Raith Rovers Preview, Season 2011-12

Click here or read below for my prediction of how Raith Rovers will compete during the 2011/12 season. It was published in Scotzine. The 64 page magazine can be purchased here for just £1.

1. Who do you think will win the league this season?

Once again, the First Division is likely to be a tightly contested league. Ross County however, have added a number of different options in the summer which should propel their underachieving team into the title race this season. Colin McMenamin will be a welcome addition up front, Rocco Quinn should add some increased trickery in midfield, while Russell Duncan and Grant Munro will bring an abundance of experience required for maintaining a promotion push late in the season.

2. Other than your side, what club will you be watching closely?

It shall be interesting to observe how Dundee perform this season. Despite their twenty-five point deduction last term, the Dens Park side finished sixth and although they have lost Gary Harkins, Craig Forsyth and Leigh Griffiths they could well be an outside bet for the title.

3. Who do you think will be bottom of the league/destined for the drop?

Ayr United will most probably have the tightest budget next season and will be the only part-time club in the First Division, so you would expect the Somerset Park side to prop up the table. The ninth placed play-off position could be held by a number of teams, but whoever occupies it should be able to come out of the play-offs victorious due to their full time status.

4. Where do you think your club will finish in the league?

It is hard to predict where Raith Rovers will finish this season, due to the similar quality of all teams in the league. However, fifteen players left the Kirkcaldy club in the summer and with a limited number of players replacing the departed, I would expect Rovers to finish around mid-table this time around.

5. Who is the club's key player?

There are no stand out players in the Raith squad although experienced defenders Grant Murray and Laurie Ellis will be an important component of Rovers backbone. However, as the phrase goes, goals win games and therefore top striker John Baird will be the go-to guy when the team is struggling.

6. Hopes for the coming season?

This may come across as very defeatist, but staying in business is my main hope for the season. The fairly significant recent budget cuts were an unwelcome surprise and financial stability is paramount if Raith are to be around for the long run. On the pitch, I would hope Raith can be competitive all season and keep away from the bottom half of the table.

7. Fears for the coming season?

As above, I do worry about the finances of the club, but in more pressing terms I do have a slight fear that Raith could find themselves in a relegation battle this season. Losing experienced campaigners such as Mark Campbell, Stephen Simmons and Craig Wilson may just prove a little too much upheaval.

8. Whose player was the biggest waste of money from last season? And where is he now?

Former Kilmarnock striker Gary Wales was brought to Starks Park in November 2010, but would only go on to make seven appearances all season with a measly sum of just sixty-four minutes on the pitch. Wales was never able to get into a rhythm due to persistent injuries and ended up being a burden on the club's tight budget. As far as I know, Wales has been on trial at Queen of the South recently, but it appears unlikely he will be offered a contract by manager Gus McPherson.

9. Other fans think our club is....

Most fans appeared to praise Raith for overachieving last season after finishing second in the First Division, but the unsavoury style of football on show (labelled “hoofball” or “punt it down the channels”) is widely criticised.

10. What opposition player would you want to play for your club?

Dundee centre half Rhys Weston always impresses me when I see him. He is a superb defender for First Division level and it surprises me that he did not move elsewhere in the summer.

11. What opposition player would you love to see fail miserably?

I have no qualms with any player in the First Division although I am sure a few Rovers fans who disliked Simmons would like to see him fail at his new club Queen of the South.

12. Your manager's popularity out of 10 with the fans?

Despite leading Raith within touching distance of the SPL – an unbelievable feat- a minority of Rovers fans still find themselves bewildered by John McGlynn's supposed favouritism towards certain players and stubborn tactics. Therefore his popularity would be somewhere around 9/10.

13. What team would you select for the opening season for your club?

A home game against Dundee or Falkirk would bring a big crowd to Starks Park and thankfully Falkirk will indeed be visiting Kirkcaldy on the opening day of the season.

written by Will Lyon

Bowling For Soup - Turbulence [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my review of the song "Turbulence" by Bowling For Soup. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 1/10

"Turbulence" is the second single from Bowling For Soup's eleventh album, Fishin' For Woos, the album which rocketed to number 189 in the US album charts. Pushing sarcasm aside, "Turbulence" is a very poor effort. We know by now that Bowling For Soup are a very obvious, "in your face" type of band, but the overwhelming feeling gathered after listing to the song is one of stale boredom.

The song is pieced together quite simply, comparing the journey of life to one on an aeroplane, but there is nothing truly exciting or even remotely interesting about the song. Those of us Brits will be able to compare the high pitched, sentimental vocals to one of a McFly song and the inevitable cringe was splashed across my face when lead singer Jaret Reddick squealed "it's just a little turbulence" at the end of the first chorus. "Turbulence" is no fun, no fun at all!

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 3:21
Release Date: July 18, 2011

Check out the song: "Turbulence"

Scottish Football Predictions 2011/12

Below is my Scottish football predictions for the 2011/12 season as published here on The Away End.

