Latest news with #FourthDivision
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
EK Thistle boss expects tough league start as they clash with 'title favourites'
Stephen Kane is looking forward to his first competitive game in charge as Thistle visit Wishaw New EK Thistle boss Stephen Kane is looking forward to his first competitive game in charge this weekend, but knows his side face a tough opener in the West of Scotland Fourth Division. The Jags travel to a Wishaw side among the title favourites this season, having been relegated from Division Three last season. And after a summer overhaul which has seen 21 new players come through the door at the Showpark, Kane knows it will take time for his side to gel. Looking ahead to the opener at the Beltane, Kane said: 'It will be a tricky game. I've watched them a couple of times in pre-season and I know a couple of their players so I think we will be in for a hard game. 'When the fixtures came out, Wishaw were probably the team that everyone wanted to avoid, but I think they will believe we are a good side as well. 'It is up to us to take our game plan to them and try to win the game. 'It is a big season with the club with so many teams going up and I think the committee will be looking for us to do that. I think we have the squad to do that. 'Eight teams go up [with league reconstruction next season] so we want to try and get in that bracket. If we can get up, that would be great. That is the real aim. 'We've had a total rebuild here. There's 21 new players in through the door so it will be difficult in the first five or six weeks to get our philosophy across. 'Our pre-season has gone quite well. We've been a bit up and down. We've had positive results at Ardeer [2-0], Lugar [2-1] and we were well beaten by Bonnyton [2-4], but the main thing was getting minutes in the legs for the boys and we've got our sights firmly set on Wishaw this weekend.' Kane has strengthened ahead of the weekend with three fresh faces and he could yet add a couple more before Saturday's clash. He added: 'We've got a squad in place now, albeit there might be a couple in and a couple out this week. 'I've signed Gordon Douches. He has been in my previous amateur side [Glebe Hibernian]. He wanted to stay in the amateur game because he's done the Junior game before when he played at Blantyre Vics, but I got a call from him last week saying he felt he'd made the wrong decision and wanted to join. "He's got a slight ankle problem so we'll need to see if he will be okay for Saturday. 'We also signed Kieran Evans from Royal Albert in the left-back position, we've brought in Willie McLaren and Mark Montgomery to sort the wider areas. 'Now it is just about getting the game plan into the boys and executing it on a Saturday.'
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
East Kilbride YM boss relishing 'momentous day', as club set for West of Scotland League debut
The former amatuer side will make their bow this weekend at Kirktonholme East Kilbride YM boss Graeme Robertson is hoping the town comes out to back his side on a 'momentous' day for the team this Saturday. The town's oldest football club make their debut in the West of Scotland Football League when they host Irvine Vics at Kirktonholme for a Fourth Division clash. YM have made the leap from amateur football to the WOSFL after being voted into the bottom tier of the Scottish football pyramid at the end of last season. And everyone at the Village outfit is brimming with anticipation for their big bow at this level. Gaffer Robertson, who led the team to the Caledonian Premier Division title last season, said: 'It will be a momentous day for the club and everyone is looking forward to it. 'All the volunteers will be out in force and planning is well ahead of schedule for Saturday's game. 'Hopefully the weather is good for us and we get a good support behind us. 'We've been absolutely flabbergasted by the response to season tickets - we've sold just over 100 so far - and there have been a lot of people in the town coming up to us to speak about it, so there is a lot of interest. 'Every game we've had in pre-season we've seen a really good crowd and we are really impressed with the response in our first season.' Irvine Vics will be one of the favourites for the title this term, having been relegated from the Third Division last term, and Robertson added: 'I think Irvine Vics could be our toughest game of the season. 'They just got relegated but they have been playing really good teams in pre-season and winning comfortably. It should be a good game.' YM have managed to hold on to most of their squad from last season's title-winning campaign, while also pinching players from near neighbours and Division Four rivals East Kilbride Thistle, who they host on August 2. 'We've kept most of the boys who won the Caledonian Premier Division last season and we've added a few experienced players who have played at this level so we hope that will stand us in good stead,' said Robertson. 'We've brought in three players from EK Thistle - Adam Edgar, Ryan Anderson and Lewis Gray - so they have made the move across the Village. 'We are also delighted to get Greg Miller from Kello Rovers. He was being chased by the likes of Port Glasgow, but he opted to join us because he can see what our plans here are. 'We are just trying to consolidate. It is a big step up from amateur to semi-professional so we need to try and find our feet in the first season, try to be as solid and hard to beat as possible. 'Our ambition is to do well within the West of Scotland League and see what happens.' Saturday's clash is a 2pm kick-off at Kirktonholme, with tickets priced £5 for adults, £3 for concessions and kids under-12 go free.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Série E, fifth division, proposed for submission to CBF
