Preparations are well under way for the forthcoming season
at Victoria Park, with manager Stuart Robertson and assistant
manager Robbie Clark busy team-building. Many people have
lamented the low numbers of local players appearing in a Vale
shirt in recent years. It is something the club were keen
to address and has resulted in half-a-dozen superb signings
over the close season.
Richard Edge and Greig Shortreed have arrived from Peebles,
this is the second spell at Vale for 'Eggo', who is, like
'Shorty', a wide midfielder who can operate on either side
of the pitch and has an eye for goal. Both men are joined
by their former Whitestone Park team mate Campbell Forsyth,
a tall centre-half.
It's unfortunate that Leithen Rovers treble-winning side of
last season is starting to break up, but players are moving
on to a higher level of football with the blessing of Rovers
manager Alan Notman. Vale welcome a trio of last season's
key players to Victoria Park, with goalkeeper Mark Wilson,
who made an appearance against Hawick Royal Albert at the
tail end of last season, joined by combatative midfielder
Colin Smith and striker Aaron Somerville. The signing of Somerville
is something of a coup for Vale - after netting 37 goals in
the Border Amateur League last season, the young front man
was unsuprisingly in demand, with Selkirk and Gala Fairydean
keen to capture his signature.
Next season's side will be captained by John Saunders, who
has re-signed along with another six players who will all
be going into their third season at the club - brothers Raymond
and Ronald Fleming, Ross McManus, Scott Johnston, Lewis Montgomery
and Mike MacKale.
All these players, plus a number of trialists, a few of which
may well secure a place in the squad, report back for training
on Monday June 25th.
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