To date the following pre-season matches have been arranged.
Wednesday 20 July away to North Merchiston Vale - Harrison Park KO 6.45pm
Saturday 30 July away to Lauriston - Silverknowes - KO 2pm
Saturday 06 August away to Sandy's BC - Castleview - KO 2pm (TBC)
Additional fixtures may be added, also fixtures/dates/ko times may be subject to change.
Further details can be obtained from the Ams coaching team.
Thursday 30 June 2011
and another one set to start......
The Seniors squad get back into their tough pre-season routine with a 3 sessions a week schedule beginning on Saturday 2 July, dates and times as follows:-
Saturday 02 July @ Pilrig Park 1.30pm - 4pm
Monday 04 July @ Pilrig Park 7.15pm - 9pm
Wednesday 06 July @ Pilrig Park 7.15pm - 9pm
Venues and times vary slightly the following week, but will be listed here.
Saturday 02 July @ Pilrig Park 1.30pm - 4pm
Monday 04 July @ Pilrig Park 7.15pm - 9pm
Wednesday 06 July @ Pilrig Park 7.15pm - 9pm
Venues and times vary slightly the following week, but will be listed here.
One season ends........
The Junior sections have now closed for a 4 week break. The U10s will now rest up until they restart on Tuesday 2 August, with Phase II of their ESSSDA 7s season restarting on Sunday 27 August. The U9s will hold off until the schools resume and will return for their first session of the new season on Tuesday 16 August.
Friday 24 June 2011
Junior Colts Updates
As the Junior sections season draws towards the summer break our U10s will have an end of season soccer 7s friendly on Sunday 26 June - KO 10.30am. Then at our final coaching session on Tuesday 28 June, it will be our annual fun 7s game The U9s v The U10s with a 6.45pm kick-off, ending at 7.45pm.
Could it ever happen at Pilrig?
interesting article. Is it worth our local associations considering this as an option?
Author: The Whistle Blower
Who could be against the ‘Respect’ agenda for referees at any level of football? No-one I’ve ever met.
The better question for individuals as well as grass roots leagues is “what do you actually do to nourish respect?”
I don’t mean the occasional public statement at the start of each season about the need to respect refs.
For the rest of the season as far as I have been able to observe the clubs and coaches on the one side and referees and refereeing on the other travel along parallel lines. There’s not enough regular contact between them to provide a basis of respect.
Toleration isn’t the same as tolerance. Toleration is done under instruction or legal requirement but has no heart. It certainly doesn’t imply respect.
Tolerance implies an understanding not only of each other’s needs and ambitions but also of the inevitability of frailty on either side – that we are actually members of the same human race and are all doing our best to be the best we can.
I refereed for ten years in London and Oxford. I haven’t refereed in Scotland but have seen how match days are conducted in the part of Scotland where two of my sons have played over the last 15 years or more. It could be different in other parts of Scotland. Forgive me if the suggestions I am about to make are already well established where you are.
What I have seen in Scotland is the low expectations that the leagues have of their member clubs in assisting the referee. My observation in other fields as well as sport is that most of us tend to live down to low expectations. It is harder but more exciting to try and live up to high expectations.
In the leagues I refereed in London I’d get details of my fixtures usually two weeks in advance. The club would get the same notification. They would also get a sheet on which they would mark the referee out of 10 and which they would have to return within three days of the match itself.
It was difficult to get less than four out of ten as long as you actually showed up. There were marks for remembering your uniform and arriving on time as well as for match control. The marks were important for a referee seeking promotion because they would be taken into account along with several matches independently assessed by a member of the association’s referee’s panel. You’d need an average of at least 8 over the season from all your leagues before you had a chance of going from Class 3 to 2 and Class 2 to 1.
However, the referee also got a sheet on which he would mark the club. They got marks for the basics including contacting the referee to confirm the fixture in time and giving directions to the ground. And they’d be marked for paying the match fee without delay or mishap after the match.
