Shire Behind Bars

Shire will prepare for Monday's New Year Derby with Stenhousemuir in prison. The squad, plus a good number of trialist hopefuls, will report for a training session at Polmont Young Offenders Institution tomorrow morning. They will be put through their paces by the coaching staff in preparation for an afternoon match against the prison's own team. Caretaker boss, Gordon Wylde, will use the game to give a run out to a number of players he hopes to sign during the transfer window. However, the match itself, which will be a closed-door affair, is reliant on the weather improving.

New Date For Cowden Game

The postponed Boxing Day match with Cowdenbeath will now be played at Firs Park on Tuesday 28th February with a 7:30p.m. kick-off. Both sides decided against trying to use the next available free midweek for the match. Hopefully by then the weather will be a a good deal warmer. Monday's scheduled visit to the promotion chasing Fifers was postponed after overnight frost made the pitch unplayable.

Cowden Game Off

Shire's scheduled Boxing Day game with Cowdenbeath at Firs Park has been postponed. It followed a 10am pitch inspection after a night of heavy frost. A rock solid pitch made play impossible. No new date has, as yet, been set for the game. Shire's next match will be the New Year derby at Stenhousemuir on Monday 2nd January

Diack Moves To Warriors

Iain Diack has completed his move to Stenhousemuir. Both Shire and the Warriors have agreed a fee for the player, who is now free to leave Firs Park and sign for his new club. The formalities between the player and Stenhousemuir still remain, but there is no doubt he is now a Warriors player.

Diack scored ten times in all competitions for Shire this season, including a double in each of the only two games the club has won this season. He joined the club in the summer after being released by Arbroath, having previously spent a two month loan spell at Firs Park. However, he asked to be released from his contract following the sacking of Shire manager Dennis Newall.

Brownlie Back At Firs Park

Former Shire manager, John Brownlie, has taken on an informal coaching/advisory role at the club after being asked to help out by caretaker manager Gordon Wylde. John's assistance is on a strictly ad-hoc basis and he has not been given a formal posotion at Firs Park. Both John and Gordon were at Clyde together. John will assist at training sessions and, if possible, on match days too. His main football commitment remains as chief Scottish scout for Sheffield Wednesday.

Wylde Dealt Cowden Blow

Shire have been dealt a blow before the Boxing Day clash with Cowdenbeath after two regular members of the team announced they will be unavailable for the Christmas and New Year games. Full-back Adam Owen and midfielder Carl Thywissen are returning home to England and Norway respectively for the entire festive period. Neither will play against Cowdenbeath or Stenhousemuir.

With Diack, Graham and Walker not yet replaced and Jamie MacKay still on the long-term injured list it leaves Gordon Wylde short of players. On the good news front, Paul Tyrrell is expected back for the Blue Brasil match; he's been working in England and has missed the last two games.

"We will have enough players to cover," Wylde told Zebra Diary. "It could be some of the fringe player's chance to shine. We are also able to play amateur trialists and we may go down that route." Monday's game kicks-off at 3:00p.m.

New Date For Coatbridge Visit

It will come as no surprise that Shire and Albion Rovers have re-arranged Saturday's postponed game for Saturday 7th January 2006. Neither club had a scheduled match that day because of their early elimination from the Scottish Cup. The weekend match was a late call-off due to a frost bound pitch.

Coatbridge Game Off

Shire's scheduled trip to Albion Rovers was the subject of one of the latest call-offs anyonecould remember. Both teams were already at Cliftonhill and most of the Shire supporters were on their way when the match referee decided play was not possible at just after 1:40p.m. Both teams saeems happy to at least let the game start, but the referee had the final say.

The match now looks likely to go ahead on Saturday 7th January as both sides have a free weekened due to the third round of the Scottish Cup. Perhaps given Shire's current injury problems the postponement was a blessing in disguise.

Albion Rovers Preview

Shire are facing a player shortage ahead of tomorrow's trip to Albion Rovers. The departed trio of Johnny Walker, Iain Diack and Ally Graham have not been replaced. Paul Tyrrell will again be unavailable due to work commitments, which leaves the club another player down. And to make matters worse Steven Dymock is struggling to be fit because of a chest complaint.