SPL winner: Celtic
SPL runner up: Rangers
SPL third place: Hearts
SPL relegated: Inverness
First Division Winner: Ross County
First Division Relegated: Ayr United
Second Division Winner: East Fife
Second Division Relegated: Cowdenbeath
Third Division Winner: Peterhead
Will Scotland make Euro 2012: No

Kaiser Chiefs - The Future Is Medieval [Album Review]

Click here or read below for my album review of The Future Is Medieval by Kaiser Chiefs. It was published at Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 5/10
The Future Is Medieval is Kaiser Chief's fourth album and as of yet, the first that has failed to climb into the top two of the UK album chart listings. In fact, it has only peaked at tenth position. Its relative failure is more than justified. The Future Is Medieval is the perfect definition of  a 'damp squib'. The energy that Kaiser Chiefs are hailed for has all but vanished.

Despite this, there are some good tracks, such as 'Long Way From Celebrating', while closing track 'If You Will Have Me' reveals a moody, emotional sound for the first time and it really does excel.

Sadly however, there are some complete horror shows on The Future Is Medeival. 'Heard It Break' definitely broke me, with some horrible shrilling noises and can only be described as a terrible excuse of a song. The Kaiser Chiefs have never been renowned for their imaginative lyrics, but some of the words and sentences on The Future Is Medieval were far short of what is required. The repetition of words was tiresome too, the word “nothing” was repeated 29 times on 'Starts With Nothing' and that does not even include the “nothing” in the song title.

The Future is Medieval signals the end of Kaiser Chiefs reign at the top of British indie music.

written by Will Lyon

Track Listing:

01. Little Shocks
02. Things Change
03. Long Way From Celebrating
04. Starts With Nothing
05. Out Of Focus
06. Dead Or In Serious Trouble
07. When All Is Quiet
08. Kinda Girl You Are
09. Man On Mars
10. Child Of The Jago
11. Heard It Break
12. Coming Up For Air
13. If You Will Have Me

Run Time: 49:49
Release Date: June 27, 2011

Check out the song: "Little Shocks"

Worthing Leisure FC

Please read below for my interview with Worthing Leisure player/manager James Everett. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Deveronvale, Leith Athletic and many more football clubs.

Worthing Leisure

The clue to the philosophy of Worthing Leisure is in their name. Their ideals are to have a squad of players who simply enjoy playing football and are not motivated by money. James Everett, player and manager of the club, spoke in depth to Football Focus last month and recited a fascinating and admirable story.

Worthing Leisure FC

“I spoke to a friend about the idea of reforming our old Sunday football team to play in a local Saturday league after becoming disillusioned with football in the County League team I was involved in. I wanted to bring a sense of pride to be associated with a team by forging friendships on and off the pitch amongst our own team and opposition. In my eighteen years involved in County League football I have seen what people play the game for - enjoyment - slowly taken away from the game with players looking for an extra tenner in their win bonus and leaving clubs on a regular basis thus losing that team spirit within these clubs. I wanted to form a side that played for one reason only and that was enjoyment and passion for the game.”

However, it is not a free-for-all at the Worthing League side and there is a reasonably strict selection policy. As James explains, incoming players must understand the philosophy at the club. “We are very careful taking players into the squad to ensure that they understand how the club works and due to this, we rarely have disappointed players when they are left out, or dropped to the bench. We are primarily a group of friends that when we put our mind to it, are a pretty good football team.”

Sometimes the main obstacle is age, as James admits that many of the players are pushing towards forty years of age. “We are all the wrong side of thirty, so having a large squad is essential to ensure that we have fourteen players turning out every Saturday. We're mindful that our team possibly won't go on forever as we are mostly all thirty or over. At the end of each season a number of players seem to be rattling from pain killers and are bandaged in order to play, so trying to find younger players in order to continue the team is challenging.”

In fact, James is keen to stress that although Worthing Leisure may have an experienced side, they do possess a lot of quality in their ranks. “A lot of our players have already played at a higher standard. Stuart Hack, our club captain, has played for Conference South side Lewes where he played in the FA Cup first round against Stoke City. Miles Scerri, is the current record holder for goals scored in a single County League game. Both of the previously mentioned have been recognised in the County League team of the decade in a recent local newspaper poll. Our leading goalscorer, Stuart Anderson was also a former Burnley trainee. We do have a few players that I'm sure could still ply their trade at a higher level, but due to family and work commitments, they would find this more difficult than playing in our local league.”

Of course, as with many teams like Worthing Leisure, financing the club is often the biggest challenge. James said “we sort funding from two local businesses, Sussex Paving and Decking and Strand Dental, in order for us to cover the relevant costs of forming a team and entering a league and also to buy kits and balls. Financing our team is always a concern at the beginning of each year. We are self funding and each player will be charged a signing on fee and match fees for each game, but with pitch and referee fees ever increasing, this does play on our mind.”

Looking to the future, James is hoping that the club can continue in the right direction. “Next term, we would like to continue in the form we have displayed over the previous two seasons and challenge for honours in the Worthing Premier League. We also want to continue the well established culture of the club as a group of friends and see what this mad adventure brings. Can we become a County League Division Three team in years to come? Who knows? Dream the dream.”

written by Will Lyon

Tring Athletic FC

Please read below for my interview with Tring Athletic chairman Mick Eldridge. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Deveronvale, Leith Athletic and many more football clubs.

