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Daily Record
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Dalbeattie Star appoint David Taylor as new manager ahead of South of Scotland League season
He had been in interim charge following the departure of Eddie Warwick in April. David Taylor has been announced as Dalbeattie Star's new manager. He had been in interim charge following the departure of Eddie Warwick in April. And he has now been handed the job on a permanent basis as the Islecroft side try to win back the South of Scotland League title. He said: I live in the Motherwell area and I've had a few options up here but this will be my third year here and you get a wee bit of affection and you're invested in it. 'The important bit was to see the boys through to the end of last season. Some boys were keen to stay on, some weren't. 'Once I was offered it and given that opportunity to think about it, it was something that was quite appealing. 'The travel doesn't mean a whole lot to me – if you're involved in football you need to travel anyway. 'It's important to appreciate what Eddie did – whatever happened between him and the club happened, it's one of those things that happens in football and everybody has to draw a line with it.' Taylor – whose son David scored the winning goal when Star retained the Cree Lodge Cup at the end of last season – had been part of Warwick's coaching staff at Islecroft. He has also had a number of managerial and coaching jobs in the Lanarkshire area – including working with academy players at Premiership side Motherwell Now Taylor, whose coaching team will include Mikey Devlin, Alex Clarke and Farrel O'Sullivan, is focusing on getting the team ready for the new South of Scotland League season. He said: 'We're probably still two or three signings away. We've a decent amount of boys signed up but you're always looking. 'If something comes along, then as long as it fits into your playing style and how you want to go about it you'd be daft not to explore that opportunity. 'We're delighted with who has stayed and we've added and we're looking to add the finishing touches. 'We've another couple of weeks before the season officially starts and lot of teams are scrambling for the same sort of players – we're getting there and hopefully we'll not be too far away.'


Daily Record
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Creetown to start 130th anniversary season with special friendly against St Roch's Juniors
The Castle Cary Park side will begin their preparations for the new South of Scotland League campaign against St Roch's Juniors. Creetown kick-off their 130th anniversary season with a special friendly on Saturday. And boss Martin McCaulay hopes the encounter with St Roch's Juniors gets his side ready for the new season. Further games against Threave 20s, Dalbeattie Star and Maybole Juniors are planned before the big kick-off against Star on July 26. With games against Stranraer, Nithsdale Wanderers and Lochar Thistle following soon after, McCaulay wants a competitive pre-season to put his players through their paces ahead of a tough start to the campaign. He said: 'From the club's point of view it's a big season. 'It's another milestone in the club's history and everyone is looking forward to it. 'St Roch's Juniors are making the long trip down from Glasgow to open up our pre-season. 'During the off season, I told the club there would be a few outgoings and hopefully more incomings and I wanted pre-season as tough as I could get it. 'When you've new players, you've not got much time to gel them together. I wanted it to be the toughest pre-season we could get to make sure the new boys know what's required and the standard that's needed. 'With the fixtures being released, the tough pre-season I asked for has been justified. I think we had the hardest start on paper last year and we've definitely got it again this year.' McCaulay has been busy building his squad for the new season, with a number of new additions – although they have yet to be officially announced. He added: 'There have been four outgoings and as things stand there are five incoming. 'The squad is still a bit thin at this stage but we've another four or five weeks until the first league game of the season. We're hoping to add one or two more to the squad before then. 'We've gone about or business in a quiet manner, which is how I like to deal with things. 'There will definitely be new faces among the squad but we've managed to keep about 80 per cent of the squad we had. 'Towards the end of last season we got injuries, which left us extremely short and we only had 12 or 13 players for the last month. 'We started pre-season last Monday night. We've already had some good sessions in the bank. 'It'll be nine training sessions and four games before the first league game. Things are shaping up well and I'm fairly happy with what we've got just now.'


Daily Record
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Dalbeattie Star retain Cree Lodge Cup to finish season on a high
The Islecroft side triumphed 2-1 over South of Scotland League champs Lochar Thistle thanks to a late David Taylor goal. Dalbeattie Star finished the season with silverware after retaining the Cree Lodge Cup. The Islecroft side triumphed 2-1 over South of Scotland League champs Lochar Thistle on Wednesday to finish the season on a high. Assistant manager David Taylor said: 'It was a really good way to finish it. 'All credit to Lochar for winning so much over the last three seasons – and to every team that's won a cup. They've beaten us in the last three finals and it's a great way to get over the line. 'It's a great way to finish. Chris Jardine and all the guys deserve so much credit for what they've done in his three seasons there. 'They became a bit of a winning machine and all credit to them. "The table doesn't lie and they've beaten us in the last few cup finals. 'It was important, more for the players, to beat them in a game that matters like a final.' Declan Rogerson put Star into an early lead but Rory Copland equalised for the league champions. Star won it with just a few minutes to go when David Taylor – the assistant manager's son – headed in a corner. He said: 'I wouldn't have cared who scored but it was nice, we had family down at the game so it was a nice feeling. It was a proud moment managerial wise and parental wise. 'It was a typical cup final. Both teams creating enough chances and had it gone to extra time nobody could have complained. 'To get the winner late on makes it hard to come back and I'm delighted to get that one over the line.' Star have already begun their preparations for next season by signing goalie Taylor Hall. The keeper had a successful spell at the Maryfield Park side, being one of the top performers in the South of Scotland League. Phil Middlemiss and Jack Palmer have also pledged their futures to Star.