It's again likely, as was the case at Elgin last Saturday, that there will not be enough bodies to fill the substitutes bench. Gordon Wylde is trying to find players to come in and fill the empty berths but admits it is far from easy. He is hopeful, thougth, of playing at least one trialist up front if Dymock fails a fitness test.

Fringe players like Peter Ross, Karl Lejmann and Henry Sobolewski may be given a chance to shine in a game which is crucial to Shire. Victory at next-to-bottom Rovers would close the gap with the rest of the division to just two points. Defeat would leave the club at least six, maybe more, behind.

Shire 0 Queen's Park 4

The dark clouds are starting to gather over Firs Park. This was grim stuff even by Shire's recent standards and Queen's Park will probably be disappointed to have scored only four. It could easily have been a complete rout and Shire are rapidly starting to look like favourites to end up bottom of the table.

Caretaker boss, Gordon Wylde, stuck with the same starting eleven which had gained a creditable draw at Elgin on Saturday. Not that he had much choice with Diack, Graham and Walker never to return and Paul Tyrrell still working down south.

But all the fight and determination evident at Borough Briggs was gone from this Shire team. They got off to a horrific start, losing a disastrous goal after just eight minutes. Stephen Oates and Derek Jackson got into a terrible mess just trying to get a simple passback right, and the nippy Brian Felvus took advantage of the mayhem to flick the ball high in an arc over the stranded Shire keeper and into the net.

There was no way back. After 19 minutes it should have been two but Felvus's shot flew across the face of goal and wide. Then only a last-ditch tackle from Jordan Smith prevented Mark Ferry shooting into an empty net.

After 37 minutes it was 2-0. Carl Thywissen inexplicably handled Mark Ferry's harmless looking cross into the box. Steven Reilly made smart work of the resulting penalty kick. Shire at last ended the half on the atack. Andy Brand forced Crawford in the visitors' goal into his only save, with a volley from Adam Owen's outswinging corner.

Derek Ure created Shire's best scoring chance on 48 minutes, but his effort crawled along the goal line with no-one on hand to apply the finishing touch. It would have been an academic strike anyway. After 53 minutes a perfect long ball out of defence sent Felvus clear of the Shire rearguard and he finished perfectly from just inside the penalty area.

Felvus missed the easiest chance of the night with his hat-trick beckoning. Somehow he managed to shoot wide of an empty goal when the easiest thing in the world seemed to be to place the ball in the net. But there was a fourth for the Spiders. After 78 minutes a slide-rule perfect pass and a brilliantly timed run allowed Mark Ferry to beat the offside trap and score with a great shot hit back across the face of goal.

Queen's Park Preview

The bid to bridge the five point gap that has opened up at the bottom of the Third Division starts against Queen's Park tomorrow night. With Shire due to face next to bottom Albion Rovers on Saturday they must be hoping to take something from the Spiders match. It won't be easy; Queen's Park made it through to the third round of the Scottish Cup on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Second Division Raith Rovers.

Caretaker boss, Gordon Wylde, hopes to welcome Paul Tyrrell back to the squad. Paul missed the 1-1 draw at Elgin due to work commitments. Stephen Oates picked up an injury at Borough Briggs but should be passed fit to play. There will not be too many changes to the squad otherwise.

Ally Graham's position with the club remains a mystery. Some at Firs Park are still hoping he will turn up and play, but the smart money's on that not happening. Iain Diack remains a Shire player but he won't feature against the Spiders. Shire have denied him the chance to train with Hamilton Accies, which the club is within its rights to do. It is now looking to get a decent offer for him before there is any more acrimony. Tomorrow's game has a 7:30p.m. start.

Elgin City 1 Shire 1

Shire's first away point of the season and one that was ultimately deserved after overcoming a number of setbacks.First, the loss of key men like the transfer listed Iain Diack and the suspended Ally Graham. Then the squad which did make it to the game experienced a dose of sickness following the pre-match meal.