Tring Athletic

The Grass Roots Stadium

Football Focus caught up with Tring Athletic chairman Mick Eldridge last month and he provided an interesting picture of how the Midlands League Premier Division side is run. “The club was formed in 1958 as a youth club and progressed to running adult sides, but youth remains key to Tring Athletic. We wish to be known as a community club encouraging players of all ages, male and female, to participate in football.”

Although Tring's first team performed very well this season with an eighth place finish, Mick made it clear that the youth system at the club is the lifeblood at the rather aptly named, Grass Roots Stadium. “In the last twelve months we have re-instated the under 18s youth team who play in the South Bucks Youth League and they recently finished third in their division. The majority of the players will still be eligible to play youth football again next season and we are hopeful that a number of them or perhaps the whole team from Tring Tornadoes Junior Football Club, who operate teams from five years to sixteen years of age, will progress up to our youth team as a natural progression into senior football.”

Tring have high hopes for the young players at the club, but as Mick explains, a successful youth system is not cheap. “Obtaining sponsorship, retaining and increasing revenues from advertising, maintaining gate levels, running fund raising events, club functions will be a challenge, whilst keeping costs under control. Running six teams is expensive but also a drain on human resources. Committee members who run the club undertake an increasing amount of administration that is required and generally being in attendance at the club for all such events. We are currently fortunate to have a very committed and strong committee running the club.”

However, Tring have formed a very close relationship with a company who sponsor the club and Mick describes how they provide essential financial backing to the club and local community with activities outside of football too. “We were financially assisted by our club sponsors Grass Roots Group plc and their Chairman & Chief Executive, David Evans MBE and we continue to have close links with Grass Roots Group. We are also holding a very large concert at our ground in June with more than 3,500 tickets sold to date. This is organised by the Grass Roots Group and profits are distributed to the local sports clubs and schools.”

Despite what appears to be a healthy lower league club, Tring have had their fair share of misfortune too. “We moved to our current first team ground in 2004 following a fire to Tring Town’s old clubhouse and re-built a new clubhouse, changing rooms and function rooms costing in excess of £250,000. Tring Athletic raised a substantial sum towards the cost mentioned above with the Dacorum Borough Council providing a small grant plus and interest free loan. All loans have now been repaid.”

Mick is proud of the way Tring bounced back and the club have now hosted many successful social functions with footballing icons. “The facilities are amongst the very best at our level and are used for cup finals, social functions and formal functions including the Spartan South Midlands Match Officials Association who have recently had Howard Webb the World Cup final referee, Mark Halsey a Premier League referee and Richard Scudamore as guest speakers with the function hall accommodating 150 persons theatre style.”

Everything appears in place at Tring Athletic, but Mick believes the club is entering a very important phase of its history. “The manager Phil Casserley has put together a large squad of players with a mixture of youth and experience who play very well as a team and are determined to play attractive football and win matches. Phil, I am sure, will look to perhaps add one or two new players for next season but I believe that nearly all of the players have indicated their desire to play again next year for the club.”

Off the park, Mick also possesses some lofty ambitions. “We are in the process of finalising the addition of two extra changing rooms to our facilities in order to move the 'A' and 'B' teams to the Grass Roots Stadium as they currently play at our second ground, Miswell Lane, where the club was formed in 1958. The ladies and the youth team also currently use the Miswell Lane facilities so our aim to have all teams operating from the same stadium.”

written by Will Lyon

Ton Pentre Football Club

Please read below for my interview with Ton Pentre chairman Bryan Bees. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Deveronvale, Leith Athletic and many more football clubs.

Ton Pentre

Ynys Park - Home of Ton Pentre FC

Born and bred in the South Wales town of Ton Pentre, Bryan Bees has been watching the Bulldogs since he could walk. Bryan's father, brothers and son have played for the club and he has been Chairman for four years, so there are few who know more about the ins and outs of Ton Pentre than Bryan.

It would be fair to say that Ton have endured a few topsy turvy seasons recently, but they bounced back to their natural level this year, winning promotion to the Welsh First Division with four games spare. Bryan is of course delighted with the achievement as he explained to Football Focus last month. “At the beginning of this season we had a change in manager, the first for ten years and due to the reorganisation of the Welsh league we were relegated for the first time in our history. That was a low point, but the appointment of two of our ex players, Dean Morris and his assistant Andrew Hughes to the management team was the start of the revival. We lost several players due to the relegation, but Dean and Andrew recruited adequate replacements and the results proved them right. The camaraderie in the dressing room is superb, we play as a team and all the new arrivals settled in very quickly. We were crowned as Division Two champions with four games to spare, not having lost a game. Next season is going to be difficult, we aim to finish as high as possible, but most importantly to consolidate our position.”

Although there has been success off the park this season, Bryan understands that the future of the club is also reliant on developing youngsters and admits the key to being at the heart of the community is to host the best post-match buffets! “We recognise that the future of this club lies in development of young players and have made overtures to a local boys and girls club with the view to form an amalgamation. We support the local clubs and all local charities. Our club is the headquarters of several local organisations, the largest being the Rhondda & District Football League which includes about eighty teams. Teams from other leagues in South Wales choose our club as the venue for all their functions. The post-match buffets are as good as any!”

