TALKING JAGS

NO atter what Alan Archibald throws at his Partick Thistle players during pre-season training, Adam Barton will take it in his stride.

That’s because his first taste of Scotland was a visit to an army camp in Arbroath. If you think that sounds rather unappealing, then you would be right.

It is little wonder then, that the cultured midfielder rather more appreciates the approach of Thistle boss Archibald, with the novelty of getting to kick a ball still to wear off for the 26-year-old.

“I went to an army camp in Arbroath when Phil Brown was Preston manager, he took the whole squad there,” explained Barton.

“We didn’t sleep for three days and players were wondering how this was good for our football. I didn’t think it was. We just ran around with the army for three days.

“One night they said we could have a good, long sleep and then at 3am this big siren went off and we had to get into wet gear and get up.

“We only had one set of clothes for three days and it was soaking from the rain.

“We were all thinking – ‘this isn’t football’. Half of us wanted to quit there and then – ‘it’s not for me this’’.

“We were wearing army gear, the big boots and just one pair of socks, even though it was raining.

“We didn’t see a football and that was the one pre-season I felt was pointless, personally.

“A lot of people think preseason is a case of running until you are sick.

“Some people do that – but they have probably been drinking all summer. Nowadays, you need to look after yourself when you are off.

“The pre-season training depends on the manager’s philosophies. Some managers use a ball with every drill, some don’t. It changes.

“I saw that the England players went to an army camp but I didn’t need reminded of Arbroath. That will always stay with me and I bring it up every pre-season.

“When I look back, I think, ‘What the hell were we doing?’. It was crazy. A lot of the senior players probably wanted to say something to the gaffer. We had guys like Graham Alexander and Clarke Carlisle, who had been in the Premier League.

“As a young player, I was hoping someone would say, ‘Gaffer, what are we doing here?’ I couldn’t do that and it was probably hard for them to do it too.

“The gaffer did take part in some of the exercises but he could drop in and out and also had new clothes every day.

“The food wasn’t great and it was a mental challenge really. The meals were rubbish and they were looking for the first person to break. None of us did but I think that’s what he was trying.

“We were in tents, lying on grass i n the wet. It was horrible.

“That was actually my first memory of Scotland. It wasn’t a good first impression.

“Coming up last year, I was glad I missed pre-season. This year, I was thinking, ‘I’m not going to Arbroath am I’?”

THANKFULLY for Barton, his current manager has a much more modern outlook on what he requires from his players during the off-season.

“The gaffer’s approach is totally different,” he said.

“There is a lot of football and we do runs that we will make in games too. The whole point is to prepare and everything we do is specific to football matches.

“When we see that, the lads don’t moan. It’s what we have to do. But when we go to army camps, that’s when the moaning starts.” DUMBARTON have completed a double signing after capturing former Rangers goalkeeper Scott Gallacher and experienced central defender Craig Barr.

Gallacher, 27, was most recently on the books at Hibs, having been snapped up by Neil Lennon in January to act as cover for Ofir Marciano and Ross Laidlaw.

He has also turned out for St Mirren, Alloa and Hearts after coming through the youth ranks with the Gers, as well as enjoying loan stints with Cowdenbeath, Airdrie and Forfar.

Gallacher’s career to date has largely been spent deployed as an understudy.

However, he is likely to take the No.1 spot at The Rock after the Sons’ player of the year last season, Alan Martin, left the club to join Championship rivals Queen of the South.

Barr, 30, arrives at the club following three injury-hit years at Raith Rovers, where he made 44 appearances for the Fifers.

His stint at Stark’s Park ended in disappointment with last season’s relegation to League 1 and, despite Rovers being keen to hold on to the powerful defender, he has chosen to stay in the second tier with Dumbarton.

Barr has also starred for Airdrie, Livingston, Queen of the South and Gretna while he had a spell in Sweden with Ostersunds.