Bellslea Bulletin - Issue 6

BELLSLEA BULLETIN

THE BROCH ONLINE MAGAZINE

Broch Directory

Fraserburgh Football Club, Bellslea Park, Seaforth Street, Fraserburgh, AB43 9BB

Telephone 01346 518444

Email fraserburghfc@highlandleague.com

Website www.thebroch.online

Address Book

Chairman/Secretary FINLAY NOBLE

Vice Chairman

Directors

GEORGE THOM

JAMES A ADAMS

JAMES G ADAMS

ROBERT COWE

DAVID MILNE

EWAN MOWAT

JASON NICOL

Treasurer STEPHEN SIM

Webmasters FINLAY NOBLE

Committee

MARK SIMPSON

GAVIN BRUCE

ELIZABETH DUNBAR

STUART ELLIS

FRANK GOODALL

WILLIAM McKENZIE

STEPHEN SIM

MARK SIMPSON

IAN SMITH

Fraserburgh FC in the Community

CLAIRE BATTY

GRAEME NOBLE

Magazine Contributors

MARK SIMPSON

FINLAY NOBLE

BARRY WALKER

DUNCAN BROWN

STEVE DICKIE

Football Department Manager

Assistant Manager

MARK COWIE

JAMES DUTHIE

Coaches ALEX MAIR

ANTHONY SHERLOCK

EDDIE FLINN

U18 Coaches DEAN COWIE

GRAHAM JOHNSTON

WILL RAMSAY

ANDREW DUNBAR

Kitmen DEREK STRACHAN

ZANDER SMITH

SCOTT MURRAY

Captain WILLIAM WEST

Physios SARAH ROBERTSON

EMMA THOIRS

Club Doctors DR MICHAEL DICK

DR GAYLE NOBLE

4 The Chairman 8

The Manager

16

Club Honours

Highland League 1932/33, 1937/38, 2001/02, 2021/22

Highland League Cup 1958/59, 2005/06

Qualifying Cup 1957/58, 1995/96, 2006/07

Aberdeenshire Cup 1910/11, 1937/38, 1955/56, 1963/64, 1972/73 ,1975/76, 1996/97, 2012/13, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2022/23

Aberdeen Charity Cup 1911/12, 1913/14, 1921/22, 1926/27

Aberdeenshire Shield 1991/92, 1993/94, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1999/2000, 2011/12, 2015/16, 2019/20, 2022/23

Fleming Shield 1919/20

Bells League Cup 1972/73, 1973/74, 1975/76, 1976/77, 1978/79

Aberdeenshire League 1994/95, 1995/96, 1997/98, 2022/23

Highland Youth League1992/93, 1993/94, 2001/02, 2003/04

Cover Star

12 The Captain

The Head of Youth 34

Question & Answer

Our front cover this month features Ryan Cowie, pictured during his recent Testimonial Match v. Aberdeen. Ryan has been with the club for ten seasons now having been signed from Turriff United. He can play wide on either flank but more often than not turns out at left full back. His delivery from corners and free kicks cause many dangerous situations for opponents and he chips in with some cracking goals as well. He has made over 300 appearances for the club.

The first two events in Ryan’s Testimonial year are featured in this edition of your Bellslea Bulletin and we look forward to further events throughout the season.

THE CHAIRMAN

FINLAY NOBLE

Welcome to our first Magazine of the season and I hope you have all enjoyed the summer break away from the football.

It is always good to be back to competitive football, from my point of view it signals the time we can have a break! Close season is always the busiest time of the year due to the various forms and paperwork that needs updated and / or completed so once the real fitba starts it becomes more enjoyable.

I noticed online that a few of our supporters had been complaining about the lack of signings. Surely, they know by now how the club works. I can however enlighten them to the fact that I have put my name on the registration forms of 30 players over the past few weeks. Sixteen of those are new players to the club. Thirteen were contract extensions and one was the return of a former player.

The hot topic of the summer was undoubtedly the proposed Conference League. It was quite alarming some of the comments I received from some people about the fact that we didn’t publicly declare our stance. Some of those comments were quite hurtful if I’m being honest but unfortunately that seems to be the way of things nowadays, especially online. As a club we looked very closely at the proposal once we had it in front of us. And that is the key part of it. All the comments we had directed at us were based on what was in the media and being peddled by clubs

who had ulterior motives. I am fortunate enough to be in a position where I knew 100% that some of those things were complete and utter nonsense and were never going to be in, or even being considered, for the final proposal. Our job as Directors of the Club is to make the best decisions possible for the safe running of the club. At no point will we willingly make a decision that is detrimental to the club. To be able to do that we must take all the information, confirmed and accurate information, on board and make the decision based on that. Unlike some clubs, we will never make any public statements just to look good or to pacify certain groups of people. For me it got quite embarrassing reading long winded statements that said very little. Everyone seemed to get caught up in it and I don’t think Scottish Football came out of it looking good at all. We chose to wait and read the proposals and prepare ourselves for the vote at the SFA AGM. As we all know the proposal was pulled the day before the vote but given what we had in front of us, there was no way we would be voting for it. Whether or not it emerges again I don’t know. What I do know, is that if we aren’t careful the Highland and Lowland Leagues could end up losing a lot of privileges we currently have. If that happens then those clubs who chose to make their statements might regret that stance.

Football is a passionate sport, and everyone is entitled to their views, and you find that mostly, those who do air their views have the club at heart.

That is all in the past now and collectively we must look forward to keeping the Highland League in the great shape it is currently in, and always has been.

This season looks like being a belter with any number of teams starting the campaign this weekend with the genuine belief that they could end the season as champions. Recent seasons have seen clubs go on long unbeaten runs, but I don’t think we will see that this season. I might be wrong, but I think there will be many more teams capable of taking points off each other than there has been of late. There isn’t such a thing as an easy game in this league and those clubs who have gone on long winning runs had a few close shaves along the way. Those close shaves could be turned into a sure fire scalping this time around so it could well be really tight at the top with more than two clubs challenging as it has for the past few seasons.

We have a few new faces and roles around the club. The Hospitality has a new regime with James Adams Snr, who joined the Board last month, taking over the running of the Lounge in conjunction with Amber, and also Nick Forman who is now taking on the coordinating of the bookings.

We had Alice Paterson doing all those roles for a number of years, but circumstances have changed for her, and unfortunately, she has had to step down. Alice was brilliant at her job and was hugely popular around the club and amongst the attendees in the “Hutty”. Alice will without doubt be a miss, but she promises not to be a stranger and we will still see her at some games. We must acknowledge and thank Alice for her amazing contribution to our club over the past ten or so years. She has helped make the hospitality what it is and had laid the foundations for the future running of the Hospitality.

Also on board is Dr Gayle Noble who will be part of the medical team at Bellslea alongside current Club Doctor, Michael Dick, and Physiotherapist Sarah Robertson. Gayle will be assisting Michael in the Club Doctor role with a view to taking over the role when Michael retires.

The pre-season has gone well, and we had two very successful matches here at Bellslea. It was great to see Bellslea brimming full for both the Celtic and Aberdeen games and hopefully we have a few new

supporters that might come along during the season. These games don’t run themselves and I don’t think people realise how much work goes into them off the park. While everyone waxes lyrical about the condition of the pitch, and rightly so given the work that Bobby and the guys put into it, but there are many other things happen which folk don’t see. Frank Goodall, Jason Nicol, and Stephen Sim have done a power of work behind the scenes to get these games to be successfully run and it must be remembered that they don’t get paid, it is all voluntary.

The team on the park is the most important part of the club but the team off the park comes a close second and we need both to be fully functioning. I am lucky to be Chairman of a group of guys who all have their roles to perform to get games played and they all do their jobs for free, giving up precious family time for the club. The guys we have just now are brilliant for the club and that makes my job all the easier.

This is the first Magazine for our new editor, Steve Dickie, and having seen it in raw form, I can’t wait to see the completed article. Steve is keen to make a success of the Magazine, and I have no doubt he will. So please feel free to suggest anything you would like to see included. As the season goes on, I am sure there will be features that make it so much better than the cobbled effort I could put together.

It is vital in the digital age that we can get maximum exposure for our Sponsors and hopefully the Magazine can provide a part of that.

Our new Vice Chairman, George Thom, has come in with a fresh pair of eyes and it is good to have his expertise to guide us in a businesslike manner to the betterment of the club and also to our Sponsors and Partners.

