THE MARK McMINN INTERVIEW

JANUARY 18th 2024:

You joined Star last summer Mark, after a very successful spell in charge at Birchtree AFC. How did the move to the Star come about?

It was a bit out of the blue really. We had a very good group of lads at Birchtree and were very successful, so when the Gaffer phoned me I assumed it was to get permission to approach some of those players, to invite them to sign for him and make the move to Dalbeattie Star. It was a shock when he said he was contacting me to become his assistant manager, but after some consideration, I felt it was something I had to do and was too good an opportunity to miss.

You seem to have settled into your new role at the club very well. How is it working with Eddie, Mikey and David and the fact you had worked closely with a number of the players before, did this help?

Until last season all my experience in coaching was at youth level with Greystone Rovers and then Queen of the South, so it has been a new challenge joining a senior club at this level, but it’s been brilliant so far and I’m loving it. Eddie, David and Mikey have a wealth of experience that I can tap into and learn from, and I think as a group we all work well together. I knew some of the boys from youth level but it’s been Eddie who had the knowledge of most of the boys and identified the players he wanted to bring to the club, and it has been a considerable job to build a squad almost from scratch to where we are now.

Also going from being manager to assistant manager, how difficult was that? What have you found are the main differences between the two roles?

I can’t lie, it did take a bit of getting used to. I wasn’t sure when to speak up and when to shut up!!! Add to that the gaffer losing his voice for several weeks as we were still finding our feet working together, it did bring some challenges as I adjusted to the transition. But we talk every day and I feel we share the same ideas on how we like the game to be played. Hopefully this is coming to the fore now as the boys are playing some very good stuff in the style I would enjoy watching, so I hope the support are also liking what they see from the squad.

Since coming to the Star, has there been anything that has surprised you on or off the field, or has the experience been what you probably expected? 

I think I have been surprised by the level of professionalism that the players have shown towards the game. We train twice a week and it is almost always 100% attendance. Even over the festive season when I assumed everything would stop for a few weeks, we were training throughout and it’s to the credit of the players that numbers remained high with very few call-offs. It wasn’t like that when I was younger!!! 🤣

We are roughly half way through the season - what would your mid-term report say?

Initial targets met, but we still want more. We wanted to get to Christmas in a position to challenge for the title so to that point, we achieved that. We dropped five points which is disappointing, but it’s a long hard season so we hope to still be challenging come the end of the season.

We have currently got a young and exciting squad and the fans are certainly enjoying the football they are watching - the buzz seems to be back at Islecroft. What are your hopes for the team and club between now and the end of the season?

To win games of football - it’s still the best feeling in the world. We were tasked with giving the support a successful team with a local element to that. We’ve managed the latter part of that, but we all know we’ve achieved nothing yet in terms of success. We’re all committed to bringing silverware to Islecroft come the end of the season. Hopefully the crowds can continue to increase and we can continue to build on the buzz that the players are creating and we can achieve our aims.

EDDIE EXTENDS HIS CONTRACT AT ISLECROFT

NOVEMBER 14th 2023:

Dalbeattie Star Football Club is delighted to announce that Eddie Warwick has signed an extension to his contract to be First Team Manager until the summer of 2025.

Eddie arrived at Islecroft just over a year ago and everyone at the club is delighted at the progress being made.

Chairman Kenny Murray said “We are very pleased Eddie has agreed to sign on for another year at Dalbeattie Star. The team has grown under his leadership as he is a manager who gets the best out of his players. We have a number of exciting youngsters coming through, which bodes well for the future and it is also great to see so many local players getting their chance and doing so well. These are exciting times at Islecroft at the moment and we are absolutely delighted that Eddie will be the man to take us forward.”

With the ink barely dry on his contract we spoke to Eddie and he said “I am delighted to extend my contract with the club. From day one everyone at the Star has been very welcoming and supportive and great to work with. The biggest factor for me is we are all on the same page and know exactly where we want this re-build and project to go and what direction we want to take the club in. So far I am very happy with the progress we have made over the first four months since starting back in July. Most importantly though, we all understand how football can change so quickly and we must continue to work hard and move forward as one. I would like to thank the board, staff, players and most importantly the fans for the opportunity to be manager of Dalbeattie Star.”

