The draws for the first and second rounds of the SPFL Trust Trophy were made yesterday:
Tournament draw
First round – North Section
Brechin City v Buckie Thistle Dundee B v Peterhead East Fife v St Johnstone B Hibernian B v Elgin City Brora Rangers v Aberdeen B Fraserburgh v Cowdenbeath Forfar Athletic v Formartine United Ross County B v Stirling Albion Stenhousemuir v Dundee United B
First round – South Section
Dumbarton v Rangers B Livingston B v Albion Rovers Edinburgh City v Heart of Midlothian B Celtic B v Annan Athletic Queen’s Park v Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic Broomhill FC v Clyde Falkirk v East Kilbride St Mirren B v Kelty Hearts Stranraer v Motherwell B
Second round – North section
Montrose v Ross County B or Stirling Albion Brora Rangers or Aberdeen B v Arbroath Cove Rangers v Stenhousemuir or Dundee United B Fraserburgh or Cowdenbeath v Alloa Athletic Raith Rovers v Forfar Athletic or Formartine United Hibernian B or Elgin City v Dunfermline Athletic Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Brechin City or Buckie Thistle Dundee B or Peterhead v East Fife or St Johnstone B
Second round – South section
Airdrieonians v Queen’s Park or Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic Celtic B or Annan Athletic v Morton Hamilton Academical v Edinburgh City or Heart of Midlothian B Dumbarton or Rangers B v Ayr United Kilmarnock v Falkirk or East Kilbride Stranraer or Motherwell B v Partick Thistle Queen of the South v Broomhill FC or Clyde Livingston B or Albion Rovers v St Mirren B or Kelty Hearts
First-round ties are scheduled for the midweek of August 10/11
Second-round ties are scheduled for the weekend of September 4/5
For the first time in an SPFL competition, a bracketed draw from round three onwards will be published today (07 July), allowing clubs to plot their potential path to the final.
Civil Service U-14s complete League and Cup double
Civil Service Strollers U-14s celebrated a double success this week after picking up the Paladin Cup days after being crowded league champions.
The North Edinburgh club had to wait until the last day of the season to clinch the Division 3 league title and on Tuesday they came from 4-1 down at half-time to win the Paladin Cup on penalties against Cramond.
Coach, Ryan McIntyre, said: “With everything that has been going on it is great that our players worked hard and brought in two trophies this season.
“We have played well and the boys deserved to win the league and cup double.
“They are a really great bunch of lads and have potential play at a really high level when they get older.
“All the hard work has paid off.
“The club has been buzzing the past few days and it’s been great for the team and the other coaches.
“We will now have some time off before we start pre-season.”
Hibernian FC have underlined their continuing commitment to developing players by agreeing a strategic partnership with fellow city club Civil Service Strollers.
The Lowland League side, who play their home games at Christie Gillies Park in North Edinburgh, have huge ambitions to develop both at youth and senior level, and discussions between Hibs and Strollers have led to a mutually beneficial link being forged.
This follows Hibs’ similar partnerships with English Premier League side Brighton, Scottish League Two outfit Stenhousemuir, and USL Championship team Charleston Battery over in the United States.
Hibernian Sporting Director Graeme Mathie explained: “This strategic partnership is another key step in our Player Pathway model.
“We have utilised the loan system as part of our player development strategy for some time now and are convinced that early exposure to men’s football is key to the transition of young players from the Academy into the professional game.
“Civil Service Strollers have been an excellent partner for us for a number of seasons now and we are delighted to formalise the relationship at this time.”
Talented younger players like Jayden Fairley, Jack Brydon and Callum Yeats – who made a move to Queen’s Park this week – have all progressed from playing with Civil Service Strollers into the football league with Stenhousemuir, and the hope is that more Hibernian players can be offered similar opportunities in the near future.
Graeme added that Strollers head coach Gary Jardine will be a huge asset to the partnership moving forward: “He has taken a number of Hibernian young players on loan both from his time coaching Edinburgh City, and over the last number of years with Civil Service Strollers.
“Gary has shown a willingness and desire to play young players and all Hibernian players he has worked with over the years have been far better equipped for the demands of professional football having spent time working with him.
“We have spent a considerable amount of time and effort developing our strategic partnerships over the last 12 months and it would be great to see a young player’s journey progress from Civil Service to Stenhousemuir, to Charleston Battery, to the Hibernian First Team to Brighton in the EPL in coming years.”
