Last week we had another game called off, meaning that we have only played 6 league games and its coming up for the end of November. The frustrating thing is that our park has been playable all season long but thats just the way the fixtures come out the hat and we have to get on with it. It is hard for the supporters who are looking forward to the game but also for the players who are looking to get the club further up the league table.

Turning to Saturdays game, Camelon gave us a great game a few weeks ago, we know how hard it will be to get anything through there, however with all the teams around us not in league action it gives us a great chance to catch up with the leaders and move away from those bellow us.

Injury wise Musselburgh are still down to 11 or 12 however I can see the return dates for 3 or 4 players around the new year which will be like new signings for us. Having a fully fit squad is vital for us, not only for competition for places but also for options during the game.

We are once again looking for a srong backing in what will be a hard place to go. Camelon do have a great support but if we play our football we can hopefully keep them quiet and come away with some points.

Camelon v Musselburgh Kick Off 1.45pm Enjoy the match

Once again my squad is down to the bones with injuries causing me a major head ache! However we have a chance on Saturday to get our league programme back on track as we head to Kelty Hearts.

Kelty are an excellent Super League team, Dont be fooled by their league placing as they have only played 5 games so far. We must go through there to win the game, it will be very tough and with home advantage Kelty will fancy their chances too.

We could do with your continued support so please come through and give the team the backing that they deserve.

I would like to start by thanking the support the team received last week at Irvine Meadow. On behalf of all the players and the management it was great to see so many make the 2 hour drive through. What also made me happy was that the players feel disapointed that they didnt come away with something for their efforts. It is a sign of how far we have come in my time here that we feel that way after playing the best team in the country.

Moving on to Saturdays match. Camelon are a top Super League side and if anything will be much harder than Irvine because league points are at stake. Our record against them is very poor. However we have progressed well since our last meeting and I expect that we will give them a game and it is vital we do to keep our momentum up in the league.

With another cup game coming up next week it is important that there is no Scottish Cup hangover, in this league you can win a few games and be top and lose a few and be bottom, every game every point we must fight for and not take anything for granted. Our disapline again has been exactly what I expect. We are doing well with limited options regarding players and when their injuries clear up we will have more options. In the meantime it is without doubt vital we continue to keep 11 on the park and put pressure on the players coming back. At the end of the day if you have the place in the team and are playing well which we are, then it is going to be very hard to get back into the team.

Once again a call to any fans who followed us last week to come out and back the team, the league for me is much more important to the long term aims of the club and a good performance will be helped by your backing.

Please note 2pm kick off on Saturday - enjoy the match.

This weekend sees Musselburgh Athletic take on Irvine Meadow in the tie of the round in the Scottish Cup.

Firstly the Scottish Cup itself is a massive tournament. Every club thrown in and drawn with no seedings or rules. It is one of the biggest weekends of the season. The club profile is very important to me and this match will certainly give us a big boost.

Irvine Meadow need no introduction and their team is packed full of tallent and skill. They are the West Of Scotland Champions and have kept the momentum going this season with progress into the 3rd round of the senior Scottish cup where Arbroath await them. They have a great chance of securing a glamour tie against an SPL side.

There is no getting away from the task that awaits us, however I want to make it clear that we are not just going there to make up the numbers. Many people have already written us off and the bookies have us at 40/1 to win this cup where our opponents are 2/1 favourites.

My players will be ready, we have trained well this week and our start to the season has given the team the confidence they need to know they are able to compete at this level.

The game itself should be a cracker. We have had them watched and they are the best side we are likely to face this season. The players have a big chance to make a name for the club and for themselves. For my management team, the chance to go head to head with the West Champions is also something we have been looking forward to. I have stressed to the players the need to keep concentrating and also to ensure we dont pick up any silly fouls and cards. Our disapline has been excellent in the last 18 months and if we are to be in with any chance it must remain that way. Our task is big enough with out us making it harder still, though the team are and have been clear on this.

My final words are towards the fans. We are playing the biggest game of the season so far, I expect the whole of Irvine will be out to support their side and give them as much backing and support as they can. The atmosphere will no doubt be fantastic, but we will not be intimidated by this and I am asking Musselburgh fans to head West in numbers and show your teams colours with pride. The players have been given excellent support in my time here and with that have gained massive amounts of confidence, games like this don't come around every week we are determind that we come out on Saturday with no regrets, I would also like to thank the club for organising a bus and I urge those still unsure to come through and enjoy this occation,

Please note that this game kicks off at 2pm - enjoy the match.

