Saturday 10th October 2015
The Royal National Mod Challenge Cup Competition
Oban Saints AFC v Eileanach Glaschu FC
Glencruitten 2, Mossfield Avenue, Oban, Argyll PA34 4EH
Kick off 1pm
Referee Mr Martin Rae
The Royal National Mod comes to Oban this weekend for a nine day celebration of Scotland's Gaelic linguistic and cultural heritage. As part of the celebrations Saints and Glagow Island will contest the Mod Cup at Glencruitten with a slightly earlier than usual kick off time of 1pm. Presumably the early kick off is to allow the players more time to attend and enjoy some of the many cultural events taking place in the town!
Saturday's visitors were formed in 1997 when the Park Wanderers and the Snaffle Strollers, teams of the favoured Glasgow watering holes of exiles from the Highlands and Islands the Park Bar and the Snaffle Bit, amalgamated to form a new club. Comprising mainly of players from the Western Isles who were studying or working in the Glasgow area the club settled on the name of Eileanach Glaschu (Glasgow Island) and successfully applied for membership of the Glasgow Colleges Amateur Football Association. Initial success in the form of the Division One title was quickly followed by a six season fruitless spell in the league interspersed with three Glasgow Colleges FA Cup wins. A second league title came in season 2004 - 05 before a restructuring of the league set-up created a stronger top flight for the following season. Glasgow Island then enjoyed their best season to date with the capture of a league and cup double in 2006 - 07 a feat which they have sadly been unable to repeat. They did however come tantalisingly close last season losing out to champions Park Sports Project by just one point.
Glasgow Island have continued last season's good form making a decent start to the new league campaign with five wins from seven games so far. The fifteen points gathered leaves them just three points behind leaders St David's but with a slightly better goal difference mainly attributable to the 14 - 0 thrashing handed out to bottom club Glasgow Ansar. GI have also been in impressive form in the Scottish Amateur Cup successfully navigating a course to round three disposing of Weir Recreation of Caledonian League Division 1A and Dunoon Athletic of the Scottish Amateur League Division One.
While Saints are making their Mod Cup debut visitors Glasgow Island already have an An Comunn Ghaidhealach trophy success to their name with their incredible 2009 win at Stenhousemuir. To put this amazing success into context at the time of the match the Warriors were leading the Scottish Third Division and eventually went on to win promotion at the end of the sesaon.
After last Saturday's return to action following an enforced two week lay off Saints Manager Alex Craik while undoubtedly use this match to give as may players as possible some much needed game time ahead of next Saturday's trip to East Kilbride to face East Kilbride Rolls Royce in the second round of the West of Scotland Cup.
The home crowd can expect a good match where the players of both clubs can showpiece their talents at Scotland's premier cultural heritage festival with the added incentive of a trophy to be won. Afterwards players and supporters alike can then partake in some serious harmony in the town's many hostelries which are sure to be bursting at the seams with the influx of Mod goers.
Glasgow Island results in the Glasgow Colleges Football Association Premier Division:-
15th August 2015 Glasgow Island 2 - 4 Hampden
25th August 2015 Rosehill United 1 - 6 Glasgow Island
29th August 2015 Albion 2 - 3 Glasgow Island
2nd September 2015 Glasgow Island 0 - 3 St Davids
12th September 2015 Shawlands Accies 0 - 3 Glasgow Island
15th September 2015 Glasgow Ansar 0 - 14 Glasgow Island
19th September 2015 MSM 0 - 2 Glasgow Island
Glasgow Island results in this season's Scottish Amateur Cup:-
First Round
5th September 2015 Weir Recreation 3 - 6 Glasgow Island
Second Round
26th September 2015 Dunoon Athletic 1 - 5 Glasgow Island
Glasgow Island recent finishes in the Glasgow Colleges Football Association league:-
2006/07 Division One Champions and GCFA Cup Winners
2007/08 Division One 9th
2008/09 Division One 4th and GCFA Cup Winners
2009/10 Division One 5th
2010/11 Division One 7th
2011/12 Division One 9th
2012/13 Division One 5th
2013/14 Premier Division 7th
2014/15 Premier Division 2nd
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| Glasgow Island AFC |
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| It's not that kind of Mod Peter! |
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| Last Saurday's match day squad (minus Craig MacEwan and Myles McAuley) with their new track suits and polo shirts kindly donated by D & K Lafferty Contractors |
In Other News
Saints Player/Assistant Manager Donald Campbell has been called up to the Scottish Amateur Football Association Select Squad for this Sunday's match against the East of Scotland Football League Select. The match, which will be played at Colville Park Country Club with a 2pm kick off, is the first in a series of friendlies arranged by National Team Manager Bruce McNaught and his Assistant Colin MacLeod to run the rule over the main contenders before finalising the squad to face the Leinster and Northern Irish Amateur Football League in the annual challenge match later this season. Good luck to Donald and all others selected for Sunday's match.
In Other Other News
In the draw for the third round of the Foster's Scottish Amateur Cup, made on Wednesday 7th October, Saints were drawn away from home to Condorrat Club AFC of the Central Scottish Amateur Football League Division 1B. The tie is scheduled to be played on Saturday 31st October.
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