But there were also marks for the performance of the club linesman. The what? Club linesman.
It was a condition of membership of each league that every club had to provide a named linesman/woman each match day. They would be fined if they failed to do so and expelled if they failed more than three times in a season though I never knew of that happening.
But the threat of fines could only guarantee toleration. The reality was much better than that.
Half an hour before kick off I’d meet and shake hands with the club linesman and I’d give them my instructions. It was an opportunity for me to demonstrate my respect for them by explaining how much I’d value their contribution to the successful control of the coming game.
I’d also find out how much I could expect from them according to their maturity and experience. It was just the three of us and I had an opportunity to convey to them that we were going to be a team for the day.
I won’t pretend that they were all enthusiastic. If they had just been named substitute when they expected to play they might not be wild about the task. But, as I recall, many clubs a regular individual who wasn’t a player and who took the job very seriously.
I’d explain what help I needed from them – ball in and out of play for throw ins, corner kicks and goal kicks. I’d make a judgement on whether they seemed up to flagging for offside. Mostly I’d tell them to leave offside to me. In all cases I’d explain that I was grateful for their help but all decisions would have to be mine. If I agreed with their flag I’d give them a wave or thumbs up. If I disagreed I’d acknowledge their flag and signal to put it down and move the game on.
I’d give them a flag each. According to the conditions and position of the sun I’d tell them which side of the pitch I wanted them on - the left or right of their own defence.
What was clear was that that was their job for the game and no other. It was demanded of them that they would keep up with play and do their level best to give me quick and correct decisions. In passing I would say it is easier to be a ref than a linesman and tiresome to hear pundits say, “how could he not see whose throw in it is when it was so close to them.” The closer it is the harder it is especially if you are also trying to position yourself also to pick up offside at the same time. I’d love to give a flag to some of them for a half and see how well they do!
Of course it wasn’t always a joyful shared experience on a muddy swamp on Hackney Marshes or Roehampton Common. There were certainly matches where it got tense if I disagreed with too many flags. I understood that could be frustrating and would always try and gee the linesman up if I got a chance. As often the linesman could be a lightning conductor when he and I were in agreement but the coaches didn’t. It could be the making of a linesman.
I’d say there were remarkably few deliberately one-eyed decisions in favour of his own side.
Returning to the club marking sheet that I had to complete, the club linesman would be named and given a mark. At the end of the season awards there was a trophy for the club linesman of the season. For some leagues there was a small cheque to go with it. It wasn’t just fines for non- compliance. There were rewards for doing it well.
I would say that quite a few club linesmen were sufficiently motivated to go along to referee classes and get a basic grade 3 qualification if only so they could mention it pointedly to the referee before the game. I knew of one or two who went on to concentrate on refereeing rather than playing so it represented a potential recruitment route that doesn’t appear to exist in Scotland where the clubs and officials continue down their parallel tracks.
In Scotland I have seen referees give a flag to a coach who might hang on to it but never move from their position on the halfway line and who never had any intention of putting the challenge of assisting the referee ahead of their role as coach. I’ve seen referees put the flag down on the ground close to the coaches and subs where it lay until full time. The referees have had no expectation and have got what they expected.
In my opinion, the key to raising those mutual expectations is for the leagues at youth level to work with their referee association to demand more of each other in pursuit of the respect agenda. Club linesmen (or referee assistants now) create obligations for both in pursuit of better control of every game. Fines and awards, carrots and sticks are the mechanism by which clubs can be obliged to fulfil their obligations to respect. But the eye contact, the dialogue and the handshakes between individuals are the human touches that shift toleration to tolerance. My goodness, we need it.
Author: The Whistle Blower
Who could be against the ‘Respect’ agenda for referees at any level of football? No-one I’ve ever met.
The better question for individuals as well as grass roots leagues is “what do you actually do to nourish respect?”
