The Candy Shop- St Roch's 2016-17

[Glenconner]

First draw for St Roch's of the season.

Thought the Candy were a bit nervous.

I'd like to have won but a draw, fair enough.

A break next week with a cup game against Kirkintilloch Rob Roy up at Cumbernauld.

Thought off the park was the story of the day.

A clergyman actually cycled all the way from Penilee!!!

Never mind giving him a free season ticket the Candy manager should give him a pair of boots and get him a game next week.

600/700 men, women and children came through the gate.

At a district league game!!!

You could see the hard working committee were pleased.

The chap from the SJFA was happy enough, no hassle of any kind.

Btw, if you let kids under 16 in for nothing does that make them Wee Frees?

Only joking, only joking.

[larky9]

It's great to see the locals coming out in huge numbers for this match and it gives the club great money to invest back in to the club for next season,what I've noticed this season as well the attendances at Larkhall have increased slightly and the return game against the Candy could be their biggest of the season

[Kinky Afro]

Oh Candy in the Sun, just a pity we never won.   

 

I woke up to blazing sunshine and the usual Saturday Morning Twitter Ref Weather Watch check wasn't necessary. No snow on show and I was steady to go. I love a big game and all that goes with it. You just want to get there and get started so I picked the old man up early and we targets JMcG for 115 to  take in the build up. The signs of a bumper crowd we there already as we had to park somewhat from the ground, cars parked and snaking and shining and glistening  and shimmering, blinding sunlight reflecting and hitting my eyes, dazzling with hope and promise. A man of my age needs to squint under that type of visual assault and through the haze I spot 4 fluorescent jaykitted Polis walk into the park 100 yards ahead. I'm a lover not a fighter and at first I naively think there is a parking issue.. Doh!! A lad behind me is in his car enjoying the sunshine with his kid. He tells me he is the Larky keeper's mate and we have a chat about the game... my excitement is bubbling as he says he has no cash and asks me if he can pay by card to get in!!! Hi Tech has not reached us high up this league and so I tell him to just tell the lads on the gate I sent him!! The famous Kinky Afro Virtual Complimentary Ticket!! As it happens he follows me to the gate and we encounter 10 Polis and a paramedic standing at the gate. I ask the first PC I C if we are playing them today. Although they could have been an under 16's team.. how young are the Polis nowadays?? My face is the ticket and the lad gets in with a handshake, one of the early arrivals in this huge bumper crowd. Credit again to the CommunityClubCandywho are donating 50p for every person who paid in yesterday to buy Easter eggs for a local kids charity. So £300 heading their way and hats off. The clubhouse busies up and I am in and out like an excited bridegroom as the CandyMan bangs out the tunes and the crowd crowds in. I spot a tracksuited and limping Steven Logan and my heart sinks, I thin spot the warming up John Sweeney and my spirits soar... it was an up and down spirit day for what turned out to be an up and down emotional game. My usual place beside the home dugout is mobbed and like any big game, new old faces are packed in. There was just about room for a wee wan but I pushed in anyway and stood beside guys who hadn't been to a Roch game for 7 years and over 10 years. There were handshakes and hugs between guys who hadn't seen each other in years and anyone who knows my thoughts on how football binds you will know how I felt. It was marvellous to see the community club doing what a community club should. A minutes applause for the passing of an Ex Candy Player reminding me of my mortality and my commitment to live life and enjoy every day. The lads lined up, the sun blazed and sweat beads sweated, the ref blew his whistle.....I stretched my hamstrings and was ready.........  