The team showed two changes from the one which narrowly lost to East Fife seven days earlier. Paul Gaughan replaced the banned Ally Graham in defence while Scott Livingstone was drafted in due to the work-related absence of Paul Tyrrell.

Elgin looked keen to repeat the success they had enjoyed in their last game, a 2-0 win over Arbroath, and were quickly on the attack. Within a couple of minutes David Hinds had warmed Derek Jackson's fingertips with a rasping drive from the edge of the box which the Shire keeper tipped round the post. But Elgin pressed on and took the lead in 10 minutes. Jamie McKenzie found some space on the left for a cross which found Martin Johnston unmarked at the back post. His hitch kick made for a spectacular finish.

But Shire were not down and out by any means. Just four minutes later Derek Ure released Adam Owen down the left flank. The full-back's cross was perfectly judged for Scott Livingstone's late run into the box and he headed home from six yards. The visitors easily dealt with everything the home team could throw at their five man defence until the 44th minute when Jackson was forced into another good save from Jamie McKenzie's effort.

The second period was a grim affair, littered with mistakes and poorly hit passes. Chances were at a real premium and Elgin became frustrated at their inability to get anywhere. McKenzie, in charge of managerless Borough Briggs team for the day, allowed his emotions to get the better of him on at least three occasions and almost provoked a mass brawl by his over-reaction to an entirely accidental collision between Derek Ure and home keeper Kieron Renton.

Shire put Ure up front with Steven Dymock, who had a quiet game, to seek a winner. It almost caame in 67 minutes when Mark Tyrrell's bal into the box was nodded into Andy Brand's path by Dymock. But the Shire midfielder's shot flashed wide of the post. Elgin had a couple of chances towards the end, the best of which was a McKenzie header which brushed the top of the crossbar. But at the full-time whistle both teams agreed a draw was a fair result.

Elgin City Preview

Shire make the long trip to Elgin after another difficult week for the club. Since Dennis Newall's sacking ten days ago top scorer Iain Diack has demanded to be released from his contract and his striking partner, Ally Graham, seems unlikely to play for the club again.

Neither will be considered for the match at Borough Briggs. In any case, Graham is suspended after his senfing-off in last week's 2-1 defeat against East Fife. To make matters worse for caretaker boss Gordon Wylde, midfielder Paul Tyrrell is unavailable because of work commitments. Steven Blair and Jamie MacKay are long-term injuries, but the rest of the squad will travel.

Elgin was the scene of Shire's last away win, in November 2004, when a double from Carl Thwywissen and a Joe Robertson wonderstrike brought Shire a 3-1 victory. "I feel confident we can take something from the game," said Wylde. "I will be looking to get a draw, possibly even a win. The mood amongst the squad is relaxed and we will go there to play football rahter than try simply to grind out a result." Paul Gaughan will be added to the squad which lost narrowly to East Fife last weekend.

Ally Graham Responds

Ally Graham has not walked out on East Stirlingshire in protest at the sacking of Dennis Newall. Shire's veteran striker has contacted the club to refute Friday morning newspaper articles which claim he, Iain Diack and Johnny Walker quit because Newall was no longer at the club. However, Grham's status at Firs Park is still uncertain. It remains the general view that he will not return; Graham was last seen at the club on Saturday after the 2-1 defeat against East Fife and has not trained with the squad all week. But, if there is to be a parting, the omens are that it will be done in the correct manner. It's understood Ally wants to pursue other options in coaching and management. He would no have been in the squad for the Elgin match anyway because of suspension.

Diack Offers Trickle In

Two clubs have today tabled offers for Shire's transfer-listed striker, Iain Diack. Shire has yet to take a decision on which, if any, to accept. The club will lose the player's services soon, although the final decision on who to join lies with the player himself.

Shire fans were always resigned to losing Diack once the transfer window opened, anyway. But the manner in which it has happened has left a sour taste. Diack asked to leave the club following the sacking of manager, Dennis Newall, who had been instrumental in bringing him to Firs Park in the first place. His request to be released from his contract was turned down, but other clubs were informed of his availability.

Has Ally Gone Too ?