As we look forward to the 2023/24 season, on behalf of all the Director, Management and Players, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Supporters, Advertisers and Sponsors, new and old, for their backing. Hopefully we can all celebrate some success together.

Come awa the Broch Finlay

Highland League Fixtures 2023/24

Saturday July 29 2023

Fraserburgh v Lossiemouth

Saturday August 5 2023

Inverurie Loco Works v Fraserburgh

Saturday August 12 2023

Fraserburgh v Buckie Thistle

Wednesday August 16 2023

Keith v Fraserburgh

Saturday August 19 2023

Fraserburgh v Deveronvale

Saturday September 2 2023

Clachnacuddin v Fraserburgh

Saturday September 9 2023

Fraserburgh v Turriff United

Saturday September 16 2023

Wick Academy v Fraserburgh

Saturday September 30 2023

Forres Mechanics v Fraserburgh

Wednesday October 4 2023

Fraserburgh v Formartine United

Saturday October 7 2023

Huntly v Fraserburgh

Saturday October 21 2023

Fraserburgh v Brora Rangers

Saturday November 4 2023

Banks o’ Dee v Fraserburgh

Saturday November 11 2023

Fraserburgh v Nairn County

Saturday November 18 2023

Rothes v Fraserburgh

Saturday November 25 2023

Brechin City v Fraserburgh

Saturday December 2 2023

Fraserburgh v Strathspey Thistle

Saturday December 9 2023

Lossiemouth v Fraserburgh

Saturday December 16 2023

Fraserburgh v Inverurie Loco Works

Saturday December 23 2023

Buckie Thistle v Fraserburgh

Saturday December 30 2023

Fraserburgh v Keith

Saturday January 6 2024

Deveronvale v Fraserburgh

Saturday January 13 2024

Fraserburgh v Clachnacuddin

Saturday January 20 2024

Turriff United v Fraserburgh

Saturday January 27 2024

Fraserburgh v Wick Academy

Saturday February 3 2024

Fraserburgh v Forres Mechanics

Saturday February 10 2024

Formartine United v Fraserburgh

Saturday February 17 2024

Fraserburgh v Huntly

Saturday March 2 2024

Brora Rangers v Fraserburgh

Saturday March 9 2024

Fraserburgh v Banks o’ Dee

Saturday March 16 2024

Nairn County v Fraserburgh

Saturday March 23 2024

Fraserburgh v Rothes

Saturday April 6 2024

Fraserburgh v Brechin City

Saturday April 13 2024

Strathspey Thistle v Fraserburgh

MARK COWIE

Welcome back to the new 2023/24 season. It is something the team and the back room staff are really looking forward to.

The players managed to get a couple months break and came back to pre season training on 12th June where we put them through their paces with some quite challenging fitness drills. They have embraced the training and are in a good place because of the work they have put in.

Pre season games are about making sure you get enough game time in to the players before the first competitive league game of the season. We have been extremely lucky this year where we have managed to get some really good games, two of which were sell outs at home.

Firstly we welcomed a young Celtic team to Bellslea as part of the anniversary of the lifeboat disaster. This was an unbelievable gesture from a club of Celtic’s stature to come up and play us. It was a great turn out and hopefully the lifeboat raised some good funds to help them with the great work they do.

The game itself was a challenge. Celtic were technically very good and you could see how well drilled they have been. I thought we played very well and although they had more of the ball I felt we created the better chances and probably should have score one or two. It was tough as Celtic changed their complete 11 at half time whilst we were not quite in that position to do that so some lads had to battle for 90 minutes against a good side. We came away with a 0-0 but lost out on penalties for the

VT Wealth Cup, with missing penalties cropping up again.

Our second game saw us visit Cove Rangers who have moved in to a hybrid model with some part time players. Their team was full of trialists so Paul Hartley was looking closely at what he had in. Again we played very well and ran them close. We lost a silly goal from a cross and a header at the back post but again we moved the ball well and created some good chances.

Next up was Aberdeen first team in Ryan Cowie’s testimonial match. Again we were lucky to be able to host Aberdeen’s first team with the likes of Shinnie, Duk and Clarkson getting a run out. Once again we played well and actually caused Aberdeen some problems especially second half.

Over these three games we know, respectfully, that the teams we face in the league will not quite be to the standard of these full-time teams so the fact we competed well and created chances bodes well for the upcoming campaign.

We then played Fraserburgh United and Maud over two Wednesdays, winning both. The Fraserburgh United game was good as we moved the ball quick and scored some well taken goals. The first half against Maud was not quite what we were after but we were a lot better in the second half. Good luck to both teams in the Super League next season.

Sandwiched in between these was a

trip to East Fife which we lost 1-0. We were able to give all players at least 45 minutes to get more game time in to their legs before we had a team bonding night out in Dundee.

Overall it has been a pleasing pre season schedule.

In terms of player recruitment we have managed to convince Aidan Sopel to join us. I think fans will like him as he is direct and exciting to watch. He hasn’t played much football over the last year so it’s important we manage him well and get him up to the required fitness level so we can see the best of him.

Grant Campbell’s also came back in to the fold and we are over the moon to have been able to agree this. I think everyone knows of Grant’s ability and how big of an asset he is to the group so again, like Aidan, he will need time to get up to speed but once he does I’m sure he will give us a lot once up to full speed.

We have a few youngsters who have signed pro deals and gone on loan to juniors. These players will continue to develop and hopefully we will see them at some point in the season get a chance. Josh Hawkins in particular has played a few of our friendlies and we are excited to see how he progresses over the next year or two.

Finally welcome back to proper football and I can’t wait to see you all on Saturday 29th July where we kick start out campaign at home to Lossiemouth.

FRASERBURGH v. LOSSIEMOUTH MATCH PREVIEW

Manager: Frank McGettrick

Captain: Liam Archibald

New arrivals: Brandon Hutcheson (Forres Thistle), Fergus Edwards (unattached), Oliver Kelly (loan from Elgin City)

Departures: Adam MacLeod (Loch Ness)

22/23

21/22

*Covid-interupted seasons not included

Top Scorer 22/23: Liam Archibald (7)

Last 5 Results

22nd Apr: Wick Academy 2-2 Lossiemouth

15th Apr: Lossiemouth 2-4 Rothes

1st Apr: Banks o’ Dee 7-0 Lossiemouth

24th Mar: Fraserburgh 3-0 Lossiemouth

18th Mar: Lossiemouth 0-2 Clachnacuddin

Highland League results, last 10 years:

2022/23

24th Mar: Fraserburgh 3-0 Lossiemouth

13th Aug: Lossiemouth 0-7 Fraserburgh

2021/22

6th Oct: Fraserburgh 6-1 Lossiemouth

19th Feb: Lossiemouth 1-3 Fraserburgh

2020/21

18th Aug: Lossiemouth 0-2 Fraserburgh

*No home fixture (Covid)

2019/20

11th Sep: Lossiemouth 0-3 Fraserburgh

18th Jan: Fraserburgh 6-0 Lossiemouth

2018/19

18th Aug: Lossiemouth 0-7 Fraserburgh

29th Dec: Fraserburgh 10-0 Lossiemouth

2017/18

16th Sep: Lossiemouth 1-5 Fraserburgh

24th Feb: Fraserburgh 2-0 Lossiemouth

2016/17

10th Sep: Fraserburgh 0-4 Lossiemouth

7th Jan: Lossiemouth 1-2 Fraserburgh

2015/16

1st Aug: Fraserburgh 1-2 Lossiemouth

21st Nov: Lossiemouth 1-2 Fraserburgh

2014/15

29th Oct: Lossiemouth 5-6 Fraserburgh

21st Mar: Fraserburgh 1-0 Lossiemouth

2013/14

31st Aug: Lossiemouth 1-1 Fraserburgh

11th Jan: Fraserburgh 3-1 Lossiemouth

Breedon Highland League | Saturday 29th July 2023 | Bellslea Park, Fraserburgh

THE CAPTAIN WILLIE WEST

And just like that we are back….

The team is buzzing to get going for the new season and filled with fresh enthusiasm and expectation.

The new recruits have settled in very well. Aidan has been a great addition to the team and has shown he can cause problems to opposition with his direct dribbling and unpredictability (hopefully he knows what he is doing!). But he is also a good addition to the dressing room and is getting on great with the guys, a common trait of all the players Mark and Baxter sign which I don’t think is by chance.