 

I wrote earlier this week that I was like a kid waiting to go on their holidays. Nervous excitement and dreaming of something that would take me away from the norm for a wee while. When you come back from your holidays (which you did enjoy) there is a numbness and a gap. You often remember what you did and what happened and what you wish you had done and it sometimes leaves you on a bit of a downer. I think it has with me. I think it is because I'm pining for a lost holiday romance love. On Mother's Day sometimes you just need a cuddle and to be reassured everything will be alright.    My initial thoughts after yesterday's One One Fun in the Sun was that it was probably a fair outcome in a game we could have won but could easily have chucked away. The more time that passes though I think it is 2 points lost. How many really good chances did we miss in the last 20 mins? How many did we miss during the whole game? A mix of bad luck bad choices and bad finishing meant we never really troubled their diminutive keeper although we managed to navigate a way around their defence numerous times with intricate link up play.  This was not only a joy to the eye but an unexpected result as we played on a bone dry bumpy pitch that was neither conducive for free flowing pretty passing play nor reassuring to the touch. Again yesterday, like so many games this season, this was a knife-edge game we could have won lost but drew. Our first draw of the season, our biggest crowd of the season, a Scintillating Sunshine Superstar Sizzling SunShine Show in the first half with a second Frustrating and Fumbling Forty Five to Follow. But despite the disappointment, The Good and Bad, the Happy and Sad I'm saying Let's Stay Together. A Rab Maguire cool finish early doors settle a nervous starting Candy, stumbling and miscontrolling and mispassing and misplacing. Miss Miss Miss was to be the order of the day for us after going ahead. We began to settle and played well and linked up well, carving open the Larky Lads but bar a hard working Kieron Martin post rattler, we never worked my free ticket mates mate out at all. They weren't great but hung on, their 4 and 9 looking decent as well as the wee Danny DaVito/FrankieDettori centre midfielder. I started walking round after 40 mins but the CoffeeQ was already 50 deep so I never got my HT hot cup to cool and calm my heat. The CandyMan played " We will Roch you" as a simmering air of "another goal would have killed them off"-ness hung in the conversation. They are not up challenging for no reason and whilst not overly nervous, I knew the game wasn't safe. So whilst it was a sizzling sunshine superstar show from some, a performance (if not goals) befitting of the 600+ crowd and the sunshine, it was still anyone's game. Just as a note I was delighted to see so many young kids playing on the pitch at half time. They all get in for nothing and if the Candy can allow even just one kid to smile and to perhaps dream then the job has been done. I walk back round coffeeless and my mind is a mess. The second half kicks off and my messy mind is right....  

 

Big Starkie makes a couple of saves as we struggle to cope. I'm not exactly sure why as I didn't think Larky were overly slick or overly dominant. The midfield was no place for shrinking violets more like a place for violent villains. Tough tackling, made to look worse because often the ball would bobble up making it look assualtesque, was the order of the second half. Larky were getting on top of that battle and their big 9 was holding the ball well and allowing them to Flood forward and join in. We were stretched and as one move lined up a free shot from the emerge of the box, a last minute lunge resulted in a hand ball penalty award, cooly dispatched by the big 4 despite jeering attempts to put him off. It was coming and I feared the worse. However, the game then swung back and we had the better of the remainder and made chance after chance. Probably 5 good chances, 2 of which were "and Smith must score" types. It was not to be and the whistler whistled and it was a point a piece. This result means that at least one of us will drop at least 4 points from this home and away tussle, music to the ears of the CambyFans. The sun was still shining but my holiday was nearly over for another week. Time to pack up and follow the crowds home.... the police smiled and perhaps they thought a draw was a good result for them? Honours even and passions equalised. But the truth is that despite some of this season's scandalous scurrilous and schneide comments against the Candy, the huge crowd were magnificent, both sets of fans and the police had an easier day than I did. Absolute credit to the club and the committee. In fact the only thing kicked out of the ground yesterday were Starkie's kick outs. Time to readjust the radar big fella or get they boots straightened oot!!   

 

I let the traffic disperse and take in a coffee from the quiet clubhouse and speak to a few fans who are disappointed. My thoughts are try to win, if you can't win then don't lose. Both teams achieved that and whilst scrappy, I thought it was a decent game. Not a classic but a huge event and probably the biggest at JMcG for a while. Some players were also quite down that we never took our chances and had the game won by halftime. It is still in our own hands though and it is another game unbeaten. It is still all to play for and the return game at Larkhall may prove to be a promotion decider after all. I suspect both teams would probably have taken that at the start of the season... but now??  

