Cup Final, we went into the cup final in high spirits with only 2 players unavailable for selection. We gave our finest performance of the season but were unfortunate to get beat on penalties to Uphall Station. I must say I was extremely proud of the squad, all 16 of them who were so close to victory!

After 2 or 3 weeks break, I got my management head back on and set about getting the majority of the squad signed up for the new season in the Championship division, due to various circumstances we have lost 12 players from last season.

Mark McEwen
Ryan Stevenson
Lewis Mitchell
Alieu Badara Faye
Piesy Khosrospour
Craig Edgar
Keith Fitzpatrick
Michael Brown
Ross Motion
Barrie Macnamara
Michael Lynch
Sam Campbell

We wish all players well in their future endeavours unless they face up to us this season.

So this has meant a significant level of work in recruiting players who could replace the 12 outgoing, and as such I am delighted to announce the following new signings

Bruce Callan
Goalkeeper
Bruce is a quality keeper who will vie with Gary Dalgleish for the No1 jersey this season

Jim Howe
Defender
Jim is an uncompromising and physical defender with a very good football brain. Loves to continually talk to his teammates during the game.

Johnny Mackay
Defender
I am delighted to get Johnny in as I have been chasing him for a while now, another defender who leads by example with his performances, like Jim he is very vocal and an organiser!

Keith Harper
Defender/Midfielder
We are lucky to secure the services of Cole from Tollcross Thistle, Cole is an experienced defender who can comfortably slot into the defensive midfield area when required. Also a good person in the dressing room.

Tony Boyle
Defender/Midfielder
Tony joins his cousin Joe in the squad and has already opened his Alba account in the recent friendly against North Merchiston Vale, another reliable defender who is also comfortable in midfield if required.

Stuart Ritchie
Centre Forward
Crouchy joins us from Rosyth amateurs having also played for Rosyth Juniors, he is a prolific goalscorer and has shown his ability to bring other players into the game. He is going to be a vital player for us this season

Frazer Henderson
Centre Forward
Frazer is a quality player who has played EOS, Junior and Lowland League, he is still a youngster who will provide a great foil with Crouchy, they already appear to have a good understanding and have both got off the mark in pre-season.

We also have another 4 or 5 players training with us and I am extremely confident they will be Alba players within the next 7 days.

Onto our 2 pre season friendlies, 8 goals scored and 1 goal conceded, the pleasing thing for me was the way the squad adapted to different formations and tactics. We also produced a lot of good football, passing patterns and disciplined defending.

We move onto our 3rd friendly this Saturday against Premier new boys South Gyle, this will be a stiffer test of our metal as South Gyle are a very good side that work hard for each other and always make it difficult for the opponents.

Then we play the juniors on Tuesday night in a friendly that we hope can be preserved annually for the mutual benefit of the club. Again this takes our pre-season preparations up a level!!

This season will be a very difficult one especially in the Championship but I am extremely confident in the abilities of the squad, we will give a good account of ourselves. We have also taken the decision to participate in the South of Scotland Cup rather than the East of Scotland Cup, so we look forward to a new challenge.

And finally I am delighted to announce that Barry Salvona and Nicky Motion has agreed to step up to the Management team, Barry is well liked by the whole squad and is currently going through his coaching badges, once he gets his confidence and delivery of sessions up, then he will be a great coach, he already has some great ideas and I will be working closely with him to assist the implementation of these.
Nicky is a former goalkeeper for Alba and has been a regular at our fixtures since he stopped playing for us, He will work very closely with both Gary Dalgleish and Bruce Callan to improve them and ensure they are well prepared for match days, we can already see the benefits of the work they have been putting in during pre-season. Nicky will also provide a sounding board and advice for Barry and I regarding team selection and tactics.

Delighted to have a pair of guys who I trust completely and who have the clubs interests at heart.

I will provide an update in the next fortnight with regards to pre-season, friendlies, opening league fixtures and hopefully news of more quality signings to take the club forward on this exciting journey.

Gaffer