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Preparations for Season 2006-07 got underway in July with numerous outdoor training sessions at Kyle Academy’s playing fields. With squad numbers low, sometimes the team doubled up with the older Kyle B.C team as the search for new players continued.
At this time it was difficult to know what the situation would be as the season approached. The Club had secured various sponsorships and funding for strips & rainjackets, but would we have a team to use them?
At the end of July however, it was clear that things were coming together pretty well, A constant core of players were turning up on a regular basis for training and
thoughts began to turn towards organising friendly matches for the new Under 10`s.
On a damp Thursday evening, the squad travelled to New Cumnock to play there first ever game, which was against Glenafton Thistle. With a few players in the squad who had never played a proper match before, it was not going to be an easy footballing debut. Although the team played with plenty of spirit, Glenafton were far more experienced in most departments making it a long thoughtful journey home to Ayr.
August – September
Preparations and training continued and a more settled team began to emerge. Callum, Ryan, Conor, Gregor and Steven who had all been with the team from the start were now playing regularly alongside new recruits James, George, Kyle, Stewart and Riagan.
The next test for the boys was a hastily arranged friendly match against an Ayr Boswell team on a pleasant summer evening at the Old Racecourse.
Kyle got off to a tremendous start with Ryan opening the scoring in the first few seconds of the game. The ball was bulging in the back of the net so quickly that most spectators couldn’t believe it, especially the man with the camera who had missed it…namely ME!!
One – nil up against an experienced Boswell team was good news and boosted the team’s morale tremendously. Boswell did recover in the match though, and eventually showed their experience as they picked from a large squad of players on the sidelines and out-gunned Kyle. Our relatively small Squad ran out of puff, but they had proved they could play as a team and compete in spells if not for a whole match.
Above - Finding our feet at New Cumnock
Above - Looking smart for the Sponsors
2nd September 2006 – The League kicks off!
A dull, dark, rainy, windy, miserable etc, etc Old Racecourse (sound familiar) was the venue for the teams first match in the West of Scotland Youth Football League. The team was assembled to pose for pre-match photos as they looked the part in their new Barcelona colour strips. Any comparison with Barcelona ended there though, as the team failed to perform when the match kicked off against Valspar F.C.
Kyle who lacked any real punch in front of goal rarely troubled the opposition. This performance indicated that the team could struggle to put the ball in the net when chances came their way and was a disappointing start to the league season. However there was little time to get too down hearted, as the team were off the following day for there first ever tournament – The Stranraer Soccer Sevens.
Stranraer
The team travelled by bus with the Kyle B.C. under 11`s which helped everyone get in the mood. Still smarting from the day before, Kyle were well up for this tournament. All the matches were closely contested affairs and Kyle roared on by a healthy travelling support hit the net on numerous occasions. In fact when Gregor`s shot went goalwards in our game against Galloway, it was almost willed in to the net by the watching supporters, and when it did eventually cross the line a minor pitch invasion ensued, or maybe that was just me getting over excited!
Kyle saved the best to last in this tournament with a thrilling match against Millenium Boys F.C. rounding off the event, and Callum scoring what could still be considered one of the Goals-of-the-Season in the second half.
As the team journeyed home there was many upbeat thoughts amongst the coaching staff and real optimism for the future.
Left & Below - A Great Day out in Stranraer
The Season continues
Some fresh faces at training added a new dimension with Jason fitting in well with the squad and giving our Coaches some different options.
Up to this point the goalkeeping position with the team had always been a bit of a problem, with no particular player playing in goals regularly. That was until Adam turned up for training one night. He pulled on the Goalies gloves and from then on made the position his own with some really inspired performances in nets.
The team had a lot to thank him for as the season rumbled on and performances on a Saturday became very inconsistent with the old problem of not being able to punish teams in front of goal re-emerging on a regular basis. Too often Kyle would have good spells of possession in a match and fail to score, only to be stung every time the opposition ventured forward. This was the case against Girvan Youth & Glenafton Thistle. The Glens especially were stunned by Kyle’s play as they clearly expected an easy ride with the memory of the match in pre-season fresh on their minds.
Bad luck and bad finishing cost Kyle dearly as they failed to hit the net with the inevitable happening eventually at the other end.
Refereeing Controversy?
With refereeing duties being shared by the coaches of both teams on match day, it’s fair to say we’ve “seen it all” this season. Some people it seems don’t even know the rules of the game but feel compelled to argue their own haphazard version of football till the`re blue in the face. Very often certain teams seem to adopt “local” rules when it comes to pass backs & throw ins etc. When our intrepid coaches take the field they try to be as honest as possible when it comes to making decisions on the field – even if it is painful to do so.