 

The sun burned out and faded to dusk and I stopped replaying every second. I stopped kicking ever ball and relaxed with my girl, just back from an overnighter with her big sister. I love my holidays but I love getting back home too. Of course you miss it, of course you remember it, did you get the number of that beauty with the funny English accent, or that wee Spanish burd's facebook? When the sun kisses your face and your soul and you allow your self to be sunstruck, the beautiful game takes on a heart warming quality. It can be painful to lose in love but it can muddle your mind and leave you uncertain when you draw. The sun rose again today and called the number I had given her on my holiday and said "Remember me from yesterday big man?".... oh my lovely, I do I do... and I'll be back on my holidays soon... only 6 mer sleeps!   Mon the Candy! MTC

 

 

[cotter]

I must say its brilliant the way big andy n his committee has transforned the candy..hes made some great signings.hes also got the community involved.and i wish it was the ants.as the govan people seem to go to watch celtic n rangers .but its great to see it at st rochs .big andys brought them to a new level on n off the park.so well done mucker.just keep it going for promotion....cheers cotter.....

[larky9]

Oh Candy in the Sun, just a pity we never won.   
 
I woke up to blazing sunshine and the usual Saturday Morning Twitter Ref Weather Watch check wasn't necessary. No snow on show and I was steady to go. I love a big game and all that goes with it. You just want to get there and get started so I picked the old man up early and we targets JMcG for 115 to  take in the build up. The signs of a bumper crowd we there already as we had to park somewhat from the ground, cars parked and snaking and shining and glistening  and shimmering, blinding sunlight reflecting and hitting my eyes, dazzling with hope and promise. A man of my age needs to squint under that type of visual assault and through the haze I spot 4 fluorescent jaykitted Polis walk into the park 100 yards ahead. I'm a lover not a fighter and at first I naively think there is a parking issue.. Doh!! A lad behind me is in his car enjoying the sunshine with his kid. He tells me he is the Larky keeper's mate and we have a chat about the game... my excitement is bubbling as he says he has no cash and asks me if he can pay by card to get in!!! Hi Tech has not reached us high up this league and so I tell him to just tell the lads on the gate I sent him!! The famous Kinky Afro Virtual Complimentary Ticket!! As it happens he follows me to the gate and we encounter 10 Polis and a paramedic standing at the gate. I ask the first PC I C if we are playing them today. Although they could have been an under 16's team.. how young are the Polis nowadays?? My face is the ticket and the lad gets in with a handshake, one of the early arrivals in this huge bumper crowd. Credit again to the CommunityClubCandywho are donating 50p for every person who paid in yesterday to buy Easter eggs for a local kids charity. So £300 heading their way and hats off. The clubhouse busies up and I am in and out like an excited bridegroom as the CandyMan bangs out the tunes and the crowd crowds in. I spot a tracksuited and limping Steven Logan and my heart sinks, I thin spot the warming up John Sweeney and my spirits soar... it was an up and down spirit day for what turned out to be an up and down emotional game. My usual place beside the home dugout is mobbed and like any big game, new old faces are packed in. There was just about room for a wee wan but I pushed in anyway and stood beside guys who hadn't been to a Roch game for 7 years and over 10 years. There were handshakes and hugs between guys who hadn't seen each other in years and anyone who knows my thoughts on how football binds you will know how I felt. It was marvellous to see the community club doing what a community club should. A minutes applause for the passing of an Ex Candy Player reminding me of my mortality and my commitment to live life and enjoy every day. The lads lined up, the sun blazed and sweat beads sweated, the ref blew his whistle.....I stretched my hamstrings and was ready.........  
 
