Category: Carmuirs Park

New Chairman Appointed

Camelon Juniors FC are pleased to announce that, following a committee meeting this week to ensure the club continues to be as strong off the field as it is on, Gary Clark has agreed to take on the role of Chairman.

Gary writes: “I have been at the club for very nearly three years now in my position as Head of Youth Development, during which time we have managed to build a successful and ever growing player pathway. I have also witnessed some fantastic moments with the First Team that will live long in my memory, and seen the squad grow and develop into something very special. I have seen the club go from strength to strength on and off the park culminating in the club attaining its SFA licence.

I wish to continue to grow in all aspects with the help of everyone at the club. It truly is a fantastic club to be a part of and a honour to be the new Chairman to continue the hard work already done.

As everyone has felt the effects of the covid-19 pandemic, Camelon officials and players have shown their community spirit and that this is a family orientated club, by delivering school lunches in conjunction with Camelon Community Hub, taking part in the Elf Run for Maggie’s Forth Valley, and continuing to host and support the food pantry and wider community support led by Love Falkirk, the outreach of Falkirk Vineyard Church. This highlights how grateful the club is for local support, and its desire to give something back whenever it can.

While I understand that there will be challenges ahead that we as a club will need to face due to the pandemic – some of which aren’t going to be easy – the club will strive to continue for excellence on and off the park and give the community a football team they can continue to proud of.

I will finish by saying that we hope to get back to playing football as soon as it is physically possible and safe to do so, as well as seeing fans who are the life blood of the club back at Carmuirs Park, cheering on the mighty Mariners on a Saturday afternoon – something I know that I have missed.

Thanks for your continued support.
Gary Clark, Chairman

Storm Bella 1 – Football 0

Boxing Day 2020. The day when Camelon Juniors FC would make their first ever appearance in the first round of the Scottish Cup. The stage was set for an exciting tie at Carmuirs Park against Highland League Champions Brora Rangers.

Early in the morning, some of the clubs’ volunteers arrived at the Park to get the pitch ready. All looked good and an inspection passed it fit for playing so Brora set off on their journey.

A couple of hours later, Storm Bella made its presence known and, with the help of a few extra volunteers, a mix of sponge rolling, forking, sand spreading and scarifying took place to try to keep the pitch playable.

By the time Brora arrived we seemed to be fighting a losing battle as the rain was relentless. But the referee deemed it playable and both teams made their final preparations.

Just before kick off, the ref spoke again with both managers to discuss options. Both were happy to start the match but the ref made it clear he would abandon the game should there be a player safety issue. Regardless of the score at that time, he would bring it to a premature end and we would go again another day. This was agreed to and the match began.

Both teams started well and from the pace of the game, it seemed the players might have believed if they played fast then the match would be over quicker! There were chances at both ends with great saves from both ‘keepers.

However the rain kept falling and it became clear this match wasn’t going to go the distance. As the half time whistle was blown with the score still level at 0-0, the ref once again called both managers together and the collective decision was made to abandon the match due to the persistent rain and strong winds.

The rescheduled tie is currently set for this Wednesday, 30 December, at Carmuirs Park with a 7.30pm kick off. This is of course subject to the festive weather! It will once again be live streamed for £5 via www.camelonjuniors.co.uk/ppv but anyone who paid on Saturday for the first attempt at the tie will automatically get access to the match without having to pay again. Thanks to everyone for sticking with us and lending your support in many different ways.

Before that, the draw for the second round of The Scottish Cup takes place on their YouTube channel and Facebook page this Monday, 28 December, at 7.15pm. Because of the rescheduling of our tie, this means we’re in that draw! Together with Brora, we are number 9. The full draw info is below:

1 Airdrieonians
2 Alloa Athletic
3 Annan Athletic
4 Arbroath
5 Ayr United
6 Banks O’Dee
7 Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic or Bo’ness United
8 Buckie Thistle
9 Camelon or Brora Rangers
10 Clyde
11 Cove Rangers
12 Cowdenbeath
13 Dumbarton
14 Dundee
15 Dundonald Bluebell or Queen’s Park
16 Dunfermline Athletic
17 East Fife
18 Edinburgh City
19 Elgin City
20 Falkirk
21 Forfar Athletic
22 Formartine United
23 Fraserburgh
24 Greenock Morton
25 Heart of Midlothian
26 Huntly
27 Inverness Caledonian Thistle
28 Keith
29 Kelty Hearts
30 Linlithgow Rose
31 Montrose
32 Nairn County
33 Partick Thistle
34 Peterhead
35 Queen of the South
36 Raith Rovers
37 Stenhousemuir
38 Stirling Albion
39 Stranraer
40 Tranent Juniors

What number do you fancy? All will be revealed on Monday then it’s back to team on Wednesday to make our dreams come true.

