Season 1988/89 In his third season in charge Jim Henderson appointed John Callan as his new coach and some of his new signings included present day captain Gerry Ganner from Boghall Aces. Joining Gerry were Paul Donlon from Whitburn and ex-Bathgate Thistle striker Davie Bell from Fauldhouse United. Amongst those on the way out of Murrayfield Park were long serving Hugh Temperley who headed east to Livingston United and Frank Close who moved to Shotts Bon Accord. The league campaign opened up with a disappointing 5-3 home defeat by Preston Athletic and an away draw at Dunbar United while our League Cup challenge started just as poorly, Bo'ness United progressing past the sectional stages at our expense. Despite the indifferent start, the team went on to win four and draw two of our next six league fixtures befor the remaining Cup tournaments began but, in depressingly familiar fashion, we exited at the first round stage of almost every one, most disappointing being the replay defeat by Culter in the Scottish Junior Cup. These setbacks did not, though, adversely effect our league form which produced only one more loss, at Volunteer Park in December. In what was one of the tightest Second Division Championship finishes on record, a 3-3 draw at Camelon and a 1-0 revenge victory over Armadale Thistle were not enough to move up to the top flight as Camelon won their final league clash at Armadale to clinch, by a single point, the second promotion spot behind the Volunteer Park men. Season 1989/90 After the promotion near misses in the proceeding two years, it was hoped that season 89/90 would be third time lucky. Manager Jim Henderson kept the great bulk of the squad from the 88/89 campaign and added midfielders Peter Reynolds and Alan Dickson. The main departures from Murrayfield Park were Stevie Carr to Hamilton Accies and Stuart Dunn to Livingston United. The first match of the season gave reason to be optimistic as top division side Bo'ness United were beaten 2-1 in the League Cup group stages but that early optimism soon vanished and the next win was not chalked up until a 5-1 hammering of the hapless Musselburgh Athletic in late October. Performances continued to be pretty erratic, with a victory over promotion contenders Broxburn Athletic in December quickly followed by defeats at Penicuik and Arniston Rangers. With this evident lack of consistency, the Cups brought their usual disappointments and the season petered out with the almost expected win-draw-lose-win-draw-lose sequence and the final game saw a 3-1 reversal at the hands of Stoneyburn, one of only two clubs who were to finish below us (Musselburgh being the other), summing up perfectly the clubs fortunes. |
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Season 1988/89 In his third season in charge Jim Henderson appointed John Callan as his new coach and some of his new signings included present day captain Gerry Ganner from Boghall Aces. Joining Gerry were Paul Donlon from Whitburn and ex-Bathgate Thistle striker Davie Bell from Fauldhouse United. Amongst those on the way out of Murrayfield Park were long serving Hugh Temperley who headed east to Livingston United and Frank Close who moved to Shotts Bon Accord. The league campaign opened up with a disappointing 5-3 home defeat by Preston Athletic and an away draw at Dunbar United while our League Cup challenge started just as poorly, Bo'ness United progressing past the sectional stages at our expense. Despite the indifferent start, the team went on to win four and draw two of our next six league fixtures befor the remaining Cup tournaments began but, in depressingly familiar fashion, we exited at the first round stage of almost every one, most disappointing being the replay defeat by Culter in the Scottish Junior Cup. These setbacks did not, though, adversely effect our league form which produced only one more loss, at Volunteer Park in December. In what was one of the tightest Second Division Championship finishes on record, a 3-3 draw at Camelon and a 1-0 revenge victory over Armadale Thistle were not enough to move up to the top flight as Camelon won their final league clash at Armadale to clinch, by a single point, the second promotion spot behind the Volunteer Park men. Season 1989/90 After the promotion near misses in the proceeding two years, it was hoped that season 89/90 would be third time lucky. Manager Jim Henderson kept the great bulk of the squad from the 88/89 campaign and added midfielders Peter Reynolds and Alan Dickson. The main departures from Murrayfield Park were Stevie Carr to Hamilton Accies and Stuart Dunn to Livingston United. The first match of the season gave reason to be optimistic as top division side Bo'ness United were beaten 2-1 in the League Cup group stages but that early optimism soon vanished and the next win was not chalked up until a 5-1 hammering of the hapless Musselburgh Athletic in late October. Performances continued to be pretty erratic, with a victory over promotion contenders Broxburn Athletic in December quickly followed by defeats at Penicuik and Arniston Rangers. With this evident lack of consistency, the Cups brought their usual disappointments and the season petered out with the almost expected win-draw-lose-win-draw-lose sequence and the final game saw a 3-1 reversal at the hands of Stoneyburn, one of only two clubs who were to finish below us (Musselburgh being the other), summing up perfectly the clubs fortunes. |
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