The current "entry-level series" of Brazilian football is D, the Fourth Division. However, the idea advocated by many clubs is the creation of another one, the Series E. This was confirmed by Rogério Siqueira, the current president of ASA. The leader of the Alagoas club also revealed that the CBF, presided over by Samir Xaud (featured in the photo), is receptive to the ideas proposed by the members of the current last national division. Including the desire to expand the number of Brazilian Championships. "We have a meeting at the CBF with President Xaud at 11 am on the 29th, and we will discuss the evolution of the entry-level series, which today is Series D, to change the format a bit, trying to include more clubs, and also talk about the creation of Series E. There are two possibilities, either to increase the number of clubs, where the top 32 would secure participation the following year, or the creation of a Series E, which was our first proposal," he told ge. If Series E is created, the Fourth Division would have only 32 clubs - currently, there are 64, with eight groups of eight teams each. The plan for the near future would be a Series D with the same number of clubs (20) and format as the Third Division. A Fifth Division could only become a reality by 2027. And ideally, it would start with 64 clubs according to Rogério Siqueira. The possibility of ensuring a longer calendar for traditional clubs is one of the "trump cards" to bring Series E out of the realm of imagination. "Today, in the format we have, with 64 clubs, all of them enter the competition already relegated, and it happens as it did this year with clubs like Paraná, among other major clubs in Brazil, being left without a calendar. This is certainly not what the CBF wants, it is not what the teams deserve, and it is not what they need," he emphasized. Tradition abounds in Series D-2025 There are several highly relevant clubs competing in the current edition. Examples include Sampaio Corrêa, Santa Cruz, América de Natal, the aforementioned ASA, Portuguesa, and Brasil de Pelotas. ASA, Santa Cruz, and Lusa lead their respective groups and are already qualified with two rounds remaining. The Dragon also has a secured spot. Another 11 teams are guaranteed in the first knockout stage: Tuna Luso, Manauara, Altos (PI), Imperatriz (MA), Central (PE), Aparecidense, Ceilândia, Luverdense, Inter de Limeira, Barra (SC), and São José-RS. Promotion will only be celebrated by the teams that overcome three knockout stages up to the semifinals. See the standings of all groups here. And the matches of the 13th round can be checked here. And Paraná Clube? Mentioned by the ASA leader, the Tricolor from Vila Capanema will only be able to have a national division again - unless there is some change - in 2028. It was relegated again to the Paraná Second Division this year and its first goal is to return to the local elite. Only with such promotion and a good campaign in the 2027 State Championship would Paraná secure a spot in the following year's Series D. It has been three consecutive seasons away from the Fourth Division - the last participation was in 2022. Fifth place in the 2006 Series A, Paraná made history by competing in the Libertadores the following year. And it reached the round of 16. It fell to Series B in the same season and was last in the elite in 2018. The sequence included two consecutive relegations (from B to C and then to D) between 2020 and 2021. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here. 📸 MAURO PIMENTEL - AFP or licensors
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Port Glasgow boss proud of players' efforts despite missing out on league title
PORT Glasgow manager Tam Jamieson says he's proud of his players' efforts despite watching their bid for Fourth Division title glory fall just short on Saturday. Jamieson's men did what was required of them by sweeping aside St Peter's 3-0 at Parklea in their final match of the season in front of a bumper crowd. The Undertakers have known for some weeks that they'll be playing Third Division football in 2025-26, promotion having been secured with a 6-1 win away to Campbeltown Pupils on April 12. But those hoping to see the Undertakers snatch the championship trophy from under the noses of long-time leaders Knightswood saw those dreams dashed as the Glasgow side, who started the final day three points ahead of Jamieson's men, romped to the title with a 5-1 win at home to Eglinton. Missing out on the title, though, didn't dampen the Port players' moods too much, with plenty of celebrations when they returned to the dressing room after the final whistle. Missing out on the title didn't stop Port Glasgow's players celebrating promotion in style. (Image: alex craig) And Jamieson could only hail his troops for doing what was required as results elsewhere went against them. He told the Tele: 'We've said it for much of the season, we weren't going away and we've stayed there all year up until a final kick of the ball. 'Fair play to Knightswood for getting the job done and doing what was required when it mattered most. 'It's important we build now for next season and approach the Third Division as strongly as possible. 