I don’t mean the occasional public statement at the start of each season about the need to respect refs.
For the rest of the season as far as I have been able to observe the clubs and coaches on the one side and referees and refereeing on the other travel along parallel lines. There’s not enough regular contact between them to provide a basis of respect.
Toleration isn’t the same as tolerance. Toleration is done under instruction or legal requirement but has no heart. It certainly doesn’t imply respect.
Tolerance implies an understanding not only of each other’s needs and ambitions but also of the inevitability of frailty on either side – that we are actually members of the same human race and are all doing our best to be the best we can.
I refereed for ten years in London and Oxford. I haven’t refereed in Scotland but have seen how match days are conducted in the part of Scotland where two of my sons have played over the last 15 years or more. It could be different in other parts of Scotland. Forgive me if the suggestions I am about to make are already well established where you are.
What I have seen in Scotland is the low expectations that the leagues have of their member clubs in assisting the referee. My observation in other fields as well as sport is that most of us tend to live down to low expectations. It is harder but more exciting to try and live up to high expectations.
In the leagues I refereed in London I’d get details of my fixtures usually two weeks in advance. The club would get the same notification. They would also get a sheet on which they would mark the referee out of 10 and which they would have to return within three days of the match itself.
It was difficult to get less than four out of ten as long as you actually showed up. There were marks for remembering your uniform and arriving on time as well as for match control. The marks were important for a referee seeking promotion because they would be taken into account along with several matches independently assessed by a member of the association’s referee’s panel. You’d need an average of at least 8 over the season from all your leagues before you had a chance of going from Class 3 to 2 and Class 2 to 1.
However, the referee also got a sheet on which he would mark the club. They got marks for the basics including contacting the referee to confirm the fixture in time and giving directions to the ground. And they’d be marked for paying the match fee without delay or mishap after the match.
But there were also marks for the performance of the club linesman. The what? Club linesman.
It was a condition of membership of each league that every club had to provide a named linesman/woman each match day. They would be fined if they failed to do so and expelled if they failed more than three times in a season though I never knew of that happening.
But the threat of fines could only guarantee toleration. The reality was much better than that.
Half an hour before kick off I’d meet and shake hands with the club linesman and I’d give them my instructions. It was an opportunity for me to demonstrate my respect for them by explaining how much I’d value their contribution to the successful control of the coming game.
I’d also find out how much I could expect from them according to their maturity and experience. It was just the three of us and I had an opportunity to convey to them that we were going to be a team for the day.
I won’t pretend that they were all enthusiastic. If they had just been named substitute when they expected to play they might not be wild about the task. But, as I recall, many clubs a regular individual who wasn’t a player and who took the job very seriously.
I’d explain what help I needed from them – ball in and out of play for throw ins, corner kicks and goal kicks. I’d make a judgement on whether they seemed up to flagging for offside. Mostly I’d tell them to leave offside to me. In all cases I’d explain that I was grateful for their help but all decisions would have to be mine. If I agreed with their flag I’d give them a wave or thumbs up. If I disagreed I’d acknowledge their flag and signal to put it down and move the game on.
I’d give them a flag each. According to the conditions and position of the sun I’d tell them which side of the pitch I wanted them on - the left or right of their own defence.
What was clear was that that was their job for the game and no other. It was demanded of them that they would keep up with play and do their level best to give me quick and correct decisions. In passing I would say it is easier to be a ref than a linesman and tiresome to hear pundits say, “how could he not see whose throw in it is when it was so close to them.” The closer it is the harder it is especially if you are also trying to position yourself also to pick up offside at the same time. I’d love to give a flag to some of them for a half and see how well they do!
Of course it wasn’t always a joyful shared experience on a muddy swamp on Hackney Marshes or Roehampton Common. There were certainly matches where it got tense if I disagreed with too many flags. I understood that could be frustrating and would always try and gee the linesman up if I got a chance. As often the linesman could be a lightning conductor when he and I were in agreement but the coaches didn’t. It could be the making of a linesman.
