Amy Gallacher has been named in the Scotland U19 squad that will face Switzerland & Czech Republic in Portugal between February 29th-March 8th.

Midfielder Julia Ralph Scott says she is delighted to be back at Forfar Farmington after two years away from the club.

The 33 year old returned to Forfar at the beginning of the year after spending the previous two seasons at Glasgow City and Inverness City along with a period out of the game.

Scott reckons it was an easy decision to come back to Forfar due to the professionalism of the set up and knowing players like Nicola Davidson and Alana Bruce from her previous spell.

“It feels amazing to be back; as soon as Mark approached me I knew I wanted to play at a higher level again and this was a perfect opportunity to do so. I have been here before and it truly is a little family. The set up is very professional and I knew I wanted to be a part of it. It was circumstantial why I left before but it’s great to be back in blue and playing under Mark and see the girls again.”

She continued: “As I said Forfar Farmington are very professional in their manner of running a club which is great to be a part of. As soon as I knew Mark and his staff were back it was an easy decision. I’m getting on a bit and don’t have many years left in me so it is nice to be part of a professional set up for as long as possible in my career. I also know a lot of the girls so I didn’t have the nervousness of a newbie either.”

She also reckons that the current crop of youngsters in the squad have improved massively since her previous spell, saying “Forfar have always had a talented bunch of girls and some of them I trained with before were in the development squad and they have now stepped up to the Premier League side and they have come on quite a lot as players.”

Scott travels down from Inverness every week with fellow northern pair Megan McCarthy and Kirsty Deans and while she doesn’t mind travelling alone, the experienced midfielder reckons travelling with the duo allows her to bond and relax with fellow teammates.

“Do you know, I have never really been bothered by travelling to training and games by myself in a car, but having the girls with you and to car share is great because you can unwind if you aren’t driving and the banter is great.”

When Scott signed for Glasgow City in 2014 she was only able to take part in one game because she then found out she was pregnant. After having a daughter later that year she returned to football with Inverness City in 2015 and despite relegation won the club’s Player of the Year award.

Scott said: “I actually enjoyed my season last year for selfish reasons. After pregnancy it was really difficult to get back into shape and I am still trying so playing helped a lot. Yes it was a difficult season but the team moral never wavered. I was moved to right back so I saw a lot of action which i really enjoyed!”

The side have been written off in some quarters similar to last season before the ‘Great Escape’ and Scott is confident that the side will prove everyone wrong once again; the side believing they can finish mid table or higher.

The veteran commented: “I am buzzing and nervous at the same time. As long as I can get that correct balance it will be great. I just hope I can contribute the way I want to in each game. It is going to be a challenging season but a challenge we can face.”

”We discussed this as a team and we hope for nothing less than fifth in the league which is manageable, reaching a final as well would be magic! As for myself, every player wants to be a part of every game so I hope I can achieve that, I want to stay fit and contribute as much as I can throughout the season and hopefully end the season with a few goals under my belt.”

“It’s tough to say how we will do but a lot of people have written us off. We are the true underdogs but we will fight every minute of every game to get results and prove the doubters wrong. There are a lot of strong teams in this league but I truly feel we can compete and get results as we have the potential and great depth within the squad and there is a fantastic backroom team here.”

Scott has played all over the country as well as spells with Doncaster Rovers Belles in England, Toronto Lynx in Canada and New York Magic in America but feels that this season has been her favourite pre season to be a part of, mentioning that there are no hiders in the side and that everyone is focused towards their goals.

She said: “This has been the best pre season I have ever been part of; for myself I knew I would have to work hard this pre season as I think every player is fighting for a position in the squad so that helped motivate me to get fitter and stronger. The support from the coaching staff has been phenomenal, every player seems to be focused and motivated to be the best they can be for the fight this season which is great because we are all pushing each other to be better.”

The club are keen to recruit a Physiotherapist to work with their SWPL side.

The ideal candidate will possess Sports First Aid qualification and be HPC accredited.

One night per week & game days.

Contact admin.swpl@forfarfarmington.uk for more information

Forfar Farmington attacker Robyn Smith was delighted with her performance after grabbing a hat trick of assists in the 4-0 win over Hamilton on Sunday.

The 22 year old took part in her first 90 minutes of the pre-season after a short cameo the previous week due to illness.

Smith set up Louise Magilton for her double while her cross led to Kayleigh Noble’s goal that finished the scoring; Jade McLaren’s opener the only goal Smith wasn’t involved in.

Photo: David Young Photography

The game looked like it could have been in doubt at times due to the weather conditions but the ex-Jeanfield striker felt they still managed to play well, scoring three of their goals playing into the wind. “It was good to get another run out, I only played twenty minutes last week because I had been ill so it was nice to play a full game this week.” she said.

”It was a hard task in the second half as we were going up against the wind and rain but I felt that we still managed to play some good football and we all stuck to the jobs that we were given by the manager.”

Smith was happy with her own performance albeit was disappointed she couldn’t find the back of the net with several chances. “Considering this was my first proper run out, I’m pretty happy with myself.”

She continued “I would have loved to have scored just for that extra bit of confidence but like I said I’m pretty pleased with my performance for my first proper game back. As a team we know we need to improve some things and we will work on them.”

Photo: David Young Photography

Farmington will continue their pre-season in a fortnight against Glasgow Girls and Smith believes that the squad have improved over the last month, with tough sessions setting them up for the coming season.

“I think pre-season is going really well, everyone seems to be enjoying it. Some of the sessions have been brutal but we know at the end of the day it’s for our own benefit, there’s always a buzz about training no matter what the session involves.”