#weareCJFC #since1920 #itswhoweare

Club Statement – Fans at Games

Camelon Juniors FC are fully supportive of the Government efforts to combat Covid-19 and have a great appreciation of how difficult a job the Scottish Government have to balance health and the economy, and the sacrifices that people are making to fight this disease.

The club is proud to have played its part in suppressing the first wave of the virus however in simple terms we are facing a fight for our very survival if fans are not allowed into watch games.

Football at the level Camelon play, faces the biggest crisis since the second world war. Our industry sector is being denied the right to trade, due to the refusal to let fans watch games, whilst just over the border in England clubs at equivalent levels are allowed supporters into the match, properly physically distanced with fans wearing face masks.

It is hard to see how going to the football is a higher risk than the pub or the supermarket, when it’s outdoors, distanced, tracked and everyone is temperature checked.

It is our hope that the current restrictions on us are simply out of a lack of appreciation of the challenges football faces at this level. There is no Sky TV deal and no generous benefactor in the form of Mr Anderson as our friends in the SPFL received. Match day income is fundamental to being able to trade solvently. Without it, through no fault of clubs at this level, many won’t be here in three months time.

People may say there are too many clubs anyway. Our response to that is that their view would be different if it was their own club and there won’t be many clubs anywhere in Scotland that are safe, and almost none are at tier five.

Clubs are not asking for a 1,000 fans. All we’re asking for is 200 in a 14,000 square meter site, in a controlled, secure environment.

This week the club has written to local MSP Michael Matheson, who we’re pleased to say has responded to arrange a telephone meeting next week. We look forward to a discussion on what we hope is a lack of understanding of the sector, and the economic benefits it has to the local economy. While Camelon might not be a big club, we still employ twenty people and purchase many products from local suppliers who in turn employ local people. Multiply this by the number of clubs and it’s an economic generator worth, according to a recent study, over £500 million to the Scottish Economy.

The fiscal benefit aside, the community and mental health benefits that football brings to players and supporters alike should be reason enough to re-consider fans in football, providing it’s in a secure and safe venue.

We’re not asking for a moonshot on this one. Either the ability to run our business and trade, or for some assistance to replace the trade that has been denied to us.

Tony Smith
Club Secretary
Camelon Juniors Football Club

New Main Sponsor Announced

Camelon Juniors FC are delighted to announce that Express Taxis will be the clubs main sponsor for next season. Their logo will be proudly displayed on the front of the home and away shirts in our centenary season.

Club Secretary Tony Smith commented “We’re delighted to announce this new exciting partnership and are really grateful to Express Taxis for their support. This is really massive for the club in the current times that we’ve been able to partner with such a well known local business that shares our community values.”

Andrew Buchanan, Manager of Express Taxis, said “It is with great pleasure that Express Taxis can announce that we are now the main sponsors of Camelon Juniors Football Club. Covid-19 has presented an unprecedented and unforeseen challenge to our business, but when the opportunity came along to be able to sponsor a club that has done so much good work for the local community, it seemed like a perfect match for us to get involved. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our fantastic drivers that have continued to work at this time and of course all our loyal customers that have stood by us. We hope it won’t be too long until we can all enjoy getting back out to support our local teams.”

Express Taxis
Driving the community for over 60 years.
More than just a taxi company.
01324 638000

#weareCJFC #itswhoweare #since1920

Fixture Change brings exciting prospect to Camelon

As a result of cup success last season, the Mariners qualified to play in the East of Scotland cup together with Edinburgh City (SPFL League 2), Berwick Rangers (Lowland League), and The Spartans (Lowland League)

Our semi final match against Edinburgh City was originally scheduled to be played on the evening of Wednesday 30 October in Edinburgh. This match has now been rescheduled and switched, and will now take place under the Carmuirs Park floodlights on Wednesday 13 November with a 7:45pm kick off.

Not only are we excited to play under the floodlights in our Park, but also to welcome a SPFL League 2 side to the ground with all the opportunities and visibility that this will bring to our own squad.

We hope you’ll be able to join us then for that milestone match.