The return of Grant Campbell mid-way through pre-season I think was a big surprise for most but instantly lifted the squad and

the team’s confidence going into the season. His experience and leadership will be key to whatever we can achieve this year and I’m looking forward to seeing him get up to full fitness.

It’s also Josh and Connor’s first full seasons with the team and it hasn’t gone unnoticed the hard work they have undertaken in the off-season (with Rysie). Hopefully they can take that into the new season.

Following the end of last season, Ryan Cowie developed a pre-pre session schedule for the guys (for free!) which was a mixture of runs and gym work. The team are very lucky to have a player like Ryan in the squad to support our own athletic development. However,

the cultured trip to Dublin was particularly enjoyed by the lads.

It’s a big season for Joe Barbour as he takes on the Number 1 shirt but I am sure he is more than up for the challenge. Good luck to Eddie who has taken over the role of Goalkeeping coach as well as continuing to provide back-up for Joe.

Competition is now fierce in the team and Mark and Bax have now got a difficult / great job in selecting the starting 11. The new ruling of 5 subs is very much welcomed, with the squad at our disposal, and so hopefully Mark and Bax can use this to our advantage in the season ahead.

Although not in the League Cup this summer, the pre-season programme is probably the best we have been involved in. The sell-out crowds for Celtic and Aberdeen were fantastic for everyone to be part of and it was great to honour the Lifeboat and Ryan Cowie in these benefit games.

But the games against Cove, Maud, Broch Utd and East Fife were equally important to give everyone minutes going into the start of the season.

teams to beat. Although I do expect Banks o’ Dee and Formartine to be challenging also.

As a group, we look forward to the season with high expectations to improve on last year’s league performance as well as continuing our impressive cup runs. The park is looking absolutely great (as usual) and so hopefully we can repay the Groundsmen and the team of volunteers with some good performances and goals!

Lastly, I’d like to wish James Adams all the best with his new responsibilities in the Bruce Buchan Lounge.

Cheers, Willie

I think it will be the usual suspects at the top of the table with Brechin, Buckie, and Brora the

Ryan Cowie's Testimonial proceedings kicked off in earnest on the evening before the Dons game with a Kids Festival at James Ramsay Park.

The event gave around 140 keen youngsters the opportunity for some coaching by an FFC first teamer along with the chance to play alongside their heroes.

Organised by CB Coaching with support from FFC in the Community, the evening featured small-sided games with each participant being presented with a medal by Ryan at the end of their session.

Ryan commented, “I was truly overwhelmed with the support for the Kids Festival.

140 kids showed up with a large amount of them wearing their Broch strips.

I'd like to thank every kid for playing their part. Hopefully a few future Broch stars.

I'd also like to give credit to Claire and Graeme for organising and my team mates for giving up their free time to make the kids experience that extra bit special”.

THE HEAD OF YOUTH

MATTHEW WEST

We are delighted to get support at Management and Board level to provide further opportunty for local youngsters to join our Development Squad for the upcoming season.

In total 12 new players have joined the U18 squad and pre-season is well underway. The challenge to bring these guys in and get alignment with the existing group is one myself, Dean and Graham are looking forward too.

The pre-season schedule is tough as we look to challenge the guys with games against a range of opponents including a couple Junior outfits.

Our senior players within the Youth set-up took part in pre-season with First Team before heading out to local Junior clubs on loan.

We are indebted to the local Junior clubs for providing our players the opportunity to get valuable gametime at Junior level to help them continue to progress. These guys also continue to train regularly with Mark and the First Team which is vital for their development.

All is geared towards providing a platform for local players to develop and progress into our First Team. The youth players, both on loan and playing Juvenile, will form our squads for the Highland League Youth U18 East Section League and the Aberdeenshire & District Football Association U21 League which we were the winners of last season. These leagues start Monday 7th August and games are played alternate weeks every Monday night.

We are excited and preparing for another busy season for the whole Youth set-up, including our Foundation Phase which will start once the schools are back.

I am immensely proud and grateful for the Club’s focus on Youth and to see how well looked after and supported all the players and coaches are within the set-up is remarkable.

We owe a huge thanks to George Thom of VT Wealth and Mike McCafferty of AM Campbell for the sponsorship of all the Youth kit for the upcoming season. This is greatly appreciated, and the kit and tracksuits look brilliant.

Thank you!

Matthew West

INVERURIE LOCOS v. FRASERBURGH MATCH PREVIEW

Breedon Highland League | Saturday 5th August 2023 | Harlaw Park, Inverurie

Manager: Andy Low

Captain: Greg Mitchell

New arrivals: Zack Ellis (East End), Dem Yunus (Keith), Liam Morrison (Laredo Heat, USA)

Departures: Robert Ward (Peterhead), Craig Gill (Keith), Matthew Petermann (Deveronvale)

HFL Record Last 5 seasons*

22/23 6 14 8 12 6 50

21/22 7 19 6 9 30 63

18/19 5 20 6 8 48 66

17/18 3 25 3 6 67 78

16/17 9 14 8 12 18 50

*Covid-interupted seasons not included

Top Scorer 22/23: Gary Wood & Robert Ward (11)

Last 5 Results

22nd Apr: Formartine United 2-1 Inverurie Locos

15th Apr: Keith 2-3 Inverurie Locos

12th Apr: Inverurie Locos 4-0 Wick Academy

1st Apr: Inverurie Locos 2-4 Brora Rangers

25th Mar: Inverurie Locos 3-1 Turriff United

Highland League results, last 10 years:

2022/23

Sat 28 Jan Inverurie Loco Works 0-4 Fraserburgh

Sat 3 Sep Fraserburgh 1-2 Inverurie Loco Works

2021/22

Sat 15 Jan Inverurie Loco Works 0-2 Fraserburgh

Sat 28 Aug Fraserburgh 3-0 Inverurie Loco Works

2020/21

*No fixtures (Covid)

2019/20

Fri 6 Mar Inverurie Loco Works 1-4 Fraserburgh

Sat 26 Oct Fraserburgh 2-3 Inverurie Loco Works

2018/19

Sat 30 Mar Fraserburgh 2-4 Inverurie Loco Works

Sat 3 Nov Inverurie Loco Works 0-5 Fraserburgh

2017/18

Sat 13 Jan Inverurie Loco Works 2-2 Fraserburgh

Wed 13 Sep Fraserburgh 3-1 Inverurie Loco Works

2016/17

Sat 25 Mar Inverurie Loco Works 1-5 Fraserburgh

Sat 17 Sep Fraserburgh 1-0 Inverurie Loco Works

2015/16

Sat 2 Apr Inverurie Loco Works 1-1 Fraserburgh

Wed 11 Nov Fraserburgh 0-1 Inverurie Loco Works

2014/15

Sat 18 Apr Fraserburgh 1-3 Inverurie Loco Works

Sat 8 Nov Inverurie Loco Works 0-0 Fraserburgh

2013/14

Wed 5 Mar Inverurie Loco Works 2-1 Fraserburgh

Sat 8 Feb Fraserburgh 0-2 Inverurie Loco Works

PRE-SEASON MATCHES

FRASERBURGH 0-0 CELTIC

(Celtic won 5-3 on pens)

RNLI Benefit Match| Saturday 1st July 2023

A packed Bellslea welcomed Celtic to commerate the 1970 occasion when the sides met in a fundraiser for the families of the five crewmen who tragically perished in the Duchess of Kent lifeboat disaster. Similarly to the previous occasion the revenue was donated - this time to RNLI Fraserburghwith a minute's silence being immaculately observed prior to kick off.

When action got underway, Celtic scrambled clear a Bryan Hay header then Clarke held an angled drive from Sargent. Moments later, Sargent kept alive a misplaced Barbour shot with Sopel attempting to force home his centre. Watt’s follow-up was smothered by Clarke.

Sargent went clean through on 28 minutes but couldn't beat the keeper. In the lead up to half-time Barbour had a chance after being set free by Watt, and a 20 yard effort by Celtic's Kelly crashed against the bar.

After the break, the Broch continued to make chances with Barbour ruled offside after turning home on 56 minutes. Sean Butcher looped a header narrowly over from a centre from skipper West. Celtic almost took the lead with 15 to play when Simpson turned a corner onto his own crossbar.

A penalty shoot-out was to settle the destination the VT Wealth Cup and the visitors took the honours by 5 pens to 3.

