Winning In The Rain: Down By The River

Saturday 18th January 2014
Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division
Kilbowie Union AFC v Oban Saints AFC
John Brown's Pitches, Barns Street, Clydebank G81 1AA
Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr Alan Lamb

Dennistoun Vale

Last Saturday Saints progressed to the sixth round of the Foster's Scottish Amateur Cup for the fifth time in eight years with a hard fought win over Dennistoun Vale of the Strathclyde Saturday Morning League. An Allan MacKay penalty in the 80th minute after substitute Colin Tindall was fouled in the box gave Saints the narrowest of victories over a very good Vale side. Saints have a home tie in the sixth round but must wait on the outcome of the Thorn Athletic v Drumchapel Amateurs fifth round tie before discovering their opponents. Whoever eventually provides the opposition this promises to be a cracking cup tie and Saints will be glad to have home advantage.

John Brown's Pitches, Clydebank

This Saturday Saints return to league business with an away fixture at bottom of the table Kilbowie Union. Saints won the reverse fixture on the opening day of the season 4 - 0 with two goals from Allan MacKay and one a-piece from Donald Campbell and Mattie Rippon. Union last tasted top flight football in season 2011/12 when Saints recorded 7 - 1 home and 5 - 1 away victories. Union eventually finished 9th and were relegated.

Kilbowie Union's recent record in the SAFL:-

2006 - 07 Premier Division One 7th

2007 - 08 Premier Division One 10th (relegated)

2008 - 09 Premier Division Two 7th

2009 - 10 Premier Division Two 2nd (promoted)

2010 - 11 Premier Division One 4th (promoted)

2011 - 12 Premier Division 9th (relegated)

2012 - 13 Premier Division One 3rd (promoted)

Kilbowie Union Honours:-

2000 Premier Division Two Champions

2001 Premier Division One Champions

2002 Centenary Cup Winners

Kilbowie Union League Matches this season:-

17th August 2013 Oban Saints 4 - 0 Kilbowie Union

21st August 2013 Kilbowie Union 4 - 4 Castlemilk

24th August 2013 Kilbowie Union 1 - 2 Busby

31st August 2013 Alba Thistle 3 - 1 Kilbowie Union

14th September 2013 Inverclyde 5 - 4 Kilbowie Union

21st September 2013 Kilbowie Union 1 - 3 Finnart

5th October 2013 Kilbowie Union 1 - 2 Thorn Athletic

9th November 2013 Finnart 4 - 4 Kilbowie Union

16th November 2013 Kilbowie Union 3 - 2 Alba Thistle

23rd November 2013 Castlemilk 6 - 3 Kilbowie Union

11th January 2014 Busby 2 - 0 Kilbowie Union

Kilbowie Union have already exited all of the cup competitions this season losing out to Finnart in the third round of the Centenary Cup; East Kilbride in the first round of the Jimmy Marshall Trophy; Arkleston Athletic in the second round of the West of Scotland Cup and Redbrae Athletic in the second round of the Scottish Amateur Cup.

Donald Campbell puts Saints 2 - 0 up against Kilbowie Union earlier this season

With current league leaders Finnart on West of Scotland Cup duty against Strathclyde University, Saints know that a win on Saturday will take them to the top of the league. Kilbowie Union are already fighting for their Premier League status so Saints can take nothing for granted if they are to maintain their unbeaten run.

Change of Referee

In an unprecedented move the referee originally allocated to this match made a special request for a change of fixture and will now take charge of the Wellhouse v Leven United Scottish Amateur Cup 5th round replay with Mr Alan Lamb now taking this fixture. It seems that referee Mr James Gallacher particularly enjoys players moaning at him and, upon learning that chief moaner Willie Gemmell had left Oban Saints, felt that Saints moaning was no longer up to the standard he prefers. Saints have moved swiftly to address the situation by employing Mrs Doyle as a moaning coach. Mrs Doyle is an expert in exhorting men dressed in black to change their minds and should therefore

prove a valuable addition to the coaching staff.

Saints will be without current second top goal scorer Craig MacEwan following an accident on his recent snowboarding holiday. Craig suffered a fractured collar bone and a broken rib and will be out of action for some time. Good luck to Craig for a speedy recovery.

UEFA Regions Preparatory Match

Donald Campbell will join Myles McAuley in the SAFA select squad for Sunday's Central West v South West practice match. The match will now be played at Ravenscraig with a 2pm kick off. Good luck to Donald and Myles and all the other hopefuls as they strive to catch the eye of National Squad Manager Bruce McNaught.

Donald Campbell

Myles McAuley

Donald Campbell looks on as fellow SAFA Squad member Ryan Halpin of Kilbowie Union is tackled by Paul Kerr

John Brown's

The Titan Crane

The venue for Saturday's match, John Brown's pitches is situated on or near to the ground occupied by the former shipyard of the same name. The name John Brown is synonymous with Clydebank is probably the most famous of all the Clyde ship yards.

Some of the famous ships built at John Brown's:-