Updated: Pre-season friendly schedules now confirmed for all four of the Borders’ East of Scotland Football League clubs
All four of the Borders’ East of Scotland Football League clubs have now confirmed their pre-season friendly schedules for this summer.
Coldstream have lined up four pre-season friendlies as they prepare for their first EoSFL division one campaign since 2023.
The first of them is a Borders derby away to the EoSFL division two south-east conference’s Vale of Leithen this coming Saturday, with kick-off at Innerleithen’s Victoria Park at 2.30pm.
The other three are all at home, two of them to EoSFL premier division opposition and one to Northumberland’s Stobswood Welfare.
The former two are against East Lothian’s Dunbar United on Saturday, July 4, and Midlothian’s Newtongrange Star on Saturday, July 18, both 2.30pm kick-offs at Home Park.
They sandwich a visit from the English outfit on Saturday, July 11, with kick-off time to be confirmed.
Manager David Brown’s Streamers last played Vale during the 2024-25 division two season, losing 3-2 at home a year ago in February but winning 2-0 on the road in Innerleithen the September prior.
Opposite number Ger Rossi’s Vale have got four other warm-ups arranged following the Streamers’ visit, including another Borders derby.
They’re away to Edinburgh Strollers at the capital’s Peffermill playing fields on July 4. Kick-off against the Lothian and Edinburgh Amateur Football Association premier division outfit is at 2.30pm.
Next up is a visit from the Scottish Lowland Football League East’s Gala Fairydean Rovers on Tuesday, July 7, followed by away-days in West Lothian at Stoneyburn’s Beechwood Park on July 11 and Mid Annandale’s New King Park seven days later, with kick-offs at 7.45pm, 2pm and 1pm respectively.
Vale and Fairydean’s most recent meeting was for a friendly last July at the latter’s Netherdale Stadium ground and it ended up goalless.
Vale’s south-east conference rivals Linton Hotspur will also be playing Fairydean next month. That’s at home for co-managers Ruairidh Fleming and Paul Currie’s side on Tuesday, July 14, with kick-off at New Moor Road against opposite number Martin Scott’s fifth-tier visitors at 7.45pm.
Like Vale, they also met for a friendly last July, with Fairydean winning 4-1 in West Linton.
Fairydean’s visit is one of six friendlies organised by Hotspur, with only one of the others being at home too, against EoSFL division one’s Leith Athletic on July 18, with kick-off at 1pm.
All the rest are in Edinburgh, the first three of them at the capital’s Peffermill playing fields – against Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic’s under-20s on Thursday, July 2; EoSFL division one’s Whitehill Welfare on July 4; and Tranent’s under-20s on July 7, with kick-offs at 7pm, 2.30pm and 7pm.
Their other friendly is away to the EoSFL premier division’s Edinburgh South at Ainslie Park on July 11 and that’s a 1pm kick-off.
Hawick Royal Albert are the Borders’ only team not playing any derbies as part of their preparations for the coming season.
Manager Kenny Aitchison’s side, EoSFL division three champions last time round, will warm up for their coming south-east conference campaign with four friendlies on the road – against Whitehill Welfare at Peffermill this Saturday, followed by two outings to East Lothian to take on EoSFL premier division opposition, Preston Athletic on July 4 and Dunbar United on July 14, wrapping up with a match against Corstorphine Dynamo at Saughton in Edinburgh on July 18, with kick-offs at 2pm, 2.30pm, 8pm and 1pm.
Fairydean began their warm-ups with a 2-1 win hosting Fife’s Kelty Hearts on Saturday and continue with a visit from another William Hill League Two team, Edinburgh City, seven days on, with kick-off at 3pm.
Theirs scorers versus were Ethan Dougal on 14 minutes and Che Reilly on 57, with Lewis Moore replying for Kelty on 73.