Let's slay Bells at Christmas
Gary Pews • Published 23 Dec 2011 12:00
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Bellshill v Greenock
ANY last minute Christmas shopping to be done by the players and management of Greenock Juniors will be even later than usual tomorrow, as the club makes a fifth attempt to play their Scottish Cup match against Bellshill Athletic.
After a few false dawns, hopes are high the tie will actually go ahead tomorrow, following this week's improvement in the weather conditions.
Frost and snow scuppered a change of venue last week to the artificial surface of the John Cumming Stadium in Carluke.
But that venue, which is council-owned, is now unavailable due to the local authority there closing its leisure facilities during the festive period.
And rather than risk a return to Bellshill's normal home ground of Fullarton Park, which can be soft underfoot event at the best of times, the match has been switched to Yoker Athletic's stadium at Holm Park.
Yoker have Clydebank Juniors as tenants at the ground, which has helped generate the income needed to improve the playing surface from its previous shoddy condition into one of the better venues in Junior football.
But as well as virtually guaranteeing that the match will finally be played, the replacement venue might actually tip the balance of the support in favour of Greenock, who are officially the away team.
A handful of Greenock players are from the Clydebank area and are likely to attract some of their friends and relatives along to see them in action. And some Bankies fans may want to take the chance to see one of their former favourites, Stevie Dallas, back at Holm Park.
The Clydebank-based striker played for his home town club until making the move to Greenock at the start of this season.
Despite the match being played on Christmas Eve, Greenock boss Stevie Mooney, pictured, reports a full squad ready for selection, the only exceptions being Brian McLaughlin and the suspended John Forsyth.
Mooney said: "We have had two full training sessions as normal this week and the players are raring to go.
"They are not too bothered about having to play on Christmas Eve, but no doubt they would be a bit more peeved if the match ended in a draw and they had to turn out for the replay on Hogmanay.
"No-one at the club wants to go into the Christmas period on the back of a defeat, so we will be giving our all tomorrow to get a good result."
- A fourth round tie at Larkhall Thistle awaits the winners of tomorrow's match, which fans should note kicks-off at the earlier than usual time of 12.30pm.
Greenock Juniors are sponsored by Regents Vehicle Sales, Greenock, and the Lighthouse Bar.
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 23 Dec 11
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