League fixtures for Saturday 1st October KO 2:00pm now published, for those teams with byes in the 1st round of the Emirates Scottish Junior Cup.
GLENAFTON ATHLETIC V SHOTTS BON ACCORD
Girvan v Kilsyth
Lanark v Dalry
Renfrew v Cumbernauld
Sat 10th September Winton Park, Ardrossan KO 2pm
Glenafton with captain Robbie Henderson and Kris Mitchell unavailable for selection and playmaker Lewis Sloan out through injury made a number of changes from the side that drew at home with Thorniewood last week-end. In came Cammy McKinnell and Craig Menzies at the centre of defence while Gareth Campbell returned from suspension to join Gareth Armstrong and recent signing Ian Cashmore in a forward-thinking formation in more ways than one, as the Glens looked to do what others had not managed thus far – take a point of more from league leaders Ardrossan Winton Rovers.
Bo bagged a brace
Despite a lively start from the visitors the home side quickly served noticed of their intent to maintain their 100% league record when in five minutes a fine passage of flowing football ended with Graham Muir’s shot being deflected past keeper Ally Semple. Ten minutes later and the Glens pressure caused panic in the Winton box forcing defender to haul down attacker and up stepped Gareth Armstrong to level matters from the penalty spot. Play ebbed back and forth like the Arran ferry, only a wee bit quicker, as both sides seemed determined not to settle for a share of the points. On 34 minutes Winton restored their lead with another clinical finish to an excellent move, Graeme Hamilton heading home from close range an Andy Boyle cross from the dead-ball line. A minute from the break and the teams were level again. The visitors were awarded a free-kick some 30 yards from goal and Gareth Armstrong, not for the first time this season, rifled an unstoppable shot into the back of the net. With the home guard looking vulnerable Glens continued to push forward and won another penalty on the stroke of half-time. Gareth Campbell’s spot-kick crashed off the post and his attempt to head the rebound home struck the other post; of course the goal would not have stood if the rebound had found the net, the ball bot having been played by an opponent. H/T Ardrossan 2 Glens 2
A Southy Scorcher
Four first half goals were soon joined by the first of the second period and what a goal too. More picture book than text book passing as the Glens moved the ball swiftly and sweetly about their mesmerised opponents, who were quickly brought of their trance by the away roars of appreciation as Craig McEwan raced into the Rovers’ box and blasted the ball into the rigging beyond keeper Kenny Pollock. A special goal from Southy in a sombre week for family and friends. Having taken the lead for the first time in the match the visitors looked in determined mood not to relinquish it and indeed seemed the more likely of the two sides to add to their tally, the contribution of Ian Cashmore particularly noteworthy.
Cashy opens his account
Midway through the half Paul McKenzie flew down the left flank and as he burst into the box he was hauled down without ceremony to earn Glenafton their third penalty of the match. Ian Cashmore, took on the mantle of penalty taker – also the third of the match – and gave Pollock no chance, as he doubled the Glens lead. Minutes later McEwan rampaged into the Rovers box and melted one of the metalwork as the Glens domination continued unabated.
The visitors made good use of substitutions with Steven Greenlees, Ryan McChesney and Jim Wilson providing the fresh legs and helping to break up any fluidity in the home side’s play. However deep into injury time the tricky Stephen Reid reduced the leeway but there was no time left for a Rover’s return and Glenafton deservedly headed south with all three points. F/T Ardrossan 3 Glens 4
Glenafton: Semple; McEwan, Menzies, McKinnell, McKillen; McKenzie, Bell, Potter, Campell; Armstrong, Cashmore. Subs used Greenlees, McChesney, Wilson
Siney’s video clips of the 1st half goals
AWR 1-0 Glens 1-1 AWR 2-1 Glens 2-2
Other Score: Dalry 3 Shott 2, Kilsyth 3 Renfrew 4, Lanark 0 Girvan 1, Rutherglen 3 East Kilbride 4, Thorniewood 3 Cumbernauld 2, Whitletts 3 Hurlford 2.
