Martin adds steel and firepower to Albion Rovers

Jun 10 2009 by Colin Paterson, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

ALBION ROVERS have taken their summer signing spree to seven after snapping up four more players.

Busy boss Paul Martin has agreed terms with keeper Derek Gaston and the midfield trio of ex-Stenhousemuir star Paul Tyrrell and former Dumbarton pair Mark Canning and Chris Boyle.

Martin now has 14 players contracted to the club and that figure will be increased when hitman Pat Walker returns from his round-the-world trip to sign on the dotted line.

Offers made to Alan Reid, Michael McGowan and Ciaran Donnelly are still being considered while Martin is waiting to hear if his bid for a top striker in junior football has been successful.

The Cliftonhill gaffer hailed his new arrivals as he continues to build his squad for next season’s third division campaign.

He told the Advertiser: “I am very pleased with the business we have done over the past week.

“But I am still hoping to add four or five players to boost our pool, although they will be younger guys.

“Derek is a really impressive keeper we have picked up from Baillieston under-21s.

“Both Mark and Paul are fantastic additions for us in the middle of the park and they have great experience.

“And Chris is an unbelievably good player who has a good engine, good delivery and is really robust. I am so happy to have him here.

“Everything we have set out to do we have managed. We needed to become bigger and stronger in midfield and we have brought those players in.

“I felt we needed more goals and I now think we have got players who can get them. We have a lot of trialists coming in during pre-season but the core of our squad is in place.”

The manager admitted that several clubs had made contact with Rovers regarding PFA Scotland third division player-of-the-year Bobby Barr, but a concrete offer had yet to be received.

Meanwhile, Rovers’ pre-season friendly schedule has almost been finalised with a date for the Jock Stein Cup match against Celtic still to be arranged.

Martin’s troops will begin their countdown to the big kick-off on Saturday, July 4, when they travel to Alloa Athletic before facing Blue Square Premier outfit Crawley Town at Inverclyde Sports Centre on July 11.

The Coatbridge men will face East of Scotland League part-timers Selkirk at Yarrow Park on July 18 and then host Dundee United on Monday, July 20.

l ROVERS have been drawn at home to crisis club Livingston in the first round of the Co-operative Insurance Cup. The tie will be played on Saturday, August 1.