Keith Stewart, Civil Service Strollers club secretary, said: “Civil Service Strollers are delighted to have the opportunity to work alongside Hibernian and to have a part in a players progress to better themselves.
“We have always embraced the need for improvement and this partnership is a win-win for the clubs, young players and the future of our game.
“We would like to thank our manager Gary Jardine, Hibernian’s Graeme Mathie and the development team for their hard work setting this up and giving us the chance to work with such talented players.”
Civil Service Strollers continue their pre-season preparations with a home friendly against Dunfermline Athletic on Saturday.
Mobile testing units for people without Covid symptoms are running at both Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian Football Clubs as cases continue to rise in the Capital.
The community testing centres are aimed at breaking the chain of transmission in areas where case numbers remain stubbornly high by tracing cases which haven’t produced any symptoms but could still be infectious.
Council Leaders today praised both football clubs for their role in helping stop the spread of the virus in their communities.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “Just yesterday the First Minister advised that the aim is to move all parts of Scotland into Level Zero by 19 July, which is very positive news.
“We want to do everything we can to get case numbers down in Edinburgh as quickly as possible so that we can achieve that goal and enjoy fewer restrictions on our daily lives, so it’s crucial we find out where cases are – and isolate them.
“I’m delighted that both Hibs and Hearts are working closely with us and the Scottish Ambulance Service on community testing and I’d like to thank both clubs for their support and dedication to their communities’ wellbeing.”
Depute Council Leader Cammy Day said: “As things continue to open up, it’s vital we all test ourselves regularly to check we’re not carrying the virus and unwittingly putting our loved ones and community at risk.
“It’s important to remember you can still get infected even if you’re double-vaccinated, and about 1 in 3 cases won’t show any symptoms. Well done and thank you to both our much-loved clubs for teaming up with us to show Covid the red card in Edinburgh.
The drive through testing centre at the rear of the East Stand at Easter Road opened on Tuesday 22 June.
Greg McEwan, Head of Marketing and Brand Partnerships at Hibernian Football Club, said: “Hibernian are pleased to be able to partner up with the City of Edinburgh Council in their efforts to curb the virus with a pop-up testing site at the Stadium.
“Easter Road Stadium is a prominent venue within the community and indeed Edinburgh so it’s a pleasure to offer our facilities.”
Meanwhile, a mobile testing unit has been operating beside the Wheatfield Stand at Tynecastle since last week.
Ann Park, Director for Communities and Partnershipes at Heart of Midlothian Football Club, said:“Heart of Midlothian encourage everyone to take up the offer of regular community testing and are delighted to help the continued fight against COVID-19 by hosting the mobile testing centre at Tynecastle.
“If we all get tested regularly we are able to then take the necessary action to stop the spread of the virus. If you live in the local area please drop in and do your bit to help stop the spread.”
Mobile testing units offering free PCR tests are currently available at:
Walk up mobile testing unit, Heart of Midlothian Football Club, Wheatfield Stand accessed via Wheatfield Street/Place, from Thursday 17 to Sunday 27 June, 10am to 6pm
Drive though mobile testing unit at Hibernian Football Club, in the car park behind the East Stand accessed off Albion Place/Hawkhill Place from Tuesday 22 June to Monday 28 June, 9.30am to 4.30pm
Walk up mobile testing unit, North West Locality office, 8 West Pilton Gardens until Sunday 27 June, 10am to 6pm – test pick-up available
Free Covid tests are also available without appointments at the following libraries:
McDonald Road Library from Monday 14 June to Saturday 3 July (closed Sunday 27 June) 9am to 6pm – test pick-up available
Gilmerton Library from Monday 21 June to Saturday 3 July 9am to 6pm – test pick-up available
Wester Hailes Library from Monday 21 June to Saturday 3 July 9am to 6pm – test pick-up available
Lothian’s youth football community is set to benefit from UEFA EURO 2020 Club Legacy Packs which will pave the way for future generations to follow in the footsteps of local Scotland goalkeepers Craig Gordon and Jon McLaughlin.
To celebrate Glasgow’s role as one of the 11 host cities, the Scottish FA teamed up with Glasgow Life to release 50 individual UEFA EURO 2020 Glasgow Club Legacy Packs to enhance the provision of grassroots football activities in Scotland.