Sat 10th September Winton Park, Ardrossan KO 2pm
ARDROSSAN WINTON ROVERS v GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
Top goalscorer Gareth Armstrong
Glenafton travel to the North Ayrshire coast to face league leaders Ardrossan Winton Rovers in the first West Region league clash between the two sides. Lewis Sloan, who has returned from holiday, Gareth Armstrong having completed his three match suspension and striker Ian Cashmore will all be in contention to partner leading goalscorer Gareth Armstrong up front . On the down side captain Robbie Henderson will be unavailable for selection as he heads for a wedding in London.
Derek Frye’s Winton Rovers , the newly promoted Ayrshire District Champions, are the talk of the terracing following their stunning start to the season beginning with an impressive Ardagh Glass Sectional league cup campaign. In arguably the toughest section of the competition, with three Premier sides in the group of five, Winton finished runners-up and narrowly lost out to Premier champions Irvine Meadow in a quarter-final penalty shoot-out, after a fantastic four-all draw. Gutted Graeme Hamilton, now in his fourth season with Rovers having joined them from the renowned Clark Drive Amateurs, had the consolation of scoring hat-trick at Meadow Park.
Of course it is the Rovers league form that has caught the eye, four wins out of four, the most recent an eye-watering 8-0 gubbing of Girvan at Hamilton Park, albeit their fellow seasiders finished the match with 8 men. Striker Stephen Reid, summer-signing from Renfrew, bagged a hat-trick to take his season-so-far tally to 8 goals.
Please visit the excellent Winton web-site here.
Other fixtures: Dalry v Shotts, Kilsyth v Renfrew, Lanark v Girvan, Rutherglen v East Kilbride, Thorniewood v Cumbernauld, Whitletts v Hurlford.
The First: The two clubs first met in the historic season of 1933/34 when North Ayrshire clubs finally succumbed to their southern cousins – Glenafton, Kello Rovers and Auchinleck Talbot – and allowed them entry into prestigious Western League. Rovers came out on top by the odd goal in three at Winton Park and when the two sides met late in the season in the corresponding fixture at Connel Park both they and Kilwinning Rangers were challenging for the league title. The day before the showdown with Winton, the Glens drew 1-1 with the Buffs in the semi-final of the Ayrshire Consolation Cup at Somerset Park and this appears have taken toll for after going two up, goals from Barney Jackson and Willie Ferguson, the Rovers hit back with three of their own to seal the points. The Glens had to settle for 3rd place in the league, five points behind equal top Ardrossan and Kilwinning. In a play-off decider ‘Winton won the West’ beating the Buffs 2-0 at Recreation Park, Stevenston to round off a great year the club having won the Ayrshire Cup and reaching the semi-final of the Scottish Junior Cup final. The following season the Glens completed the league double over Winton on their way to becoming the first south Ayrshire side to be crowned Western League Champions.
The Last: The two clubs last met in the pre-season Joe Meldrum Trophy on 3rd August, 2008 at Loch Park. Glens’ goals from trialist Craig Seenan, Paul McMullan and a double from Dougie Ramsay, either side of a Winton counter put the home side into a seemingly unassailable 4-1 lead at the break. However, the visitors punished some defensive lapses by the Glens and hit back with two second half goals. Indeed only a fine save by Chris Fahey and then the woodwork prevented the North Ayrshire side from bagging a deserved equaliser. The Glens held on to their lead and to the JMT Trophy.
Action from Glens v Winton
Jim celebrates his goal v Whitletts
Glenafton striker Jim Wilson has handed in a transfer request and the club will now listen to offers. Jim was signed by Mark Shanks from Annbank United at the start of season 2010/11 and scored in his debut away to Kello Rovers in an Ardagh Sectional Cup match. He also scored a hat-trick at Cumbernauld in the opening game of the league campaign that season and went on to score 14 goals from 33 starts and a handful of appearances from the bench. With the arrival of Gareth Campbell and Lewis Sloan at Loch Park this season Jim has made only 1 start from the bench and bagged three goals, his most recent a crucial headed equaliser against Whitletts.