First regarding the weekend win in the Fife and Lothians Cup, it is good for the profile of the club when we do well in the cups so I am pleased the players gave a good performance against a tough Lochore side. Overall our play was ok and an improvement on the last 2 games.

The game on the 24th is one which many at the club have been looking forward to, it is important that we focus only on this game and deal with the Scottish Cup on Sunday after the game. The league is the most important competition, it is vital that we stay in this division and again build on our excellent early season performances. Hill Of Beath are a very good team and should provide us with a bigger chalenge than what has come before. They have been in this league for 5 years and that alone deserves respect. They are unbeaten at home and are hot favourites to remain that way. It is up to us to change that and we must start taking the many chances we are creating.

There is no hiding from the fact that we didn't turn up on Saturday and if you make mistakes in this league you get punished. I don't think having a free week at this stage of the season helped us as we looked a bit slow and our passing wasn't up to the expected standard. We still could have got something from the game, the chance after we scored and the shot of the post on another day could have counted however we must up our game back to the level at the star of the season.

This weekend we are at hme to Lochore Welfare. We played them last season and they are no mugs. They are a well organised outfit who will be coming here with nothing to fear. We must be ready for the challenge and not underestimate them.

Overall I am pleased with our start and results on Saturday went in our favour.

We return to league action on Saturday with another tough game, this time away to Whitburn. Both teams go into the game with confidence, Whitburn producing a terrific 6-1 away win at Greenock and our start has been good 8 points from 12. I have been pleased with our start especially our team play that includes the disapline and we are back to our best in that department our last 3 league games have produced no cards. There is no doubt Saturday will be our biggest test so far, Whitburn have an excellent home support and they will give their team plenty of encouragement.

Our team shouldnt have many changes, we are still short of the players who have missed our games over the last few months. Hopefully they will be back in time for the vital league and cup games ahead before the end of the year

Seven points from the first three games is a good start to the season, there is no hiding the fact that many had tipped us to go straight back down and make no inpact, so it is nice to again be talking possitive about our club. I will be making it crystal clear to the players though that this Saturday is an even bigger game than the Bonnyrigg game. After the Bo'ness game we have at least one cup game so there will be a break to our league campaign, for us it is inportant that we take something from the game and with a massive home crowd there to help us, I think we should do well.

Bo'ness will also be looking not just to get something, but to win the game. They have won all their league games 4-0 so far and are very high on confidence, we must match their battling qualities and take our chances. They will bring a huge crowd with them, they are regarded as one of the best travelling support in terms of numbers, I want our fans to pack the ground and make themselves heard.

There is no let up from an injuries point of view we are even more down to the bones than last week, however, as the guys who have the shirt will tell you - it has worked in their favour as when the players out come back, they will find it very hard to force their way back into the team.

I have to add that I thought once again our play was really good, right from the front we defended well against a top super league team, in midfield I thought we passed well and at the back our 4 looked strong and sharp. Credit though to Kieron who has produced 2 or 3 world class saves in the league so far.

It is very inportant that we don't get carried away, we have only played 3 out of 22 games. Every game will be tough - there are no easy games at this level. We look forward to Bo'ness' visit and I expect a big crowd to help us on.

We go into tomorrows game with the Super League Champions Bonnyrigg with a great start behind us. We certainly have not been out played or out fought against either Linlithgow or Bathgate. Two things that has impressed me has been our attitude and work rate. This will be the key to getting anything from the game on Saturday. There is no doubt that Bonnyrigg will be ready for us having had time to watch us and with a big squad to choose from they have a wealth of talent at their disposal.

However we will also be fully prepared, all the players and staff put in a fantastic performance last week at Bathgate - they had a list of both promising and ex professional players in their ranks, I thought we were a solid team unit who attacked and defended perfectly. This despite our selection problems but it has worked in the players favour as they have staked a claim to start on Saturday.

Our dissapline will also be inportant, after another game where we (and Bathgate) received no bookings, this might prove the difference in what should be a tight game - a derby as well, our players will know tackles will be coming in and it is up to us to keep the head as we have done so far this season.