FIRST YEAR REVIEW

OCTOBER 17th 2023:

We recently passed the first anniversary of Eddie Warwick's appointment as manager of Dalbeattie Star, so we caught up the boss to look back on what has been a very eventful first year in charge at Islecroft.

That's now a year in the hot seat at Islecroft Eddie, looking back how has it been for you?

Plenty of highs and lows if I'm being honest but in general it has gone more or less how I would have predicted when I thought about the job and what was going to be required, and it took a bit of time to understand the club and its people and the environment I was going into.

1 - We would give everything but we knew it would be a tall order and a tough ask to stay in the Lowland League given the level of opponent and the finances etc., and it is an extremely difficult league and level to compete in.

2 -  Having the length of contract I was given, I knew I would get the opportunity to put my own stamp on things at Dalbeattie and I was excited about the complete re-build job on the football front and that started on the 1st of June with us keeping only 3 players from last seasons squad of 23, and only one member of the previous management team in Mikey Devlin.

3 - It is still early days yet and we have achieved absolutely nothing in terms of silverware, but I believe we have achieved a lot in terms of club direction, the future of Dalbeattie Star and the vision of how the Executive Board wanted this 2-3 year re-build project to play out and look like in the future.  

You came in when the club was at quite a low ebb following a poor start to the season - a tricky time to come in terms of recruiting new players and even your backroom staff - what were your initial plans to pick things up?

Tricky? I could find a few other other words to describe what was ahead of us! First thing I did was call a close friend who is one of the heads of SFA Coach Education and explained a few things to him and asked - where in the UEFA A License course does it help you with this?!!! Ha ha.  But on a serious note I still believe we did some good things. We overhauled the changing room the best we could. I used every single contact I had to ask for help and I still believe we did put a decent squad together. I set out 3 stages of 8 week periods each, to the board of what we would try and achieve.

1 - To better the level of player and increase the performance.

2 - To compete in the matches and be difficult to beat.

3 - Turn good performances into points for survival. 

I do think we were sitting in a reasonable place heading towards January but we had such bad luck with injuries to key players and players we brought in to improve us and it just became almost impossible from there. At one point we had eight injuries and two suspensions. But out of all the negatives there were positives - we had great results and Celtic, coming back from 2-0 down to draw at home, holding Hearts to a goalless draw and getting points on the road at Civil Service Strollers. Also winning my first home game against a very experienced and impressive Berwick team and reaching the Challenge Cup final where we were right in the match up until the last few minutes. So it was certainly not all doom and gloom and the experience was going to be great for all of us moving forward.

When did you begin to plan ahead for this season and what steps did you take?

To be totally honest I am always planning in the background and I was always looking forward as to how I wanted things to look. I also took time to reflect on the time I had been here and analyse my own performance - where I needed to improve and be more aware etc. Once we were confirmed as going down after the Edinburgh Uni game, I started to take a few hours the odd evening and plan who I wanted to be part of the project going forward.  It's always best to wipe the slate clean and start again with a clear vision of bringing everything back local again, which is not easy in a small congested area like Dalbeattie and Dumfries. There are many established teams everywhere around us but I was going to rely on the relationships and trust I had built up with players over the years and bring them back to play for me. As stated previously I started the Monday after our Challenge Cup final at the end of May, so the 1st of June was our starting point to re-build for four weeks before the players met each other on the 1st of July for pre-season. 

This season has gone well from the club and the fans perspective - how has it been from the managers view?

I am always very modest and never get ahead of myself. Every game is a cup final and you must prepare 100% for each battle. You only maybe look back and enjoy what you may have achieved when it is downtime in the summer for a few weeks. Right now I am happy with the strides we have made in the three and a half months we have been together. Things are starting to come together but we absolutely can never take our eye off the ball and I won't allow that to happen either. We will stick together, keep working hard and move forward together as one.

