Cowdenbeath v Aberdeen U20s

 

The Aberdeen Under 20s will travel down to Fife on Saturday for their first pre-season game and take on Cowdenbeath.

 

The side are managed by ex Scotland player Colin Cameron and will play in the Scottish First Division next season after getting promoted last season, so it will be a good test for Neil Cooper's young side. 

 

The Friendly will take place at Central Park, Cowdenbeath on Saturday 14th July.

 

Kick off is at 3.00pm

 

Admission charge is Adults £8 and concessions £4

 

http://www.afc.co.uk/articles/20120711/meet-the-new-u20-players_2212158_2844941

 

As each season starts afresh, hope springs eternal that this is the season where the Dons get themselves back up to the right end of the table. But it's not all about the first team, for within the younger age groups at Pittodrie, youthful optimism is always the order of the day. We recently welcomed eight fresh recruits into Neil Cooper's U20 side, and to find out more about Aberdeen's stars of the future, we spoke to the man who discovered them, AFC Youth Academy Chief Scout Colin Grant.

 

"It is new adventure for eight different players. Two from Ireland, two from Edinburgh, two from Glasgow, one local lad and one from the North.

 

"Marcus Campanile and Zach Szemis have both arrived from our Edinburgh Centre. Marcus played a couple of trial games for us back at the beginning of the year, as did Zach. Both play with Edina Hibs in the juvenile league down in Edinburgh. Campanile is a midfielder and Szemis is a right back, who can play centre back as well. They showed up well in the trial games and then they came up here for the Easter week and everyone was impressed by them, their ability on the ball and the way they handled themselves.

 

"Scott Ferries is a right sided midfielder from Tain and has been in the system since he was 11 years old. He played for the pro youth 13s, 14s, 15s and 17s and obviously he is now going full time. Stuart Close is local lad who has been in our system for two years. Stuart, who is a centre half, went to Bucksburn Academy and as well as playing for the U17s last season he also featured at the tail end of last year's campaign in the U19 squad.

 

"Jamie Hamilton and Scott Macaulay are both from our Glasgow centre. Jamie can play wide left or wide right, he is an exciting player who can dribble with the ball. He is good with the ball at his feet. He creates havoc and has good pace. Scott is a goalkeeper was originally with Rangers. He has come to us as I have been watching him for a while. It was good to finally get our man so to speak.

 

"Alan O'Sullivan is a striker. He has been coming over from Dublin for about a year and a half now. He is an U15 and U16 Republic of Ireland International. Sean Hume I saw at the Galway Cup last year and brought him over a couple of times and he also impressed the coaches. Sean is a centre half.

 

"It brings the number of players from Ireland to eight. Josh Magennis and Niall McGinn both play for Northern Ireland and we have Jonny Hayes, Joe Shaughnessy, Matthew McMahon, Danny Rogers from the Republic as well Sean and Alan.

 

"There are more youth players playing football on a Sunday morning in Dublin that there is in the whole of Scotland. There are over 100,000 kids playing football in Dublin   so it is a hotbed of potential talent. I go across to the Galway and Foyle Cups and I also go to Limerick for the Kennedy Cup which is an U14 competition with all the best school boys. I have picked up a couple of goalkeepers who are now in the system. The quicker we can get players into the system the better."

 

http://www.afc.co.uk/javaImages/18/61/0,,10284~11034904,00.jpg[/img]

Alan O'Sullivan 24/03/1995 Centre Forward Rep Ireland

 

http://www.afc.co.uk/javaImages/14/61/0,,10284~11034900,00.jpg[/img]

Sean Hume 13/03/1996 Central Defence Rep Ireland

 

http://www.afc.co.uk/javaImages/16/61/0,,10284~11034902,00.jpg[/img]

Scott Ferries 07/03/1996 Right Mid / Wing Scottish

 

http://www.afc.co.uk/javaImages/15/61/0,,10284~11034901,00.jpg[/img]

Scott Macaulay 05/08/1995 Goalkeeper Scottish

 

http://www.afc.co.uk/javaImages/17/61/0,,10284~11034903,00.jpg[/img]

Jamie Hamilton 06/07/1995 Right Mid / Wing Scottish

http://www.afc.co.uk/javaImages/1a/61/0,,10284~11034906,00.jpg[/img]

Marcus Campanile 16/03/1996 Centre Midfield Scottish

 

http://www.afc.co.uk/javaImages/12/61/0,,10284~11034898,00.jpg[/img]

Zach Szemis 13/05/1996 Right Back / Central Defence Scottish

 

http://www.afc.co.uk/javaImages/13/61/0,,10284~11034899,00.jpg[/img]

Stuart Close 06/11/1995 Central Defence Scottish

Just watched the highlights on RedTV

Few observations.

1) Some good goals and think we have some great young players coming through, even if just a couple of them make the step up the future looks promising.

2) Saints u20s looks as rotten as their first team squad

3) We desperately need to get our facilities sorted so we're not playing on a public park.  I see more of the u20 games are being played at the clubs main stadium now so perhaps it was only being played in a public park because of the ManU game the same night.

 

Apparently we are now supposed to use main stadium for these games if possible. Also all games supposed to be 7pm kick offs but Caley County and ourselves allowed to have games moved to 2pm.

