to do what the football authorities and the police tell us to do. Not so many years ago an epidemic of flares and smoke bombs

at City games brought the club to the edge of bankruptcy and homelessness, and the stress led to the resignation of a very valuable chairman. Until the law is changed, we have to do as we are told.

APOLOGY

In “Snippets” in the last issue, The Rambling Reporter aimed some teasing remarks at women’s football. I had some doubts about printing them – especially as we have such a talented and successful Women’s team at Edinburgh City – and I should have listened to these doubts, as the content caused a fair bit of offence. An editor’s job is to modify or remove anything which might provoke or upset the customer, and I failed in that task – for which I apologise.

The European qualifiers (Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hibernian and Heart of Midlothian) start their Viaplay Cup campaigns in the Second Round, which will be played next weekend. They are joined by the eight Group winners plus the best three runners-up – Stirling Albion, Greenock Morton and Raith Rovers.

Hearts and Hibs will both be at home next Sunday, hosting Partick Thistle and Raith Rovers respectively.

CLUB POLICIES

The following is an abridged version of the Club Policies which are given in full on our website, www.fcedinburgh. com/club-policies-2/ In any dispute between what is printed here and what is shown on the website, the latter will always take precedence.

STADIUM REGULATIONS

1. All matches are played in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Scottish Football Association, the Scottish Premier League, The Scottish Football League, and the Scottish Lowland Football League.

2. Play is not guaranteed to take place on any particular day or time. The Club may change advertised fixtures without notice and without liability.

3. All supporters must pay for admission in accordance to advertised conditions and rates.

4. Unauthorised persons may not enter upon the field of play. All persons must stay on the spectator side of the barriers.

5. Only authorised persons may offer programmes, food or drink, or anything else for sale in the Stadium.

6. Smoking in no-smoking areas is forbidden by law. Penalties include a fine and/or criminal prosecution.

7. Nobody may stand in any seating area whilst play is in progress. Offenders may be ejected.

8. Nobody may obstruct gangways, access ways, exits and entrances, or stairways, or climb structures within the Stadium.

9. Mobile telephones and other devices are permitted for personal and private use only.

10. The use of foul or abusive language; racist, discriminatory or sectarian remarks, songs or chants; and the promotion or endorsement of any political organisation are not permitted within the Sports Centre or surrounding areas. F.C. Edinburgh have a separate Anti-Discrimination Policy.

11. It is an offence punishable by law for any person to enter or attempt to enter the Stadium:

- Whilst in possession of a prohibited container

- Whilst in possession of alcohol

- Whilst drunk

- Whilst in possession, or under the influence, of any illegal substances

- Whilst in possession of flares, smoke bombs, fireworks or similar;

All persons entering the Stadium may be searched by the Club Stewards.

12. Articles which could be used as a weapon, or which are regarded as dangerous or unsafe are not permitted. This includes knives, fireworks, smoke canisters, airhorns, flares, weapons, laser devices, bottles, cans, and poles. Anyone in possession of such items will be refused entry or asked to leave.

13. All persons entering the Stadium may be required to submit to search by stewards.

14. The throwing of any objects is not permitted.

15. Persons using parking facilities at the Stadium do so at their own risk.

We are not responsible for damage, accidents or losses.

16. Those using parking facilities must park in a respectful manner and be mindful of other vehicles.

17. Spectators must exit the Stadium in an orderly manner after the end of the game.

18. In the event of an emergency instructions will be announced over the public address system. Spectators must follow the advice given, or directions given by Club Stewards.

19. At all times, the right of admission is reserved by the Club.

20. All persons entering are admitted subject to these Regulations and to the applicable Rules and Regulations of the relevant football authorities. ENTRY TO THE STADIUM SHALL CONSTITUTE ACCEPTANCE OF THESE RULES AND REGULATIONS. FAILURE TO ADHERE TO THEM MAY RESULT IN SEIZURE OF SEASON TICKET, OR A PERMANENT BAN FROM ATTENDING ANY FUTURE HOME GAMES.

21. The Club reserves the right for its servants, stewards, and agents, and for members of the Police force, to remove from the Stadium any person who does not comply with Stadium regulations and with the rules and regulations of the relevant football authorities, or whose presence in the Stadium is or could reasonably be construed as constituting a source of danger, nuisance or annoyance to other spectators.

UNACCEPTABLE CONDUCT POLICY

We will not tolerate unacceptable conduct at home or away stadia.

Unacceptable Conduct is conduct which is violent or disorderly.

Violent conduct is actual, attempted or threatened violence against any person, or intentional damage to property.