And plans for the rest of the season and beyond?

The message is clear for the rest of the season - stick together - work hard - trust the process - one game at a time and see where it takes us come the end of the season. As far as beyond and the future goes, it is to continue and build the club and improve areas that will strengthen the clubs presence in our region. I love being manager the manager of Dalbeattie Star and I really appreciate and admire the work from each and every person that goes on behind the scenes. We all want the same thing and that is to be proud of the product we put on the field each weekend and that is my responsibility and duty - to make sure the team is deserving of the Dalbeattie Star FC badge they have on their jersey.

PUTTING DALBEATTIE BACK INTO THE STAR

JULY 4th 2023:

The buzz was back at Islecroft on Saturday (1st July) as the players and management returned for pre-season. For the management team though things never really stopped as just a couple of days after the end of last season they were busy planning ahead and building the squad for life in the South of Scotland League. The players themselves have also been busy working on their own individual fitness programmes for the past two weeks so that they turned up at the Croft fit and raring to go.

Indeed, the players were in good fettle and in good shape as they prepare for the big kick off at the end of the month. But there was no one in better mood than manager Eddie Warwick as he took his first pre-season training with all the enthusiasm we have come to expect from the Star boss. We caught up with him and asked how the past month or so has been.

“It’s been good, it’s been enjoyable. Obviously it’s about four weeks since we started the re-build, since the cup final, and I think we’ve done very well for the four weeks we’ve been at it. Not just things that happen on the pitch but there’s a lot that has happened off the pitch that we’re improving as well. We’re pleased so far, but we are still four weeks to go to the start of the season and there is still hopefully another two or three players to come in yet, but right now we are happy with the 18 players and it’s looking very good.”

Looking at the players going through their paces it was noticeable that it was fairly young squad but with good experience, especially at this level and another thing that stood out was the height in the squad with a number of players six foot plus. Was this a deliberate decision by the manager when recruiting his team?

“I’ve not really coached in the South league before but I do know the league and I know you need to have the height, have the aggression, controlled aggression, you need all that in the South of Scotland league. But you also need legs and you need energy and you need creativity. I think we’ve got a bit of everything. We’ve brought in players from a high level, first team level, reserve, academy level and they all know what it takes. They are wise to the standards we are trying to set here but I do like a tall team in terms of it’s a mans game in the South of Scotland so we’re going to have to be physical and there are places we’re going to go that you will need to be. It might not be the fanciest of football at times, it might be a bit of a battle if you like, but there will be times here when we get on the pitch at Islecroft and play our real football. So I think we have a lot of versatility within the squad. We can easily adapt and adjust to different circumstances and different situations. I’m quite happy we’ve got a good number of each and we’ve got a good age range in the team as well. Folk maybe think an experienced player needs to be 30 plus but I’ve got boys here that have been with professional clubs and they’re still in their mid 20’s - that’s experience at this current level. I do believe we’ve got guys that have been around and I’m more than happy with the mix. We talk about aggression but it’s channelled aggression and I’m confident I’ve got players that can be nasty, but they can be good and be clever as well. We have a mix of senior players who will look after the younger players who will be quicker and sharper and they’ll be fine,”

Initially the club had arranged four pre-season matches lined up but that has been reduced to three. What are Eddie’s thoughts looking forward to them.

“Yes we had four but we were let down so we are down to three. We’ve got games at the level we need and we need to get game time into the legs. We are really happy to build a friendship and partnership with Birchtree AFC as well, who we have a lot of time and respect for and we will help them in any way we can as they move forward. So we are delighted that they are happy to come here and play us. Queen of the South again will be a good challenge, a really good test and Gartcairn has just been promoted to the West Premier so that will be a really tough game before we are due to start our season a week later."

We wondered if Eddie was a manager that set himself and his team, targets throughout the season or did he concentrate more on the level of performance from his players and the results would take care of themselves?

