Forfar Athletic v The Spartans – match preview

Venue –Alpha Projects Stadium @ Station Park – ko 3p.m.
Saturday 16th September, 2023
cinch league 2 – match no 6

Stand admission charges are;-
Adults £15
65 & over £9
Under 17’s £5

Terracing admission charges are;-
Adults £14
65& over £8
Under 17’s £5

Payment by cash at turnstile

Forfar Athletic Season Tickets are of course valid for this fixture

1984 Lounge
The 1984 Lounge at the ground will be open to FAFC supporters only, sponsors and hospitality guests, as well as visiting club officials from 12.30p.m. to 2.50p.m. (This decision has been made necessary to avoid overcrowding within the premises.)
It will re-open on the final whistle to all until approximately 8p.m.
The Refreshment Kiosk and Club Shop will be open as usual at the fixture.
50/50 tickets will be on sale from vendors within the ground and within the 1984 Lounge.

PREVIEW

After a break from match action last weekend, the ‘Loons’ welcome The Spartans to Station Park on Saturday first as they attempt to pick up their first three point haul of the league campaign.

Manager Ray McKinnon is not pressing any panic buttons as yet as one would expect, confident that they his players can start taking full advantage of the chances that they have been creating in league games to date.

Despite only losing five goals to date over the quintet of games played, the fact that only two goals have been scored tells its own story and hence the reason only three points have been gleaned from these fixtures, courtesy of a trio of goalless draws.

The last of those fixtures away to Clyde two weeks back summed up the situation succinctly. After a poor quality first half performance, the second period saw a few ‘concrete’ chances created but to no avail.

The two week break has been welcomed by the Athies management staff with a fair degree of hard work being put in over the period on the training ground.

However the injury situation has not improved over the past fortnight, with Tomas Brindley, Euan Mutale and Craig Thomson all set to sit out Saturday’s fixture.

New signing Rory MacLeod will bolster the squad and it is hoped that his goal scoring potential will be fulfilled during his loan spell at Station Park.

The Capital City outfit head north with eight points in the ‘bank’ from their five league games to date. They did lose their last encounter however by the only goal of the game at Ainslie Park against Stenhousemuir but victories were recorded in August at home to Elgin and on the road up at Peterhead.

They are managed by Dougie Samuel, in charge of first team affairs since 2012 and awarded the MBE for his work over an even longer period within the club’s community set-up.

Spartans clinched the Lowland League title last term in a close battle with the Old Firm colts sides prior to going on to defeat Brechin City and Albion Rovers in the play-off matches to gain their place within the SPFL ‘family.’

Their squad from last season which includes prolific marksman Blair Henderson has been bolstered by the recruitment of a handful of new players, two of them Danny Denholm and James Craigen very familiar faces to the Station Park support.

With a further two away games on the horizon in the remaining September match days, all connected with the ‘Loons’ will be extra keen to get a win under their belts against the league newcomers and hopefully as has been the case on many occasions in recent times the home support will be a 12th man from the first whistle on the day.

Mention of the word whistle brings us to match referee Andy Gamble who will be handling a Forfar fixture for the first time.

Match Sponsor – Alpha Projects Ltd

Hospitality Guests – Dougie Craig & Friends, Steve Durward & Friends, David Smith & Friends, Netherton Tractors Ltd.

Saturday’s other cinch league2 fixtures;- East Fife v Clyde, Elgin City v Dumbarton, Peterhead v Bonnyrigg Rose, Stenhousemuir v Starnraer