I wrote earlier this week that I was like a kid waiting to go on their holidays. Nervous excitement and dreaming of something that would take me away from the norm for a wee while. When you come back from your holidays (which you did enjoy) there is a numbness and a gap. You often remember what you did and what happened and what you wish you had done and it sometimes leaves you on a bit of a downer. I think it has with me. I think it is because I'm pining for a lost holiday romance love. On Mother's Day sometimes you just need a cuddle and to be reassured everything will be alright.    My initial thoughts after yesterday's One One Fun in the Sun was that it was probably a fair outcome in a game we could have won but could easily have chucked away. The more time that passes though I think it is 2 points lost. How many really good chances did we miss in the last 20 mins? How many did we miss during the whole game? A mix of bad luck bad choices and bad finishing meant we never really troubled their diminutive keeper although we managed to navigate a way around their defence numerous times with intricate link up play.  This was not only a joy to the eye but an unexpected result as we played on a bone dry bumpy pitch that was neither conducive for free flowing pretty passing play nor reassuring to the touch. Again yesterday, like so many games this season, this was a knife-edge game we could have won lost but drew. Our first draw of the season, our biggest crowd of the season, a Scintillating Sunshine Superstar Sizzling SunShine Show in the first half with a second Frustrating and Fumbling Forty Five to Follow. But despite the disappointment, The Good and Bad, the Happy and Sad I'm saying Let's Stay Together. A Rab Maguire cool finish early doors settle a nervous starting Candy, stumbling and miscontrolling and mispassing and misplacing. Miss Miss Miss was to be the order of the day for us after going ahead. We began to settle and played well and linked up well, carving open the Larky Lads but bar a hard working Kieron Martin post rattler, we never worked my free ticket mates mate out at all. They weren't great but hung on, their 4 and 9 looking decent as well as the wee Danny DaVito/FrankieDettori centre midfielder. I started walking round after 40 mins but the CoffeeQ was already 50 deep so I never got my HT hot cup to cool and calm my heat. The CandyMan played " We will Roch you" as a simmering air of "another goal would have killed them off"-ness hung in the conversation. They are not up challenging for no reason and whilst not overly nervous, I knew the game wasn't safe. So whilst it was a sizzling sunshine superstar show from some, a performance (if not goals) befitting of the 600+ crowd and the sunshine, it was still anyone's game. Just as a note I was delighted to see so many young kids playing on the pitch at half time. They all get in for nothing and if the Candy can allow even just one kid to smile and to perhaps dream then the job has been done. I walk back round coffeeless and my mind is a mess. The second half kicks off and my messy mind is right....  
 
Big Starkie makes a couple of saves as we struggle to cope. I'm not exactly sure why as I didn't think Larky were overly slick or overly dominant. The midfield was no place for shrinking violets more like a place for violent villains. Tough tackling, made to look worse because often the ball would bobble up making it look assualtesque, was the order of the second half. Larky were getting on top of that battle and their big 9 was holding the ball well and allowing them to Flood forward and join in. We were stretched and as one move lined up a free shot from the emerge of the box, a last minute lunge resulted in a hand ball penalty award, cooly dispatched by the big 4 despite jeering attempts to put him off. It was coming and I feared the worse. However, the game then swung back and we had the better of the remainder and made chance after chance. Probably 5 good chances, 2 of which were "and Smith must score" types. It was not to be and the whistler whistled and it was a point a piece. This result means that at least one of us will drop at least 4 points from this home and away tussle, music to the ears of the CambyFans. The sun was still shining but my holiday was nearly over for another week. Time to pack up and follow the crowds home.... the police smiled and perhaps they thought a draw was a good result for them? Honours even and passions equalised. But the truth is that despite some of this season's scandalous scurrilous and schneide comments against the Candy, the huge crowd were magnificent, both sets of fans and the police had an easier day than I did. Absolute credit to the club and the committee. In fact the only thing kicked out of the ground yesterday were Starkie's kick outs. Time to readjust the radar big fella or get they boots straightened oot!!   
 
I let the traffic disperse and take in a coffee from the quiet clubhouse and speak to a few fans who are disappointed. My thoughts are try to win, if you can't win then don't lose. Both teams achieved that and whilst scrappy, I thought it was a decent game. Not a classic but a huge event and probably the biggest at JMcG for a while. Some players were also quite down that we never took our chances and had the game won by halftime. It is still in our own hands though and it is another game unbeaten. It is still all to play for and the return game at Larkhall may prove to be a promotion decider after all. I suspect both teams would probably have taken that at the start of the season... but now??  
 
