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In casting around for an idea that would capture my interest in a new story, I searched through old challenges, old stories and finally came across something that I had entirely forgotten about. A while back, PM7 took on an attempt to progress through the ranks of the Scottish leagues with as many players from his club’s own youth system as possible. It was something I always wanted to take a shot at, so off I go.
Arbroath were my team of choice. A town known more for fish than football. I’ve taken the liberty of giving them a pretty decent youth academy and upping the capacity of Gayfield Park to 4,500 (2,500 seated) and increasing the expansion capacity as well. I’ve run three test games through the first season (and a little more) and no problems have arisen, so I’m confident enough to get this underway. Now, PM also combined this with an effort at the Lisbon Lions Challenge, but I'm not restricting myself to purely Scots players. Even so, if I have even half as much success as PM did with this, I’ll be very happy.
By the way, for all those interested, PM7's effort, Bringing Up Baby, can be found here
A list of eighteen players landed on my desk as I took office at Gayfield Park. Compiled by my assistant manager, Robbie Raeside, it was a list of the first batch of youngsters to be promoted from the club’s shiny new youth academy into the set up of the senior club. Beside each player, Robbie had indicated whether they were felt ready for the 1st team, reserves of merely the U-19 side, and so I present to Arbroath Football Club Class of 2006.
1st Team: Player (Position, Age)
Ross Donnelly (GK, 16) – Amongst the best to graduate from the academy, already big things were being expected of Ross.
Andy Johnstone (DC, 16) – A lot of work to do on his technique, but he seemed a hardworking lad and certainly enjoyed a tackle.
Steven Muirhead (DC, 16) – An aggressive lad, he caused two injuries on his first day of training, but that sort of enthusiasm was just what marked him out.
Martin Lynch (AMR, 16) – Quick and a superb crosser of the ball, Martin was still a bit lightweight but the squad lacked a right midfielder, so he was quickly promoted.
Michael Davidson (ST, 16) – Marked out by Raeside as the best of the lot, the lad was powerful in the air and could finish pretty well. Perhaps lacked slightly in pace but at this level could get himself a few goals despite his tender years.
Alan Robertson (ST, 16) – I wasn’t too sure about Alan, he didn’t seem to have any real strength that marked him out, but Robbie insisted that he should be part of the first team set up.
Tony Reilly (ST, 16) – Another that I wasn’t expecting much from, the one thing Tony had in his favour was searing pace.
Reserves:
Chris McGinlay (GK, 16) Kevin McKenzie (DC, 16)
Under 19s:
Lyle Carswell (DL, 16) Steven Aitchison (DR, 16) Paul Wilson (DC, 16) Jonathan Graham (MC, 16) Jonathan Miller (MC, 15) Stephen Gray (MC, 16) John Farrell (MC, 16) Iain Waugh (AML, 16) Gary McAllister (AMR, 16)
Good luck though this could be, well not easier cos its never easy, but certainly 07 should be more amenable as you can have feeder clubs which may or may not prove useful. So be interesting to see what you can do with this
With the draws for the League and Challenge Cup 1st roundsmade, placing us against Ross County and Dumbarton respectively, we faced Airdrie in our first friendly at Gayfield Park. Bryan Scott gave us an early lead, but second half goals from Willie John Kiely and Roddy Black gave the visitors the win.
Six days later we faced free-spending first division side Gretna, again on our home turf, but came away with far fewer positives than we had against Airdrie. With just forty-seven seconds on the clock, debutant defender Steven Muirhead was sent off after giving away a penalty which Kenny Deuchar converted. Deuchar ended the match with four goals to his personal tally, whilst his team finished with eight to our solitary one.
Our final friendly saw Alloa pay us a visit as we looked for a far better result than we had managed against Gretna. We got underway well when Alloa’s Michael Bolochoweckyi put through his own net from Martin Lynch’s corner. We got decidedly nervous again when Muirhead managed his second red card in as many games for a blatant foul when he was last man. We managed to hold on, however, and came away from the match with a 1-0 victory.
The final act of pre-season was the hiring of unemployed 31 year-old Neil Chapman as youth coach to look over the new recruits from the academy and oversee their progression.
Our season began on the first weekend of the month when we visited East Fife at New Bayview. The home side were clearly favourites for the match, but a tight first half gave us hope of being able to snatch something. That hope turned into reality when Neil Jablonski fouled Sellars and Martin Lynch tucked away the penalty. Ross Donnelly was the hero of the day, however, keeping at bay a late East Fife onslaught and making sure we picked up the points.
