By bobmcp
May 4 2016

East Stirlingshire v Edinburgh City has been characterised in some quarters as stale old Shire v energetic new City. Edinburgh City’s commendable rise suggests the “energetic” description may well be appropriate in their case but there’s absolutely nothing stale about the men who currently guide the fortunes of East Stirlingshire Football Club.  

In recent months they have authorised an independent review of every aspect of the club’s operations to identify how things can be done better. The results of this review won’t be seen overnight. There is no magic wand, it’s not spectacular, it won’t provide headlines. It’s just a belief that all the little things, if done a bit more effectively, can make a real difference.

Shire supporters may feel they’ve heard it all before, that down the years they’ve had a surfeit of “jam tomorrow” pledges. That’s why this time there has been be no fanfare of promises, it’s the club’s many volunteers who have, or will be, sitting down to consider how things are done, how things can be improved, how each and every one of them can help East Stirlingshire Football Club to progress.

For the next two Saturdays, at Meadowbank and Ochilview, all eyes will rightly be on the Shire players and their participation in two very important football matches but the unheralded work of running and improving the old club will continue…just as generations of dedicated Shire volunteers have done before.