FRASERBURGH: J.Barbour, Hay, Simpson, Young, West, Sopel, Sargent, S.Barbour, Watt, Buchan, Aitken

subs: Flinn, Wood, Bolton, Butcher, Laird

CELTIC: Clarke, Dede, Mackenzie, Agbaire, Robertson, Kelly, Hatton, Thomson, Dobbie, Turley, Frame

subs: McPherson, Morrison, Bonetig, Osagie, Anderson, Ure, Carse, Haddow, Bonnar, Quinn, Davidson

RNLI flag flies above Bellslea

Vee Thom presents Celtic with the VT Wealth Cup

COVE RANGERS 1-0 FRASERBURGH

Fraserburgh continued the pre-season preparations with a visit to Balmoral Stadium for the testimonial of Cove's longserving Connor Scully with the Broch pool bolstered by the inclusion of the returning Grant Campbell.

An evenly contested first half saw Joe Barbour twice denying Burrell and also saving from Fraser Fyvie. The Broch also threatened, a deflection taking Sopel's shot narrowly over, and Bolton volleying over from an Aitken centre.

Shortly after the break, Cove's trialist number 7 headed them in front at the back post. Sargent tried to level with a stinging drive, before the winger attempted to round Cove's new Aussie goalkeeper Nick Suman.

The keeper then made a great save to claw away a Buchan free-kick.

Broch boss Mark Cowie told the P&J, “When you play at this level of opposition you know you'll have spells without the ball but our shape was excellent. We restricted them to few chances, the goal was disappointing, but going forward we were good and caused problems, and probably should have scored".

FRASERBURGH: J.Barbour, Davidson, Aitken, Simpson, Hay, Buchan, Beagrie, Watt, Sopel, Bolton, Sargent

subs: Young, West, S.Barbour, Butcher, Campbell, Laird, Flinn, Cowie, Wood

SCORERS Cove Rangers: Trialist (47 mins)

The returning Grant Campbell Kieran Simpson puts in a block

FRASERBURGH UNITED 0-10 FRASERBURGH

A strong Broch XI took the field against their local junior rivals at College Park, and it wasn’t long before the HFL side created the first chance with Scott Barbour firing in a shot which the home keeper did well to touch onto the crossbar after 13 minutes.

On 25 minutes the visitors took the lead when Logan Watt got on the end of a Barbour cutback dispatching a low shot from the edge of the box into the net. Twelve minutes later Josh Bolton tapped home Zane Laird’s cross to extend the lead and three minutes before the break Joshua Hawkins volleyed home a third.

Both sides made changes at the break but there was no let up from the Broch with Watt firing home a fourth on 57 minutes.

Four further goals were scored in a six-minute spell either side of the midway point in the second half.

Connor Wood headed home on 65, Watt claimed his hat-trick tapping home a rebound on 67, Sean Butcher diverted Ryan Sargent’s cross into the net after 69 minutes and Wood saw another

header creep over the line before the United defence could clear on 71. Sargent crossed for Butcher to grab his second on 83 minutes and the flying winger finally grabbed a goal for himself firing home in the 86th minute.

Butcher thought he had completed his hat-trick with two minutes remaining, but his raking drive hit the crossbar and bounced down but did not cross the line according to the match officials.

FRASERBURGH: Flinn, Aitken, Hawkins, Simpson, Beagrie, Buchan, Watt, Bolton, Laird, Sopel, S.Barbour

subs: Davidson, Sargent, Hay, Young, Wood, Butcher, Cowie, J.Barbour, West

SCORERS

Fraserburgh: Watt 3 (25, 57, 67), Bolton (37), Hawkins (42), Wood 2 (65, 71), Butcher 2 (69, 83), Sargent (86)

Hat-trick hero Logan Watt

FRASERBURGH 0-2 ABERDEEN

Ryan Cowie Testimonial| Saturday 15th July 2023

For the second time in a fortnight Bellslea was packed as the Broch again faced up to full-time opposition. The match was of course part of Ryan Cowie's testimonial programme and the teams gave Ryan a guard of honour as he and son Hudson took to the field.

The Broch certainly weren't overawed by their Premiership opponents and competed keenly throughout with visiting keeper Roos saving smartly from Sean Butcher on the half-hour mark.

Bavidge and Clarkson both struck the woodwork as the Dons looked to edge ahead before Joe Barbour denied an effort from Duk and another from Clarkson.

Aberdeen did finally take the lead on 38 minutes. Bavidge received a smart pass from Clarkson and was able to stab home at the second attempt.

Six minutes after the break, Sokler made it 2-0 from the penalty spot after being felled by Bryan Hay.

Ryan Sargent attempted to pull one back as he made space for himself in the box but Doohan was able to comfortably deal with his effort, and Broch keeper Barbour thwarted Ryan Duncan shortly afterwards.

As the match drew to a close, Ryan was again given

a standing ovation as he was replaced by Willie West.

Assistant Manager, James Duthie, told the P&J: “It was a really good day for Ryan. Like everyone has said it was totally deserved. First and foremost he’s a really good lad who has shown brilliant dedication to be the best he can. We’re lucky to have him at the Broch and he’s everything you would want at your club in terms of how he applies himself. To see the place packed out for him was great and he deserves every accolade coming his way.”

FRASERBURGH: J.Barbour, Davidson, Hay, Cowie, Young, Beagrie, Sargent, S.Barbour, Wood, Butcher, Campbell

subs: Aitken, Sopel, Buchan, Simpson, Watt, Bolton, Laird, Harris, West, Flinn, Davidson

ABERDEEN: Roos, Devlin, MacKenzie, Shinnie, Clarkson, Lopes, Morris, Polvara, Ngwenya, Milne, Bavidge

subs: Doohan, Richardson, Barron, Ramadani, Hayes, Solkler, Besuijen, Duncan, Stewart

SCORERS

Aberdeen: Bavidge (38), Sokler (52 pen)

Guard of honour for Ryan Cowie

MAUD 1-3 FRASERBURGH

Friendly Match| Wednesday 19th July 2023

FRASERBURGH: Flinn, Aitken, Beagrie, Simpson, West, Campbell, Watt, Sopel, Butcher, Laird, Bolton

subs: Hay, Young, Sargent, S.Barbour, Wood, Buchan

SCORERS

Fraserburgh: Scott Barbour (48, 80), Greg Buchan (82)

EAST FIFE 1-0 FRASERBURGH

Friendly Match| Saturday 22nd July 2023

The Broch rounded off the pre-season programme with another visit to face SPFL opposition, this time East Fife who were fresh from finishing in last season's League 2 promotion play-off spots.

The first chance of the day fell to the visitors on 7 minutes when Barbour manufactured some space in the box from an Aitken throw but his shot couldn't trouble Rollo in the East Fife goal.

On 27 minutes, Joe Barbour was forced into action as East Fife worked an opening from a corner on the left, but Joe was down well to block with his feet from a Trialist's shot.

New signing Aidan Sopel carved out the Broch's next opening as he crafted a cross from the left, but Bryan Hay was unable to direct his header goalwards.

Into the second half and Greg Buchan fed Wood on the left, but when the cross came in Butcher couldn't quite make enough contact with his back post header.

The only goal was to arrive on 74 minutes and it came for the home side. Cunningham slid a diagonal in behind the defence and Martin finished calmly beneath the advancing Barbour.

With 7 minutes remaining, East Fife again found space behind the defence but this time Barbour saved smartly from a Taylor shot and shortly afterwards Barbour again saved smartly with a point-blank block as Cunningham attempted to turn home.

