MATCH PREVIEW: Forfar Athletic v East Fife (Ramsdens Cup)

The ‘Loons’ play their first competitive game of the campaign when they entertain East Fife on Saturday in the first round of the Ramsdens Cup.

They will hope to make a similar start to the season as they did twelve months ago when they blew away Dunfermline Athletic at the same stage of the tournament in what was the first game to be played on the club’s 3G surface.

Despite having augmented his squad over the summer with no less than ten new faces Dick Campbell will not have the luxury of full pool to choose from with potentially injury and suspension ruling out around five players. Iain Campbell and Michael Dunlop are the two who miss out through suspensions carried forward from last term.

The visitors are under new management this term with former Hearts coach Willie Aitchison assisted by former Rangers striker Kevin Drinkell and they have also been active on the signing front culminating in the capture earlier in the week of man of many clubs Pat Clarke, a player in whom the Station Park boss had also shown interest in recent weeks.

Saturday’s game will see the home side wearing for the first time the new change kit in a white/navy design chosen by the fans in an end of season on-line poll.

The match has a 3 pm kick off with the man in the middle Andrew Dallas refereeing his first competitive game at Station Park, although he did handle a pre-season game with Spartans a couple of years back.