The sun burned out and faded to dusk and I stopped replaying every second. I stopped kicking ever ball and relaxed with my girl, just back from an overnighter with her big sister. I love my holidays but I love getting back home too. Of course you miss it, of course you remember it, did you get the number of that beauty with the funny English accent, or that wee Spanish burd's facebook? When the sun kisses your face and your soul and you allow your self to be sunstruck, the beautiful game takes on a heart warming quality. It can be painful to lose in love but it can muddle your mind and leave you uncertain when you draw. The sun rose again today and called the number I had given her on my holiday and said "Remember me from yesterday big man?".... oh my lovely, I do I do... and I'll be back on my holidays soon... only 6 mer sleeps!   Mon the Candy! MTC






 
 

Just seen the highlights from yesterday's game on Larkhalls Web page your comments were very fair the Candy were the team in the first half where it looked like the Alamo where you guys battered us but second half Larkhall were far better 4 of our players were carrying injuries and still played well with them,just shows you how much that game meant to them that they played we don't have a big squad probably 15/16 but we are a hard team to beat as this team never knows when they are beaten if you thought it was a hard game yesterday the return game at Larkhall will be very difficult and I anticipate a very good crowd,however there is still a lot of football between now and then

[Glenconner]

A year ago with 7 games to go the Candy had 30 points. The number one aim was to avoid relegation. For the first time in 38 years we got promotion and never went straight back down again.Out of the last seven games last year we took 12 points and finished fifth a point in front in front of Larkhall Thistle.

A year later with seven games to go we're on 43 points.

Who will blink first?

[Kinky Afro]

My comments are always fair Larky!! [emoji460][emoji106] There is no doubt the Larkhall vs Candy game coming up will be even more important now. If either team get through the rest of the season unbeaten then they will deserve to go up. We are both still right in the hunt.
MTC!

[griffiti on the wall]

An absolutely fantastic turnout yesterday which is a testament to everyone involved with the football club tho I have to say despite the huge crowd I thought the atmosphere was rather muted and certainly never reached the bedlam and noise of camby away at xmas but considering only 2 games in the Scottish league one and two had more in attendance it was some achievement to the direction club is going in

[griffiti on the wall]

Disappointing news that Dom mclaren has not extended his loan and returned to East Kilbride
The lad served us well and I wish him every success in the future

[Glenconner]

So the next two games are cup matches v Rob Roy away and Annbank at home.

So the Candy won't be playing a league game until Easter Saturday, April 15th.

[ScottMcCorry]

[Snakebite]

Great crowd for the Candy at the weekend. Live just up the road, keep meaning to get down to a game, despite having played on the pitch a few times. Could have only been 2 or 3 bigger crowds in the bottom 2 senior divisions on Saturday never mind the rest of the Juniors/Highland/LL etc.

[Glenconner]

2 hours ago, Snakebite said:

Great crowd for the Candy at the weekend. Live just up the road, keep meaning to get down to a game, despite having played on the pitch a few times. Could have only been 2 or 3 bigger crowds in the bottom 2 senior divisions on Saturday never mind the rest of the Juniors/Highland/LL etc.

It certainly answered for me the potential St Roch's has if they could get a bit of success. Most of that crowd was the sons and grandsons of previous Candy supporters. The one thing you need other than the obvious is that break on the park. It's that day,if could should, happens and the next door opens. On the park the first thing is to win and draw more than you lose. Like the present manager getting promotion and instead of doing the same thing as the last 38 years and going straight down he's went the next step which is to look upwards. He's then went a step further and gave the support the one thing we crave. Btw, it ain't success, it's the HOPE of success. It's telling punters if we all rally round we won't face the 10-0 and 9-0 defeats of four years ago. It's saying if we get the breaks against Team X and Team Y, do you fancy a trip to Pollok? Do you fancy still looking towards promotion as late as Easter Sunday? The right manager, the right committee and a team trying it's best. I'll take that anytime.

[StRochsFC]

Delighted to sign Przemyslaw Dachnowicz (Pinio)  from Annan Athletic and Scott Burns from Stirling Albion on loan till the end of the season  

[Beckanbaur]

So what's going to happen to the boys that have got the candy to the position they are At the moment? Punted to the bench at the run in?