I expect a huge crowd at Olivebank and your voices will help inspire the boys, come along and give the team your full backing

Four points from a possible six is an excellent start to our 1st super league season. This against two of the top sides in the division as well. However the work doesn't stop there, coming up on Saturday we have the super league champions Bonnyrigg Rose at Olivebank

I thought we played very well against Bathgate and deserved to pick up the points. We attacked early on and could have been further ahead at half time. Not surprisingly we had spells where we were defending and despite Kioron making 2 or 3 great saves I think we defended very well. As a team we were excellent pressed high up the field and with a few injuries in the squad it was very pleasing to steer clear of any bookings again.

On Saturday I hope we can draw a big crowd and a good atmosphere at Olivebank and with home advantage we should be able to perform well.

Our first Super League game done and dusted and our first point collected. I am very pleased with the point as it was our first taste of football at this level and we were playing the league favourites. We more than held our own and if we had of been a bit more tight at the back we could have got the victory. We will work on this game and hopefully will learn from this. I was pleased with the work and fitness of the players who never gave up and gave it their all. We are short of a few players and will hopefully get some back from injury.

We had the chance to win this game being 2-0 up but taking everything into account and the work we put in i am happy to take the point and look forward to the next tough match at Bathgate on Saturday. The team would like to thank you for your support and ask that you continue to follow us as we enjoy life in the top league.

We are finally there! On Saturday Olivebank will host Musselburghs first super league match, our aim though is to stay in this division I now how difficult that will be. It's all about stability, I know we played some good football last season to win the Premier League but this time around we're going to have our backs against the wall in games and we're going to have to pick up as many points as possible at home. We are looking forward to the challenge and I hope you follow the team this season and get right behind the lads.

With a tough schedule we must steer clear of suspensions and any further injuries. As for the bookings these must stop as they may end up costing us dear later in the season. Against Bonnyrigg I thought we played well, especially in defence. We took our chances very well against the Super League Champions.

We face Haddington on Wednesday who will be prepared for us, if we play our passing game we should be in a position to take the points we need to claim our 5th win in a row in this competition.

Welcome back to all our supporters ahead of what will be a historic season for our club.

The season starts on Wednesday, the players have had a good pre season and have remained unbeaten despite tough tests. I know questions are asked about how serious we take the league cup competition. We will always put a team out that is capable to win any game be it league, cup, League cup or friendly. We will of course use all the squad as fitness is very important and I want all the guys to have a run out. Injuries are always going to happen so players must be ready to come in. Talking about the squad I am very happy with the new signings we have brought in. We are always looking to bring in players but only if they improve the squad.

Our priority this season is the Super league. I want all our supporters to know all our effort and focus will be on building up to the 29th August and the opening game and the 21 cup finals after that.

Support for the club is also a area I expect us to work on this season. There has been alot done by the teams performances and word of mouth but really we should be packing the ground every game this season. It is important that we get bigger gates as the players respond to the crowd and of course we want Olivebank to be a very hard place to come to for visiting teams.

Thanks and look forward to seeing you this season

MANAGER STATEMENT

This season has been fantastic, we have achieved our goals and will be playing super league football next season and crowned it off on Saturday by going up as Champions.

First I would like to thank the players, the commitee and Chairman for their backing and belief. There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scences without which there would be no team on the park, Hughy, Alex and David and the commitee have helped a huge amount especially Hughy who has been to every game and every training session that I can remember, the players also are very grateful to him for his dedication and effort. Even the things they take for granted haven't went unnoticed so a big thank you. I would also like to thank the supporters and media for their backing of which this excellent website is part of. The coverage that the media has given us has helped advertise the club and by turning up and supporting us you the supporter have given us that extra boost. That boost will need to be doubled for next season as with big away support following the majority of super league teams, i want our team playing in front of full houses at Olivebank - the commitee and media i am sure will be working hard to achieve this.

This season the players have put in a huge amount of effort and work. I am sure at times especially over the cold winter or long runs it might have been hard but they have on their cv something to show for it in the shape of a winners medal. Their profile will increase as will the club over the next season. The new players we signed at the start of the season have made a big impact, not only that but they settled in to the team instantly, I again am grateful to the team for making them feel welcome.