I would go to a lot of them if they were 7pm kick offs at Pittodrie.

I would go to a lot of them if they were 7pm kick offs at Pittodrie.

 

I would go to any of the away games in Edinburgh and Dunfermline if they were 7pm kick offs but Dons seem to prefer the 2pm slot.

Which is nae use to any of us except Dave_min.

I would go to any of the away games in Edinburgh and Dunfermline if they were 7pm kick offs but Dons seem to prefer the 2pm slot.

 

Mark Wotte said on Twitter it's due to the distance.

 

Load of pish.

0-3 loss to Killie today

Apparently we were missing quite a few kids for various reasons, shame as two great results to start the season off with.

Sack the board.

Another good win, 4-1 this time vs the Jutes

 

http://www.afc.co.uk/articles/20120911/dundee-u20s-1-aberdeen-u20s-4_2212158_2916451

 

Dundee U20s 1-4 Aberdeen U20s

 

Low (13 mins), Smith (33 mins), own goal (44 mins), McManus (69 mins); Boyle (54 mins)

 

Date: Tuesday 11th September 2012

 

Venue: Dens Park

Drew 2-2 in Dingwall last night.

 

Milsom and Robertson got 90 minutes.

 

http://www.afc.co.uk/articles/20121002/ross-county-u20s-2-aberdeen-u20s-2_2212158_2935622

MATCH: Arbroath F.C. v Aberdeen F.C.

 

COMPETITION: Youth Cup, 3rd round

 

DATE: Sunday 21st October 2012

 

VENUE: Gayfield Park, Arbroath

 

KICK-OFF: 1pm

 

Prices:

 

£2 for adults and £1 for Under 16's

 

 

 

MATCH: Aberdeen U20 v Motherwell U20

 

COMPETITION: SPL U20 League

 

DATE: Tuesday 23rd October 2012

 

VENUE: Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen

 

KICK-OFF: 7pm

 

Prices:

 

Season Ticket Holders: Free

 

Adults: £4

 

Concessions/Under 12's: £2

 

This match will be pay at the turnstiles - Main Stand only

 

 

An evening match at Pittodrie at last!

 

A trip to Gayfield might be decent as well.

Scottish Youth Cup: Arbroath 1-5 Aberdeen COYyoungR!!!

I'll heading along the morn's night.  #realfan

I'll heading along the morn's night.  #realfan

 

I went yesterday and uploaded comedy videos to Faceook. #realerfan

I'm not going to either #barcafan

Gary Naysmith captaining the team tonight. 

Fuck sake. Thought I'd get the nod tonight.

Anyone else heading along tonight?

Gary Naysmith captaining the team tonight. 

 

Great news 

2-1 up at ht, both from Cammy

 

Aberdeeen | Danny Rogers, Craig Duguid, Gary Naysmith, Craig Murray, Joe Shaughnessy, Michael Rose, Alan O'Sullivan, Stephen O'Neil, Declan McManus, Cammy Smith, Rob Milsom

 

Subs | Scott MacAulay, Scott Rumsby, Kieran Gibbons, Craig Storrie, Jamie Hamilton, Marcus Campanile

It's 5-1 now. McManus Hattrick.

Boy must be close to some first team action. Scores every game he plays.

Another good win for the 20s tonight.

 

Naysmith strolled through it and came off after 55 minutes.  I reckon he'll get a start on Saturday.

 

Was really impressed with Craig Duguid again tonight.  Started off at right back but moved to left back once Naysmith went off.  Looks comfortable with both feet which can only be a good thing if he's playing right and left back at times.

 

He didn't have much to do but Rogers looked good again I thought.  Seems to have good handling and comes out for balls at corners well.

 

McManus and Smith both deserve some time in the first team I reckon.  As Penfold says, McManus seems to score in every game and Smith looks a very clever player.

 

Milsom was quiet to begin with but came in to it a bit more later on.  Good to see him get a good run out again.

Boy must be close to some first team action. Scores every game he plays.

 

 

His goal where he took the ball on the half way line on the left hand side and just ran past the Motherwell defence before finishing it neatly into the far corner was superb. I couldn't believe my eyes.. a Dons striker with pace! And his finishing looks top class as well. Agree re first team action soon. Must get his chance before long. He looks an excellent player. As many of our under 20s do.

 

Also noted a decent save from Big Jim Leighton in the second half when someone smashed the ball into the stand. It was heading straight for Paw Broon's coupon when Jim, who was sitting in front of Broon stopped it. However he failed to hold it and parried it out. JMG.

 

His goal where he took the ball on the half way line on the left hand side and just ran past the Motherwell defence before finishing it neatly into the far corner was superb. I couldn't believe my eyes.. a Dons striker with pace! And his finishing looks top class as well. Agree re first team action soon. Must get his chance before long. He looks an excellent player. As many of our under 20s do.

 

Also noted a decent save from Big Jim Leighton in the second half when someone smashed the ball into the stand. It was heading straight for Paw Broon's coupon when Jim, who was sitting in front of Broon stopped it. However he failed to hold it and parried it out. JMG.

 

He should have held it!

 

Gordon Marshall would have.

 

 

He should have held it!

 

Gordon Marshall would have.

 

 

 

 

Aye but Jim was still in the box. Marshall wouldn't have been.