Category: Latest News

IT was Firhill for thrills this week as Thorn Athletic attended the Scottish Football Association West Region’s Quality Mark event at Partick Thistle.

WE were pulled out of the hat and paired with some interesting draws at last week’s Hampden Park league meeting.

First up the winners of our home Challenge Cup clash with top-flight cracks Giffnock North will be at home again to the winners of Viewfield’s clash with Cambusbarron Rovers.

That tie fell foul of the weekend weather despite being reversed to the Rovers’ home park and will now be rescheduled.

The draw for the President’s Cup was also made and this is contested between the teams in Division 1A and 1B.

We were placed in Section Three along with Balmore, East Kilbride YM, Weirs Recreation and Eaglesham.

The format will see us host Balmore and Eaglesham and travel to face Weirs and EKYM.

The top tow teams from each section will progress to the knockout stage of the competition.

No dates have been scheduled for these matches at present.

WE are delighted to announce that our growing club has expanded once more with the addition of a 2004 age group.

The players and committee, formerly Linwood Rangers, are all very welcome to the set-up and are looking forward to a fresh start.

Officials from the club have been working hard to ensure their arrival has been a smooth one for everyone concerned.

The 2004 side are a vital stage in their development as they prepare to make the progression to 11-a-side format in August.

Everyone at The Thorn is delighted to have them on board and we look forward to working with their coaching and management team of David Smith Steve Foulds, Steven McAdam, Jamie Robertson and Scott Ashwood.

The team are now training in Johnstone and are on their way to being fully kitted out in full Thorn colours before their big kick-off.

Derrick McMillan, the club’s head of youth development, said: “We have been hugely impressed with the standard of their organisation and the quality of coaching and training.

“The team are a perfect fit for our club and they have already settled in well following their transition.”

• Full information and updates on the 2004 team will soon be available in the Youth Academy section of the website and on the Thorn Athletic YFC Facebook page.

A GREAT day out was had after Thorn Athletic recorded a 6-0 victory in their historic first visit to the Isle of Bute.

An early morning departure saw a group of 26 players, officials and supporters make the trip from Gourock across the Firth of Clyde to Rothesay.

With the grass pitch at Rothesay Stadium declared playable in the morning it was a buoyant squad that travelled looking to go clear at the top of the Caledonian League First Division.

The match proved to be a comfortable affair as Dean Scott opened the scoring with a low driven shot. Paul Young converted a clinical free-kick.

Continue reading “Sailing to Bute triumph”

SALTIRE Boxing gym hosted our final training session before this weekend’s trip to Rothesay.

With our normal training facility at Johnstone Hub frozen off with snow the club made alternative arrangements to put the lads through their paces.

It was a rigorous workout at the club – based in the former United Services Club in Johnstone – and the players all worked exceptionally hard.

They were tested with a variety of boxing, boot camp and endurance drills aimed at improving their core fitness.

This should stand them in good stead for the remainder of the season.

Manager James Donnelly said: “It was a wee change for the boys and an opportunity to mix things up with something completely different.

“They all worked very hard, we had good numbers and I’m sure some will have realised that they are not as fit as they first thought.

“Thanks to Saltire Boxing for providing the boys with a great work out. It’s great to have a facility like that on our doorstep and it gives us alternative winter training.”

THE Scottish Football Association West Region has confirmed that our club has achieved the Quality Mark Standard Award.

We have been working towards this accreditation for a number of months, spearheaded by our youth development offer Derrick McMillan.

This is the first step on a pathway we hope will held drive the ever-increasing success of the club’s Youth Academy and help us to gain further stages of the award.

A lot of work has gone into the  QM which ‘is designed to support and recognise the work of clubs and teams who have a desire to be the very best they can be’.

With the club growing rapidly and an increasing number of youngsters who come through our ranks progressing to Pro-Youth it is a nice boost for all our dedicated coaches and volunteers.

Youth co-ordinator Derrick McMillan said: “The club has come a long way in three years since we first began delivering coaching at youth level.

“But we have worked hard to ensure that we are providing high-quality, dedicated coaching that helps the children develop and learn in a healthy environment.