[ScottMcCorry]

Same as the guys who made room when Gormley and Gemmell joined Camby I suppose.

We have been short of a few players all season imo, what with 2 early long term injuries...then Doc never returning after the Wishaw incident (a fact missed by most) an big Dom McLarens loan finishing at the weekend.

Hopefully these guys help the squad and team over the line.

Good luck to both.

[Glenconner]

5 hours ago, Beckanbaur said:

So what's going to happen to the boys that have got the candy to the position they are At the moment? Punted to the bench at the run in?

What a strange post from the Cambuslang camp.

Like they never brought in any new players in recent weeks.

Sounds as though somebody's rattled.

[griffiti on the wall]

From the gaffers interview in the evening times

ANDY CAMERON has undoubtedly enjoyed a steep upward trajectory since becoming St Roch's manager a little under three years ago.

The famous old Glasgow club’s stock at Junior level is at the highest it’s been in decades yet hand in hand with the massive improvements on and off the pitch comes raised expectations as the Candy Rock gaffer has discovered in recent weeks.

An astonishing near 700 crowd (their biggest home gate in years) thronged the James McGrory Stadium terracings for last weekend’s head-to-head with promotion rivals Larkhall Thistle yet it’s somewhat telling that an arguably more momentous milestone was passed without 'so much as a peep' in the previous Saturday’s 4-2 defeat of Thorniewood United.

Supporters will fondly recall raising glasses last season to toast the promoted St Roch's managing to accumulate enough points to consolidate their position in the Central First Division and avoid a “straight back down” relegation fate for the first time in 30 years.

Well…taking all three points against Thorniewood ensured Cameron and his players are yet again safe from the drop, however the loftier ambitions being harboured by Garngad folk this time around saw to it that only Cameron and a few club insiders took any notice of the achievement.

And this coming Saturday should bring a break from the pressures of chasing promotion points with St Roch's taking to the road to meet Super Premier Division cracks Rob Roy in a Central League Cup tie, however the ambitious Cameron is acutely aware of people expecting his side to come out on top against the high-flying Rabs.

He insisted: “Taking charge of a group of players is child’s play compared to managing expectations and I want to get the message across of how crucial it is for the team not to feel under added pressure going into games.

“By all means expect us to go out and compete against Rob Roy but it puts things into perspective to think we are facing a team who are fully two Divisions higher up the pecking order, were Sectional League Cup winners as well as Junior Cup quarter-finalists and are rated among the list of potential winners of both the West of Scotland Cup and Super Premier title.”

Cameron is promising to ring the changes for the Guys Meadow clash with Martin Shields set to start his first game of the season after recovering from injury and places will likewise be found for Ryan Jack and the experienced Paul Roan as well as on loan Annan Athletic midfielder Przemyslaw Dachnowitz (better known as Premmy) who is tipped for a daunting debut appearance.

Cameron added: “Dom McLaren is away back to East Kilbride and John Carter is nursing a muscle strain which may rob him of the chance to face his former team so I never had the option of naming a same again line up.

“I’ve not been in the Juniors long enough to say any fixture doesn’t matter, however our First Division run-in and West Cup tie at home to Annbank United are far higher up on my list of priorities so I’m intending to give several players the chance to stake a claim for a regular starting jersey in these games.

“It might backfire on me but the team I have in mind will be nobody’s pushovers.”

[griffiti on the wall]

Any info regarding injury to Steven Logan and if he is out for the season is Scott burns then a direct replacement ?

[ScottMcCorry]

Any info regarding injury to Steven Logan and if he is out for the season is Scott burns then a direct replacement ?

I'd imagine he isn't a replacement. Steven failed a late fitness test on Saturday after being in the provisional squad for the Larkhall match. So putting 2 and 2 together, he'll be in contention for the Annbank match (going by the managers comments re the Rob Roy game).
Looking at both loan signings, I can imagine they are here to supplement the squad rather that impact signings, could be wrong.