Fulshie can’t wait to get started
Stoneyburn manager Steven Sharp is looking forward to putting the last five months of frustration behind him as they prepare for the new season.
The Fulshie were favourites for the Premier League South title last term before the coronavirus pandemic led to the season being declared null and void.
Sharp, who took over as manager in
May, was eager to put the training cones and bibs away and recorded a victory in his first match in charge on Saturday – a 2-0 away friendly win over neighbours Blackburn United.
Reflecting on the past few months, he said:“It’s been tough to be honest.
“It has been tough mentally, but the players have been superb following the rules and regulations and the change in plans all the time.”
Stoneyburn were one of the many clubs who were forced to temporarily stop training in the middle of August by the Scottish FA, with Sharp commenting:“We started training and then were told to stop – then, a week later, we got told we could come back in.
“It was tough because you just think that I will never be able to get out the bit here.
“We had plans in place but then you look at the rules and think to yourself that you don’t know if you can do this.”
Sharp, who served as a coach under previous manager Allan Fleming, has remained loyal to the core of the squad but says he will put in own stamp on things.
He said:“The transition period has gone very smoothly.
“The players have reacted tremendously to the management team but also, our management team and committee have put in a lot of work behind the scenes to get us to this stage and it has been faultless.
“We just need to tweak a few things and get a couple of players here and there.
“We are still looking to add but we are in a good position. We don’t need to go gung-ho which is a positive.”
The Fulshie will be part of a revamped East Region Premiership South in which 10 of the 13 teams will be from West Lothian – and the gaffer believes that can only be a positive.
He said:“It’s a local league but I think that will suit us. It will bring a sense of excitement. I have grown up with Junior football and you cannot beat a local derby.
“You come up against your Bathgates, Whitburns and Fauldhouses, that’s what gets you buzzing and that’s what the players will be up for as well.”