I’d say there were remarkably few deliberately one-eyed decisions in favour of his own side.
Returning to the club marking sheet that I had to complete, the club linesman would be named and given a mark. At the end of the season awards there was a trophy for the club linesman of the season. For some leagues there was a small cheque to go with it. It wasn’t just fines for non- compliance. There were rewards for doing it well.
I would say that quite a few club linesmen were sufficiently motivated to go along to referee classes and get a basic grade 3 qualification if only so they could mention it pointedly to the referee before the game. I knew of one or two who went on to concentrate on refereeing rather than playing so it represented a potential recruitment route that doesn’t appear to exist in Scotland where the clubs and officials continue down their parallel tracks.
In Scotland I have seen referees give a flag to a coach who might hang on to it but never move from their position on the halfway line and who never had any intention of putting the challenge of assisting the referee ahead of their role as coach. I’ve seen referees put the flag down on the ground close to the coaches and subs where it lay until full time. The referees have had no expectation and have got what they expected.
In my opinion, the key to raising those mutual expectations is for the leagues at youth level to work with their referee association to demand more of each other in pursuit of the respect agenda. Club linesmen (or referee assistants now) create obligations for both in pursuit of better control of every game. Fines and awards, carrots and sticks are the mechanism by which clubs can be obliged to fulfil their obligations to respect. But the eye contact, the dialogue and the handshakes between individuals are the human touches that shift toleration to tolerance. My goodness, we need it.
Wednesday 22 June 2011
The Website
The clubs popular website is undergoing a revamp and tidy up. We're still online and looking towards the new season, but reasons for no new updates are due to ongoing behind the scenes site construction. A number of pages and data requires archiving, with new Junior and Senior Colts pages being constructed. As its always a quiet news period at this time of year, it was more practical to do the revamp in June/July. All up to date news will appear on the club Blog. We'll post a Blog notice when the site is re-launched so keep watching
Tuesday 21 June 2011
Closed Season Seniors News
After their great late revival, and after just missing out on promotion last season, the Ams will again ply their skills in L&EAFA Edinburgh East Division. With 95% of last seasons squad retained for the 2011/2012 campaign, and new signings imminent, the lads will enjoy a well earned break before returning to pre-season training on Saturday 2 July. No drastic changes to the division set-up with only 4 sides Tynecastle, Arniston, East Linton and Tranent freshening up the divisions opponents. An 11 team league will consist of:-
Arniston
Tynecastle
Tranent
Scottish Widows
Redpath Albion
Musselburgh
North Berwick
Penicuik
Haddington
East Linton
Danderhall MWFC
Arniston
Tynecastle
Tranent
Scottish Widows
Redpath Albion
Musselburgh
North Berwick
Penicuik
Haddington
East Linton
Danderhall MWFC
....But no Youth teams
Yes, its true. Albion have made a decision to defer their involvement with youth football for the foreseeable future. There were varying reasons for this decision, but mainly the differing attitudes of young players and the erosion of our coaches enthusiasm for the weekly "battle" with lack of players commitment to playing and coaching sessions had taken its toll. Financial implications were also a key factor. The end of season club coaches meeting held to evaluate and review the overall club and team section performances left us with no doubt that there are serious issues to be addressed, not just by Redpath Albion, but also by youth football legislators. The bureaucratic barriers now being faced by clubs was also a serious consideration in our decision. The club has now re-drawn its coaching blueprint and will devote itself to Junior and Senior sections. A proposed outcome of the clubs blueprint targets are the development of its junior sections from U7 to U12, then in time, and when we feel we're ready, re-application to the SERYFA at U13 level. Hopefully, by that time a summer season will await the lads and coaches.