A special thank you to my staff especially Mark, Iain, Simon and Kathryn their effort and abilty have helped me and the guys so much over the season. I am sure they are looking forward to the summer and not hearing my voice!

I would like to add how much I have enjoyed this season, we have been top of the league since game 7 and have stayed there ever since, we haven't had a bad spell and have played some excellent football that has been wonderful to watch. We always set up our teams to win and to win in style. Our passing game gives us the base to do this and with the options we have had this season it has been really easy to sort the tactics. Those options have been made better by our unbelievable behaviour on the pitch. with no suspensions to worry about my job is so much easier. Again a thank you to Mark and Iain but at the end of the day the players have to do it on the pitch.

Looking forward to the super league already!

Musselburgh boss David McGlynn has been proud of his team this season and is hoping they add some icing to the cake by claiming the title. But he is urging caution against Dundee North End after they showed how dangerous they can be by chalking up a notable victory in their last league outing.

"They won 3-1 at Penicuik last Saturday and, for most of the season, Penicuik were our closest rivals,". "Therefore, we will be taking nothing for granted as that was another example of the fact that any team is capable of beating anyone else in this league'.

"The game will take care of itself and, if Newtongrange also win and score more goals than us on the day, then so be it. We will take our hats off to them and say 'well done', as I'm sure will be the case if we end up as the champions."

Having been out in front for a long time, McGlynn admits it will be a touch sore if Musselburgh are pipped at the post, adding: "We do probably deserve something for that. "But our main aim was to get into the Super League for next season and, in all honesty, it's an added bonus that we are still in with a chance of the title going into the final game."

Come and support the team

Wednesday night was probably the worst performance of the season in what was one of the biggest games. First half we were poor and although we changed it a little and we did win the second half it made no difference to the final result. We were slow in starting and looked tired throughout the game. Too many players not at the races and having had a chance to reflect on the match we weren't clever enough.

One or two calls didn't go our way, in particular the free kick which led to the 3rd goal. Clearly if anything it should have went the other way but we didn't deal with it and we will work on that ready for the next game. Well done though to Newtongrange on their promotion to the super league, I think both teams will be a welcome addition and may surprise a few people.

Saturday sees us at home again for another 1/4 final game, our record over the last few years in the cups has been nothing short of excellent and those who remember the years where we would be knocked out of all the cups by August certainly are enjoying our efforts. Glenrothes are a big super league team and in a tight league a few wins puts you in contention for the title and a few defeats points you in the other direction, they have been steady and before last nights games had the best attack in the league away from home. We expect a hard game with both teams chasing a semi final tie in the next round

Very dissapointed with the way we played today - I thought Thornton deserved everything they got, i think our passing was poor and finishing was poor and both will need to improve if we are to get anything from Wednesdays game. We dont have a good record in the local games however with a big improvement in our play i think we can cause Newtongrange some problems but it will not be easy.

Newtongrange will be a big test, i hope that we can get a big support to help us, I know Newtongrange will bring a big following and it is inportant that we start well, and take our chances.

Come and support Musselburgh kick off on Wednesday is 7pm

Good points from Wednesdays game we played some fantastic football and could have been out of sight by half time. We will have to be on gaurd against Thornton Hibs on Saturday and remember to take one game at a time, it is easy to look ahead but we dont want to lose the momentum and cant afford any slip ups.

We have some options with players playing well in every area of the pitch so the squad will be important to us in the run in. Come to the match on Saturday and support the side to cup glory this season.

Great performance and result for the guys on Saturday I thought we played some excellent football and deserved to collect the 3 points. Again no bookings and although we didn't get a clean sheet the four goals make up for that.

Wednesday we turn our attention to Bathgate in the cup, a very difficult place to go but after leaving Carnoustie full of confidence I think the guys are more than capable of giving Bathgate a game. The cup is always a good way to raise the profile of the club so we are taking it seriously with one eye on our vital league matches to come

First a word or two about Wednesday night, a big thank you to the crowd who turned out to drive us on, I know the players enjoy playing in front of the big crowds and your backing was first class. To be honest I think we played much better a few weeks ago and only got a point! There were good points and bad points about our overall performance, the bad we will work on to ensure we go to Carnoustie full confidence. However I should also add that at the start of the game I would have took 5 goals 3 points, a clean sheet and no bookings - I would be mad not too!

