Boss Matt plays a waiting game
Lockdown has kept Maley from new side
Matt Maley can’t wait for football to get the green light – so he can meet his players for the first time.
Maley hasn’t seen his squad face to face since taking over at Annbank just after the country went into lockdown.
But that hasn’t stopped the new Bankies boss from signing players as he prepares for when football can restart.
Maley admitted: “It has been frustrating but I already know a lot of the Annbank players from being in the opposition camp.
“I haven’t been able to meet them face to face but I am keeping in regular contact and have extended several contracts.”
Maley was a pro youth coach at Dundee United before joining Kilmarnock where he spent nine years, latterly working with the under 17s.
Brian Reid then took him to Stranraer where he launched their first reserve side, sending several players into the first team.
He then had two years as assistant manager at Troon before moving to Maybole to team up with long serving Carlo Walker.
Maley has named Robert Love as his assistant but the No 2 will continue to play in a long career that has taken him to Albion Rovers, Stenhousemuir, Stranraer, Cumnock and Auchinleck among others.
Maley revealed: “Robert was a player in my time at Troon. I always enjoyed working with him and said then that we would be back together one day. He will be a great addition.”
New signings are former Hurlford Scottish Cup winner Martyn Brown who was Winton’s captain last season, ex- Darvel goalie David Markey from Kilwinning, former Rangers youth Joe White and David Anderson, who has had spells at Stranraer Reserves, Irvine
Meadow and Maybole.
Maley said: “White was at Rangers and Kilmarnock youths before falling out of the game. He is a great talent who can play anywhere across the midfield. Rangers had high hopes for him at one time and he was highly regarded.
“Anderson, who is a full- back, was really unfortunate that he broke his collarbone in his second training session at Maybole.”
MAYBOLE have appointed Steven McCreadie as assistant manager while Brian Sproule joins the coaching team. Both were at Kilbirnie last season.
Former Girvan boss McCreadie was a pro youth coach at Ayr United and an assistant at Troon. Sproule, who coached Kilmarnock and St Mirren youths, holds a FIFA ‘ A’ licence.
Racing is virtually certain to return behind closed doors at Newcastle this coming Monday.
And the first two classics of the season – the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas – will be run at Newmarket on Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7.
The first fixtures in Scotland could take place before the end of June as phase two of the Scottish government’s route map could come into force as early as June 18.
And that includes a possible return of professional sport across the country.
There will be strict measures in place to protect those allowed to attend these early race days.
And it is hoped Ayr Racecourse will be in a position to stage a fixture in late June or early July.
Keith Dalgleish, Iain Jardine, Jim Goldie, Mike Smith and Linda Perratt have horses ready to run.
And these trainers are likely to have runners at Newcastle next week and also at Ayr when the track is up and running.
While spectators won’t be in attendance when we return to action all the Ayr races will be shown on Racing TV.
It’s expected the early fixtures will be eight or nine race affairs and I hope to have more details of Ayr’s opening meetings in the next week or two.