Daily Record
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Party time as Lochar Thistle win first ever South of Scotland League title
It was party time for Lochar Thistle after they won their first ever South of Scotland League title. The Dumfries side beat Creetown 3-0 on Saturday to lift the trophy for the first time. And the full-time whistle sparked wild scenes at Wilson Park – and elsewhere. Boss Chris Jardine said: 'We had nothing planned but we just spent the weekend in The Lochar pub! It was an enjoyable couple of days. 'I'm just glad to get it done on Saturday and we can relax when we play Dalbeattie Star this weekend. 'We've still got three semi-finals to play so it means we can rest boys a wee bit. 'We scored pretty early, which settled the nerves quickly, and the players were able to relax a wee bit. 'The first half wasn't that great. We told the boys it would be a bit flat if that was how we went out. 'The second half was better, we could probably have won by a bit more, but we were happy with that.' Goals from Jordan Muirhead and Rory Copland had Lochar looking good at the break, with Scott Milligan getting the third in the second half to ensure the party could begin. Lochar have been in contention for the title all season but it wasn't until the last few weeks of the season that Jardine felt it was really on. He said: 'It's wasn't until we beat Nithsdale up there as that's always a hard place to go. 'I think when we won that, knowing we had two home league games to come before Dalbeattie in our final game, I felt as though we had one hand on it. 'I was still nervous on Saturday right up until we scored the third goal – I wasn't relaxed. Click here for more news and sport from Dumfries and Galloway. 'We've had a ridiculous run of fixtures, the catch-up we've had to play has been unbelievable. 'I always knew it would be difficult. We lost the first two - against Newton and Abbey Vale – and I was worried at that point. 'The boys have done really well to just go on that win to clinch it. 'The league was the target at start of the season. When I came in three years ago I said to Russell Caskie the secretary, who was the one that got me into the club, that I wanted to win the league for Lochar. 'That's always been the ambition since we came in.'


Daily Record
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Creetown boss says focus is on Cree Lodge Cup semi-final with Dalbeattie Star
Creetown boss Martin McCaulay says all the focus is on tomorrow night's crucial cup clash with Dalbeattie Star . The two sides are set to square off at Islecroft in the semi-finals of the Cree Lodge Cup. And McCaulay admitted that was his main concern ahead of Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Lochar Thistle, which saw the Dumfries side clinch the South of Scotland League title. He said: 'I was protecting some of the players on Saturday, keeping the players for Tuesday night, so it's down to us to put a performance in and get a result. 'With Dalbeattie having no game, you've got to think with that bit of extra rest they'll be that bit fresher. 'I've got to protect my squad as much as I can as well taking everything into consideration. 'We'll be doing everything we can to keep our season going and get into a cup final. 'That's the big incentive, not Saturday. 'You can make excuses for Saturday but we've got to turn up tomorrow night to make those excuses valid. 'There's no point getting beat Saturday then not putting in a performance.' Saturday's game was meaningless for Creetown, but Lochar knew a win would give them their first ever South title. First half goals from Jordan Muirhead and Rory Copland had them on their way, veteran striker Scott Milligan wrapping things up after the break. McCaulay said: 'It was a game we could have done without with the injuries we've got just now. 'It's a game where we had nothing to play for and they had everything to play for. 'It was just a case of getting the game played and coming through unscathed, bearing in mind Tuesday night. 'I told the players to still get something out of the game and have a bit of personal pride, keep your match fitness and sharpness up, but at the same time don't kill yourselves. 'It was disappointing we were going into the last league game with nothing to play for but we knew that before the game started. 'I'm not questioning the players' attitudes and hearts but their minds were maybe on Tuesday, not Saturday. 'Lochar had every intention of winning the game and they came out the traps flying. Click here for more news and sport from Dumfries and Galloway. 'I've got to say I can't be prouder of the players for what they've given me in the league after the start we had. 'We went on a 16 or 17 game unbeaten run in the league, we dropped 11 points form our first four games and have only dropped 10 points since then. 'I can't grumble too much. What the players gave me since I came in have been outstanding. 'I'm not saying would have been different if had had something to play for. 'The league table never lies and congratulations to Lochar, what they've achieved is tremendous.'