Lokloyal

Best of luck to all the West sides. Very very tough games -we just hope we play ok up against a full time side with one foot in the Premiership.It would be pretty miraculous to get anything out of it in reality.

Ayr are understandably red hot favourites on current form to win easily -we just have to hope we can make it a decent game.Our form recently has been all over the place so who knows.

Millar previously applied for and was interviewed for the Pollok job when Willie Irvine left.He didn’t get it then and wasn’t happy.He won’t be a candidate this time.

It doesn't have a sponsor this year. Yes but they pulled out of a tournament last season which Mr Gall’s company sponsored?

Thanks -had forgotten and there was also the Glenafton Blantyre palaver something similar as well towards the end of last season. So Darvel pulled out of the tournament their own man sponsors?

They are suspended from this seasons tournament. Remind me -was it an ineligible player issue?

It’s quite a league! Form teams Irvine,Auchinleck and Arthurlie at the moment.

As I said a while back every manager has blips and Tommy Sloan is more than allowed them because time and time again his team comes good as the season progresses.His ability to do that is what makes Auchinleck the side they are.And the rest of us can only admire that.

Irvine looked well drilled and as said well able to keep their shape against us which cancelled out any threat we might have offered.They will be a tough nut for most teams playing like that.

It rarely happens but I have seen it done at Newlandsfield on a handful of occasions over the years.No problem if another club wants that as our gate numbers and ticket recording have always been scrupulous and transparent and publicised to everyone.I accept that it can be disappointing if there is a feeling of distrust.

Going back to costings-as Bill says the monies required for a club to self-fund redevelopment of its own stadium are very significant.Even re-laying and adding in crash barriers to the whole of the uncovered terrace at Newlandsfield would be very heavily into six figures I would think.

I am not privy to the figures but don’t think they will differ in any great way from those being paid by Auchinleck,Cumnock etc and will be much less than those paid at Darvel.Agree the club no doubt has capital funds but it’s the size of that amount required to redevelop the ground which is the issue.As I said it would have to be a gradual phased process.

If only…

Newlandsfield with a bit of investment would be an outstanding ground.The location is unbeatable.The club has plenty of well connected and qualified people behind the scenes so the expertise is there but doesn’t have access to the big pot of cash needed to do the work. Perhaps a phased approach of dealing with terracing /ground upgrading section by section is the way forward and another fundraising venture similar to the lights with the fans.

Newlandsfield has always been one of the best grounds at our level but with investment could be outstanding.It’s location too is unbeatable.The problem with investment along the lines you suggest is that it would take finance which the club does not have.Unfortunately the local authority haven’t been much help to the club over the years either.