It looks as though Ally Graham has played his last game for Shire. Strong hints are being dropped that he will not return to Firs Park after being overlooked for the role of caretaker manager following the sacking of Dennis Newall.

Ally played in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at the hands of East Fife and, according to the general consensus, had his best game for a while playing in the centre of defence. However, that was the last time he was seen at Firs Park. He is thought to have offered his farewells to the rest of the squad at the end of their Chrismas night out in Glasgow on Sunday.

Certainly, club officials do not expect him to return, although there has been no confirmation from Ally himself about his status. No formal request has been received by the club to release him from his contract. He would, in any case, have been suspended for this week's game at Elgin City after his red card against East Fife.

In the last week, Johnny Walker has walked out and top scorer Iain Diack has been placed on the transfer list after asking to be released from his contract.

No Hurry In Naming Newall Successor

There will be no rush in naming a successor to Dennis Newall as Shire manager. The club has revealed adverts seeking applications for the job will be placed sometime this week. With time allowed to get applications in, process them, select candidates and then hold a board meeting to make a choice, it could be the new year before someone is in place.

Gordon Wylde has been given the job on a temporary basis. He will remain in charge for the trip to Elgin City this weekend, and, in all likelihood for the midweek Queen's Park match on 13th December. Wylde has again expressed his desire to take on the job even after the 2-1 defeat at the hands of East Fife.

"Of course I would like the position on a permanent basis," Wylde told Zebra Diary. "I think the players responded well to me (against East Fife) and once they get used to playing the way I want I think things will get better. Although we lost, I don't think I have done my chances of getting the job any harm."

Iain Diack Transfer Listed

Iain Diack, Shire's top scorer this season, has been placed on the transfer list. The player asked the club to release him from his contract following this week's sacking of manager Dennis Newall, to whom Diack was known to be close. The club immediately refused his request but has instead put him open to offers from other clubs. He was dropped from the squad for the 2-1 home defeat against East Fife, with Steven Dymock taking his place.

Diack has scored ten times for Shire in all competitions this season. He scored twice in each of the two league games the team has won, ironically, against two of his former clubs, Arbroath and Albion Rovers.

"We won't keep players who are unhappy at being here," said Shire's Chief Executive, Les Thomson. "But we won't let them leave for nothing either." Diack joined Shire in the summer after being released by Arbroath.

One player who has left the club is Johnny Walker. It is understood he walked out on Shire after a disageement with Dennis Newall before the manager was dismissed on Wednesday.

Shire 1 East Fife 2

The first match of the post-Newall era ended in disappointing defeat. Despite taking a first half lead through Derek Ure, Shire could not hold on. By the half-time interval they had already been pegged back to 1-1, and the tide turned against them with nine minutes left.

Ally Graham, who had already been booked, was sent-off for a late tackle on Craig Smart. Within two minutes of going down to ten men the match was put beyond them. Smart first saw his shot saved brilliantly by Derek Jackson but the rebound was picked by Paul Hampshire who blasted the ball into the net through a ruck of players.

Interim manager, Gordon Wylde, started the day by making some bold changes. Out went Iain Diack and in came Steven Dymock. The defence was re-shaped with Stephen Oates coming in to partner Jordan Smith, while Ally Graham, normally a striker, ended up at sweeper.

There were high hopes the tactical asdjustment might just pay dividends, and in the early stages Shire did carve out the better chances. After 23 minutes Andy Brand's lovely cut-back found Ure perfectly placed but he somehow managed to blast the ball well over the bar.

Three minutes later, though, he was forgiven after putting Shire a goal up. Graham played a long ball from defence which was flicked into Ure's path by Dymock. Ure showed far more composure in front of goal this time, taking the ball to the edge of the box before firing it into the corner of the net. But Shire did not hang onto the lead for nearly long enough.

Just eleven minutes later Jackson attempted to bowl the ball out to Andy Brand, but East Fife's Kris Brash intercepted and crossed it back into the box. Craig Smart dummied the delivery and Stuart Noble collectede the ball and turned to shoot home.