Stagecoach Super League 1st Division
Sat 3rd Sep Loch Park, New Cumnock
GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 2 (0)
THORNIEWOOD UNITED 2 (2)
Glenafton played host to newly promoted Thorniewood United in the first ever league encounter between the two sides and those that resisted the allure of the Scotland international at Hampden, by terrace or by Sky, were treated to an incident packed match. With the Glens joint top goal scorer Lewis Sloan unavailable for selection his fellow top goal scorer Gareth Armstrong was partnered by trialist Ian Cashmore. However, it was the visitor’s current leading goalscorer Stevie Mullen that was first to catch the eye, and in jig time too. A long clearance into the ‘Wood half was quickly returned to the Glens’ territory and and a measured flick-on took three home defenders out allowing Mullen the time to execute the daintiest of lobs over the head of Ally Semple to open the scoring in two minutes. The finger-to-the-lips to silence the home support was superfluous as a pin could be heard dropping before the ball had left his golden foot, or Golden Stiletto as they call the annual goalscoring award at Robertson Park, an award which Mullen looks to retain .
Silence continued to hang over the home terracing like a billowing Bannockburn banner over the Tartan Army as Thorniewood looked to build on their early success with waves of guerilla attacks deep into their hosts’ defences, right wide man Robert Allan proving a particularly sharp thorn in the side. On six minutes Richie McKillen and Kris Mitchell both won vital headers in the home box and Andy Bell never flinched and stood firm to block the loose ball from being battered home by Steven McGuire. Respite came a minute later when Bell tested Jon Connolly from distance the keeper relieved to see Neil Newman on hand to prevent Craig Potter drilling home the rebound. Minutes later the big keeper revealed the origin of his alias, ‘The Flying Fridge’, when he rose above friend and foe of Newman and Cashmore to punch the ball clear and set Allan off on another counter-attack. Thoughts that the Glens had weathered the storm were dashed on 15 minutes when an innocuous looking shoulder charge by Craig McEwan on Des Bradshaw a few yards outside the left hand side of the penalty box was deemed to be worthy of a free-kick. And what a worthy free kick it was as Robert Allan slammed it beyond the four man wall and into the top right hand corner of Semple’s goal. Shell-shocked Glens responded and five minutes later Connolly pulled off a stunning save from an equally stunning volley from Cashmore. The keeper’s two-handed save on the line from a Robbie Henderson header from the corner kick wasn’t too shabby either. The ‘fridge’ did lose his cool slightly minutes later when he fumbled the ball under pressure from Armstrong, but to his relief Ryan McAloon booted the ball to safety.
Play now entered a period of the end-to-end variety with Steven Greenlees blocking a Bradshaw effort followed swiftly by Connolly clutching a cute head flick from Cashmore. On the half hour mark Bradshaw picked out McGuire in the box but after evading McKillen his one-on-one with Semple ended with a shot sliced wide of target. Ten minutes later Connolly got down in time to push a Paul McKenzie shot round his right hand post and soon after blocked another effort low at his left hand post. The half however ended as it had begun with Thorniewood on top. More a case of ‘head on hands’ rather than ‘finger on lips’ gesture from Mullen as a glorious chance went a begging on 42 minutes, his header sailing over the bar. Two minutes later Semple made a superb single-handed save from a McGuire shot that had goal number three written all over it. The keeper’s good work was almost undone when Newman was allowed a free header at the back post from the resultant corner-kick. H/T Glens 0 Thorniewood 2
Kris Mitchell and Stuart Livingston with Andy Bell