One such time came on a dull, dark, rainy, windy, miserable……….(you know where I’m talking about) Saturday morning when Kyle had an epic battle against Valspar Colts. With both sets of players knowing each other very well, this looked like being a cracking encounter and it was indeed a thrilling match.
With the score evenly poised at two each thanks to a couple of fine strikes from Riagan, we had a goal disallowed, which appeared to have been perfectly legal. On the spot Referee Gordon declared “no goal” and should be praised for his honesty and sportsmanship, although it would have been nice if the goal had stood. Perhaps on the face of it a draw was the fairest result on the day with no winners or losers.
As the season marched on towards the end of the year good results and performances became harder to come by, with the team being given “lessons” by the likes of the always impressive Ayr Juniors and Ayr Thistle. It has to be said that a couple of cancellations on a Saturday morning were maybe good results for the team, as the winter began to bite and it got even duller, darker, rainier, windier, and even more miserable at the Old Racecourse.
In training a little more variety was introduced with sessions at Whitletts Activity Centre, Shoot Soccer and also Whitletts Sports Pavilion.
The change seemed to do the team the world of good as they shortly afterwards went on to produce undoubtedly there best performance of the league campaign so far in an away game against Carrick Colts in Maybole.
The team were one goal short of double figures with Ryan, Callum & Riagan all getting three a piece. This result was greeted with ecstatic scenes of joy on the touchline by the large travelling support. Some of whom could hardly contain themselves with excitement as a lot of group hugging took place.
So was it that Carrick Colts were just having a bad day?
The general opinion was that Kyle had played extremely well, for once the possession that they had enjoyed had turned in to goals, this in turn had helped them gain confidence and as a result they played some great stuff.
Brian, Stevie & Gordon watched open mouthed as the team played silky soccer!
Big Match Action!
The last match of 2006
This was a home match at the Old Racecourse (guess what the weather was like?) against Irvine Victoria who had joined the league replacing Dean Thistle.
In hindsight this was a game that we really should have won. Considering how we had put Carrick Colts to the sword it was strange how things just didn’t click on the day against the Vics.The opposition seemed to sense nervousness in the Kyle team and took full advantage. Overall a lacklustre performance by the team with the match ending in a draw thanks to a superb strike by Stewart in the closing seconds.
One plus point was the performance of the other Stuart who worked tirelessly for the cause.
The other real plus point for the team at this game, was the promising partnership that that was clearly developing between Big Stewart & Wee Stuart.
Another positive for the Coaches, Players, Parents and Supporters was that it was the last time they would be frozen and wet at the Old Racecourse in 2006!
The New Year
League matches resumed in February 2007 with everyone raring to go and the usual mixed bag of performances. This time against Valspar F.C. we did rather better and scored a couple of goals with George getting in on the act. Throughout the season luck seemed to desert him in front of goal and it was pleasing to see him at last being rewarded.
One notable day-of-days came v Craigie United where Kyle took an early lead when Conor slotted home with a shot from inside the area after a Kyle corner. In the corresponding fixture in October `06, Craigie had run out fairly comfortable winners against us and were clearly shocked when they found themselves one-nil down to Kyle B.C.
Although determined to the final whistle, the boys eventually found themselves on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline with Craigie looking intent on winning this game at any cost. A bad tempered match and on this showing not a hugely enjoyable day out for any team playing Craigie United.
Good performances followed with victory against Carrick Colts and admirable displays against Caledonian United and Southside.
In a rearranged midweek fixture v Ayr Boswell at the unbelievably wet / miserable damp Old Racecourse (what a surprise) the boys with a bit more luck could have recorded victory losing out only 3-1 at the end up.
So in comparison to our pre-season friendly versus Boswell we had come on leaps and bounds, which is not to be forgotten.
If the boys can continue to progress then a bright future looks certain, after all it wasn’t that long ago that those Barca strips were lying unused, and they have certainly seen a lot of action since the clubs inception in the Summer of 2006.
At present the team has just taken part in The Scotland Cup at Rozelle, and they are currently preparing to take part in the Glenafton Athletic tournament this month.
We hope that there will be some decent weather for this event. It’s not taking place at the Old Racecourse, so there’s every chance of that!
Go Kyle……….and roll on 2007-08
Hmm...
I`d like
to Thank....
*Andrew Jarrott who has worked tirelessly all season to capture Kyle Boys Club on camera and without his work this website wouldn`t be half as colourful.
**All Parents/Helpers & Supporters who have helped in any way this season with transport & fundraising etc.Your contribution towards the club is greatly appreciated.
***Our Coaches - who have given up a lot of their own time to keep the team going week after week.
****Neil Duffy & Derek Brown of Kyle Boys Club Under11`s who helped show us the way last summer....thanks!
We hope everybody has great fun at the Presentation Day.......