Its Official, Albion to field two Senior sides next season....but no Youth Teams
The club can now go public with its plans to field a second Senior side for season 2011/2012. Redpath Albion Colts were accepted in to the L&EAFA League at their recent AGM. The reasoning behind this move was partly due to the decison not to take the step up from U19 to U21 for senior youth players. The Colts will play in the newly established L&EAFA Central Division, with both the Seniors and Colts using Pilrig Park as their home ground. The Colts will be coached and managed by Robbie Huxtable (last seasons U19 Head coach) and Cristo O'Brien (last seasons U16s coach), with two additional positions of assistant manager and team secretary in the process of being filled. The squad will be a mix of ex-Albion youth and senior players, with room in the squad available for targeted signings not previously associated with the club. Pre-Season plans are in the process of being finalised, but arrangements are already in place for the first pre-season training session, to be staged at Pilrig Park from 1pm - 4pm.
Edinburgh Central League Opponents:-
Bowery FC
Civil Service Stollers
Dunalbar FC
Edinburgh Southern
Heriot Watt
Leith Star
Links United
Redpath Albion Colts
Sporting IcapB|
St Vincents
Standard Life
Edinburgh Central League Opponents:-
Bowery FC
Civil Service Stollers
Dunalbar FC
Edinburgh Southern
Heriot Watt
Leith Star
Links United
Redpath Albion Colts
Sporting IcapB|
St Vincents
Standard Life
Friday 17 June 2011
U10 Colts Sunday Fixture
The Colts will host Craigroyston U10s in this weeks ESSSDA 7s fixture at Pilrig Park - KO 10.30am. Parents are reminded that players are asked to attend at 10am
Tuesday 14 June 2011
Henry McLeish/SFA/SYFA 0 - 1 Sepp Blatter/UEFA
Herr Blatter puts boot into U19/U21s and probably all Amateur players as well
Substitutes at 19 and 21 level
Further to the January issue of KICKABOUT we now write to update on the participation of substitutes at 19s and 21s level. The SFA Recreational Committee decision to support an increase to the number of substitutes at age groups 19s and 21s was submitted to an SFA Board meeting and was duly approved. SYFA thanks to all who supported the proposal.
The proposal was submitted to the International Football Association Board at their AGM held at Celtic Manor in March 2011. The Board is made up of 1 delegate each from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales plus 4 delegates from FIFA. During the meeting Herr Blatter had difficulties with the proposal. This resulted in the 4 home countries voting to support the proposal the four FIFA delegates voting to oppose the proposal. Stewart Regan has indicated to the IFAB that the proposal will again be submitted to the next AGM and hoped that it would be supported by all delegates. SYFA thanks to Stewart and the other home nations.
The above extract is taken from a recent SYFA Newsletter and relates to the draconian rules relating to non-professional players in Scotland and the UK. It takes some believing that Herr Blatter "had some difficulties" getting his head round the positive moves to promote the game to as many of the countries Amateur players as possible. Ask yourself, what would Herr Blatter know about being an unused sub on a freezing, windswept, winters day in Scotland, having trained twice a week, paid your weekly training/match fees, probably turned down a days overtime to play, only for Herr Blatter to tell you that he has "difficulties" with ensuring you at least get some game time?. How many U19/U21, and lets also include the Amateurs in this farce, team managers at the recent cup finals had the unpleasant task of leaving two players stood on a touchline, because we could only play 3 subs from the 5 listed, on their biggest night of the season?. It doesn't auger well for us at grassroots level when Henry McLeish and the Hampden power brokers look at devising blueprints for the future of the game in Scotland, then when a positive proposal to get more players involved in a game to game basis, and to promote a government directive to adopt healthy lifestyles, is de-railed by four of Herr Blatters trusted lieutenants. Henry has a job on his hands!!
Substitutes at 19 and 21 level
Further to the January issue of KICKABOUT we now write to update on the participation of substitutes at 19s and 21s level. The SFA Recreational Committee decision to support an increase to the number of substitutes at age groups 19s and 21s was submitted to an SFA Board meeting and was duly approved. SYFA thanks to all who supported the proposal.