"I have targets every day in life really. I do have targets but I won’t share them for obvious reasons. We’ve had management meetings once a week – I have meetings once or twice a week with the sports scientist looking at how we do things. Targets wise there is obviously short term, medium term and long term. The short term really was from day one and that was to build a team. We only kept 4 players from 21 last season so you’ve got to go and find a lot of players in an area where there’s not a lot compared to other places. Last season we had about 15 players from the Central Belt so something had to change. We needed a local identity and that was really the target that we set out early doors to get that identity back because they’re from Dalbeattie. Some of these boys have been professional and people might not know that. They may think they just need a pair a boots and they’re from Dalbeattie, but it’s not like that at all. Some of these guys have been in a professional environment and they can play. As a management team our targets initially were to establish a team with a local identity, bring in boys who want to play for Dalbeattie and that want to be here. So they were the targets right from day one. As we go forward through pre-season there will be more targets set for the players. There are plenty of standards set already but there will be more targets set, in terms of games starting with a group of fixtures and there will be more targets through the season but they can change as well depending on results. I think one of the advantages we have is about 85% of the squad know each other. Some played together at Saints, a lot came through Queens and a couple from the Carlisle Academy. So there’s not really a lot of strangers in there and even if there was I know we’ve got good lads and good people and they will gel. They are well brought up, well mannered and disciplined. It’s not that they are too nice, they will be fighting for the jersey, but they are good people and good players and we know we have the right environment and the right culture that we want at this club – it’s what we are trying to achieve. When we set our targets at pre-season we knew how we wanted to play so we got the players to fit that system. We got players with the right attitude, the right mannerisms, the right people to come in to the club. So it’s good when you can wipe the slate clean like we did, so you can pick and choose who you want. So we are more than happy with who we have brought to the club so far." 

Latest signings for 2023/24

JUNE 18th 2023:

Olly Meechan, Greg Gourlay, Zak Fallowfield & Jack Palmer

Here’s what manager Eddie Warwick said “I’m absolutely delighted to get these four players fixed up and into our squad for this season.

Olly Meechan has just joined us from Queen of the South Under 18’s. Having known Olly since he was 12 years old, he is someone that has always shown lots of potential and we can’t wait to get working with him again and get him settled into men’s football.

Greg Gourlay has come from Threave  development and having this senior football experience recently will give him a good opportunity to push on this year and establish his position in the team.

Zak Fallowfield came from the Cumbria Academy. Having worked with him before at Gretna I know everything he has to offer will be  a perfect fit for this level of football. He is a gutsy and aggressive type of player-  I really look forward to what levels he can reach this season.

Jack Palmer is a Dalbeattie lad and for us to have a young, local player under our guidance is exactly what we want at the club. Jack is a big strong lad and he will need to use that to his advantage in the South League. We look forward to Jack progressing his game and adjusting to the level he is now playing at.

These lads will be our apprentice group between the ages of 16-18 years with Greg being a little older. The whole idea of this is to develop the players and help them through the transition of youth to senior football and break into the first team.

I have purposely not over populated the positions within the squad that the lads play in because we want them to get serious amounts of game time this season. They will not, and can not, develop as players sitting in the stand or on the bench.

We are all super excited at the club to be taking full responsibility for these young lads’ further development and that is something I have no issues with. I am very confident they will have a good experience at Dalbeattie Star FC.”

Farrel O'Sullivan

Here’s what manager Eddie Warwick had to say  “Farrel is someone I’ve known for a few years - I am delighted to secure his services for the season ahead. He brings many attributes to the table and most importantly his experience will be key for us this season.

He is a born and bred Dalbeattie boy and knows what it means to pull on a star jersey with 100% commitment and effort from him and he is a very consistent performer. He comes in this season taking on a dual role of player and the team’s sport scientist.

It is a very important role he will have that supplies the players with professional data, analysis, testing and provide continued development to there performances on and off the field.