Despite their integration into the local community, Bryans wants Ton Pentre to have an even closer tie with the people of the town and believes the involvement of youngsters is the key to success. “We are preparing a five year plan which will encompass the forming of an association with one of the local boys and girls club. Another aim is to form a much closer tie with the local community and to promote our club to become an integral part of the community, this obviously will not be done overnight, but with the forward thinking of our committee, this will be achieved. We need young people to join our committee to drive us forward, in particular the refurbishment of the ground in partnership with the owners, Ton Pentre Welfare Association.”

However, times are hard in the former mining stronghold in the south of Wales. Bryan concedes that pushing money into the club is difficult and the number of facilities in the area are limited. “The biggest challenge in the current economic climate is definitely finance. Sponsorship is very difficult to obtain, especially in the deprived areas of South Wales. So far we have been fortunate in obtaining what we have obtained and our thanks go to the people who have supported us in these difficult times. Because of the lack of finance another drawback of the area is the lack of playing facilities in the Rhondda Valleys sadly.”

Ton Pentre will battle on and are determined to pursue more success. Their drive for a community feel to the club was proven as recent as 21 May when Rhondda's best cover band sold out the Clubhouse, bringing the locals together and raising vital funds for the club.

written by Will Lyon

St. Neots Football Club

Please read below for my interview with St. Neots chairman and owner Mike Kearns. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Deveronvale, Leith Athletic and many more football clubs.

St. Neots

You will be hard pushed to find another non league club with the facilities that Cambridgeshire side, St Neots Town have. Chairman and owner of the club, Mike Kearns, was only too happy to describe the wonderful conditions at St Neots. “Visiting teams are in awe of our stadium. It is rated very high. It is one of the best if not the best in non league football outside the Conference. Its hard to improve on what we have as everything is top standard. Our full size pitch is sand based with a twenty-two sprinkler system. We have a 3G training facility and even just put down astro turf where the linesmen run.”

Outside St. Neots ground

St Neots appear to be in a superb position to be able to keep moving up the leagues and indeed, it has been confirmed that the club will be playing Zamaretto Central Division football next season. This is due to some fantastic efforts on the pitch this season. Forward Shane Tolley equalled the all-time goal scoring record for the club with 54 goals, but he did it in just 44 appearances as opposed to the 46 appearances by Francis Brand in 1968/9 season.

Mike could not hide his delight as he took us through the success of the season. “We have broken all sorts of records this season. Our success is one of building a young team for the future, with some experienced players added, capable of moving up the pyramid without many changes, if any. Any good team needs players that can score goals and we paid a five figure transfer fee for Stefen Moore who is a former Aston Villa player. With him and Shane Tolley you have a strike partnership that in our opinion is one of the best in non league. They scored 94 goals between them this season!”

Mike is an ambitious man and cannot wait to lead St Neots as high up the football pyramid system as far as possible. “Our plans for next term are like all teams hope to become champions of the next league. Blue Square South or North should not be beyond this team. If we reach it we will have to take a good look at how we can finance that level and above.”

Whatever the outcome of next season, the club and their fans will be eagerly anticipating local derbies with Biggleswade Town in the Zamaretto Central Division next season. A worthy reward for St Neots after what was arguably their most successful season in their 132 year history.

written by Will Lyon

Deveronvale Football Club

Please read below for my interview with Deveronvale manager Scott Anderson. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free. 

Deveronvale

Last month Football Focus spoke to the Scott Anderson, manager of Highland League side, Deveronvale. Scott played for the club in various different spells between 1989 and 2005 and has been involved in managing the first team since the end of the 2007/8 season.

Princess Royal Park - The home of Deveronvale FC

Scott is quick to dispel claims that the Highland League is lagging behind the professional Scottish leagues not only in terms of fanbase, but facilities-wise too. “Our facilities are often commented on as better than some Scottish 1^st Division clubs and we have a solid fan base attracting some of the best attendances in the Highland League. It is a very competitive league that is well supported and I can see it continue to be a strong league in the years to come.”

Some clubs around the country spend all their money on maintaining their first team but Scott is proud that Deveronvale spend a lot of time and effort on their youth system, especially now as rewards are being reaped. “We have put a strong emphasis in our youth development over the last few seasons and we are now bearing fruit with this. This season we introduced six of our young players throughout the course of the season and they have ended up being up there as our most used players. They have come through our under 19 side, onto our under 21s and have now established themselves as first team players. We at Deveronvale Football Club feel it is the way forward to produce our own players and we will look to continue this in the seasons ahead.

With the current crop of youngsters beginning to be integrated into the first team, Scott is hopeful of another successful season next term. Deveronvale finished second in the Highland League this season and there is no reason why the club cannot go one better next time around. “After coming so close to the title this season just past, we hope to again be up there challenging next year.”

Despite only falling to First Division side Ross County in the Scottish Cup third round this season, Scott also wants to see an improvement in the big competition and others. “Our cup form has not been great over the last few seasons and we want to rectify that this year. We hope that we continue to see development from the team and players, and we look forward to another big test this season.”