Disorderly conduct includes:

- Conduct which is likely to stir up hatred or ill-will against people based on their presumed membership of the following categories:

- Gender, colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origin

- religious groups or groups with a perceived religious affiliation

- Sexual orientation

- Transgender identity

- Disability or against an individual presumed to be a member of such group.

- Using threatening, abusive or insulting words or conduct

- Displaying anything threatening, abusive or insulting

- Using words or conduct or displaying anything supporting or opposing an organisation proscribed in terms of the Terrorism Act 2000.

ANY PERSON ENGAGING IN UNACCEPTABLE CONDUCT MAY BE SUBJECT TO ANY OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING, AS IS CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE:

- Ejection from the stadium;

- A temporary or indefinite ban from attending our matches; and/or

- Report to the police and possible criminal proceedings.

For the full and authoritative text of F.C.Edinburgh Club Policies, including the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, the Club Code of Conduct, the Customer Charter, the Anti-Discrimination Policy, the Equal Opportunities Policy, the Disability Discrimination Policy, and the Children’s Rights Policy, please see our website at www.fcedinburgh.com/club-policies-2/

PLAYER STATISTICS 2023/24

MEET THE REFEREE

LLOYD WILSON

We extend a warm welcome to Meadowbank Stadium this afternoon to our match referee Lloyd Wilson, from the South of Scotland Referees’ Association. On the Category 1 list since 2017, Lloyd has long been regarded as the top referee in his part of the country. He has officiated in Edinburgh City matches since the start of our Lowland League days in 2013. Today will be the 20th time he has taken charge of one of our matches; we last met him on 24th March this year, coincidentally the last time Queen of the South visited Meadowbank Stadium.

Lloyd will be assisted today by Calum Doyle of the Edinburgh & District Referees’ Association, a Category 3 Specialist Assistant Referee, and Chris Hobbs, a Category 3 official from Stirlingshire.

Ground: Meadowbank Stadium

Registered Office: TBC

Email: admin@fcedinburgh.com

Telephone: 0131 210 0478

Chairman: John Dickson

General Manager: Colin Campbell

Board: John Dickson, David Armstrong, Alick Milne

Supporters’ Representative to the

Board: Robert Fallon

Manager: Alan Maybury

Assistant Manager: Mark Kerr

Strength and Conditioning Coach: Andy

Somerville

Goalkeeping Coach: Jamie Macdonald

Physiotherapist: Scott Anderson

Kit Man: Ian McIntyre

Under-20s Coach: Adam Cairnie

Women’s Team Management: Lee Zavaroni and Paul Alexander

Safety Officer: Sam Bryce

Chaplain: Christopher McRae

Matchday Operations: Jim Moore, Andy McDonald

Photography: Tommy Lee Photography

Videography: Dode Allen Media

Social Media: Dave Armstrong

Programme Editor: Alick Milne

Manager: Alan Maybury

1. Andy McNEIL

2. Kieran MacDONALD

4. Lee HAMILTON

5. Scott MERCER

6. Lewis SPENCE

7. Robbie MAHON

8. Robbie LEITCH

9. Ryan SHANLEY

9. Ouzy SEE

10. Danny HANDLING

11. Kieran OFFORD

13. Kyle JACOBS

17. Liam FONTAINE ©

20. Jack WILKIE

21. Cameron QUATE (sg)

22. Ciarán BRIAN

23. Innes MURRAY

25. Quinn MITCHELL

30. Callum CRANE

33. Russell McLEAN

MATCH OFFICIALS:

Referee: LLOYD WILSON

Assistant Referee: CALUM DOYLE

Assistant Referee: CHRIS HOBBS

Manager: Marvin Bartley

1. Gordon BOTTERILL

2. Jordan HOUSTON

3. Daniel CHURCH

4. Iain WILSON

5. Paul McKAY

6. Harry COCHRANE

7. Kieran McKECHNIE

8. Josh TODD ©

9. Gavin REILLY

10. Lee CONNELLY

11. Craig McGUFFIE

15. Kyle McCLELLAND

18. Reegan MIMNAUGH

20. Ross IRVING

21. Murray JOHNSON (sg)

23. Cammy LOGAN

24. Efe AMBROSE

25. Kyle DOHERTY

27. Lewis GIBSON

28. Ben JOHNSTONE

29. Jay BURNS

30. Harvey WALKER

32. Lewis CURRIE

35. Jack BRYDON

NEXT HOME MATCH:

CINCH LEAGUE 1

v HAMILTON ACADEMICAL

Meadowbank Stadium

Saturday 19 August 2023

Kick-off 3:00 p.m.