2 September 2014
There are 20 teams in the Fife Amateur Combination, so you can see what kind of start we've had. The team that are missing from this table (it won't fit on my screenshot) are Eastvale...the only one we've managed to defeat.
By the way, the board expect me to lead the team to a league title this year.
It's been a tough month all around. I wondered how long it would take for bigger clubs to sniff out James Graham, our beast goalkeeper. By mid-August, he was receiving offers, and when he turned down the opportunity to discuss a new contract with us, I knew he was gone. He last appeared for Pittenweem on 16 August, when we saw off Balintore in the first round of the Scottish Amateur Cup. Four days later, he signed for Gala Fairydean Rovers of Lowland Alliance One, on £70/week.
Is it a coincidence that, since then, we've lost three straight matches?
It hasn't helped that
Billy McArthur hasn't played yet.
Steven Sturrock has appeared once; he injured his knee in training the day before our first match, and just returned to action. Still, it's hard to imagine those two players would be worth 10 points by themselves, and that's how far we are adrift right now.
Transfer Deadline Day was 30 August, and it began with the news that Colin Knox signed a deal with Dunipace Juniors that will pay him £30/week. He's the 13th player we lost during this transfer period.
That afternoon, we went to King George V Park to face Leven United. You might remember them as the club we defeated in the Fife Amateur Cup Final last May. This time, they got the better of us, coming back from a goal down to defeat us, 2-3.
Nigel Chapman, our Director of Football, discovered a very promising 15-year-old striker called Stephen Ferguson, who plays for Jed Legion. It's hard to persuade a lad to leave his hometown club, however, and we couldn't sign him.
But as the clock was winding down, I managed to reach terms with
Dean Bennett, a midfielder formerly with Stirling Thistle. He's 34, and he's a true professional who should bring some additional leadership to our young team. On the pitch, he's a box-to-box midfielder with very good technical attributes for our level. He's not fast, but he's got the positioning, composure, and awareness to compensate for his lack of pace. I'd have liked to give one or two of our young midfielders the chance to play more, but with the board demanding a championship, I'm not sure I have that luxury. Bennett is probably better right now.
Hopefully, in a month, things will be looking more promising.