Three days later we had our first home game of the season against Ross County in the first round on the League Cup. We were, once again, given no chance by the media, and this time they looked to be spot on as County threatened to run riot in the first half, but had only Stuart Anderson’s effort to show for their work. We showed few signs of pulling level during the second half, but as the clock ticked into injury time, a fast breakaway put substitute Alan Robertson clear and he lofted his shot over Craig Samson in the County goal. Extra time was called for, and the decider came in the first period, Robertson again popping up and netting the goal to see us into the second round.
We were back in league action when we travelled to face Albion Rovers at Cliftonhill in a game which saw a frantic first twenty minutes. Sellars had given us a very early lead, but a quickfire double from David Godley had the home side ahead. Sellars got us back level when he slammed home a loose ball, and soon after the second half started, we grabbed what proved to be the winner, striker Bryan Scott scoring a wonderful solo goal.
A few niggling injuries highlighted the lack of numbers in our midfield, so the season’s budget was spent on bringing Danny Smith in from English side Eastleigh for £4,000. To bolster even further, John Farrell and Jonathan Miller were promoted from the U-19s.
The Challenge Cup first round match against Dumbarton brought our first defeat of the season. We had already survived one scare when Andy Geggan missed a penalty that Scott Muirhead had given away, but we weren’t so lucky in the second half as on loan striker Scott Dobbie tucked away an easy chance and took the win.
The first time league action found its way to Gayfield Park was with the visit of Stenhousemuir. We got off to a good start, however, Scott was felled in the penalty area in the seventh minute and Andy Johnstone tucked away the resultant spot kick. David Templeton equalised for the visitors and then we suffered further when Scott limped off before half time, but the second half belonged to us as first Martin Lynch and then Michael Davidson put us clear before Gareth Hutchison grabbed an injury time consolation before Stenhousemuir.
The news on Bryan Scott was not good. The striker had torn a calf muscle and would be missing for between three and five months. It’s unlikely his presence would have made much difference against Kilmarnock, however, as the Premier League outfit visited us in the League Cup second round. We were three goals down by half time, and though Davidson pulled one back early in the second half, two late goals from Gary Wales saw the favourites through to a comfortable win.
The month ended with a home game against Elgin, though it wasn’t a match which hugely entertained the fans. There wasn’t a clear chance until there were only thirteen minutes left, but when it came, Jay Stein’s cross was headed home by Robertson to keep us top of the league.
A two week break before we took to the field again came at exactly the wrong time, breaking the momentum we had built up in the league campaign. When we resumed against Montrose at Links Park, a poor first half kept the scores level but goals from Scott Michie and Lee Durrant after the break gave the home side a comfortable victory.
We were back at Gayfield Park for our next outing – against East Stirling – and we started far better than in the Montrose game. Robertson gave us the lead halfway through the first period, but we were made to pay for a missed penalty by Sellars when Ben Wilkinson levelled for the visitors and gave them a share of the spoils.
That draw knocked us down to third in the table, a place we still occupied even after beating Dumbarton at home in our next league encounter. A wonderful first half put the game beyond doubt, Lynch, Sellars and Robertson bagging a goal each in a wonderful ten minute period. Dumbarton’s chances were hampered further when Ryan Borris was sent off early in the second half for a second bookable offence, and even though Dobbie pulled one back for them with twenty minutes left, when Ryan Rutherford saw red and reduced them to nine men, the result was nailed on.
The month ended with our first visit to Hampden Park, although with only 600 fans in the stands, it was an eerily quiet experience. We had to fight hard in defence to keep the home side out, Steven Muihead putting in a fine display, and we stole victory with a breakaway goal in the sixty-fifth minute from Robertson. The win put us back into second place, but came at a cost as Sellars suffered a hamstring injury which would keep him out for two weeks.
An international break gave everyone a chance to grab a little rest as none of our boys were involved with their national sides. When we did return to the park, it was with another road trip, this time to Berwick’s Shielfield Park. The outcome was much the same as it had been against Queen’s Park, the only difference benig that Robertson’s winning goal came earlier in the second half than at Hampden.
The benefit of playing at such a lowly level of the game is that, generally speaking, you have a nice full week between games, allowing plenty of time to ensure players are fit. That was the case when we were visited by Albion at Gayfield, but it seemed not to have done us entirely much good as we looked lethargic all through. Jay Stein had given us an early lead, but as looked inevitable from the moment we took the lead, Albion eventually equalised through Alex Clearly.
Our star striker, Alan Robertson, picked up a neck injury in training after the Albion match, though I doubt his presence would have made much of a difference against Stenhousemuir. The Ochilview side tore us limb from limb, by half time they were three up – goals from Criag Campbell, David Templeton and John Paul McBride doing the trick – and they managed a fourth in the second half through Ian MacSween, just to make sure.
The short month had seen us drop one position to third in the table, but we were still well in the hunt for a promotion place. The only question was whether we could keep it up.
Kids 
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