Icy weather means frosty reception for Albion Rovers’ Paul Tyrrell

Jan 13 2010 by Colin Paterson, Airdrie & Coatbridge

PAUL TYRRELL says the consequences of the wicked weather are putting him in his wife’s bad books.

The Albion Rovers midfielder has been receiving frosty receptions from better half Lynne as he ventures off to training sessions in the middle of the night.

Demand for indoor training facilities has soared after the big freeze took the nation in its icy grip.

And Rovers’ players have been at the sharp end, with coaching stints organised whenever there has been a free slot.

Tyrrell and his part-time team-mates trained from 9.30-11.30pm last night after their Scottish Cup Fourth Round clash at home to Stirling was postponed for a second time.

And final preparations for this weekend’s Third Division battle with Livingston will be made tomorrow evening - between 9.15 and 11.15pm.

It all adds up to a domestic headache for Tyrrell as he tries to convince wife Lynne that he is not playing away!

“It’s been a very frustrating time,” the 29-year-old told the Advertiser. “In some ways, it has been like pre-season training all over again.

“The hardest aspect of it all has been trying to find decent training facilities and decent times to train.

“We are competing for the same venues as junior and amateur teams and in that situation you just have to take what you are given.

“My wife doesn’t know if I am coming or going. She thinks I am up to something else just now!

“Some of the training timings have been absolutely horrible and the wife thinks I am kidding her on. Hopefully things will get back to normal in the next couple of weeks.

“It is a hard time for everybody and a spell like this shows how difficult it is for a part-time team given that we can only train at nights.

“But we are working hard behind the scenes and the mood in the camp is still pretty good. There is plenty of banter and that is an important part of any team.”

Rovers haven’t played since December 12 but Tyrrell is pleased with the team’s league position and has set his sights on a place in the post-season.

The ex-Stenhousemuir and East Stirling grafter added: “We’ve been disappointed at not winning in our last seven league games but we’re not worried about that at all.

“A few of those games ended in draws and we certainly feel that we played well enough and created enough chances to win some of those games.

“We would probably have taken the position we are in at the moment had it been offered to us at the start of the season and now we want to do even better.

“Our standards were set in that opening quarter of the season when we picked up some really good results and we’ve set ourselves the aim of catching Forfar and then looking to reach Berwick and East Stirling.

“We would like to close the gap to Livingston but they are in a rich vein of form and their full-time status will make a real difference in the closing months.”

Paul Martin’s men ended last season on a dismal run of 13 games without a win but Tyrrell says there is too much talent in the dressing room for history to repeat itself.

“We spoke about that run earlier in the season and I would be very surprised if that type of thing happened again.

“The squad we have is competitive and determined to do well and we will be even stronger when our injured players come back in the next few weeks.”

Tyrrell reckons his decision to opt for Cliftonhill in the summer has been a good one and he now wants to end the campaign in style.

He said: “I feel like I have been given a new lease of life in coming here.

“The move has been brilliant for me.”