“Hopefully this is just the first step in helping us to develop our Youth Academy at the heart of the local community.”

The club will receive the Quality Mark Standard at a ceremony scheduled for early 2016.

Thorn Athletic currently has teams at 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010 as well as our successful adult team.

Please check around the site for further details of each of the age groups.

THREE Thorn Athletic players were on the winning side as the Caledonian League Select beat Carluke Juniors 4-1 last night (Tuesday).

Donny Morrison, Michael McKinnon and Jordan Devine were in great form – as were the whole squad – at Dalziel Park in Motherwell with Morrison grabbing two goals into the bargain.

It was a tremendous display and the Caledonian side dominated throughout, impressing with the quality of their play and four outstanding goals.

All of the scoring came in the first half. Although there was no further scoring, the side continued to play attractive football and threatened until the final whistle.

The Select scorers were Callum Shipcott (Dumbarton Academy FP), Alan Inglis (Doune Castle) and Morrison (Thorn Athletic) 2.

Morrison’s first was an excellent 25-yard volley and his second was a glancing near-post header following a great run to attack a corner-kick.

McKinnon was excellent with some telling interceptions and great distribution.

Meanwhile Devine, who was making his first select appearance after missing the 3-1 victory over Wishaw with an ankle injury, was involved in some great passages of play and looked sharp with his pace and movement.

With the permission of their clubs, Raymond Masterson, the Select Manager, intends holding one brief, final training session at Dalziel Park on Tuesday 17th November.

This will give him and No2 Robert Philliben the opportunity to ensure the Select side are well prepared for the SAFA Inter League Competition fixture v Lothian & Edinburgh AFA.

That fixture is on Sunday 22 November, at Dalziel Park with a 1.15 pm KO.

Masterson will announce his final squad in the next few days.

Well done to all the players involved in the two recent victories.

MIDLANDS AFA Premier outfit Menzieshill Rovers await Thorn Athletic in the Scottish Amateur Cup fourth round.

The draw took place earlier today (November 6) at Hampden Park and we didn’t have long to wait to hear who we faced as we were the sixth team out of the hat – from 128 contenders.

Scottish Junior FA chief Tom Johnston pulled out the home teams and Iain Cowden, of the Caledonian League, drew the away teams in the draw that was streamed live for fans around the country.

And that means Thorn will be heading for Dundee on Saturday, December 5 to attempt to book a place in the last 32 of the competition.

Menzieshill Rovers narrowly defeated our former SAFL rivals Port OBU 3-2 on their home patch at the weekend after coming from a goal down at half-time.

After seeing off Stirling side Fallin 5-0 to get to this stage, Thorn know they face a far stiffer test if they are to progress.

The Dundee side hold lofty third spot in the top flight and have enjoyed a good start to the season.

Thorn gaffer James Donnelly said: “We were delighted to get through at the weekend as we didn’t know much about Fallin. Menzieshill are also a bit of an unknown quantity for us.

“They play in the Premier League and beat our old foes Port OBU – who have our former strikers Paul Jamieson and Sean Marner in their ranks – in the last round so we will do our research and find out a bit about them.

“Obviously a home draw would have been better but we look forward to a trip to Dundee and hopefully we can take a big support with us.”

• Thorn Athletic will be running a bus from the Thorn Inn on Saturday, December 5 leaving at approx 10am. Seats will be available £10 for anyone wishing to travel. Names to committee.

DONALD MORRISON and Michael McKinnon both impressed for the Caledonian League select side in a 3-1 win over Wishaw Juniors.

As the squad continued the build up to the Inter League tournament Morrison acquitted himself well in the opening 45 minutes before being replaced at the break.

McKinnon was also a solid performer during the second half at Dalziel Park in Motherwell.

A double from Doune Castle’s Alan Inglis and a strike from Niall McClure saw Raymond Masterson’s men home and dry.

Thorn manager James Donnelly, who took in the match, said: “Both players put in good performances and looked to enjoy it.

“It was a good result for the team on their first outing and from our point of view we were glad they came through unscathed.”

Striker Jordan Devine was forced out of the squad with an ankle injury but could get his chance when the select face another junior outfit Carluke Rovers on November 10.