Within a minute of the re-start Mullen capitalised on some hesitancy in the home defence allowing him a clear run in on goal but Semple proved his match. On 53 minutes a McKillen trip on Jack Bennet yielded another free-kick from a dangerous location but although Allan got the ball up and over the wall it drifted wide of the stranded Semple’s right hand post. Four minutes later Cashmore refused to give up the ghost when his burst into the box took him to the dead ball line from where he hooked the runaway ball across the face of the goal forcing Connolly to push it over the bar. The ‘Flying Fridge’ then got a fist to the corner before it could reach its target of Armstrong’s head. On the hour mark the busy Bradshaw nicked the ball at the edge of the box and forced Semple to dive full length to push to his angled drive inches wide of the post. Three minutes later a great spot from the stand side assistant referee spotted Armstrong being impeded in the box as he waited to accept the ball. After some ‘ball not on the spot’ gamesmanship Gareth Armstrong stepped up and coolly slammed the ball past Connolly. The home side’s tails were up and a Mitchell drive from 20 yards had Connolly on his knees at the post, a good vantage point from which to watch the ball roll just wide. McKenzie was now pulling the strings his runs down the right flank before cutting inside now a thorn in Wood’s side. On 80 minutes his pass to Cashmore on the flank was launched into the box for Armstrong who was clumsily bundled off the ball by Jamie Brophy in full view of the referee, the official left with little choice but to point the spot. This time Connolly kept his cool diving low to his left to turn the ball out for a corner. Four minutes later substitute Chris Faulds’ effort from a tight angle skimmed past Semple’s far post and soon after McGuire rounded the Glens’ goalie but McEwan was on hand to clear the danger.
Bo bags his brace
With three minutes of regulation time remaining Bradshaw fouled McKenzie tight on the right hand side touchline. The Glens replaced the hard-working Cashmore with Jim Wilson who made his way into the crowded penalty area to await the incoming free-kick. Perhaps this change caused some uncertainty in the visitors’ ranks as McEwan played a simple ball to Gareth Armstrong and his glancing header from 10 yards out caught Connolly cold and the keeper could only watch as the ball nestled in the net. Five minutes later, ‘the Fridge’ was almost left with egg on his face when, under pressure from the incoming Wilson, he slipped as he came off his line to clear a back pass but he kept his wits about him to push the ball out for a throw in. A blot on an otherwise outstanding performance prevented. With the last throw of the die McKenzie and Potter caused panic in the Wood box but Mark Daly kept a calm head and mopped up the danger. F/T Glens 2 Thorniewood 2
Glens: Semple; McEwan, Greenlees (Menzies), Henderson, McKillen; McKenzie, Mitchell, Potter, Bell; Cashmore (Wilson), Armstrong.
Siney’s videos
Other scores: Cumbernauld 2 Dalry 1, East Kilbride 1 Lanark 0, Girvan 0 Ardrossan 8, Hurlford 4 Renfrew 2, Rutherglen 1 Kilsyth 2, Shotts 4 Whitletts 1
Sat 3rd September Loch Park, New Cumnock KO 2pm
GLENAFTON ATHLETIC v THORNIEWOOD UNITED
The Glens host newly promoted Thorniewood United in the first ever league clash between the two sides. Striker Gareth Campbell serves his last of a 3 game suspension and Lewis Sloan is likely to continue to partner Gareth Armstrong up front – both currently joint top goalscorers with six-a-piece.
Kelly's Eye - No. !
The clubs last met at Loch Park in a West of Scotland Cup 1st Round tie in September 2008 with the home side running out 5-2 winners, a scoreline that doesn’t go close to revealing the story of the game. Following the late call off keeper Chris Fahey the Glens called in coach Chris Kelly, veteran goalkeeper of the 1993 Scottish Junior Cup winning side. A Craig Feroz double, an own goal and a Jamie Doyle strike put the Glens 4-0 up at the break. The ‘Wood showed their mettle in the second half by halving the deficit and when the Glens went down to 9 men (Gordon Moffat and Stuart Tullis ordered off) the Central 1st Division side scented a Premier Division scalp. It was not to be and Craig Feroz completed his hat-trick although the ‘Wood continued to chip away but failed to add to their tally. No survivors in the Glens squad while still in the visitors ranks today are player-manager John Fallon, midfielders Mark Daly and Des Bradshaw and striker Stephen Mullen.