Promotion is certain but a win at Carnoustie would give us a great chance of winning the league, we are capable of that but can't take the foot off the gas at Carnoustie. They are a good side and have a good chance of going up as well so will come at us and be all out for the win. We will be ready for their team and will go to put in a good performance and get the points we really need in our quest to win the league.

Come up and cheer us on

A quick word on the game at the weekend, I was pleased with the result but the performance fell short. To be fair Sauchie played very well and look good for promotion.

Turning to Wednesday's game we must keep focussed and remember what we have worked on in training. Our concentration must be 100% and our dissapline must stay as it has been for this season excellent. We will be tested and it is vital we pass and prove that we are capable of winning against one of the biggest teams in the league. Penicuik will bring a huge support with them as they always do, they will be determind to win and keep up their fantastic form. However if we play our game we can give them something to think about and give us a big boost in our quest for promotion.

I am calling on all Musselburgh fans to come to Olivebank and support the team. We have got ourselves into a great position, playing some excellent football and scoring plenty of goals. However our work throughout the season will be worth nothing if we do not perform to our potential.

Come and help Musselburgh in our quest for promotion

Sauchie visit us in the Fife and Lothians Cup tomorrow and ahead of a mouthwatering clash on Wednesday in the league it would be easy to forget about the cup. I have made it clear that this is not acceptable. The guys will have to be ready for probably the most exciting team to come here for some time. Sauchie are on the up, they have a great manager a great set up and a great mix of experience and youth in their team and I think they will come here and really put on a show. We have prepared normally and will give them everything we have. Sauchie have a wealth of experience from the manager right through the squad but I am looking forward to seeing Johnny MacAdam a young tallented lad who is doing well there.

For us we still have Johnny Bain and Brian Murray out but appart from that we are full strength and with the potenial of another home tie and the benifits that brings we will be ready and waiting for Sauchie tomorrow

come and support the team to cup success.

I am looking forward rather than looking back after we lost our first game since October, I think the boys did well but Oakley gave them a great game and although we werent good defending as a team with a bit more luck we could have snatched it at the end. However we are now preparing for a big game again against Penicuik. I think we will have to start well and get the big crowd out of the game. Penicuik defend well and can cause us problems with Cameron up front a tough prospect.

We will be going for a win. We must attack them with everything we have and really go for the 3 points. If we do this I think we will still be in with a great chance for promotion. It is vital we take any chances we create as a win would really boost our position.

come up to Penicuik and help support the team

At half time on Saturday we told the guys that if they keep to our game plan and pass the ball then the goal would come and credit to them, their patience and quality shown through and we got the points that we deserved. It is easy to sit back when a team is down to ten men and just expect the goals to come, but Ballingry defended with everything they had. We didnt lose our focus, we didnt just thump the ball forward and we kept our dissapline both in our play and attitude.

Tomorrow we have another vital league match against in form Oakley United. Their recent results show that they are capable of challenging for the super league promotion next year. They had a tough start to the season with plenty of preseason movement of players. Last week they won against Carnoustie and also have beaten Scots Cup 1/4 finalists Newtongrange. That is why if we are to get any kind of result we must continue to create and take our chances. We do have a good record so far this season and after a good week training I think we can stay in the running for promotion this season.

support the guys and enjoy the game

 I was disappointed with our performance last Saturday at Kinnoull, but it shows how far we have come to not be happy with a 2-0 away win at a tough venue. We passed the ball poorly, didn’t pressure them enough and training this week will work on those issues. I thought Ronnie kept us in the game with a fantastic diving save and only after that did it look like we could win the game.

Ballingry are a very good side, we were on top of our game when we played them earlier in the season – I think that was the best we have played and only a similar or better performance than that will do today. Hopefully we will see Johnny Bain and Brian Murray at the start of next season. We have the best squad of players that I can remember in my time here is vital we collect 3 points today to increase our chances of promotion, come out and support your side

Starting with last weeks games, I think the weather certainly produced a few surprises and I was pleased that we played our usual passing game with the ball hardly leaving the grass. I can't stress how dreadful the playing conditions were but credit again to the players for keeping our recent good run going.