He has been quietly building his fitness business in Dumfries which is now very established after studying and becoming fully qualified in sports science. The information and knowledge he can relay to the players this year will be invaluable, from the youngsters through to the older, more experienced players. This really is something I believe in fully and we will be looking to use Farrel’s knowledge to its maximum for the season ahead.”

Seb Teneggi

Here’s what manager Eddie Warwick had to say: “I’m very pleased to have Seb join us at Dalbeattie Star this season.
He comes with plenty of experience, has been around the leagues and was also part of a winning South League squad just recently. Those experiences alone will be vital for the team this season when required.
Seb is very tricky and direct which can often be a nightmare for opponents. His ability to play on either foot also adds other dimensions to his game and gives him a opportunity to play in various positions. We feel he has the correct mentality to cope with the demands and standards that will be asked of him this season.
We hope Seb can enjoy more success at Dalbeattie Star FC.”

Robbie Minto

Here’s what manager Eddie Warwick had to say  “I’m delighted to have Robbie join us for this season.

He will compete with Konar for the number 1 spot and it creates good competition. I am very excited to see how that situation unfolds and bring the best potential out of them both.

Robbie comes with good experience from Annan Athletic and Upper Annandale from the South League so he has good knowledge of the division he will be playing in. He has a very level head, stays calm under pressure and understands the responsibilities placed upon the number 1 position.

Robbie, like Konar, is fully committed to Dalbeattie FC and wants to do the best for the team. With regular, professional goalkeeping training, it is sure to keep the them both at the top of their game.

We look forward to working hard with both goalkeepers this season and see their hard work come to fruition on the pitch!”



Russell Williamson

Here’s what manager Eddie Warwick has to say  “I’m delighted to have Russell sign on again this season.

He is a very focused and driven individual who takes his football very seriously and has a good professional manner about him - I really like it and respect those high standards. The major bonus with Russell is he can play 2 or 3 positions comfortably which makes him a great addition to the star this season. He has a very good football brain on him and absolutely did not look out of place in the Lowland League. He was starting to deliver consistent performances before his season was brought to an abrupt end with an unfortunate injury.

We really look forward to Russell re-joining us for pre-season and getting to work with him again.”

Cameron Shaw

Here’s what manager Eddie Warwick has to say “I’m very pleased to have Cammy join us this season. I originally signed him for Queen of the South Reserves back in 2019 but unfortunately he picked up a couple of nasty injuries back to back which ruled him out for a period of time. I have kept a close eye on his development over the last couple of seasons and he has matured alot and turned into a powerful and aggressive forward who scores goals. Cammy is in no way the finished article, there is still plenty of development and progress to be made yet with him and this can only bode well for his future and Dalbeattie Star.

"We look forward to seeing how he fits in and develops with the team this season, and most importantly, enjoys his time at the club.”

Sam McConaghie

Eddie Warwick says  “Sam was brought to my attention and I have watched him play several games now. He is someone who caught my eye and I really look forward  to coaching and developing him as he is still young and already has lots of good attributes to offer. He is very technical and clever with his positioning, knows when to drop off the game and get on the ball at the correct moments. He definitely is a thinker on the pitch.

Luke McMurtrie

Eddie Warwick says  “Having watched Luke play about a half dozen games, I’m sure he will be an asset to Dalbeattie Star this season. He is versatile and can play in a couple of different positions. The one thing you cannot coach is pace and Luke has it in abundance, as well as the fitness and conditioning to carry out high energy performances which will be expected of the players this season with the way we want to set up and play.

He was part of a title winning team just recently at this level so he knows his way around the league and will bring experience as well.”

Konar Pietsch

Here’s what manager Eddie Warwick had to say  “I am excited to welcome Konar to the club. He’s a young goalkeeper with lots of potential and development still left in him. Konar was brought into the reserves environment at Queen of the South by myself when he was just 15 years old! Even then at a very young age training full time, he was showing signs that he was very capable at that level and eager to learn and develop correctly. Now at 18 years old he has continued to develop in size and his knowledge of the game.