'We've finished off with three goals and a clean sheet. We can't really ask for much more. READ MORE: Port Glasgow boss wants home crowd to bring the noise for final day title decider 'The job's done. We've done what we set out to do which was to get the club back into the third division at the first time of asking. 'It was good for Wiggzy [Shaun Wigzell] to finish off with a clean sheet too.' After a goalless first 45 minutes, Port took the lead barely five minutes into the second half thanks to an inspired substitution by Jamieson: Kenny Mearns only had two touches of the ball since his introduction at the interval, but his third, fourth and fifth proved decisive as he picked up the ball with his back to goal before instinctively turning into space and driving the ball into the bottom left corner. Ronnie Wilson thought he'd doubled his side's lead with an hour gone; he did well to win the ball high and tee up Dylan McLaughlin, who saw his effort parried into the path of the stand-in midfielder, and though Wilson timed his follow-up run well, he could only find the side netting from close range. Dylan McLaughlin scored the Port's second and third goals. (Image: alex craig) Their second would come five minutes later after Mearns was scythed down in the penalty area, with McLaughlin refusing to leave anything to chance by rifling the resulting spot-kick into the bottom corner with his right foot. And McLaughlin completed the scoring when he doubled up in style 20 minutes from time thanks to some good work from full-back Josh McGilvarey, who teed up his team-mate nicely for a cool finish into the bottom corner. The win saw the Port finish on 73 points but with the proud record of the highest goal tally in any of the WoSFL's five divisions – a total of 110 across their 30 league fixtures. And Jamieson says that the win caps off the progress that the Undertakers have made over the course of the last 12 months to bounce straight back after their relegation to the bottom tier. He added: 'The progress we've made from the start of the season until now is night and say. Port Glasgow boss Tam Jamieson told the Tele he's delighted with the progress the club has made in the last 12 months. (Image: alex craig) 'Players have joined, players have left. We're delighted with the way the club is going if I'm being honest. 'We just need to add a bit more and hopefully we can kick on again next year.' Joining the Port and Knightswood in the Third Division next season will be Kello Rovers, who also bounced back in style after being relegated 12 months ago and who sealed their promotion with a 3-1 midweek win away to East Kilbride Thistle. The Undertakers' promotion also sets up the juicy prospect of an Inverclyde 'El Clasico' next season after Greenock Juniors missed out on promotion to the Second Division by an agonising one-point margin on the final day.
Asharq Al-Awsat
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Syrian Authorities Arrest Coordinator Between Assad Regime and IRGC
Syrian authorities have arrested a high-ranking officer closely associated with Maher al-Assad, commander of the Fourth Division and brother of the ousted president. The officer was responsible for coordinating between former regime officials and commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Public Security Directorate in Deir ez-Zor province, eastern Syria, announced the arrest of Brigadier General Abdul Karim Ahmed Al-Hamada, who previously oversaw reconciliation efforts with the former regime. He also served as a key liaison between ex-regime officers and IRGC leaders. Security forces have ramped up operations targeting remnants of the deposed Assad regime across various regions of the country. Authorities also detained Lieutenant Colonel Orouwa Deeb, a former officer in the Military Security Branch of Homs province, as he attempted to flee to Lebanon from the town of Al-Aqrabiya in western Al-Qusayr. Local media reported on Friday that Brigadier General Abdul Karim Al-Muhaimid, a senior figure in the tribal operations room in Deir ez-Zor, was arrested alongside his son, Ahmed Abdul Karim Al-Muhaimid. This came just hours after the arrest of Moayad Al-Duwaihi, known as 'Haj Jawad,' the commander of the pro-IRGC 'Sayyida Zainab Brigade' militia in Al-Mayadin and its surrounding areas in eastern Deir ez-Zor. Earlier, security forces had also apprehended Yasser Matroud, the former head of the media office for the pro-Assad 'National Defense Militia' in Deir ez-Zor. According to local sources, Al-Muhaimid played a significant role last summer as head of the tribal operations room under the Assad regime. He reportedly collaborated with the Fourth Division's 104th Brigade to stoke clashes between tribal forces and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), allegedly at Iran's direction. In a related development, the Internal Security Directorate announced the discovery of weapons and ammunition hidden inside a well in the town of Al-Madabaa' in eastern rural Homs. Officials stated that the arms were intended for future attacks by former regime operatives, according to Syria's state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV. Additionally, the Public Security Directorate in Latakia province uncovered a weapons depot in the city of Qardaha. Security officials also received firearms voluntarily handed over by tribal leaders in the villages of Al-Boudi and Al-Qalai'a in Jableh, as part of ongoing efforts to control the spread of arms and ensure they remain under state control.