That good run has made training very competitive and there has been a fantastic atmosphere and if we continue to put the effort in on the training ground we will benifit come Saturday. On the injury front Brian will start work on recovery after a successful operation and Johnny Bain will be in the same position come next month. Hopefully we should see them back in a Musselburgh shirt by the end of 2009.

Tomorrow sees us head to Perth for a vital league game against high flying Kinnoull. Kinnoull are 3rd and in form, we know all about them and will have to be at our best to get the result we are after. The boys know that promotion is our target and three points tomorrow will edge us closer.

Both teams are in form and playing well so come out and support your side.

Our game against Carnoustie on Saturday was not our best performance by a long way, however it is also fair to say we have played much better and lost so to get a result and 3 valuable points is very important. I thought all 4 goals scored were great and I am very pleased that we came away with the win.

The boys have also reacted well in training with those that missed out on Saturday trying hard to get in this week and competition for places is a great position to be in . It is good to see the boys putting the effort in on the training park and hopefully they will get their rewards starting with our trip to Blairgowrie tomorrow.

On the injury front it is bad news with Brian Murray going for his operation next week we are not expecting him to be back until Christmas and Danny Sweeney is in the same boat as well. Johnny Bain will recover from his operation and should be fit for the start of the season The rest of the boys wish them well and hope to get them back as soon as possible. Andy Porteous is a couple of weeks away from returning to the team but good news is he has been training to keep the fitness levels sharp. Martin Murphy is also a few weeks away and needs some rest to come back for the run in.

As you have read on the website I have signed Adam Nelson from second division high flyers Brechin City. Adam is a very tallented midfield player who I have been looking at for some time. He will improve our squad and will help us with our remaining games this season. He has featured as recently as Tuesday night for Brechin in their win over Stranraer and his experience and energy will benifit everyone.

Looking at tomorrows game at Blairgowrie, it is important that we don't let our performance slip as Blairgowrie are a very dangerous side. Don't let their league position foul you as if they win their games in hand they are 4th above Arniston, they have scored in all but 1 of their league games so far and have drew with Carnoustie and won 6-1 at Penicuik so we will be ready for them. We have a good chance to get a result if we work hard for each other and continue to take the chances that we are creating. We know that it will not be easy and only 100% focus from all the players and staff will be acceptable on Saturday.

Your support is always welcomed by the team, come up to Blairgowrie and help drive the guys on.

A Great result and performance against a very good Dundee team and it gave me a chance to try a few different tactics out in preperation for our tough league run in. It is yet another example of the guys taking on board what we are saying and i was happy in fact extatic that we are top of the league not only the premier league but also the dissapline league. This maybe the difference come the end of the season.

Before that though we have had our training and are ready for Carnoustie this Saturday, they are a very good side who will cause us problems if we are not prepared. We do have the long term players missing but the squad will be able to cope i am looking to bring one or two in but will only do so to improve the squad. I Look forward to a great game and your support at Olivebank on Saturday

Last week I was pleased with the 3 points and good performance against Kinnoull. They are a very good side and to win by a 3 goal margin was pleasing. We made sure at half time that the boys kept their foot on the pedal as we must not throw away any leads like we did last season but credit to the players for listening to us. Once again there were no bookings and that was welcome. Injuries are the problem just now with Johnny and Brian out we hope to keep clear of needless problems

This week we head to Dundee Violet and we must focus on what will be a hard game. Dundee Violet have a great home record in the cups and are playing some good football and scoring lots of goals. This is a cup game and although we are focussed on league promotion I believe that the confidence of winning games is very important so we will go there with the sole aim of being in the 1/4 finals of the East Of Scotland Cup come Saturday night

Enjoy the game and get right behind the team!

Again the weather has called our game off at Oakley today, it is dissapointing for the players and management and for you the supporters. However we must turn it to our advantage, after tough training sessions this week we will have another week to prepare for our next game at Olivebank against high flying Kinnoull.

Kinnoull have a great away record over the last few years and won here last time out. However we have had a great run at home so this should make it an exciting match up

After last weeks win we are in a good position and we are starting to get to the big games, Saturday we face Oakley United and with it being a league game we must concentrate and give it everything we have got. We are in for a testing 90 minutes against a side that has vastly improved as the season has progressed.

I was happy with our overall performance against Dundee, you have to take the conditions into account and we scored two great goals and kept the clean sheet. Our new signing fitted in perfectly and hope that continues for the rest of the season.