Following entries ranging from Banff to Helensburgh and Strathaven, the packs have now been awarded to 50 clubs which hold Scottish FA Quality Mark accreditation. With sides from each of Scotland’s four regions securing their packs, clubs across the nation are set to benefit from specialist equipment including balls, bibs and goals which will play a pivotal role in their provision of football activities and assist in the development of Scotland’s young generation of footballers.
One of the clubs that has been awarded a legacy pack is Murieston United Community Football Club (above) which will use the UEFA EURO 2020 branded equipment to cater for more than 350 of their registered players.
The Livingston-based team pride themselves as the heart of their community and have been rewarded for providing an excellent player pathway, which has played a role in the development of international stars including Scott Arfield, Jenna Fife and Hayley Lauder.
Allan Salvona, Treasurer of Murieston United Community Football Club, said: “Scotland gaining qualification has given our members a real buzz again. It’s allowed coaches of our younger team to encourage some of the players to be like their heroes that qualified for the EUROs. Some of the younger players are now feeling inspired to be like Scotland internationals.”
Throughout the summer, Murieston aim to use their new equipment within intra-club tournaments and festivals which will showcase some of the nationalities represented within their organisation. Commenting on the UEFA EURO 2020 Club Legacy Packs, Allan added: “The equipment on offer will also allow us to continue hosting a range of exciting initiatives that we plan to hold over the coming weeks.”
Govan side Harmony Row, the youth team that nurtured a young Sir Alex Ferguson, were the first club to receive a pack in support of their excellent community links across Glasgow, spanning many decades.
Commenting on the UEFA EURO 2020 Legacy Packs, Sir Alex Ferguson said: “Lockdown has been a difficult time for all of us but for kids especially. It’s fantastic to see my old boys club, Harmony Row, benefit along with other youth clubs and it’s an important part of qualifying from the Scottish FA and the city: to make sure that it has a direct benefit to young people.
“Harmony Row played a pivotal role in my development from a very young age, not only as a footballer, but as a person.”
Morrisons has launched a limited-edition ‘Best of Europe Pizza’ so customers can grab a slice of the action during Euro 2020.
The 14” pizza combines flavour favourites from four footballing giants, with Germany, Spain, Portugal and Italy all coming together to make one pizza perfect to watch the group stages with.
Divided into quarters, Morrisons ‘Best of Europe Pizza’ is topped with frankfurters and red onion, chorizo and chargrilled peppers, mozzarella and pesto, and spicy peri peri chicken.
So, no matter if you’re rooting for Ronaldo, supporting Sane or cheering for Jorginho there’s no worrying about your loyalties as the Morrisons pizza combines the best bits from every country.
With the British weather warming up and restrictions around group gatherings relaxed, the new pizza is landing in-store at the perfect time for Euro 2020 parties and is being released ahead of England, Wales and Scotland’s first games in the tournament.
Priced at just £3.89, Morrisons ‘Best of Europe Pizza’ is a fraction of the price of limited-edition pizzas at high street pizza restaurants. It will be hand-made by Morrisons Market Street experts in counters nationwide from Thursday 10 June.
Leanne Cory, Pizza Buyer at Morrisons,said: “With so much excitement for the Euros, we wanted to give customers the ultimate opportunity to tuck into the best flavours of Europe, whilst enjoying the match.”
Morrisons ‘Best of Europe Pizza’ has the following countries’ flavours:
Germany – Frankfurter sausage, red onion and mustard
Spain – Chorizo and chargrilled peppers
Italy – Mozzarella, pesto and tomato
Portugal – Spicy piri piri chicken
It is available from Morrisons Pizza Counters until Sunday 11 July and costs £3.89.
Hibernian, along with newly appointed technical partner Joma, are excited to present the new official home kit for the 2021/22 season.
The traditional green body and white sleeves remain with the creative sublimation of the street map of Edinburgh showcasing the Club’s strong links across the city. The Club crest proudly sits in its rightful place of Leith within the city map.
Joma has created a shirt preserving the identity of Hibernian using green as the main feature. It is designed with a regular fitting providing comfort adjustment to the body to prevent pulling and provides freedom of movement.
The bottle-green colour grades into a darker emerald green at the bottom in a way to extend the Hibernian feeling further out of the City, into the wider communities of Edinburgh.
Hibernian Creative Manager Peter Burt said: “Our partnership with Joma has allowed us a greater level of creativity which hasn’t been possible with previous kit partners.
“They understand our brand aspirations and working closely with their design team we were able to create something completely unique to our supporters, and the City.”