EAST FIFE: Rollo, Schiavone, Slattery, Trouten, Nicol, Philp, Cunningham, Docherty, Murray, Trialist, Comerford

subs: Beveridge, Trialist, Trialist, Ramsay, Taylor, Trialist

FRASERBURGH: J.Barbour, Aitken, Hay, Simpson, Hawkins, Campbell, Young, Sopel, Bolton, Laird, S.Barbour

subs: Beagrie, Wood, Watt, Buchan, Butcher, Cowie, Flinn

SCORER

East Fife: Sam Martin (75 mins)

Scott Barbour: second half double at Maud

Joe Barbour: smart saves in Methil

MATCH PREVIEW

KEITH v. FRASERBURGH

Breedon Highland League | Wednesday 16th August 2023 | Kynoch Park, Keith

Manager: Craig Ewen

Captain: James Brownie

New arrivals: Murray Addison (Formartine United), Craig Gill (Inverurie Loco Works), Liam Cheyne (Turriff United), Michael Taylor (Sunnybank)

Departures: Dem Yunus (Inverurie Loco Works), Kieran Mooney (Bo’ness United), Kyle Irvine (Banks o’ Dee)

Highland League results, last 10 years:

2022/23

Sat 18 Feb Fraserburgh 4-0 Keith

Sat 3 Dec Keith 1-1 Fraserburgh

2021/22

Sat 5 Mar Keith 0-5 Fraserburgh

Sat 16 Oct Fraserburgh 7-0 Keith

2020/21

*No fixtures (Covid)

2019/20

Sat 19 Oct Fraserburgh 4-0 Keith

*No away fixture (Covid)

2018/19

Sat 16 Mar Fraserburgh 3-1 Keith

*Covid-interupted seasons not included

Top Scorer 22/23: Kieran Mooney (8)

Last 5 Results

22nd Apr: Keith 2-3 Banks o’ Dee

19th Apr: Keith 0-2 Brechin City

15th Apr: Keith 2-3 Inverurie Locos

th Apr: Strathspey Thistle 0-1 Keith 8th Apr: Keith 1-1 Huntly

Wed 8 Aug Keith 0-3 Fraserburgh

2017/18

Sat 25 Nov Fraserburgh 1-2 Keith

Sat 5 Aug Keith 0-3 Fraserburgh

2016/17

Sat 18 Mar Keith 2-6 Fraserburgh

Sat 29 Oct Fraserburgh 1-3 Keith

2015/16

Sat 12 Dec Fraserburgh 0-3 Keith

Sat 22 Aug Keith 1-2 Fraserburgh

2014/15

Sat 14 Mar Keith 0-4 Fraserburgh

Sat 1 Nov Fraserburgh 4-1 Keith

2013/14

Sat 19 Apr Keith 2-3 Fraserburgh

Sat 28 Sep Fraserburgh 4-0 Keith

FRASERBURGH

FRASERBURGH FC SQUAD

FRASERBURGH v. BUCKIE MATCH PREVIEW

Breedon Highland League | Saturday 12th August | Bellslea Park, Fraserburgh

Manager: Graeme Stewart

Captain: Kevin Fraser

New arrivals:

Stuart Knight (Forres Mechanics), Darryl McHardy (Elgin City), Euan Storrier (Huntly), Jack MacIver (Formartine United), Dale Wood (Forres Mechanics)

Departures:

Lee Herbert (Forres Mechanics), Mark McLauchlan (Forres Mechanics)

HFL Record Last 5 seasons*

Highland League results, last 10 years:

2022/23

Sat 19 Nov Fraserburgh 1-0 Buckie Thistle

Sat 30 Jul Buckie 2-1 Fraserburgh

2021/22

Wed 9 Feb Fraserburgh 1-3 Buckie Thistle

Wed 25 Aug Buckie Thistle 2-2 Fraserburgh

2020/21

* No fixtures (Covid)

2019/20

Sat 21 Dec Fraserburgh 3-2 Buckie Thistle

Sat 17 Aug Buckie Thistle 1-3 Fraserburgh

2018/19

Sat 23 Feb Buckie Thistle 1-4 Fraserburgh

Sat 13 Oct Fraserburgh 2-1 Buckie Thistle

2017/18

*Covid-interupted seasons not included

Top Scorer 22/23: Josh Peters (22)

Last 5 Results

22nd Apr: Buckie Thistle 0-2 Brechin City

15th Apr: Buckie Thistle 1-0 Formartine United

8th Apr: Strathspey Thistle 0-2 Buckie Thistle

1st Apr: Forres Mechanics 2-3 Buckie Thistle

25th Mar: Buckie Thistle 3-0 Nairn County

Sat 17 Feb Fraserburgh 2-2 Buckie Thistle

Sat 21 Oct Buckie Thistle 4-1 Fraserburgh

2016/17

Wed 12 Apr Fraserburgh 2-5 Buckie Thistle

Sat 15 Oct Buckie Thistle 1-1 Fraserburgh

2015/16

Sat 5 Dec Buckie Thistle 2-2 Fraserburgh

Sat 15 Aug Fraserburgh 1-2 Buckie Thistle

2014/15

Sat 14 Feb Buckie Thistle 2-2 Fraserburgh

Sat 4 Oct Fraserburgh 2-2 Buckie Thistle

2013/14

Wed 12 Mar Fraserburgh 5-2 Buckie Thistle

Sat 10 Aug Buckie Thistle 2-1 Fraserburgh

FRASERBURGH FC SUPPORTERS CLUB NEWS

Well, it’s hard to believe we are about to start a new season with Lossiemouth coming to visit on the 29th July for our opening game.

All at the supporter’s club would like to welcome Aidan Sopel to the club, Aidan (23) made 58 appearances for Elgin City and will be a great addition to our squad, lets hope he has a long and successful career at the Bellslea.

It was fantastic news when we heard that Grant Campbell was returning to the club, Grant has had a year out with an injury which hopefully has now gone, he was a huge part of the league winning team a couple of years back, with Paul Young, Greg Buchan and Logan Watt in midfield for us Mark will have plenty of options on match days.

The pre-season started on the 1st July with a game against Celtic, it was great to see the Bellslea full to capacity as all proceeds were going to the Fraserburgh Lifeboat fund, some of the players from the first match played on the 28th of April 1970 and the Fraserburgh Lifeboat crew took to the field prior to the game starting.

A minute’s silence was started and finished by the launching of rockets, in the past this would have been used to bring the men to the lifeboat station.

"Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, To Lay Down His Life For His Fellowmen"

It is vitally important to recall why this game was taking place, the Fraserburgh LifeboatDuchess of Kentcapsized 40 miles NE by E of Fraserburgh on the 21st of January 1970, while on service to the Danish fishing vessel“Opal” after being struck by a 30 ft wave, five of the six crewmen on the Lifeboat died. The men who died that day were Coxswain John Stephen aged 45, Mechanic Fred Kirkness aged 56, and volunteers William Hadden aged 34, James Slessor Buchan aged 38 and James Buchan aged 29. There was only one survivor, John “Jackson” Buchan aged 44, who had been flung clear when the wave struck.

After the game finished all square with neither goalkeeper losing a goal, Celtic went on to win 5 –3 on penalties.

We were then off to Balmoral Stadium to play Cove Rangers in a Connor Scully testimonial game, in a tight match Cove won the game by 1 goal to nil. On the following Wednesday we played Fraserburgh United at College Park, it was a tight game for the first 30 minutes as the Broch went in at half-time with a 3-nil lead, class and fitness told in the second half as the Broch ran out 10 nil winners. Highlights of the performance were a Logan Watt hat-trick and a goal for young left back Joshua Hawkins.

It was then fabulous to see a packed Bellslea Park for Ryan Cowie’s testimonial match, Aberdeen were the visitors for the game and they ran out winning by 2 goals to nil, it was great to see Johnny Hayes and the rest of the Aberdeen team stay on the park for as long as it took to sign all the shirts and getting photos taken with all the fans.

Ryan made his debut for the Broch on Saturday the 11th August 2012, he came on as a substitute at the Bellslea in a League match against Fort William, we won the game by 6 goals to nil, Scott Barbour scored a hat-trick, then there was 1 each for Graeme Johnston, Ryan Christie and Scott Fowlie “who was also making his debut that day”.

Ryan has now played 328 games for the Broch, he is now 24th in the all-time appearance charts having just overtaken our ex-manager Kris Hunter who is on 327.

During his career he has scored 27 goals for the Broch, he is now 54th equal in the all-time goals scored charts, more importantly, he is the Cowie brothers’ top scorer for the Broch, older brother Mark is on 25 and Dean is on 19, “not that this statistic is important!!”.

He scored his first goal for the club on Wednesday 10th April 2013 at home to Deveronvale in the League, we won the game by 4 goals to nil.

Aruably Ryans most important goal for the Broch was on Saturday 21st December 2013 away at Brora, the goal that he scored gave us a 1 nil victory against what became the Highland League Champions, this was the only game that Brora lost that season on their way to the title.

Ryan has won many medals during his stay at the Broch, his own personal trophy cabinet must be bulging and we hope that there are many more to come in the future.