Thorniewood enjoyed an impressive Surridge Sectional Cup campaign with wins over Bellshill (3-0), Shettleston (4-2) and St. Roch’s (4-0) but narrowly lost out by the odd goal in three at Premier side Petershill to prevent their progression to the knock-out stages. The Robertson park sided hosted relegated Rutherglen Glencairn in their opening league match but lost out 3-1 despite giving a good account of themselves. The trip to East Kilbride ended in a 5-3 defeat, the damage being done in an eight minute spell in which Thistle stung the ‘Wood with three goals. Last Saturday they claimed their first league point with an encouraging 2-2 draw at home to Girvan, Stephen Mullen and Dave McKean scoring for the home side, either side of a John Bradford brace for the visitors. (Courtesy of the excellent Thorniewood web-site)
Goal celebrations
At first glance it was difficult to detect any Former Afton Lads in the Thorniewood line-up until Stuart Livingstone’s brace against Bellshill Athletic caught the eye. Stuart came off the bench as a trialist for the Glens in a league match away at Ashfield in August 2009 and scored a late winner to secure a point in a 2-2 draw. Previously with Fauldhouse United, Stonehouse Violet and Lesmahagow, Stuart joined Thorniewood from Petershill in the close season.
Other fixtures: Cumbernauld v Dalry, East Kilbride v Lanark, Girvan v Ardrossan, Hurlford v Renfrew, Rutherglen v Kilsyth, Shotts v Whitletts
Glenafton received a bye in the 1st round draw of the Emirates Scottish Junior Cup at Hampden Park. The names of only five Super League 1st Division sides were drawn out the hat – Ardrossan, East Kilbride, Hurlford, Rutherglen and Whitletts. The ties are to be played on Saturday 1st October and with nine 1st Division sides not involved there should be four league fixtures that week-end.
Stagecoch Super League 1st Division
Sat 27th Aug Merksworth Park, Dalry
DALRY THISTLE 1 (0)
GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 4 (3)
Glenafton made a couple of changes to the back-four that started against Whitletts last week-end with Richie McKillen and Steven Greenlees replacing former Dalry duo Craig Menzies and Cameron McKinnell. Both Robbie Henderson and Lewis Sloan made the starting line-up having recovered from injuries sustained in the draw with the Vics.
Former Glenafton forward Graeme Barbour kicked off for the hosts and both he and strike partner Davie McKenna looked lively in the opening encounters as the home side looked to build on the fine point won on the road at Girvan the previous Saturday. However, the visitors were soon exposing the frailties of the Thistle defence and in particular their offside trap which was sprung at alarmingly regular intervals but without being punished. On 6 minutes former Killie U19 keeper Chris Treacy had the woodwork to thank not once but twice when a Paul McKenzie shot from the corner of the 18 yard box bounced off the bar and Andy Bell’s attempt to volley home the rebound pinged off the post.
'The Sloan Danger'
With ten minutes gone a quickly taken free kick caught the Dalry defence dozing and released Sloan into the box but his early shot at goal lacked power to worry Treacy. A minute later some Merksworth magic to delight the travelling support. McKenzie wide on the left picked out Bell with a magnificent cross-field ball, triggering simultaneously a run into the box by Craig Potter; Bell gathered and rolled the ball into the box with the outside of his right foot for Potter to gather, wheel and cut it back to the penalty spot from where Lewis Sloan lashed it into the top right hand corner with Treacy transfixed to his line . On the quarter-hour mark Sloan threatened to double his tally but his attempted lob from just outside ‘the D’ looped over the bar . Five minutes later McKenzie meandered his way around Merksworth only to be halted by an ungainly tackle on the edge of the penalty box. Up stepped Gareth Armstrong, as he does, and duly delivered the free-kick into the Dalry net and put the visitors two ahead.