Our fate is in our hands and if we play to our best there is no reason why we cant come away with the points this Saturday and I hope alll the supporters will get behind the team to drive us on

Since the 22nd November we have only played 3 games and it is fair to say we are all looking forward to playing a competitive match on Satrurday. Dundee North End beat us last season and we must be ready for them right from the kick off. Their park should suit us as it is very big which should give us the room to play. Gary Cennerazzo joins us till the end of the season we welcome him to our club. He is a skilled defender with two good feet, great first touch and accurate passer. Chris King returns to the squad this will give us a boost.

Since the league started at the end of August we have went on a great run and have only been beaten twice, currently 8 games unbeaten and hopefully we can get the result on Saturday to put us in a strong position. Again it will not be easy we must concentrate and also keep our excellent record regarding disapline if we do this we can take a major step forward.

With a better weather forcast predicted for this weekend we are ready for the challange that Arniston Rangers will give us. They have a good record over us and their play has caused us problems. They were unlucky last week and will be up for the derby match on Saturday.

We must play to our full potential and convert any chances that come our way. Against most teams you get a few chances per game but Arniston have the best defense in the league, this is not through luck but good organisation. Our form at Olivebank has been good and we are on a great run at the moment if we work hard and keep the concentration we can gain a valuable 3 points on Saturday.

I hope you all had a great new year and with both our games falling to the cold weather it means that we enter 2009 with just 13 league games till the end of the season. Our 1st game should be up at Carnoustie. Carnoustie are another team that are very strong in this league and as we witnessed a few weeks ago really should be in the super league after they beat Tayport 7-2 in the Scottish. However we are on a great run just now and I think with some of the guys coming back from injuries we can cause Carnoustie some problems.

It is vital that we continue our team play which has served us well in 2008. Our record is fantastic. Not just in the way we play but also thinking about our actions, I have been very impressed in our dissapline and I think the guys are taking on board what we are telling them and the results and performances show that we are correct. This league could be won by a single goal, therefor it is important that we continue to keep the bookings and ordering offs low, in fact without wanting to over do the point we have the best record in the division and I think if we can maintain this we won't be far away come May,

We have got ourselves into a great position, the hard work starts now , teams will up their game when they play us, we must keep the head and give every game 100%. I would also ask the supporters to continue to help us. There have been some great games over the years and the guys feel that our home support could make the difference, tell your friends and come and follow Musselburgh. You need only to look last season when our home crowd gave us that extra boost in the games against Vale Of Clyde, Rob Roy, Linlithgow, and Bathgate. The more fans we get through the door the bigger the buzz that the guys get playing. It is fantastic when you hear the crowd cheering you on and I want our remaining home games to be packed out and if you have a car bring a few friends up to Carnoustie it will be a great game well worth it if we can get the three points.

With our game against Penicuik a victim of the weather, it gives a few of our guys another week to recover from injuries which might help us later in the season. I am sure Penicuik had a few missing but as far as we are concerned it is a big disapointment that another game has been called off. Training is good but competitive matches are better and i am sure we all would have rathered the game was on.

Looking back over the last year, we have improved a great deal and now as we end 2008 in pole position it gives a big satifaction that as well as winning two cups we have finished the year as the best team. However the league doesn't finish today. We have not won it yet. Every team still has enough games left to finish above us and I have no doubt that there are tough games and challenges ahead. We will not get carried away. Our next game is as far as we will look and that is a huge game against Arniston. They are looking to go up as well and they have the best defense so far in the division. They will be very difficult to beat.

I would like to wish everyone connected to the club all the best for 2009 and I will talk to you next year!

Big dissapointment for the guys of both teams on Saturday with the game being called off. I know that we were ready to play a good Lochore team and being a cup match would have given us a chance to relax a bit and give us a break from the league championship. However that has passed now and we have to focus in training this week and prepare again for Lochore.

We are in a good position just now and if we come out of the Christmas period in the same or better position, our push for the league will be a big possibility. Many teams will fall away over Christmas and new year it is important that my team as ready for the tough games ahead.

Lochore on Saturday, the cup raises the profile of the club and we will be looking to get a game after 3 weeks of hard training! We have one or two struggling to make it on fitness problems but we have excellent cover in the area.