The second half was just a mish-mash of half chances on a very heavy, rain-soaked pitch. But the turning point came with just nine minutes left. Graham, who had already been booked, was given his marching orders by referee O'Reilly for a foul on Smart. The ten men could not hold outr any longer than two more minutes. First, Smart saw his effort brilliantly saved by Jackson but Hampshire was on hand to shot home the rebound.

East Fife Preview

Shire return to Firs Park for the first time in a month with a new manager in charge who clearly has his own outlook on how to get the club back on track. Gordon Wylde, interim manager until a permanent successor to Dennis Newall can be found,will be in the dug out for tomorrow's game against East Fife.

"The first priority is to get the back door shut," he told Zebra Diary. "We may have to go defensive and try to grind out a result. We have lost too many goals lately, so if we can get a narrow victory or a draw then that would be a start. It's simple from my point of view; if we keep a clean sheet we can't lose.

"I am not coming in to rule the roost. I will consult with the players and Iain MacIver(physio and trainer) before making any decisions on team selection. But we have to be tighter at the back."

Only long term injury victims Jamie MacKay and Steven Blair are unavailable for selection.

Wylde Becomes First Job Applicant

Gordon Wylde has become the first person to apply for the vacant manager's job at East Stirlingshire. Denis Newall's assistant has already been put in charge of the team for Saturday's league match with East Fife at Firs Park. But he says he wants the job on a permanent basis.

"I have been thinking about it and while I have been a coach and an assistant manager I really want the chance to have a go myself," he told Zebra Diary. "I have my own ideas about how the game should be played. I have been around a bit and have contacts which I can lean on to get us players to improve things.

"It has been a very bad week for the club and I hope we can restore a bit of pride and confidence in the players. The first priority will be to shore things up at the back. If we can stop losing goals then that will provide us with a platform to build on. Even if we sneek a 1-0 win or a draw that will be what we need to get some confidence back.

"In the longer term I want to make my mark on the game and this is a chace to do that. I would relish the chance to be my own man. I started out as a player here and that was a stepping stone to better things, so maybe I can do the same in management."

Gordon is no stranger to Firs Park. A well-loved player for Shire between 1983 and 1987, he moved to Kilmarnock and then Clyde. After retiring he became assistant manager at Clyde before being put in charge of youth development at St. Mirren. He is a fully-qualified SFA coach, holding the highest level of coaching certificates awarded in Scotland.

I Did My Best : Newall

Dennis Newall left the manager's chair at Firs Park vacant but still believing he had done the best he could for the club. Newall was sacked last night after more than 18 months in charge of East Stirlingshire. He left them bottom of the Third Division, the position they were in when he arrived, but he says the club is in a much better state now.

"When I got here they were so far adrift three wins in a row would not have taken them off the bottom of the table," he told Zebra Diary. "Now, if they win against East Fife on Saturday, they won't be. And if they win that game and the next two they will be challenging for mid-table."

Newall says he's not bitter or angry about his dismissal, but doesn't think people understand the kinds of problems he faced in the job. " It wasn't just finding players for £10 a week," he said. "I got no support in all sorts of other ways. There was no help in finding training facilities, for example.

"I had to work three times as hard as any other manager in the league just to bring players in, simply because when it came to discussing terms I was the only one who couldn't open a cheque book."

Newall was given news of his sacking by Chairman Alan Mackin in a phone call from Spain. "When you become a manager the surest thing is that you will get the sack one day. But I worked very hard for the club. Every spare moment was spent trying to bring players in. I did my best."

He's still keen to stay in the senior game. "Of course, that's what I want but it may not be easy because jobs don't come up to regularly."

Of his potential successor Newall said, "Whoever it is he will come up against the same kind of problems I did. He will not have it easy." He also took time to have a word for the supporters. "It's a good club as far as the supporters go. I wish them all the best in what they are trying to achieve there."

Dennis Newall Sacked

East Stirlingshire F.C. has confirmed the departure of manager Dennis Newall. He was sacked last night following a board decision. Club Secretary, Les Thomson said the Shire could not continue with things as they were at present. Shire will advertise for the vacant position. In the meantime, Assistant Manager, Gordon Wylde, will be asked to take charge of team affairs for Saturday's home match with East Fife.