Saturday 26th July 2014
Friendly
Oban Saints AFC v Greenock High School Former Pupils AFC
Glencruitten 1 (Rugby Pitch)
Kick Off 2pm
Referee Mr John Scott
Following another hugely enjoyable D&K Cup friendly tournament Saints play their first pre-season 90 minutes on Saturday with the visit of Greenock High School Former Pupils. Saints will be without several regulars who are making the most of the holiday period before the league season starts on 16th August. The absence of some of the regular starters will give Manager Iain Jackson a good opportunity to run the rule over the club's new signings who all made very impressive debuts in the D & K Cup tournament. Hopefully the new boys will continue to shine in the coming weeks giving the Manager a few selection headaches for the new season.
Saturdays visitors are of course no strangers to Oban having crossed swords with Saints many times since Saints first joined the Scottish Amateur Football League in 1976. At that time GHSFP had already been members of the SAFL for 52 years and had clinched four Division One titles, three West of Scotland Cups and two Scottish Amateur Cups in what were halcyon days for the club. Saints and the "High" have enjoyed a healthy rivalry over the years with many closely contested matches where away wins have been at a premium. You have to go back to the High's centenary year of 2007 for their last victories in Oban when a 1 - 0 win on 6th May helped them clinch the SAFL Premier Division title in what was to prove their last piece of silverware as SAFL members. This victory for the High was closely followed by a 3 - 0 win at the start of the 2007/08 season however Saints regained the upper hand in the remaining competitive fixtures in Oban before the High departed for pastures new.
Greenock HSFP Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division Champions 2006 - 07
GHSFP left the SAFL in 2011 for a new challenge in the Central Scottish Amateur Football League where they progressed to the Premier Division after clinching the Division 1A title and winning the 1st Division section winners trophy in 2013. Last season saw the High finish 6th in their first season in the CSAFL Premier division with 31 points from 20 games 15 points behind champions Bannockburn.
Since leaving the SAFL the High have continued their rivalry with Saints with an annual pre-season friendly which is now in it's 4th year. All three previous encounters have been won by Saints:-
Saturday 6th August 2011 Oban Saints AFC 4 - 2 Greenock HSFP AFC
Saturday 4th August 2012 Oban Saints AFC 2 - 0 Greenock HSFP AFC
Saturday 3rd August 2013 Oban Saints AFC 2 - 1 Greenock HSFP AFC
On the score sheet for Saints in last year's match were Brian Mackay and Donald Campbell
The High have a 100% record in their three matches so far this pre-season. A comfortable victory over a Legends XI was followed up by an impressive away win over Ayrshire Cup holders and Ayrshire Amateur Football Association Premier Division runners-up Clark Drive. On Thursday night GHSFP faced Thorn Athletic at the McMaster Sports Centre in Johnstone again coming out on top. Greenock's free scoring forward line will provide a stiff test for Saints notoriously obdurate defence in what promises to be a good workout for both sets of players. The High will renew more old Scottish Amateur Football League acquaintances when they open their Central Scottish Amateur League campaign with matches against Aikenhead Thistle and Postal United on 9th and 13th August respectively.
Greenock HSFP pre-season results so far:-
Greenock HSFP pre-season results so far:-
Saturday 5th July Greenock HSFP AFC 5 - 1 Greenock HSFP Legends
Saturday 19th July Clark Drive AFC 2 - 4 Greenock HSFP AFC
Thursday 24th July Thorn Athletic AFC 2 - 4 Greenock HSFP AFC
Greenock HSFP Captain and Scottish Amateur International Jamie Bradley
Other news:-
Mattie bows out a double winner
Former Saints striker Mattie Rippon has signed for Fort William of the Highland League. Mattie left Saints at the end of last season when he relocated to Inverness. With Fort William already having a number of players based in Inverness they were quick to seize the opportunity to snap up Mattie's signature. Winning In The Rain wishes Mattie all the best with his new club.
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