Willie aims for the fab four
Glencairn look to make additions
Willie Harvey hopes to add four new faces to the Glencairn squad as soon as the registration of junior footballers runs out next week.
Clubs must wait until after June 20 before they can officially sign players from other clubs, but every side is already identifying targets and talking to players.
Glencairn have already added former Cambuslang Rangers striker, Paddy Cullen, to the squad and will look to add more new faces.
As well as Cullen, six players from last year’s squad have been pinned down: JC Hutchison, Ross Ballantyne, Willie Galloway, Graeme Brown, Andy Neil and Sean McGuire.
Dean Muir has agreed terms and is expected to sign, but Keiran Donaghy has decided to go into coaching at the age of just 23 and won’t be a Glens players next season.
Kris Irvine is still mulling over his options while Willie expects an answer from Dennis McLaughlin this week.
Brian Eadie will also return after missing almost the whole of last season through injury.
Willie said waiting to sign players was just part and parcel of the junior game: “It’s not frustrating, the players are under contract. You’ve just got to get on with it, it’s the same for other clubs as well.
“Any manager who wants to moan about it is being a hypocrite. I’m not going to moan if managers are speaking to my players, because that’s one of those things.
“I’m waiting on one player this week and if I get him I would be very pleased. I don’t know if we will but it would be great if it happened. “There are four players I’m coming to agreement with. I’d never say it was guaranteed until they sign the form, but all being well, I will be very happy with them. It’s a striker, two midfielders and a defender.
“There are other offers in the fire, we’ve invited a few players to preseason training, so there will be a lot of new faces.”
Last week, Willie said he felt Denis McLaughlin owed the Glens at least another season after they stood by him through his injury woes.
But the striker has still not signed on the dotted line.
Willie said: “I should hear this week. It’s one of those things, we’ve done everything we can, we’ve just got to stand back and hope it’s enough.”
One player who will be in black and white next term is Paddy Cullen.
And Willie predicts he could fill the void left by the departing Ross McNeil: “Paddy brings pace and energy and he scores goals while also bringing other players into the game.
“I’d liken him to Ross McNeil but I actually think he could be better for the team because he will involve other players more.
“That isn’t a criticism of Ross. He’s a selfish striker and I mean that in a positive way, that’s why he scores so many goals, but Paddy will be more liable to lay the ball off to a teammate in a better position.”
Glens start their pre-season training on July 4, and Willie believes the players will be refreshed after a decent break: “It’s a longer break that we’ve perhaps had before.
“It would have been longer if that Rob Roy game had got played quicker, so they’ve had a break before that and now another one.
“But a lot of the players I’m speaking to are already doing their own training.”