Interim Chief Executive Greg McEwan added: “As a club we have set some ambitious targets, but realistic at the same time, and with this new kit you can tell we are passionate about our position within the City of Edinburgh and how we plan to grow our brand within the City, the wider country and beyond.
“This kit is really focused on our fans. It is their City and from this design it is very much green and white.”
Joma products are recognised for their quality and technological features. The brand’s quality standards have been applied to the garments for Hibernian.
Fans have given the new strip the thumbs-up:
‘It’s a great design, not like any I have seen before from the Club. It’s a great fit and feels like good quality’ – Scott Robertson
”One of my favourite kits to date, all the small details really add up to make something special for an incredible Club and I am proud to wear our badge” – Jade Brydon (above)
“I thought it was a great design, the stencil outline of Leith embedded into the green is pretty special. Joma and the club have done a great job. Sure it’s going to be a popular kit” – Dan Blake
The shirts are manufactured using polyester, characterised by its quality and elasticity, in addition to being highly resistant and easy care.
This fabric has excellent breathability, due to the application of a next-gen finish, giving the garment’s outer layer enhanced perspiration wicking capacity for speedy evaporation, thus keeping the body dry.
In those areas where the player requires greater perspiration support, polyester is replaced by a MESH fabric, a mesh section allowing air to enter the garment and come into contact with the skin, drying it and retaining a constant body temperature. Antibacterial treatment has also been included.
The new 2021/22 home kit will be available to pre-order next week. Keep an eye on the Hibernian FC website and social media platforms for confirmation of timings. The kit will be available in store from week commencing 7th July.
MND Scotland will be proudly worn on the front of Hearts’ home shirt for season 2021/22 as part of an innovative two-year sponsorship deal with Dell Technologies.
Following its groundbreaking partnership with Save the Children that saw the charity’s name being sported on the first team shirts over 6 seasons, the Club will now be promoting and supporting the work of MND Scotland in Season 21-22.
The Club and its supporters have undertaken several fundraising activities on behalf of the charity over the past year as a tribute to Club legend and former captain, Marius Zaliukas, who tragically lost his fight to the disease in 2020.
This landmark sponsorship deal will help to raise awareness of the work undertaken by MND charities throughout the UK and support those living with MND in Scotland. Funds raised will also enable pioneering research into MND, such as the projects taking place at the Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research at University of Edinburgh.
Once again, the Club has sought out an innovative way of securing sponsorship funding whilst providing a platform for a cause that is dear to supporters’ hearts.
In a pioneering approach, Dell Technologies will work with Hearts over the next 2 years on a programme that will transform the Club’s digital estate in the long term. As part of this new partnership, Dell Technologies funded the front of the home shirt on behalf of MND Scotland. Hearts will, in turn, make a contribution to MND Scotland and MND Association for every home shirt sold in the season ahead.
Dell Technologies was a founding partner of the Heart of Midlothian Innovation Centre in 2019, providing equipment that has enabled over 700 young people to benefit from free Digital Education. The company’s commitment to diversity and equal opportunity was also echoed in the decision to become principal partner and shirt sleeve sponsor of Hearts Women in 2020.
Dell Technologies will also appear on the back of the men’s home shirt when the new season starts.
Commenting on the new partnership, CEO of Hearts, Andrew McKinlay said: “We are delighted to announce this amazing partnership with Dell Technologies and MND Scotland.
“Dell Technologies has been pivotal in supporting pioneering community initiatives run by the Club and our charity, Big Hearts. As a principal partner of Hearts Women, they also helped to fund the initiative to sport the name of Scotland Women in Technology on the women’s shirts. This announcement represents a significant deepening of the relationship between the company and Hearts.
“We have spent the last 4 years enhancing the physical infrastructure of the Club providing some of the most modern facilities in Scottish football. Our sponsorship deal with Dell Technologies will underpin a long-term transformation of the logical infrastructure, modernising our systems and enhancing the experience we provide for supporters.
“Ann Park, Hearts’ Director of Partnerships and Community, has been working over the past few months to develop what is one of the most innovative sponsorship deals in football. Ann was the driving force behind our six-year relationship with Save the Children and has once again delivered a partnership of which we can all be very proud.
“We dedicate this initiative to our former captain Marius Zaliukas and to Robert Wilson, whose work behind the scenes and on the board of the Club helped rescue Hearts from administration.”