All at the Broch supporter’s club would like to thank Ryan, for all he has done for the club during his long career, we hope the rest of his events for his testimonial season go as well as the Aberdeen game, we thank him for the past and wish him Tasha and Hudson all the best for the future.

We were off to our friends at Maud next for a midweek game, we were 1 nil down at half-time but ran out winners by 3 goals to 1 at the end of the match.

The last of our preseason matches saw us away to Methil in Fife to play East Fife, the club was formed in 1903 and they are now playing in the Scottish 2nd division, they play at Bay View Stadium, their most successful time in their history was in 1938 when they won the Scottish Cup, they have also won the Scottish League Cup on 3 occasions.

It was a tight game on a plastic pitch, both teams took the opportunity to use a lot of players during the game, East Fife won by 1 goal to nil.

As the new season is about to start, I thought it was a good time to show the Broch all time appearances and goals records.

Fraserburgh F.C. all-time appearances and top goal scorers.

Appearances

Fraserburgh F.C. present team appearances and goals scored.

(The number to the left of each name gives their position in the all-time Broch records).

Appearances

The supporters club held our AGM in the Elizabethan Bar on Saturday 27th May, no changes were made to the committee members and bus prices and membership fees were kept the same as last year.

Bus prices are subject to change as fuel prices may increase during the season.

We will be running a bus to the Inverurie game on Saturday 5th August which will leave the Elizabethan at 12:45pm, the cost of travel is £10 for adults and £5 for others.

We will also be running a bus to the Keith game on Wednesday 16th August which will leave the Elizabethan at 6:15pm, the cost of travel is £10 for adults and £5 for others.

Please note that all seats on all buses must be booked by contacting Barry Walker at the supporter’s club.

We hope to attract new members to the supporter’s club as we have kept our membership and bus prices at the same cost as last year.

Non-members are also very welcome to travel to games but they will have to pay an extra £2.

Our bus info page will tell you the cost and times of bus travel, we leave for home right after the final whistle.

Visit

CLUB SPONSORS 2023/24 CLUB SPONSORS 2023/24

VT Wealth

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With offices in Aberdeen and Fraserburgh, our clients are at the very heart of our business which is built on strong values and attention to detail. Our commitment is to provide tailored, considered choices and forward-thinking financial advice to help our clients gain peace of mind and make the most of their money.

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Entier

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Watermill Coaches

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CLUB SPONSORS 2023/24

PBP Services

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Our main services include all types of surface preparation such as blast cleaning using abrasive grits, UHP waterblasting, slurry blasting, steam cleaning, pressure washing and all types of mechanical tool preparation to surfaces ranging from ferrous and non ferrous metals, to concrete, fibre glass and wood.

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Masson Glennie

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Steel Works: The design and construction staff at ReidFab are committed to helping you throughout the entire construction process: from the first blueprint to the last bolt.

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George Thom

Vice Chairman and Sponsorship Co-ordinator

george.thom@fraserburghfc.co.uk

DG Electrical

Dennis Gordon Electrical is a family based company established in 1974 by Dennis Gordon.

The company has now expanded and employs over 35 members of staff. Based in Fraserburgh, our fully qualified team of electricians are on hand to provide comprehensive electrical services.

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QUESTION & ANSWER

SEAN BUTCHER

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Aberdeen but moved to Boddam at a young age. I went to Boddam Primary before moving to Peterhead Academy for the rest of my time at school.

Team supported as a boy?

The Dons (Aberdeen), through and through. Love a trip to Pittodrie and love getting to take the kids along in the same way my Dad took me when I was their age.

First game you remember watching?

Can’t remember the date but always remember one of the first Aberdeen matches I watched was against Hibs at Pittodrie, think they scored a last minute winner, roughly 1999/2000 kinda time.

First game you can remember playing in?

Always remember my debuts. For Longside, it was against Deveronvale in a friendly at Davidson Park. I think we got beat 10-1 or something like that but I managed to score so I was happy enough haha!

For The Broch, my debut was at home to Cove on a Wednesday night. I think we got beat 1-0 but it was a great experience getting to test myself at this level.

Best moment on a football pitch? Has to be winning the league with The Broch - a special, special day that will mean a lot to all of us and our families for the rest of our days.

Favourite goal you have scored?

Ties in with the last question. THAT GOAL on the last day of the season against Forres when we won the league. Ask my Mrs Nikki how many times I’ve watched it back haha!

Who do you sit next to on the bus?

I’m a bit boring on the bus to be honest, usually sit myself headphones in and get some sleep. Nae something you get loads of at home with 2 young kids.

The boots you wore for your last game?

Nike Phantoms - all black, must be black. I’ve my kids initials stitched on the side aswell to give them that personal touch.

How do you relax away from football?

Family time, love watching my kids play football and usually when I’m nae at the Broch I’m running them about to their training and games. Quite enjoy a game of darts aswell.

Favourite goal you have seen?

Has to be James Maddison’s freekick at Pittodrie against Rangers. What a Bounce!

Funniest thing you have seen in a dressing room?

Been loads over the years at the Broch. Probably a few involving Paul Leask but can’t think off the top of my head.

Any pre-match rituals or special routines?

I’ve one, just one, and I’ve no idea why I do it. I’ve just done it for so long now that I’ve kept it up haha! I won’t put my boots on until after Mark’s done his team talk. Like I say, don’t ask why!

Which player in history would you like to play alongside?

Ronaldinho! Hero whilst I was growing up. Just loved watching him.

If you had the power, which one thing would you change about football?

Reduce ticket prices. Some places charge ridiculous prices to buy tickets and value for your money isn’t great at times.

If you could have the opportunity to give another sport a go on a national level, which sport would that be?

Darts or Golf. Really enjoy both of them.

What’s your favourite movie or TV series? Got to be Still Game!

Favourite band or artist? Arctic Monkeys.

Who has the worst taste in music in the dressing room?

Difficult one. Fig or Ryan usually do the music and it’s normally quite good to be fair.

What do you love most about playing football?

Winning and scoring goals. There’s no better feeling than after a win and even better if you’ve grabbed a goal or two. Already feeling the thought of not having that when my playing time eventually comes to an end.

Thursday 13th July 2023

After 400 out of 572 you voted for Option B, we, in conjuction with Dave from Mains Highlandwear, have now set the wheels in motion to have our Tartan registered and some products made.

Wednesday 12th July 2023

MATCH DAY HOSPITALITY

As the new season fast approaches, we are delighted to share the arrangements for our popular Match day experience at our Hospitality Lounge.

Saturday Match - Match Day ticket unchanged from season 2022/23 at £78:

• £10 discount per match for any individual Ground Season Ticket holder (Adult or Adult concession)

• 20% (£13) loyalty discount on subsequent individual Hospitality Ticket purchases after 1st visit –Ticket price £65.

• Early season discount of £28 (36%) for individual Hospitality Ticket purchases for the 1st 4 home Saturday games to 30 September – Ticket Price £50. (Lossiemouth, Buckie, Deveronvale and Turriff.)

Midweek Matches for the entire season (League & Cup): the introduction of an individual ticket for £35, including vat:

Starting with Lambswool Scarfs which we hope to have available late October for which we provide more details in due course.

Many thanks to all those who participated in the vote and we look forward to seeing it in the flesh in the near future.

• Complimentary Pre match drinks 1 hour prior to kick off.

• Match attendance, including a Main Stand seat if desired.

• Half Time Refreshments.

• Complimentary Post match drinks 1 hours after the final whistle.

Thanks to those who have already

booked spaces for the season ahead –to book, or find out more about our Match Day hospitality, please contact Nick Forman at hospitality@fraserburghfc.co.uk

Sunday 9th July 2023

We are delighted to have Mains Highlandwear as our Official Highlandwear Partner. David Main, owner of Mains Highlandwear commented, “We are proud to become the official club supplier for Highland wear and we're delighted to see our sign up at Bellslea Park. I would like to wish the club all the very best for the coming season!”.

Club by becoming Main Sponsor, and in doing so, to help the club financially. As a local business, George and I consider it an honour to have our logo on the front of the 1st team shirts.

The Fraserburgh Community has been very supportive of us since we opened our 2nd office next to Maitland’s Restaurant, trusting us to assist with all aspects of Financial Planning and Mortgages. It’s been a privilege to “give back” to the community, through the Club, in this way. We are approaching our 5th anniversary in Fraserburgh, and this sponsorship also increases our Brand awareness.”

