Youths face busy time ahead after Easter break

MINOR-GRADE football teams face a flood of fixtures after the Easter weekend break, with the under-14 Willie Bauld Cup semi-final between Tynecastle FC and Cavalry Park Colts among the front runners on Tuesday, April 18, at Saughton Park.

Also on that night, at the same venue, Tynecastle East under-13s face the club's Tynecastle FC Colts in the Ken Ritchie Cup.

On a hectic Tuesday night, Leith Athletic and Hutchison Vale BC clash in the Belmont Vauxhall Cup at Leith Links.

A pile of fixtures in the Lothian Buses Eastern Region Youth FA leagues follow on Wednesday, April 19, with several excellent games in prospect.

Also on Wednesday, ERYFA secretary, Allan Archibald, has a double-header of finals lined up for Saughton Enclosure.

At 6.30pm, Musselburgh Windsor Colts and Edinburgh City Colts meet in the final of the Tom Welsh Cup, while Inch Colts and Civil Service Strollers Youth continue their rivalry in the final of the Persevere Cup (8.00pm).

Games continue on Thursday night, with another batch of league fixtures down for completion. That leaves Friday blank for what I consider to be one the major finals of the season in youth club football - the Ian Mackay Cup!

This will be a truly magnificent affair and it is being played at Paties Road, kick off at 6.45pm.

Spartans FC Blacks and Spartans FC Reds will be in opposition and a great game is assured.

Schools football will also start with the East and Mid Lothian Under-15 Schools Select side set to play their delayed Scottish Schools Inter-Regional Cup semi-final against Aberdeen at Hallhill, Dunbar, on Monday, April 24 (6.30pm).

In a round-up of the current position in schools football, Mid and East Lothian representative John Frame reports: "In East & Midlothian, Dalkeith High will win the under-13 title if they defeat Ross High in their final match. The Tranent school also have matters in their own hands as they will win the title if the win their two remaining fixtures.

"At under-14 level, Lasswade and Newbattle have identical records of ten wins and one defeat each. The two schools go head-to-head in the final match of the season to decide the title.

"Portobello High claimed the Lothian Schools' FA Senior title.

"In the under-16 league title race, Newbattle have completed their fixtures and cannot be overtaken at the top of the league but Musselburgh can still force a play-off by winning their two remaining matches against Firrhill and Holyrood."

Taken from the Scotsman