Football: We're ready to go into battle!

Aug 1 2008 by Paul Behan, Paisley Daily Express

REVAMPED Thorn Athletic have set the ball rolling on their first assault on the Scottish Amateur Football League.

During a busy summer, the club switched to the SAFL’s Premier Two Division and also appointed highly-respected double Scottish Junior Cup winner Archie Halley to the management team.

The former striker is ex-boss of a successful young Largs Thistle side – which had a significant Johnstone influence – and was also assistant manager of Junior outfit Johnstone Burgh when they reached the Scottish Cup final against Whitburn in May 2000.

He previously worked with a number of Thorn players who progressed from the club’s all-conquering West of Scotland Cup winning Under-21 team of 2004 and he is looking to continue their development during the club’s 10th anniversary season.

Halley’s experience will compliment the Thorn’s existing management structure alongside stalwart Jim Allen and the club are delighted to have such a dedicated and experienced duo at the helm.

The club are preparing for the third game of their pre-season campaign after a 4-0 victory over Central Scottish outfit St Peter’s and a 3-0 away defeat against Stagecoach Super Premier League outfit Glenafton, where Halley lifted the Junior Cup in May 1993.

Tomorrow Thorn Athletic face fellow SAFL side Greenock HSFP at Inverclyde before their penultimate pre-season fixture against Troon Amateurs.

Thorn have also retained key sponsorship deals with the club’s long-standing supporters the Thorn Inn and Linwood-based company Direct Engineering with more deals to be announced before the big kick-off, including a unique deal to sponsor the club’s commemorative 10th anniversary strip.

The club are keen to build on their back-to-back double-winning seasons in the West of Scotland League and they have also moved to strengthen their playing squad with several exciting new additions.

A club spokesman said: “It’s a special year for the club and we will be marking our 10th anniversary with several events during the season.

“We have made significant progress over the summer and hope to continue that under Jim and Archie.

“We have had a lot of new faces at pre-season and that’s been good.”

The club has had to leave their McMaster Centre base – their home for the past 10 years – to make way for the proposed Johnstone Burgh development.

But the club hope to make the use of a new artificial surface at Johnstone High School when it eventually arrives.

The spokesman added: “We are sorry to be leaving the McMaster Centre which has served us and many other teams well for a long time.

“We are looking forward to the new Johnstone High School development but still have real concerns about what will happen in the meantime.

“We are also worried that we could be facing a price hike of more than 100 per cent which would be unacceptable as we have no other choice but to move.”