Off the park, Deveronvale have some fantastic facilities, but Scott wants work to continue improving them and believes this will help lead his side to further success in the future. Although he confesses bringing money into the club is the main obstacle for this development. “We are a leading club in terms of our facilities and structure and we want to continue to be up the top end challenging every season. We will continue to encourage and develop our young local players and strive to bring some silverware back to the club in the coming seasons. The addition of an enclosure is hoped, better floodlighting and other minor improvements to comply with Club Licensing criteria. As with many clubs, we have to work hard every year to make ends meet and this is done with help from all our sponsors.”

written by Will Lyon

Ashby Ivanhoe FC

Please read below for my interview with Ashby Ivanhoe General Manager Charlie Tissington. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Deveronvale, Leith Athletic and many more football clubs.

Ashby Ivanhoe

After an overwhelmingly successful season, Football Focus was delighted to catch up with Charlie Tissington, General Manager of Leicestershire side, Ashby Ivanhoe. The club, founded in 1948, won the Everards Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division for the first time in their history last season and Charlie was very happy to finish a sizeable nine points ahead of any other team. “It has been a fantastic season winning the Everards Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division for the first time. It’s probably been our highest achievement yet, and then rounding it off with a win in the Coalville Charity Cup Final.”

Hood Park - The home of Ashby Ivanhoe

However, Ashby have plenty of ambition and as Charlie explains, they are seeking an even more successful campaign next season. “We hope to try and emulate our neighbours Coalville Town who reached the FA Vase Final this year. We went out in the second qualifying round this season. Next season will be a bigger challenge and hopefully we will add to the current talented squad to improve in the areas that need bolstering.”

With the Ashby first team flying high, Charlie can focus more attention on youth development at the club, but he is pleased to announce that it already produces a few gems for the senior side. “Youth development is very important at the club with ex professional David Hunt, whose clubs included Derby County, Aston Villa and Notts County, taking up the Youth Development Manager role in 2008. The club now has sides ranging from nine years to eighteen year old through to adult football. The club formed an under 18's side in 2008 which has already produced three players that are regulars with the first team.”

Despite the recent success stories and an award commending the warm atmosphere at the club’s ground, Hood Park, Charlie knows the facilities must be improved if the club is to be allowed to progress further up the pyramid structure in English football and to compete in the prestigious FA Cup. “Last season we were awarded the Hospitality Ground Award from the league, but to progress up the pyramid system, we are looking to improve the facilities. Our first target is to get to the MFA at level five and then to play in the FA Cup.”

written by Will Lyon

Leith Athletic with Albert Bungay

Please read below for my interview with Leith Athletic President Albert Bungay. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free.

The crest of Leith Athletic FC

 Leith Athletic

Leith Athletic are a club that pride themselves on the success of their youth system. Football Focus spoke to Albert Bungay, President of the Edinburgh club, last month and the names of players who have come through the youth system was very impressive. Former Dundee star Leigh Griffiths began his footballing career at Athletic and recently joined Premier League side Wolves for a fee believed to be around £150,000. Other big names are Dundee United's Danny Swanson, St. Mirren defender Darren McGregor and Hibernian's Sean Welch.

However, Leith Athletic are certainly not a club living in the past. The first team won promotion to the East of Scotland Premier League this season and Albert has high hopes that they can consolidate their position in the Division. “We will be looking for our first team to consolidate their position in the Premier League. We we will hold our own at this level and may even surprise a few teams as the season progresses. We soon hope to see our first team challenging the current league leaders in the Premier Division and to be one of the leading clubs in the East of Scotland league.”

Indeed, Athletic are very much focused on the future and Albert is very proud of the current youth set up, but he hopes to encourage more girls to take up the sport. “We have around 500 boys and girls from five years old to twenty-one learning and playing for the club. The most pleasing aspect of our current first team is that every player in the team had previously played for one of our youth teams. The clubs longest serving player Kevin Freedman aged twenty-six has been involved with the club for fifteen years and is currently a member of our first team. We have just recently established a girls section over the last year. At present it is a work in progress but now that the light nights are here and the girls can get back training outside we will attract more girls to the club over the next few months. ”

Youth development and community involvement is something Albert believes go hand in hand and is delighted to confirm this is the case in Leith. “We have built our reputation as a community club. The majority of the boys and girls live local. All the teams are sponsored by local firms and the local schools and sports halls benefit from our teams using their facilities. We have just recently received the Community Quality Mark award from the SFA in recognition of the standard the club has set and we are one of only three clubs in Edinburgh to receive it.”

Leith Athletic have done very well since they formed fifteen years ago, but Albert knows there is still a lot of hard work to be done, especially in tough financial times. “One of the biggest challenges facing our club has to be the lack of facilities for training and the changing room facilities. It is an old building and although it meets a certain requirement we would definitely look to expand or improve if we could. The problem for the club is that in the current economic climate changing facilities for football clubs is not high on the council’s agenda.”

