Threave Rovers boss Vinnie Parker has hailed the impact of his side’s old heads on the younger players in his squad.
Lewis Sloan and Dean Brotherston were among a number of summer signings who arrived from Lowland League side Dalbeattie Star, while Danny Dunlingson made a permanent return after making a handful of appearances at the end of last season.
And Parker said: “I pride ourselves that people come to pay to watch us playing on a Saturday. There’s no bigger compliment. I’d actually pay money to watch us train during the week.
“Danny Dunglinson, Lewis Sloan and these boys are a joy to watch at times.
“Danny hadn’t kicked a ball for five years. When we brought him back in he didn’t own a pair of football boots.
“He’s been phenomenal. There’s an aura about him, people learning from playing with him. How he’s not made a really good living out of playing football is beyond me. He’s exceptional.
“It’s night and day from what it was last year. They coach the game as well as they play it. Dean Brotherston is the same. He’s taken young Alex Henderson under his wing. They’re continually coaching and talking to them, helping them.
“They’re very good pros. They’ve been there and done it. They shouldn’t be at this level. The majority of them should be playing senior football. We’ve just struck it very lucky that we’ve got them at the one time. It’s great to watch.”
Parker would also have enjoyed watching his side face Saltcoats Victoria in a friendly at Meadow Park on Saturday.
The Ayrshire side are a division above Threave in the West of Scotland League but the Castle Douglas side romped to a 9-1 win.
Parker said: “With them being the league above us, we knew it would be a good marker to see where we’re at. We were structured, organised and very disciplined.
“We’d worked all week with our shape on the ball. With no disrespect to them they were probably the opposite of that.
“It was nine going on 14 or 15 pretty easily.”
Threave beat Newton Stewart on Wednesday night against Maybole Juniors, who are in the second division of the West of Scotland.
Parker added: “We played them last pre-season and they were very good.
“We drew with them 3-3 so it’ll be a proper gauge to see where we’re at in the West.”
