Crossgates Primrose
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Crossgates Primrose
FOOTBALL CLUB
Crossgates Primrose FC has been enjoying a fine season so far this
time around and have some exciting plans in place for 2019. Football
Focus Magazine recently caught up with Club Representative Frazer
Martin to find out more.
Involvement
He told us, “A group of us had worked together for many
years in youth football but, having taken the team to under
21 level, our time with them was nearing an end. None of us
wanted to ‘start again’ nor did we particularly want to continue
coaching, however, we were keen to stay in football and were
looking for a new challenge and looked to give the young
players an opportunity to play at a good level of adult football.
Crossgates Primrose had experienced some difficulties and
the team had gone into abeyance in November 2015 (due to a
lack of volunteers). We, probably naively, thought we could
resurrect the club, where all the facilities were still in place,
using our youth players as the core of the squad.
Following meetings with the former club secretary and
members of Crossgates Primrose Youth Football Club’s
committee, who were custodians of the club at this time, it was
agreed to give it a go, with the former secretary also coming on
board. This was in March 2016.”
The Role
“The challenges change on a week-by-week basis and can
be routine or something completely new and from left field
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– rabbits on the pitch, burst pipes, lease negotiations, squad
related etc. Because the club is run by volunteers and we have
match day deadlines the most pressing challenges are the ones
we need to get completed for the next game.
In a wider context, growing and developing a club who
were on the verge of extinction has definitely been the single
biggest challenge as, other than having a pitch and changing
facilities, we started with nothing.
“My son Blair Penman is one of the goalkeepers in
the senior team. Blair joined the club at the beginning
of the season after playing at Cowdenbeath. My
husband Stephen goes to watch the games regularly
and my boss Brian Matthews of BMD Contracts
sponsors the tracksuits. As well as this my husband’s
company, Scotia Bathrooms also started to sponsor
the club this season. They have done extremely well
this season due to the efforts of the players and
management team. Keep up the good work!”
Elaine Penman