Leith continue to excel in their teaching of football to youngsters, but Albert wants to go a step further than most football clubs go. He is keen to link the club with other sports so youngsters have a number of different sporting opportunities. “On the field we will be looking for our soccer schools and youth teams to continue the work we do in learning and teaching young boys and girls the basic soccer skills. We are keen to build relations with other sport clubs in the immediate area in a bid to allow youngsters in the community to experience and improve their skills in a variety of different sports. We believe having attended meetings with people from Edinburgh sports councils that the way forward for most clubs is to become part of a community based sports hub with all sports coming together giving the kids an opportunity to try different sports. Which may attract funding from local councils easier than all sports working individually.”

written by Will Lyon

Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra [Album Review]

Click here or read below for my review of Gold Cobra by Limp Bizkit. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 7/10

With a gap of eight years since Limp Bizkit's last album, some critics appeared apprehensive about Gold Cobra. Nu-metal may have dominated rock music in the early noughties, but now the era is a fading memory. Somehow though, this new record does not sound old. Whilst there are a few let downs, the majority of songs are absolute gems which make you want to throw your red baseball cap back on, turn it back-to-front and start dancing on car rooftops again.

However, there were substantial worries after hearing the first full length song, the awkward "Bring It Back". It just does not make sense, the song is scattered all over the place, but thankfully the title track "Gold Cobra" restores high hopes and it seems that it is here that the band begin to hit form.

The next five songs are immense. "Shark Attack" and "Shotgun" are typically feisty Limp Bizkit efforts, but "Get A Life" and "Walking Away" are absurdly good for completely different reasons. "Get A Life" is just sheer rage and it sounds incredible. Fred Durst's voice breaks to a point similar to Eminem's in his The Marshall Mathers LP where he chucks his tied up wife into a river. The power and velocity is compelling listening. On the other hand, "Walking Away" is the audio version of Limp Bizkit stroking a cat, with the said cat eventually clawing back with venom. The intro features a reverberating Wes Borland guitar, a pulsating bass and a haunting synthesiser, yes, you read that right, a synthesiser. The finale of the song is epic and we witness an emotional Fred Durst as he confronts the issue of walking away from people he adores.

Sadly the quality of Gold Cobra decreases rapidly after "Walking Away". "Loser" really is a loser. It is horrible, but fortunately followed up by a quite hilarious interlude. The next tracks "Autotunage" and "90.2.10" are very weak before our spirits are lifted by "Why Try" which certainly woke me back up.

The final track "Killer In You" is very one-paced and a poor way to bow out, but you find yourself quickly going back to track three and starting again for twenty-five minutes of nu-metal rage. Despite what some may say, Gold Cobra does not sound dated and is in fact a very fun listen. Overall, it is a surprising and more than welcome comeback from Limp Bizkit.

written by Will Lyon

Track Listing:

01. Introbra
02. Bring It Back
03. Gold Cobra
04. Shark attack
05. Get A Life/Interlude 1
06. Shotgun
07. Douche Bag
08. Walking Away
09. Loser/Interlude 2
10. Autotunage
11. 90.2.10/Interlude 3
12. Why Try
13. Killer In You

Run Time: 49:44
Release Date: June 28, 2011

Check out the song: "Gold Cobra"

My Team & I - Raith Rovers

Click here or read below for my article on why I support Raith Rovers and take you over the trials and tribulations of doing so. It was published on The Footy Blog.

Rovers

Why Raith?

I have my dad to “thank” for being a Raith fan. He was brought up in a village half way between Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline, but he chose to support the less successful team (*sigh*). I actually grew up in Jersey, but I was made aware of Raith Rovers when bought the away strip shortly after the club beat Celtic in the 1994 League Cup Final. Through the years my dad and I would often take in a pre season friendly on our summer holidays and when I moved to Edinburgh University in 2007 I was finally able to watch Raith every week. I'm not sure if it was the 2-1 defeat to Berwick Rangers in front of 570 fans or attending a Scottish Cup Third Round fixture against Threave Rovers and being so cold that my whole body became numb, but I was hooked very quickly.

Favourite Player?

The dependable, Laurie Ellis

Rovers haven't possessed a real quality player since I've watched them, but I would go for left sided defender, Laurie Ellis. He is now in his third spell at Starks Park and although he isn't the best defender the club has ever had, he reads the game better than most. Laurie comes across as someone who loves playing for the club and goes out of his way to interact with the fans. Also, featuring at left back, his light hearted berating of the nearby linesman, or “lino”, is generally quite amusing.

Favourite Game?

A 2-2 draw with local rivals Dunfermline last year at East End Park was probably the best game I have ever watched. It was a top of the table clash with Raith sitting in first place on 26 points and the Pars just one point behind. The tension rose to another level with kickoff being delayed by ten minutes due to an unexpectedly big crowd.

The Pars absolutely battered Raith in the first half and the 2-0 half time scoreline did not accurately convey the utter dominance they had. To add insult to injury, it also meant that as things stood, Dunfermline would go top of the league. However, the second half was a different story.

Just six minutes into the second period Dunfermline's Andy Kirk sliced a shot wide of an open goal. If Kirk's shot had found the back of the net, most agree that would have been no way back for Raith. However, Rovers took confidence from the miss and started to gain a foothold in the match, but were struggling to find a way through the Pars defence. This changed on the 73^rd minute when Dunfermline's Neil McGregor was shown a second yellow card and given his marching orders by referee Eddie Smith. The atmosphere was now becoming more volatile.