To their credit the home side’s heads didn’t go down and for a good 15 minute spell were the equal of their opponents in terms of possession and shared the two decent chances created in this relatively quiet period. Craig McEwan came close for the Glens but his thunderbolt from 18 yards out whizzed over the bar and a minute later Dalry missed the opportunity to halve the deficit. Intricate interplay in the Glens box ended with McKenna setting up ‘No. 11’ but he badly sliced his shot from close range.
Celebrations after Bo makes it 2-0
Dalry paid the price, Potter who was having an excellent match, picked out Armstrong who made his way into the box with a posse of defenders on his tail. With his route to goal blocked he settled for the dead ball line where he stabbed the ball back to Bell but his shot from the corner of the 6 yard box hit the inside of the post and rolled along the goal line with Treacy in hot pursuit, but the incoming Lewis Sloan blasted the ball home despite the valiant effort of the young keeper. Again the home side try to rally but Ally Semple in the visitors’ goal dealt comfortably with their sporadic attacks. On the stroke of half-time Armstrong caught the keeper of his line but his shot from 25 yards cannoned over the a defenders foot and then over the floored goalie’s head only for another defender to kick the ball off the goal-line. H/T Dalry 0 Glens 3
Thistle were first to show after the break and Barbour rose above the Glens’s defence but Semple got two strong hands to his powerful header. Any Dalry dreams of dramatic comeback were severely dented with three minutes of the half gone. A Glenafton corner kick was only partially cleared and Sloan was played back in behind the Dalry defence and with his pick of team-mates he chose to roll the ball back to Richie McKillen who coolly side-footed the ball home from 10 yards out. McKenzie was rested and replaced by Jim Wilson who within 30 seconds was floored by a wild tackle. Minutes later a robustly contested 50-50 left McEwan in a heap and yellow cards dished out for the handbags that followed. The Glens defender only lasted for five more minutes or so and hobbled off with Craig Menzies taking his place and soon after Ryan McChesney came on for Gareth Armstrong, the striker leaving to a cacophony of appreciation from the away support.
Richie McKillen fires home the fourth
Thankfully, play soon resumed to the good spirit of that exhibited in the first half. The visitors continued to create the better of the chances the pick of which was a solo effort from Potter on 63 minutes when a lung bursting run saw him round the outcoming Treacy on the 12 yard spot, but his mini-detour allowed the back tracking defenders to deflect the ball out for a corner before it found the empty net. On 70 minutes Sloan rode a challenge in the box but couldn’t keep his footing as he homed in on goal; appeals for a retrospective penalty were dismissed. With eight minutes to go Dalry were awarded a free-kick on the outskirts of the penalty box and former Afton lad Graeme Barbour showed great composure to drill the ball low and hard past the wall and into the far corner of Semple’s net for a well-merited consolation goal. F/T Dalry 1 Glens 4
Glenafton: Semple; McEwan (Menzies), Greenlees, Henderson, McKillen; McKenzie (Wilson), Mitchell, Potter, Bell; Armstrong (McChesney), Sloan.
Check out the videos from Siney
Other scores: Ardrossan 3 East Kilbride 1, Kilsyth 2 Hurlford 1, Lanark 3 Rutherglen 1, Renfrew 3 Shotts 3, Thorniewood 2 Girvan 2, Whitletts 2 Cumbernauld 1
Glens climb to second place in the league two points behind Ardrossan Winton Rovers, now the only side in the league with a 100% record.
Sat 27th August Merksworth Park, Dalry KO 2pm
DALRY THISTLE v GLENAFTON ATHLETIC
The Glens travel to Dalry on Saturday in the third week-end of the league campaign. Inevitably, the return of the former Thistle management team of Darren Henderson, John Garroch and Sammy Conn to their old stomping ground, where they enjoyed great success last season, creates some added interest to the match at Merksworth. Of course, it is worth noting that the Loch Park side’s management team also includes Stevie Kerrigan who played a major role in Glenafton’s late push for promotion last season.
