Amateur teams set for the big kick-off Meigle AFC drop out but exciting season awaits
The big Perthshire Amateur Football kick-off is upon us.
Teams from across the region will get their first taste of competitive action this weekend as the Smith League Cup bursts into life.
President of the Perthshire Amateur Football association Tom Latto is set for another exciting year of action out on the field.
He told the Perthshire Advertiser: “Everybody is starting with a fresh sheet at the start of a season. And the initial aim will be to be top of their cup section.
“Whether you are the favourite or not, teams will be hoping they are on their way to the knockout stages.
“Then the league starts and everyone wants to get that first win and aim to do better than they did the year before.”
There was disappointing news when third division side Meigle AFC voiced that they would be entering abeyance for the coming season.
But Latto said: “They dropped out around three seasons ago and came back in, so hopefully they can get reorganised and will be back on board next year.
“We don’t like to lose teams and it seems to have been what has been happening over the past 20 years, since the demise of juvenile football.
“We used to have around 40 teams in the association but it has gradually diminished and settled down at around 27.
“I wouldn’t like to think that we would lose anymore teams but it’s always a risk. Especially with teams who don’t have a full committee.
“Recently when we have lost a team, we have gained another. So in the last 10 years our numbers have stayed in the region of 30.
“There have been no new applicants this year.
“That means it will be a 10-team first division, 10-team second division and an eight team third division.
“To compensate for the size of the league, the third division teams will play each other three times during the season.”
As players have been preparing to return to competitive football, local referees have also been gearing up for the big start-up.
Latto hopes the region’s positive disciplinary record can continue and said: “In the Perthshire amateurs, we don’t have a serious discipline problem.
“We don’t have players summoned before the committee on a regular basis.
“I’m also a member of the Scottish Amateur Football Association North District disciplinary committee.
“We seldom have a Perthshire player appearing before that committee. So we can be confident that our players are fairly well disciplined.
“We will always have yellow and red cards for whatever reason, but we have to try and encourage the teams to ensure that they have as few as possible.
“We’ve had one or two young referees coming in and if the club’s discipline is good it makes it much easier for the referees to familiarise themselves with the teams.
“They they can control the game as they would want to do, rather than being forced to do it by issuing cards.”
Friday - Smith League Cup section seven - Wolfhill v St Johns (6.45pm). Saturday (all 1.30pm) - Smith League Cup section one - Burrelton v Auchterarder, Luncarty ASC v Jeanfield Swifts. Section two - Moncrieff v Kinrossie. Section four - Blair Thistle v Strathearn Grove, Bridge of Earn v Breadalbane. Section five - Vale of Atholl v Coupar Angus. Section six - Letham CC v Balmoral. Section eight - Dunkeld and Birnam v Alyth.
*Fair City are on the lookout for any unattached players. Contact Lionel Birrell on 07546528278 or John McKechnie on 07874216427 for details.
Amateur fixtures:
The wait is over as the amateur football season returns this weekend PAFA president Tom Latto