Three minutes after McGregor's dismissal, Kirk was taken onto the sidelines to receive treatment for an injury and while this was happening, manager Jim McIntyre made two substitutions, one replacing Kirk himself. However, after a rub of the magic sponge Kirk trotted back onto the pitch, apparently oblivious to the fact he had been subbed. Play raged on with Dunfermline back to eleven men but soon a Raith fan nearby chirped “they've got eleven men again”. His neighbour screamed “whit?!” followed by a loud “BOOOOO!”. As word spread, the chants of “cheats, cheats, cheats” boomed out of the travelling support. Referee Smith brought his finger out and started counting the number of Dunfermline players. After consulting his nearby linesman he swiftly booked Kirk and ordered him off the pitch.

The match restarted again and seven minutes from time Raith clawed a goal back. Dunfermline 'keeper Chris Smith inexplicably dropped a ball at the feet of Iain Williamson and the Raith winger duly passed it into the back of the net. Just minutes later Williamson unbelievably hit the bar from just yards out, but the away support continued to urge their side on. Then, two minutes into injury time Willie Dyer clipped a speculative cross into the box which Allan Walker nodded on and the ball looped – almost in slow motion - into the top corner of the goal. The noise was incredible and the hugs were intense. Walker's equalising goal had kept Raith top of the league and the fans were sure to let the quickly escaping home support know this.

Allan Walker celebrates after his equalising goal against the Pars

Favourite Strip?

The 125^th anniversary “Blackburn style” strip was the most aesthetically pleasing one, made all the better by the fact Raith won the Second Division wearing it.

Iain Davidson shows off the 125th anniversary strip with the Second Division trophy

Worst Thing About Being A Raith Fan?

When Raith beat Celtic in the 1994 League Cup Final a commentator apparently claimed that the fans would be “dancing in the streets of Raith tonight”. This was a glaring error as Rovers home town is Kirkcaldy, not Raith. However, the phrase is repeated far too often for my liking and has become a little tiresome now. 

Funniest Moment?

For the last two seasons Raith had a striker called Gregory Tade. In his first campaign he was well known for tripping over his own feet and blazing shots over the bar from two yards out, but the funniest moment came during a match against Airdrie United in October 2009. Tade – who was already on a yellow card - received a through ball, turned his marker and blasted the ball not only over the bar, but out of the ground. The referee ran up to Tade, threw up a yellow card, followed by a red. A large number of Raith fans began to start laughing hysterically, for it appeared Tade had been given a second yellow card and sent off for simply being rubbish. To this day the sending off is a mystery. There was no foul in the build up to the shot and with Raith winning 2-0 at the time, one can only assume the referee mistook Tade's wild shot as an act of time wasting. 

Walker protests, but Tade is ordered off

Favourite Moment?

The full time whistle after beating Dundee at Dens Park in the Scottish Cup Quarter Final last season is by far and away my favourite moment. The sheer euphoria of the fact that Raith were going to Hampden Park, not to play Queens Park, but to play in a Scottish Cup Semi Final was just incredible. It was also the first Scottish Cup Semi Final Raith had made in forty-seven years which made me feel like I was part of the club making history.

Laurie Ellis celebrates the winning goal over Dundee

written by Will Lyon

Foo Fighters - Walk [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my review of the song "Walk" by Foo Fighters. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 6/10

Foo Fighters latest album Wasting Light has received mass critical acclaim since it was released in April. Lead single "Rope" was a fantastic return to form and now the follow up "Walk" has been released to keep the album sales ticking over.

"Walk" does not reach the dizzy heights of "Rope", but then the Foos have not managed to release a single so captivating since "All My Life" in 2002. However, "Walk" is a decent effort. The song takes a while to launch into action with a few procrastinating verses, although the chorus is worth the wait. It's a melodic and enjoyable creation, despite being led into battle with a surprisingly ordinary Taylor Hawkins drum riff.

Sadly however, "Walk" sometimes has the damning ability of being able to flow through one ear and out the other without the listener noticing. It is just a little middle-of-the-road, which is ironic considering the band take the mickey out of middle-of-the-road specialists, Coldplay, in the accompanying video. Do not be fooled by "Walk", it may be a little uninspiring, but Wasting Light as a whole, is far better.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 4:16
Release Date: June 13, 2011

Check out the song: "Walk"

The View - Bread And Circuses [Album Review]

Click here or read below for my album review of Bread And Circuses by The View. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 6/10

The View were heralded as the "next big thing" back in 2007 when the Scots released their debut album, Hats Off To The Buskers. The record shot to number one in the British album chart and the singles faired well too. Twenty-five months later their sophomore effort Which Bitch? was unveiled and it was invariably a flop. Alcohol and booze had began to rule the band and consequently the music suffered.

The View made a conscious decision to start putting the music first again and started working on album number three, Bread And Circuses. The result is a superior effort to Which Bitch?, but the band still appear to be lacking a bit of real class. "Tragic Magic", "Friend", "Blondie" and "Sunday" all contain infectious melodies and typical surf-rock harmonies, but fighting through the surrounding nine worthless songs is irritating.