The proposal was submitted to the International Football Association Board at their AGM held at Celtic Manor in March 2011. The Board is made up of 1 delegate each from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales plus 4 delegates from FIFA. During the meeting Herr Blatter had difficulties with the proposal. This resulted in the 4 home countries voting to support the proposal the four FIFA delegates voting to oppose the proposal. Stewart Regan has indicated to the IFAB that the proposal will again be submitted to the next AGM and hoped that it would be supported by all delegates. SYFA thanks to Stewart and the other home nations.
The above extract is taken from a recent SYFA Newsletter and relates to the draconian rules relating to non-professional players in Scotland and the UK. It takes some believing that Herr Blatter "had some difficulties" getting his head round the positive moves to promote the game to as many of the countries Amateur players as possible. Ask yourself, what would Herr Blatter know about being an unused sub on a freezing, windswept, winters day in Scotland, having trained twice a week, paid your weekly training/match fees, probably turned down a days overtime to play, only for Herr Blatter to tell you that he has "difficulties" with ensuring you at least get some game time?. How many U19/U21, and lets also include the Amateurs in this farce, team managers at the recent cup finals had the unpleasant task of leaving two players stood on a touchline, because we could only play 3 subs from the 5 listed, on their biggest night of the season?. It doesn't auger well for us at grassroots level when Henry McLeish and the Hampden power brokers look at devising blueprints for the future of the game in Scotland, then when a positive proposal to get more players involved in a game to game basis, and to promote a government directive to adopt healthy lifestyles, is de-railed by four of Herr Blatters trusted lieutenants. Henry has a job on his hands!!
Friday 10 June 2011
U10 Colts Sunday Fixture
Sunday 12 June - The Colts will play host to Currie Star at Pilrig Park on Sunday KO 10.30am
All players to report at 10am
All players to report at 10am
Friday 3 June 2011
KJ Tait engineers to the rescue
Redpath Albion, especially the Junior sections has taken ownership of a new set of soccer 7s goals. The specially fabricated design, and lightweight structures 12' x 6' were paid through a £600 donation from KJ Tait Engineers, Edinburgh. Mr Malcolm Tait will attend
Sunday mornings game for an official pre-match handover and photograph with the Colts U10s. Our thanks to Malcolm and the company for this marvellous gesture.
Sunday mornings game for an official pre-match handover and photograph with the Colts U10s. Our thanks to Malcolm and the company for this marvellous gesture.
Ams management team to fulfil last "fixture" of the season
The Annual General Meeting of the Association will be held at the Danderhall Miners Club on Saturday 4th June starting at 12.00pm
Every club is required to be represented at the AGM and any club failing to do so shall be fined the sum of £50. (This does not apply to new clubs who have already been accepted into membership of the Association for Season 2011/12 but of course these clubs are more than welcome – and encouraged - to attend).
The AGM will be followed by the Logan Cup Final between Newtongrange Star A and Sandys which takes place at New Dundas Park, Bonnyrigg with a 2:30 KO. Admission charges (by Bonnyrigg Ath Juniors) will be £2 and £1 for OAPS with children being admitted free.
Every club is required to be represented at the AGM and any club failing to do so shall be fined the sum of £50. (This does not apply to new clubs who have already been accepted into membership of the Association for Season 2011/12 but of course these clubs are more than welcome – and encouraged - to attend).
The AGM will be followed by the Logan Cup Final between Newtongrange Star A and Sandys which takes place at New Dundas Park, Bonnyrigg with a 2:30 KO. Admission charges (by Bonnyrigg Ath Juniors) will be £2 and £1 for OAPS with children being admitted free.
Sunday U10s Fixture
The U10 Colts host local opponents Lochend BC on Sunday at Pilrig Park. Kick off - 10.30am. Albion Players are advised to arrive at 10am
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