Equally, Dalry have moved on and their new management team of co-managers Dougie McGuire and Drew Walsh (both former Dalry players) and their assistants Martin Doak (another former player) and Stephen Watson have built their own team and got off to a decent start. Although there were heavy defeats to Premier sides Kilbirnie Ladeside (2-7) and Largs Thistle (1-4) in the Ardagh Sectional League cup there was a memorable 4-3 home win over the mighty Beith with 18 year old David McKenna scoring an injury time winner, after the visitors had been reduced to 8 men – including the dismissal of former Glens defender Gerry Joyce. An opening day league defeat at home to East Kilbride was followed by fine point in a lively game away at Girvan.
Jose Quitongo mesmerises Darren Henderson and Craig Menzies (Glens v Dalry 2009/10)
Four former Dalry players – Andy Bell, Craig Menzies, Cammy McKinnell and Craig Potter – will be in the Glens squad but missing is suspended striker Gareth Campbell, while the club await progress reports on injuries to captain Robbie Henderson and Lewis Sloan sustained against Whitletts at the week-end.
Other League Fixtures:
Ardrossan Winton Rovers host joint table toppers East Kilbride Thistle while Hurlford United the other side with a 100% record travel to promoted side Kilsyth Rangers. Last season’s relegated sides Lanark United and Rutherglen Glencairn meet at Moor Park, while Renfrew host Shotts Bon Accord, both sides tied on three points. New boys Thorniewood are looking for their first points with the visit of Girvan, who have drawn both their games. Whitletts, another side with 2 points from 2 games host Cumbernauld United, another side looking for their first points.
Graeme Barbour
The only FAL in the current Dalry squad is 22 year old striker Graeme Barbour who made the move to Merksworth in the summer from Troon. Barrhead boy Graeme joined the Glens towards the end of the 2009/10 season and made 2 starts and 3 sub appearances. He scored his only goal for the club in a 2010/11 pre-season game against Irvine Meadow but two days later suffered severe ligament damage in a friendly away to Newcastle Benfield. Credit to the young man his spirits remained high but he only made two appearances from the bench in 2010/11 and was loaned out to Troon before making a permanent move to the Portland Park side. He received a warm welcome to Loch Park when playing for Troon in this summer’s pre-season Joe Meldrum tournament. Graeme has made a great start at Dalry scoring a brace in the 2-2 draw at Girvan last week, although he also collected a brace of yellow cards.
Tom Brown
Young Graeme’s in good company. Arguably the most successful player to pull on the colours of Dalry and Glenafton was Tom Brown. Bruno won a Scottish Junior Cup medal with the Glens in 1993 and Tommy Burns signed him for Kilmarnock in the close season. He scored the only goal of the game on his debut in a home win over Dundee in the first game of the season on Killie’s return to the Premier Division. Tom went on to make 126 appearances for Kilmarnock, finding the net 17 times and was honoured with two Scotland B international caps while at the club. His last game for Kilmarnock was in the Scottish Cup Final victory over Falkirk on the 24th May 1997 – four years + 1 day after he had lifted the Scottish Junior Cup with Glenafton Athletic.
Sunday 4th Sep 2011 Dunterlie Park, Barrhead KO 2pm
Adults £4 Children (10-16) / Concessions £2 Children Under 10 Free entry
ARTHURLIE LEGENDS v POLLOK LEGENDS
My good friend Robert Burns (no not that one) is one of the driving forces behind organising the annual Arthurlie v Pollok Legends game which helps to raise money each year for fantastic charities and good causes.
Check out legends web-site here
In Arthurlie’s squad this year again is Roland Fabiani, perhaps not quite a Glenafton legend but Fabi did play one competitive game for the Afton in his short career. In Pollok’s ranks is Joe Carruth, an indisputable Glens legend. So if you are in the vicinity on Sunday 4th September why not pop along and support the Legends and the good causes.
Top: Barrhead’s Rabbie Burns, Jim Murphy MP for East Renfrewshire (Minister of the Year 2008)
Bottom: David Elliot (played for Largs Th in the Scottish Junior Cup Final vs. Glenafton in 1994), brother Tommy Sheridan, Roland Fabi scores fae 30 yards
Glenafton Athletic 