Konar is a very good shot stopper who is not scared to be vocal and commanding when called upon. The fact that he is still very raw in his development makes it even more important that we get it right with him to ensure he is given the correct platform to go and show his full potential. He is exactly what we are looking for here at Dalbeattie Star FC. With the continued support from everyone here at the club and the correct training that he requires to improve all areas of his game, he will only get better and better with more experience.”

Dean Watson

Manager Eddie Warwick said “We are absolutely delighted to get this one over the line. After meeting with Dean we were both very clear on what we wanted this season and our aspirations and goals were the same.

Dean is someone I brought in and worked with  professionally at Queen of the South FC a few years ago.

He is a very talented footballer with a great head on his shoulders. He really thinks about the game and reads it well. He has great positional sense and his technical ability speaks for itself. I have absolutely no doubt Dean will be a big player for Dalbeattie Star going forward. Dean is someone who I know and can trust to deliver at the right times and key moments in the game. 

He will fit in very well here with our project and what we are trying to build going forward.”

Ross Hunter

Here’s what manager Eddie Warwick had to say,
“Ross is someone who I have a huge admiration for. Many years ago I coached him again at Queen of the South FC where he was a defensive player. Watching his development over the years has really impressed me with the positional transformation he has made. He is nothing short of a goal machine. He’s big, strong, powerful and aggressive. Ross is a hundred percent fully focused on what he wants to achieve, he’s very driven and has a passion for things to be done properly and professionally. These are the type of players I want to work with and coach.
Ross is a born and bred Dalbeattie boy who will no doubt have the local supporters right behind him. Like Dale Milligan he will be an absolute handful for any opposition defence this season and it excites me to see the different dynamics he will bring to the team.”

Dale Milligan (Vice Captain)

Manager Eddie Warwick said “Dale Milligan is someone who is very important for the club to re-sign this season. The fact that he had two or three teams at higher levels interested in him shows the level of improvement he has made. Choosing to stay with Dalbeattie Star this season shows his commitment and desire for the club to succeed. Although I only joined the club halfway through the season, the improvement in Dale over the past few months in the Lowland League is very clear to see. Dale was able to raise his levels this season, particularly against the top sides and show qualities which are exactly what we are looking for. He knows where the goal is and will be a constant threat to opposition teams this season.”

Ewan Gourlay (Captain).

Manager Eddie Warwick said “We’re delighted to get Ewan signed up again this season. He is someone who I have a lot of respect for and our working relationship over the years, professionally at Queen of the South FC and now at Dalbeattie, is built on trust. Ewan will bring a lot of experience to the team this season and you know exactly what you will get from him.

He loves defending and is an organiser and leader. He reads the game and has the correct mentality to encourage others. He has all the attributes to be a successful captain this season.”

Management Team for 2023/24

Looking forward to the new season.

Chairman Kenny Murray said,

“As a committee we are delighted to announce that Eddie Warwick will be staying in charge of Dalbeattie Star for next season as we return to the South of Scotland League. Eddie has brought in Mark McMinn to be his assistant manager and Michael Devlin to remain as first team coach. He hopes to appoint a further coach prior to the start of the season at the end of July. He has been busy recruiting local players for the season ahead in the South after being in the Lowland League for the past ten years.

We would also like to thank all staff and players for their efforts this season.”

Manager Eddie Warwick said,

“I am delighted to get to announce this news about Mark and Mikey - it’s something we have had to put on hold for the past three weeks since the Lowland League finished, due to our cup final and being respectful to others.

Mark will bring a wealth of experience that fits with the direction we wish to now take Dalbeattie Star. He is someone I’ve known for many years and brings a different skill set. I look forward to tapping into his knowledge of the game and being successful as a management team.

"Mikey came into the club at a difficult period and has stepped up showing his qualities as a coach and has really impressed me. He is extremely loyal and 100% all in. I’ve absolutely no doubt Mikey will go on to be a very accomplished coach in this area.

"Both coaches have my full support and I put my trust in them both to do a good job for the team and the town.”