Saturday's game showed the teams fighting spirit in a game where we were under pressure for long periods of the game. We played well when we attacked and scored another 3 good goals. Our last 5 games we have scored 3 or more goals in each. After the sending off we were still able to play well and score which shows how good we are. It was good to play a cup match though after the last few tough league games, and the win keeps our momentum going.

Turning to this Saturday's game and we face a Dundee North End team which will be full of confidence after a superb win at Carnoustie last week. Carnoustie had been unbeaten in all their league games up to that point. So we will have to focus and be at our best if we are to get anything from this tough away fixture.

A good result on Saturday for us against Oakley ans our run of clean sheets continues. I have to say though well done to the guys for taking my words at half time on board and performing better in the second half. It is fair to say I wasn't pleased with the first 45 and with league points at stake it was vital that at home we collected the 3 points. This shouldn't hide the fact that we scored 6 great goals all from super moves and created enough chances to win a few games. I also thought the boys did well not to react to any challenges or situations and the result was yet another game with no bookings. This will be vital in the weeks and months ahead and with guys coming back from injury no player will want to be out of the team.

This Saturday we head to Kinnoull. We are of course 100% focussed on the league, however as i have said in the past the cups gives the club a big boost both on and off the park and the East Of Scotland is one of the biggest. What is important is that we keep the winning mentality going but also keep clear of injuries and suspension. This isn't always easy especially against a tough, skilled team like Kinnoull. It took 3 late goals last year to win at Tulloch Park but their home form this season has matched their excellent away record of last year and getting a result will not be easy.

We have got ourselves into a great position and by training well and keeping disapline we have the skill and craft to stay there.

What a great week for the club, 2 league games 6 points, 6 goals and 2 clean sheets. It could have been a few more as well however we are more than happy to be top of the league and playing well. That is our 9th win out of 11 when we have crossed over the Forth bridge. We must stay at the top now and simply win our remaining league games, starting with Oakley on Saturday. Oakley were in the super league so we are expecting a very hard game.

I would also like to thank my assistant for taking time to speak to talk107 on Friday night. I echo his thoughts completely and hope we can achieve our goal of gaining promotion to the super league.

I thought against Haddington we did very well, especially with so many players playing out of position the boys stuck to the game plan very well indeed. Our general play improved as well, in defense and midfield we were much better and this is down to the hard effort we are putting in on the training pitch. I was also happy that our excellent home record continued, we are now unbeaten at Olivebank in a cometitive game since mid April and we will look to continue this when the league business starts a week on Saturday.

Before that though we have a game against Tranent at Olivebank on Saturday, Tranent will be looking for another good result having beaten Haddington on Monday night. Their squad has changed alot over the summer with plenty of new faces but if our attitude is correct we will be a tough team to beat. It is still not out of the question that we qualify from this group after last nights results so we will go all out for the win but again we are gearing up for the league and any players with slight injuries will not be risked

Thank you for your support and see you at Olivebank on Saturday

Yesterday was good to have the boys on the training pitch to go over a few things, it has been a bit hard with all the games coming thick and fast, so to have a full session was really good.

Unfortunately injuries are already starting to hit us for the next two games at home to Haddington on Wednesday and away to Tranent on Saturday we will be missing some key players. Johnny Bain is having an operation this week and Brain Murray will not be available for 6-9 weeks this is devestating as both were playing some great football. Danny Sweeney is another big loss probably a month out for Danny and with Chris Gordon not training we maybe down to the bones for the remaining league cup games. Paul Currie though did start training but with the league our priority this season he will not be risked

Welcome to my first managers blog, it will contain my views on all matters to do with the club on the park.

I was pleased with the performance against Penicuik after taking everything into consideration. Firstly we had only 13 fit players and we lost Johnny and Chris in the first half leaving me with no options to change personel in the second half. I think we created enough chances to win a few games and on another day we score three or four. The two shots that hit the bar were fantastic efforts and were so close to giving us a deserved lead. It must be said though that as in previous seasons we are using this as a chance to try a few formations and tactics the league will be our main target this year.

We will be looking forward to getting some of the sidelined players back in the next few weeks and it is important that we get a settled team that get used to playing as a unit. Over the preseason the boys trained hard and the new guys have came in and settled very well. I am expecting alot from them this season as we push for success in the league.