Manager Mark Nisbet was pleased with how his side played in tough conditions, especially in the second half, saying “It was a good work out for both teams in difficult conditions which didn’t make it easy for us. We started the first half off okay and improved on the previous week in regards to passing and possession.”
He continued ”The one thing that really pleased me though was a few individual performances and our pressing of Hamilton’s back line. It was good to give a few players playing time under their belts.”

Forfar Farmington’s latest signing Louise Magilton claims she can’t wait to get her teeth back into Premier League football after almost three years away from the game.

The midfielder joins from Cumbernauld Colts after a short spell at the end of 2015 following a spell away from the game to concentrate on her university studies.

Magilton explained she is delighted to be back in the league where she spent time with Rangers and Spartans before her sabbatical, saying “I am delighted to sign for Forfar and be back in and around the Premier League. I was approached by several clubs at different levels but firstly the opportunity to be back to Premier League was the first thing.”

The 23 year old reckons the setup at the club is one of the best and believes the squad harmony is fantastic.

”Mark and the team invited me along and I was instantly impressed by the set up at the club and the great support staff they have.” she said. ”Everything was super organised and professional and the training was fantastic. It’s also a great bunch of girls in the team who are great to be around, I knew straight away this was the club to join if I want to get back to playing at my best.”

In her three years away, the former Scotland youth internationalist kept fit through triathlons and completing Tough Mudder but feels the Farmington training is tough albeit Magilton is enjoying it so far as the side get ready ahead of their first pre-season friendly against Hutchison Vale this weekend.

“Pre-season has been tough so far. After 3 years away from the game I knew it would be tough to come back, but the sessions are very high intensity and excellent quality so I have been really enjoying them so far and I am already starting to feel a bit sharper.”

Magilton also believes that the side has the quality to improve on last season’s results against the top six sides, having lost every game against them.

“After seeing the quality the club have I was surprised about the results last season.” she continued. ”I think the club has a great team of coaches and staff in place to take the team forward and a very motivated group, so I see no reason why we should not be competing with the ‘bigger’ clubs this season and I am delighted to be a part of it!”

Forfar Farmington announced their second signing last week with defender Megan McCarthy joining for a second spell from Inverness City.

The 23 year old had a short spell in 2012 and spent pre-season at Farmington before being forced to leave due to issues.

McCarthy reckons that the season ahead will be tough for the girls but feels that they have the drive and desire to show that they still belong in the Premier League.

She said “I always loved the attitude that Forfar has and the drive so for that reason I was excited to come back. I really felt like I learnt a lot last time so for football technically I am also looking forward to improving.”

“Every single game is going to be a challenge but from playing with the team before I know the desire they have to perform well.”

The defender, who started her career at Moray Girls, said she hopes that she can improve herself in the reconstructed league each week. “I’m hoping to improve as a player and playing games each week is a personal aim. I think the team should aim for a certain spot on the table where we would like to be sitting at the end of the season and aim towards that.”

McCarthy had some parting words for her former side, where she had spent the last six years bar the short spell at Station Park.

“Last season was hard due to injuries, Inverness are a close team so we stuck together but physically our team was struggling.” she said.”I loved playing for them, the team is such so close and I have had some amazing times with them. The girls there will always be great friends and I will miss them a lot.”

Megan joins Robyn Smith in signing for Farmington and manager Mark Nisbet is delighted with both signings so far.

“I have worked with both players before and know what they can bring.” He continued. “A big thing for me is their attitudes towards developing their game. It also gives us a bit more experience in the group.“

Nisbet revealed he has plans to add more signings before the end of the month and could possibly make a couple of those this week in the side’s final training session before they return in the New Year for pre-season.

“The plan is to announce another few signings before the end of the year and a couple in the New Year. The thought process behind this is to increase the competition in the squad and to also give us more options for a game day.”

“I don’t like to talk about players who are no longer with the club but wish them all the best. My focus is on the players who have committed and are preparing for the season ahead.”

Forfar Farmington made their first new signing ahead of their 2016 season on Sunday with attacker Robyn Smith joining from Jeanfield.

The 22 year old returns for her second spell, having left the club originally in 2013 for the Perth side she joins from.

Smith had a handful of appearances in her last spell and the Blairgowrie based attacker says she is delighted to be at Station Park once again. “I’m really excited to be back. I had a taste of SWPL with a couple of appearances at the end of the season in 2013 after recovering from fracturing my ankle so to get a proper shot under Mark Nisbet is great.”

At Jeanfield she helped them to win the SWFL First Division League Cup and gain promotion to the newly formed second tier of the Premier League and Smith placed her thanks to the club for allowing her the chance to play regularly again, saying “I really enjoyed my time there, the first season to get back playing regularly meant a lot to me.”

She continued “The second although I didn’t play as much due to a mix of injury and places in squad it had some great highlights like scoring in the First Division League Cup Final against Hibs at Alloa and securing a place in the SWPL2 for the club. I have to thank Steve there for the chance and a good set up to come back to football.“

Smith is already familiar with a few faces at the club; with the current management team at the club in her last spell as well as playing with Holly Napier and Lindsey Dunbar amongst others in the Dundee & Angus College side.

“To already be playing week in and week out with players like Holly, Lindsey, Jade McLaren, Megan Burns and Kayleigh Noble is, from a footballing point of view, fantastic but they’re great fun.” she said. ”They have already made me feel very welcome; the whole club has, including the staff. It feels normal, like being at home. “

The attacker also reckons that with the current players becoming more experienced they will be able to cope better against the likes of Hibernian next season, saying “The club showed last year that playing against those top sides is difficult but I believe after a further year to develop they will be stronger to handle the situation and I’m sure Mark will add further depth to the team. Our priority has to be staying up first and build from there.“