With Bread And Circuses chart success even further down on Which Bitch? it becomes apparent that The View have failed to claw back the fans they lost after their second record. At this rate it will not be long before they disappear into indie obscurity alongside The Automatic and The Enemy.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 50:10
Release Date: March 22, 2011

Track Listing:

01. Grace
02. Underneath The Lights
03. Tragic Magic
04. Girl
05. Life
06. Friend
07. Beautiful
08. Blondie
09. Sunday
10. Walls
11. Happy
12. Best Lasts Forever
13. Witches

Check out the song: "Grace"

The Naked And Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You [Album Review]

Click here or read below for my album review of Passive Me, Aggressive You by The Naked And Famous. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 7/10

Whatever your opinions of synth-pop are, one thing for certain is that there is still plenty of life left in the genre. There are a lot of bands on the musical landscape still mucking about with synthesisers and generally the quality has been surprisingly good. The Naked And Famous are continuing this trend. Although Passive Me, Aggressive You has been available in their native land of New Zealand for a while, it has finally been shipped around the world and the feedback has been very positive.

“Punching In A Dream” and "Young Blood" have some incredibly infectious electronic riffs which would bring chaos to dancefloors in clubs. The beats are loud and the tremendous Cyndi Lauper-esq voice of Alisa Xayalith shrills through the listener. However, the album is not all get-up-and-go. There are slower efforts, some of which are a bit weird and sadly a sharp drop in quality from the singles.

In truth, the album is a long, winding journey. From the dancefloor, to the chill out-tastic "The Ends" and then the hard rock of "A Wolf In Geek's Clothing", The Naked And Famous have nailed a really interesting and captivating record.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 49:13
Release Date: March 15, 2011

Track Listing:

01. All Of This
02. Punching In A Dream
03. Frayed
04. The Source
05. The Sun
06. Eyes
07. Young Blood
08. No Way
09. Spank
10. Jilted Lovers
11. A Wolf In A Geek's Clothing
12. The Ends
13. Girls Like You

Check out the song: "Young Blood"

Simple Plan ft. Rivers Cuomo - "Can't Keep My Hands Off You" [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my review of "Can't Keep My Hands Off You" by Simple Plan featuring Weezer front man, Rivers Cuomo. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 1 / 10

No, no, no. Just no. When Rivers Cuomo and his geek-rock band Weezer emerged in the early 90s the last thing we expected from him, was to team up with power-pop trash like Simple Plan almost twenty years later at the age of forty. As musicians age, their music is supposed to develop into a more mature or technically advanced sound - "Can't Keep My Hands Off You" is anything but. Cuomo only features for one verse, but the lyrics are so, so terrible. "My clothes are six months old but I don’t care, no no no I don’t notice." Come on Rivers, what were you thinking?

Sadly, "Can't Keep My Hands Off You' - the first single from new album Get Your Heart On! is just as awful as previous Simple Plan efforts. There was enough of throw away power-pop in the noughties and it needs to stop. Simple Plan's music is just as one dimensional as it always has been and the lyrics are dreadful: "Cuz on the street, or under the covers, we are stuck like two pieces of velcro." The song and indeed the band are one to avoid, at all costs.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 3:42
Release Date: 06.06.2011

Check out the song: "Can't Keep My Hands Off You"

Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my review of "Gold Cobra" by Limp Bizkit. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 9/10

It has been almost eight years since we had a new Limp Bizkit album in our hands, but in just under three weeks the clock will be reset. Gold Cobra will hit the shops on June 28, but to keep the fans on their toes, the title track has been unleashed onto the internet.

Pushing nostalgic Fred Durst crotch-grabbing aside, it appears that “Gold Cobra” is a real quality effort from Florida's finest. It is everything you want a Limp Bizkit song to sound like – fat, rough and utterly infectious. It honestly feels like it is the year 2000 all over again.

The short bridge is a little lacklustre, but nitpicking aside, "Gold Cobra" is a fantastic song. As is the norm with Limp Bizkit tracks, it is best listened at full volume and after this has been achieved, I imagine for many June 28 cannot come quick enough.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 3:54
Release Date: 06.07.2011

The Music - Ghost Hands [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my song review of "Ghost Hands" by The Music. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 9 / 10

 

With farewell gigs announced, The Music also decided to release one final single before departing the musical landscape. "Ghost Hands" was a song written for the band's fourth studio album, which was never completed. However, lead singer Robert Harvey announced that the band "love the track and it just seemed a shame to leave it gathering dust for ever. It's good to go out with something positive and new and we think it deserves to see the light of day."

And thank goodness the band decided to give away this final song, for it is an utter masterpiece. It begins with a very eighties drum beat and a very New Order-esq bass riff. The electric guitar trickles in, with a reverbing effect that U2's 'Edge' would be very fond of. Harvey's echoing verse follows and builds up to a mesmerising chorus passionately preaching "we get up, we get up, we make history."

The one criticism, would be that the "remix", or "extended version" is actually slightly better. Nevertheless, "Ghost Hands" is a truly epic way for a band to bow out with and the best thing about it, is that it is available for free off their website.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 5:43
Release Date: 04.21.2011

Check out the song: "Ghost Hands"