Brian Looking Forward to Action Starting
Head Coach Brian McLean caught up with the official website this week ahead of the squad’s first match action as pre-season reached the halfway stage:-
“Training has been great so far, we’ve done a lot of fitness work but we’ve also been seeing plenty of the ball too and it’ll be exciting for the guys to take to the field this weekend for our first matches. I’ve tried to put my own personality on training so far and I’ve tried to drill that into the players too; I want them to go and express themselves in a positive fashion and take the things we’ve been working on in training into games. It’s always exciting when the games start up again and we’ve got a good number of fixtures lined up before the competitive action starts which we’re looking forward too. We’ve been gradually drip feeding what we’re looking for into the guys and now I want to see them put it into action in the friendlies and Viaplay Cup fixtures.”
It’s been a change for McLean, who has been overseeing the pre-season training instead of participating himself after hanging up his boots:-
“It’s a bit of a strange feeling to be honest but I’m getting used to it! I’ve had habits ingrained into me over my playing days like preparation, diet and other small things which now aren’t as rigid and of course your role when you get to the training ground is totally different. But I’ve called time on my playing career at the right point and it’s a fantastic opportunity for myself.”
Brian will be taking his bow in the dugout for tomorrow’s friendly against Caledonian Locomotives before going on a family holiday on Sunday:-
“I’ll be away for a short holiday with my family which was arranged before I took the role. It’s important to get away for a little bit and to try and refresh before the season starts. There’s been a lot of sacrifices in my career but my family have always been there for me and picked me up when I’m down. The scenery might be different on holiday but I won’t be switching off; I’ll still be in regular contact with Jim and I’ll be watching and studying the footage from our friendlies. We’ve got full trust and transparency in one another and I’m sure Jim will be able to handle a couple of training sessions when I’m away!”
McLean also looked ahead to the Viaplay Cup fixtures which will kick off the competitive season in a fortnights time:-
“It’s an interesting group with a variety of opponents which should stand us in good stead for the league campaign. First and foremost we want to go and give a good account of ourselves and aim to win. We’ll try to bed in what we’ve been working on so far; it won’t be perfect but it’s important to display glimpses of what we’re trying to achieve and then we’ll look to work on it and round it off for the league starting.”
Brian also gave an update on the playing squad:-
“Stuart Carswell (ankle ligaments) and Darren Hynes (hamstring) are both still recovering from the injuries they sustained during the playoffs. It’s vital that we get their recovery right, particularly with the nature of Darren’s injury, as rushing them back too soon before they’re fully healed can lead to longer problems. We’ll have a few trialists in too and it’s a good chance to see them in action. We still have players to bring in for the right positions across the park and we want to assemble a squad that’ll compete as strongly as we possibly can.”
Brian concluded with a message to the supporters:-
“It’s hugely important to get the backing of your own fans and I’ve always said the most important people in football are the people who pay and the people who play. The more who come and support us the better; it doesn’t necessarily have to be in the thousands but we just need to get fans in the stand who will get right behind the team as it really helps the players. The travelling support we had midweek at East Fife for instance, they never stopped singing or encouraging us throughout the game and that definitely helped us get over the line in that one. We’re crying out for that again and it’s a cliché but they can be our 12th man. It’s imperative to get right behind the group, not necessarily Jim or myself, but the ones who are on the park, and we’re going to strive to get things right there to earn the backing of the fans.”
Season Passes for the 2023-24 season are on sale through the Ticket Store. Supporters wishing to pay in 10 monthly instalments can do so via the links at the bottom of the Season Pass and Gold & Premium Pass pages, but are reminded that the deadline for paying via this method is 4th July.
Clyde will be in action this weekend at Petershill Park in the Paul Kelly Memorial Tournament. The Bully Wee face off against Caledonian Locomotives tomorrow (1st July) at 1pm, and will play either Glasgow Perthshire or St Roch’s on Sunday 2nd July, with the kick-off time to be confirmed on Saturday evening.
Closed door matches against East Stirlingshire, Caledonian Braves and Broomhill have also been lined up before the start of the competitive season.