To arrange a fitting or for any other enquiries, please email David on david@mainshighlandwear.co.uk

Or contact them via their Facebook page https://mainshighlandwear.co.uk/

Sunday 9th July 2023

We are delighted to have VT Wealth as our Main Sponsor and our Official Financial Planner Partner. Sponsorship is highly important for the successful running of a club, and we are privileged to have a local Professional Business as our Main Sponsor.

Vee Thom, Principal of VT Wealth commented, “We are delighted to further strengthen our support to the

Sunday 9th July 2023

As a club we are immensely proud to have been transported around the country for 30 years by Watermill Coaches. They have been a great supporter of the club and we are delighted to have their name on our Travelling Kit.

become the

Pictured is Vee Thom presenting us with the new kit.

Raymond Clark, Transport Manager of Watermill Coaches commented, “We’re delighted to

official travel partner of Fraserburgh Football Club for the coming season. We have been transporting the club for the past 30 years and are immensely proud to be working with them. We wish them all the very best for the season ahead.”

Princess Royal Park on Saturday 26th August.

Thursday 6th July 2023

We are delighted to annouce that Grant Campbell has returned to Bellslea Park on a two year deal.

Pictured is Raymond Clark presenting us with the new Polos and Hoodies.

Friday 7th July 2023

The Broch have been drawn away to Deveronvale in the 1st Round of the GPH Builders Merchant Highland League Cup.

Grant left at the end of our Championship winning season but feels the time is right to come back and resume his career.

We look forward to seeing Grant back in the Black & White Stripes of the Broch.

Saturday 17th June 2023

We are delighted to annouce that Sam Inglis (17) has agreed to extend his contract until the summer of 2025.

This is not a competition that either club have done well in recently so both will want to get off to a good start.

The game will take place at

Sam made his debut away to Brora Rangers in February when he came on as a second half sub and went on to make a total of six appearances over the season.

Friday 2nd June 2023

Ryan Sargent has agreed a two-year extension to his contract which will see him remain a Broch player until the summer of 2026.

tie with Stranraer at Bellslea and went to make a total of five appearances over the course of the season. Congratulations to Callum and we look forward to seeing more of him in the seasons ahead.

Thursday 18th May 2023

The club are delighted to announce that we have agreed a three year contract with Aidan Sopel from Elgin City.

Ryan (22) has made 107 appearances for the club, scoring 27 times along the way so we are delighted that a local loon is committing to the club for the foreseeable future.

Wednesday 24th May 2023

We are delighted that talented youngster Callum Kelly has signed his first Professional Contract with the club. Callum, who turned 18 last week, has been a regular in both our U18 team and our championship winning Aberdeenshire League U21 teams of last season.

Aidan (23) made 58 appearances for Elgin City and will be a great addition to our squad. Aidan is a player who we looked at getting on board last season but we are certain it will be worth the wait.

Callum made his First Team debut coming off the bench in our Scottish Cup

PLAYER & STAFF

Memory match

FRASERBURGH 5 BANKS O’ DEE 0

It was an evening to remember for Fraserburgh as they secured their first Aberdeenshire Shield success in over a decade –and indeed, their first trophy for over 5 years – with a crushing victory over Banks O’ Dee at the home of their local neighbours and rivals Peterhead. Kris Hunter saw the first lifting of a competitive trophy as a Fraserburgh manager, albeit receiving his second successive winner’s medal in this competition after coming out on top in charge of Turriff United in last years final against Aberdeen.

After a sluggish start by both sides, it was the Broch who gained the advantage through a Dean Cowie penalty and following that they never looked back – rattling five goals past their hapless Superleague counterparts.

Up until then, neither side had any real foothold on the game, but the deadlock was eventually broken just under half an hour in. A cross from Mark Cowie aimed for Graham Johnston in the middle, but he was bundled over by John Cameron, who received a booking for his troubles before Dean Cowie rattled home the penalty kick, sending goalkeeper Stark the wrong direction.

From that point onwards, it was all one-way traffic. The Banks O’ Dee forward line was reduced to virtual spectators throughout as Fraserburgh went on to extend their advantage, Scott Barbour adding the second. Steven Main excellently picked out the young protégé’s run down the left in between two defenders, Barbour shimmied by the first marker but still had considerable work to do, however he opened up his body to sidefoot past Stark, although the ball initially looked to be going wide, it trickled in off the post to put the Bellslea Park side in the driving seat.

And deep into first-half injury time, they had a third. Barbour’s corner was initially knocked out by a Banks O’ Dee defender, Bryan Hay headed back into the danger zone but the ball could only be knocked clear as far as William West, who from 10 yards out volleyed home and the Shield which was based in the press room underneath the main stand was all but ready to have the Highland League side’s name engraved on it.

Half-Time: Banks O’ Dee 0 Fraserburgh 3

The Junior outfit had shown little in the way of chances in a first half that flew past them, however the stats showed that Fraserburgh had scored 3 with their only 3 shots on target, but it was this clinical attitude that made the difference in the end.

With an hour on the clock, Bryan Hay made it four with an excellent diving header, after losing his marker and nodding home from Steven Main’s free-kick on the left-hand touchline, and at this point the tie was in danger of becoming a farcical rout, but thankfully for the spirit of the competition the scoreline stayed

down.

However, the side from Spain Park were most certainly down and out, but not left spiritless as David Greig showed with a longrange effort which skimmed Paul Leask’s post on its way by.

But the Broch soon completed their nap hand, and Scott Barbour completed his second brace in the space of 4 days following his double strike against Lossiemouth at the weekend. Kris Hunter was quoted little more than a month ago as saying Barbour was worthy of a Young player award at the end of the season, but although he was just pipped to the sponsors MOTM tonight by Dean Cowie, based on Barbour’s recent showings entwined with tonight’s performance it would be worth a thought if he failed to collect the senior HFL player of the year award with this mature, accomplished showing.

Johnston’s lovely reverse pass played in the 20-year old and his low effort was similar to his first strike as it crept inside the post, despite Fraser Stark looking like he could have done more to prevent the goal.

At 5-0, the last man the weary Dee defence wanted to see was the introduction of Allan Hale late on in the game, yet he almost made it six of the best with a fizzing effort that just flew by the far post after a fantastic sprayed ball by Cooper.

The overall margin of victory may have been surprising, but nevertheless a stunning triumph by Fraserburgh as Steven Main collected the club’s first Aberdeenshire Shield of the Millenniumtheir sixth overall, a new record - and Kris Hunter now has a platform to build on going into next season and based on his team’s progress this season, exciting times look nigh for the Broch.

Full-Time: Banks O’ Dee 0 Fraserburgh 5

Banks O’ Dee: Stark, Cameron (Whelan 53), Turnbull, Allan, Long, Tritton, Jack (Stuart 46), Scaife (Hunter 60), Grey, Lynch, Greig.

Unused Subs: Murphy, Morrison.

Fraserburgh: Leask, Hay, Main (Hale 73), Dickson (Chalmers 69), Christie, Dean Cowie, Cooper, West, Mark Cowie, Johnston (Conway 78), Scott Barbour.

Unused Subs: Joe Barbour, Morrice.

Referee – Graham Beaton Attendance – 731

Bryan Hay’s header finds the net to make it four

Scott Barbour completes his brace

REGULATIONS

Copies of these Ground regulations are posted in areas of the Ground so as to be easily accessible and visible to spectators

1. All persons entering the Ground are admitted subject to the following Ground Rules and to the Rules and Regulations of the SFA and the SHFL. Entry to the Ground shall be deemed to constitute unqualified acceptance of all these Rules and Regulations.

2. All persons entering the Ground are admitted subject to the condition that they may be required to submit to search to prevent dangerous articles being brought into the Ground which might be used to cause injury or damage to persons or property.

3. Spectators are asked, in the interests of public safety and good order, to comply with all instructions issued by Police, Stewards or designated agents of the Club.

4. All matches are played in accordance with the Rules of the Scottish Football Association, the Scottish Highland Football League and, where applicable, the Regulations of U.E.F.A. competitions.

5. Play cannot be guaranteed to take place on any particular day or at any particular time and the Club reserves the right to change its advertised fixtures without prior notice and without liability.