Iain McWhirter, MND Scotland’s Interim Chief Executive, said:“We are very excited to be partnering with Heart of Midlothian FC this season. This fantastic opportunity will honour the memory of former captain Marius Žaliūkas who passed away last year after a brave struggle against motor neurone disease.
“Dell Technologies has supported our sister charity, MND Association of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, for 2 years, and we are thrilled to now be working with them to raise funds and awareness here in Scotland.
“We hope this boost will enable us to speak to even more people about our cause, and that the funds donated through sales will help us reach our ultimate goal of finding a cure. Until that day we will continue supporting families affected by MND in Scotland, so they do not have to go through the devastation alone.
“We’re really looking forward to seeing the new strips out on the pitch very soon and hope fans will join our movement to end MND.”
UTILITA GETS ‘UP FRONT’ TO CELEBRATE HIBERNIAN FC’sPRO-PLANET APPROACH TO FOOTBALL
Utilita– the UK’s only energy company created to help households use less energy – has officially announced this week that it will become the front of shirt sponsor as part of its two-year principal partner agreement with one of the UK’s greenest football clubs, Hibernian F.C.
The deal follows a successful partnership between Utilita and Hibernian F.C. during the 2020 and 2021 season, which saw the energy company’s logo on the back of shirt. Now in the fifth year of their long-term partnership, Utilita will feature in prime position on the front of the club’s home and away shirts and third kit strips, which are soon to be unveiled.
Both Utilita and Hibernian F.C. share many common values, with the two biggest being pro-planet and pro-local community.
Over the past few seasons, Utilita has been working with the club to make a difference within the local area, most recently donating significant sums to the Community Foundation’s “Famous Five a Day Campaign” – which provides food parcels to families who need them – and donating match passes to local schools.
Utilita also has offices and an exclusive high street Energy Hub in the buzzing port district of Leith.
Opened just two years ago, the hugely successful Energy Hub is a first-of-its-kind in Scotland, offering face-to-face customer service, energy efficiency advice and technology, access to interactive kid-friendly energy efficiency apps, and a dedicated community space that is open for the public to book and use from Monday to Saturday. Locals can also purchase Hibernian F.C. merchandise in-store.
Central to the partnership will be Utilita’s industry award-winning Energy High 5 movement –helping households to avoid the five habits that waste energy, enabling households to save up to £163 per year, while helping the planet. Everyone can take part and start saving today, at www.utilita.co.uk/energyhigh5 .
Greg McEwan, Hibernian F.C.’s Interim Chief Executive, commented on the support from Utilita: “The front of shirt sponsor needs to be just right, and must share the same values as our club.
“Therefore, I am delighted that we have exactly that in our partnership with Utilita, which is pro-planet and pro-community – it’s great to see an energy company with such high moral standards.
“The team at Utilita are passionate and want to make a difference, not only in terms of reducing energy bills, but in the local community too.”
Jem Maidment, Utilita’s Chief Marketing Officer, said: “We couldn’t be prouder to be Hibernian F.C.’s principal partner after what has already been a hugely successful four seasons with the club.
“As the greenest club in Scotland – and the third greenest club in the UK – we share many common values and we’re chuffed of the support they’ve given us in backing Energy High 5, a campaign which encourages people to cut down their energy usage with five free and easy-to-follow tips – saving both their pocket and the planet!
“We’re excited to see what next season brings as Hibs take on European opposition.”
The partnership announcement follows Utilita’s newly launched Football Rebooted campaign with environmentalist and former goalkeeper, David James MBE, which encourages people to donate and claim pre-played football boots and all-weather football trainers, to save families a small fortune, as well as 136,000 tonnes of carbon – the same as taking 7,000 cars off the road for a year, or turning the energy off in one million medium-sized houses for a week. Over 500 pairs of boots were donated in the first 48-hours of the campaign launching.
Football Rebooted is designed to put an aspirational spin on a mechanic that will get good boots through to families struggling to afford new ones, after Utilita’s State of Play report revealed that out of the 74 percent of families who had been impacted financially by the pandemic, 18 percent won’t be able to send their kids back to grassroots football as they can’t afford boots and other items such as goalie gloves and shin pads.
Founded in 2003, Utilita is one of the nation’s fastest-growing independent energy suppliers – currently powering more than 800,000 UK customers. It’s established itself as a hugely-recognisable brand within British football, having supplied power to a number of iconic stadiums while partnering with over 20 clubs.
