PELE

I hope you do. Good luck.

I have to say it's the most positive pre season I can ever remember, by a long shot! Most seasons we would be signing just a few players who were a complete gamble or a bit meh and not getting most of the targets we aimed for. The players we are signing are players we would usually lose out on. I am starting to think we might actually compete.

I genuinely wish you well, but reality is about to hit. You got where you did because of the sugar daddy. Everyone knows that. No other reason. Community club is all very well, but that's easy when you are having success. It's money that gets the success that you had. Not having a community club or a busy social club. It's frightening the amount of money that is required to compete, even in League 2. You are heading back to the Lowland League and I think deep down you know that yourself. I hope you survive and wish you good luck.

I think he will. Sometimes it just doesn't work at some clubs. No disrespect, but it must be hard getting motivated playing for clubs like East Kilbride.

Not for long. Watch Kelty plummet now that the money man has gone. FC Edinburgh will struggle as well now.

Looks like we have goals galore in the team now and still more players to come on board.

The Uni wouldn't be able to field a team anyway. They will all be away home for the summer

The SPFL already have the Smokies game down for the Wednesday night. Might make it if flight home is not late.

Always wondered what the Uni teams do with any money they make from the season. Are they all currently on a massive "spring break" style jaunt (assuming no re-sits of course)?

Yeah, but it was just a shame we ended up in the group with teams with close to the worst support in each level. Could have been better, but then we are in that category as well, so an appropriate group you could say. As it was was being drawn, you just knew where ball 40 would end up. The bonus is that we might be able to compete more in this group and not get well beaten. I am sure in years gone by we would be fancying our chances of getting out this group.

Yeah, a licence to print money, some might say.

Yeah. I heard the same. Raith got some money they need to use , so to speak.

Maybe not so lucky after all. Probably one of the worst groups ever for earning a few quid. St Mirren, Arbroath, Montrose and Forfar! Watching it, you just knew we would come out last and end up in that group.

Drinking a bit early? Don't see any post from me about the conference.

Welcome. From a selfish point of view, I hope you are here for more than one season (and I am not referring to relegation). What actually happened re promotion? I haven't been paying attention the last few weeks. Did you come straight up? Or did you have to beat the SoSFL winner?

Are you saying you won't be one of them?

Be good if new tops are available next month. The earlier the new tops go on sale the better. We have been really slow to release new tops some years and I am sure it affects sales.

Hopefully Black will play more in the new season. He would definitely make a difference. Both him and Love looked stechie and a stretch away from a hamstring strain. I am more than surprised at the business the club is doing. Normally we would be fairly quiet at this stage and these type of players would be those we would target, but they would always end up somewhere else. Elliot definitely seems switched on and is making good decisions by the looks of things. Don't want to tempt fate, but if all goes well and the team gels, we might even be a suprise challenger. Looks like we now have goals in us and should be more new players to come in, maybe some loans as well. Just have to wait and see how the better teams in the league adjust their squads and also how much money EK splash. They will be signing almost a whole new squad and if the rumours are true about them signing Badboaby, he will score a bucket load in this league.

We wouldn't actually. The points per game from the new year would still have us in 15th. No better league position wise. I would say we were only marginally better after Christmas. We were still terrible in a lot of the games after that and remember, we were playing twice a week for the first few months, three B teams away and the tough League Cup games amongst those. All with a new team. So I would say nothing improved. Some of the players got better, but that is all.

Would definitely keep Davidson. Not sure if he is away. Sure someone mentioned that work commitments would get in the way of him playing.

Exactly. If it wasn't for Dalbeattie and Edinburgh Uni, we would have been in serious danger of relegation. Teams of that standard won't be in the League for long. They will eventually be replaced by decent teams from the WoSFL and a few from the EoSFL. If we don't improve quickly, we will be the new Dalbeattie. This league is only going to get tougher. Much as the players we had last season were all good lads, some of them were not good enough, or determined enough and some probably needed more experience (possibly at a lower level), or more game time. There were only a few games where we played well as a team. Most of the time we were terrible, sat too deep and although we defended quite well, it will never end well when you have nothing in the middle of the park and nothing up front.

The website has been updated with the 8 being kept on, the 2 new signings and also Davidson and Garrad listed.

They are already gone from it. It's FC Edinburgh now.

I am starting to think we might actually be up near the top end of the league in the new season. Elliot is showing all the signs of someone who knows what is required and doesn't mess around.

Yeah. Sitting on the bench most weeks ain't any fun.