6. On no account will admission be granted to a person who is subject of a current Football Banning Order.

7. Tickets allocated by this Club are issued on the express condition that no holder shall sell or transfer the ticket for a larger price than face value. In the event of any breach of this condition Fraserburgh F.C. reserves the right to cancel the ticket and retain the money paid.

8. At all times, the right of admission is reserved by the Club Management and unless specifically authorised no transfers between Stands are allowed. Spectators found in the wrong area amid opposing fans may be ejected.

9. When a match is abandoned before the expiry of the first half, admission vouchers for the rearranged fixture will be issued to spectators. That arrangement does not however preclude spectators from seeking a cash refund from the Club on presentation of that voucher. The arrangements in cases where the match is abandoned after the expiry of the first half shall be a matter for the reasonable discretion of the Club.

10. In the event of an all ticket match being postponed for any reason, the ticket can be retained and will be valid for the rescheduled fixture. Alternatively spectators will be entitled to a refund.

11. Children over the age of 13 entering the Ground, must pay for admission or hold a valid ticket. Children 12 and under shall be admitted free of charge provided they are accompanied by an adult.

12. Unauthorised persons are not permitted to enter upon the field of play or the perimeter track. Failure to comply may result in arrest or removal from the stadium, application of a stadium ban and/or instigation of Football Banning Order procedures.

13. It is an offence under the terms of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995, as amended by the Crime and Disorder Act, 1998 to make any remarks of a racist nature. Any breach of this offence may result in arrest and instigation of Football Banning Order procedures.

14. It is an offence under the Public Order Act 1986 for any person to enter, or attempt to enter the Ground:

• whilst in possession of any article or substance whose main function is the emission of a flare for the purposes of illuminating or signalling (as opposed to igniting or heating) or the emission of smoke or visible gas, and in particular includes distress flares, fog signals and pellets and capsules intended to be used as fumigators or for testing pipes.

• with any article which is a firework.

• and subsequently activate smoke canisters and/or pyrotechnics, which can endanger the safety of spectators

15. It is an offence under the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 to enter or attempt to enter the Ground:

• Whilst in possession of a controlled container which is or was capable of holding liquid and which, if thrown would be capable of causing injury to another person

• Whilst in possession of alcohol

• Whilst drunk

16. The use of threatening behaviour, foul or abusive language is strictly forbidden. Racial, sectarian, homophobic or discriminatory abuse or chanting is also forbidden and is considered as unacceptable conduct and may result in arrest and/or instigation of Football Banning Order procedures.

17. Persistent standing is forbidden in seated viewing areas. Anyone who continues to stand after having been requested not to, may be removed from the stadium and be subject to a ban.

18. Under no circumstances is it permitted to throw any objects whether on to the pitch or track or otherwise.

19. Club flags and banners, as well as any official national flag are permissible, provided they do not carry any additional religious, racist or other derogatory messages. Flags/banners must not interfere with the viewing capabilities or safety of other Spectators. In addition, flags and banners must not be allowed to obstruct advertising boards or directional signage. Small flags can be mounted on garden canes provided the canes measure less than 100cms in length.

20. Unnecessary noise such as from the use of radio sets and behaviour likely to cause confusion, annoyance or nuisance of any kind, is not permitted in any part of the Ground.

21. With the exception of authorised Media representatives holding accreditation issued by the club/event organiser, the taking of photographs or filming by any means inside the Ground is prohibited. In addition, no transmission or reproduction, in whole or in part, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise is permitted save with a special authorisation in writing by the club/event organiser and, where appropriate, the prior consent of the Scottish Football Association, the Scottish Highland Football League or appropriate body.

22. Only persons specifically authorised in writing by the Club are permitted to offer Newspapers, Periodicals or any other Articles for sale in the Ground and any charitable collection will only be permitted within the ground with prior written consent of the Club.

23. The Club reserves the right for its servants and agents and for members of Police Forces to remove from this Ground any person who does not comply with these Ground Regulations and with the Rules and Regulations of the SFA, SHFL. and/or where applicable, the regulations of U.E.F.A. Competitions or, whose presence in the Ground is, or could reasonably be construed as, constituting a source of danger, nuisance or annoyance to other Spectators.

24. CCTV cameras may be in use and recordings could be used in any proceedings.

25. The Club operates a ProtocolAgreement with Police Scotland whereby the details of individuals who have been ejected or arrested at matches involving Fraserburgh F.C. either home or away, is shared with the Club. On examination of this information the Club reserves the right to indefinitely ban the individual from Bellslea Park and from purchasing tickets for away matches from the Club’s Ticket outlets.

26. In compliance with Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005, and the Prohibition of Smoking in Certain Premises (Scotland) Act 2006, smoking is permitted within areas designated for that purpose within the stadium. Failure to comply with this legislation will see the individual ejected from the Stadium and, where appropriate, issued with a fixed penalty ticket by the Police

27. Use of umbrellas – fans can bring collapsible umbrellas into the stadium and retain them but cannot use them during the game. Fixed umbrellas (of the type which have pointed metal ends) are not permitted into the stadium, per SFA ground rules.

FIRST TEAM FIXTURES & RESULTS 2023/24

Sat 11 Nov Nairn County H Highland League

Sat 18 Nov Rothes A Highland League

Sat 25 Nov Brechin City A Highland League

Sat 2 Dec Strathspey Thistle H Highland League

Sat 9 Dec Lossiemouth A Highland League

Sat 16 Dec Inverurie Locos H Highland League

Sat 23 Dec Buckie Thistle A Highland League

Sat 30 Dec Keith H Highland League

Sat 6 Jan Deveronvale A Highland League

Sat 13 Jan Clachnacuddin H Highland League

Sat 20 Jan Turriff United A Highland League

Sat 27 Jan Wick Academy H Highland League

Sat 3 Feb Forres Mechanics H Highland League

Sat 10 Feb Formartine United A Highland League

Sat 17 Feb Huntly H Highland League

Sat 2 Mar Brora Rangers A Highland League

Sat 9 Mar Banks o' Dee H Highland League

Sat 16 Mar Nairn County A Highland League

Sat 23 Mar Rothes H Highland League

Sat 6 Apr Brechin City H Highland League

Sat 13 Apr Strathspey Thistle A Highland League

Substitutes

FRASERBURGH v. DEVERONVALE MATCH PREVIEW

Breedon Highland League | Saturday 19th August 2023 | Bellslea Park, Fraserburgh

Manager: Craig Stewart

Captain: Harry Noble

New arrivals: Matthew Petermann (Inverurie Loco Works), Jamie McLennan (Fraserburgh), Jamie

Tinnock (Elgin City), Liam Gibb (Fraserburgh), Curtis West (Deveronside)

Departures: none

*Covid-interupted seasons not included

Top Scorer 22/23: Dane Ballard (16)

Last 5 Results

22nd Apr: Deveronvale 2-3 Nairn County

15th Apr: Deveronvale 3-3 Wick Academy

8th Apr: Rothes 1-1 Deveronvale

1st Apr: Formartine United 2-1 Deveronvale

18th Mar: Deveronvale 2-1 Forres Mechanics

Highland League results, last 10 years:

2022/23

Sat 7th Jan Deveronvale 2-3 Fraserburgh

Sat 23 Jul Fraserburgh 3-0 Deveronvale

2021/22

Sat 19 Mar Fraserburgh 5-0 Deveronvale

Wed 9 Mar Deveronvale 0-6 Fraserburgh

2020/21

*No fixtures (Covid)

2019/20

Sat 9 Nov Deveronvale 0-3 Fraserburgh

*No home fixture (Covid)

2018/19

Sat 12 Jan Fraserburgh 4-1 Deveronvale

Wed 29 Aug Deveronvale 1-5 Fraserburgh

2017/18

Sat 3 Feb Deveronvale 1-4 Fraserburgh

Sat 7 Oct Fraserburgh 7-3 Deveronvale

2016/17

Sat 4 Feb Deveronvale 1-2 Fraserburgh

Wed 5 Oct Fraserburgh 3-0 Deveronvale

2015/16

Sat 14 Nov Fraserburgh 0-1 Deveronvale

Sat 25 Jul Deveronvale 2-2 Fraserburgh

2014/15

Sat 21 Feb Fraserburgh 6-1 Deveronvale

Sat 25 Oct Deveronvale 1-0 Fraserburgh

2013/14

Sat 22 Feb Fraserburgh 2-5 Deveronvale

Sat 19 Oct Deveronvale 1-0 Fraserburgh