WIN or lose in tomorrow's Emirates Scottish Junior Cup second-round replay against Beith, Willie Pearson reckons Dalkeith Thistle have already shown the massive strides the club have taken since they were once the East Region's "whipping boys".
Graeme Armstrong, the Newtongrange Star boss, may have been the proudest manager on this side of the country last Saturday night after watching his team claim the scalp of Glasgow giants Pollok to progress in the Junior game's most glittering competi
tion but Pearson wasn't far behind him after seeing his South Division side hold Beith, currently sharing top spot in the Stagecoach West of Scotland Super League Premier Division, to a 1-1 draw at King's Park.
He believes Dalkeith deserved their second bite at the cherry in Ayrshire tomorrow and was equally delighted that last weekend's visitors had been impressed with the facilities at Dalkeith.
When he took over as manager five years ago, Pearson and his players were embarrassed by just about everything associated with the club and they knew some hard work was required, both on and off the park, to make things better.
While still unable to pay the players any wages – all they get is expenses – Pearson has managed to assemble a side that is definitely on the up.
The draw with Beith apart, they are not doing too badly in the league this season, a 5-0 defeat at Harthill Royal recently being the only major blip and, even then, that was partly caused by Pearson's squad being decimated by a stag weekend.
As for the facilities, King's Park now boasts a covered enclosure thanks to the £20,000 the club received from the common good fund and they also provide hospitality these days in a Portakabin that was kindly provided for them by Dalkeith Demolition.
"I think Beith thought they were coming to the backwaters last Saturday but they were pleasantly surprised by the excellent facilities we have here now," said Pearson. "Dalkeith Thistle were once the whipping boys and used to struggle to provide strips and training gear for the players but that's no longer the case.
"This is my fifth season at the club and a new committee was appointed around the time I arrived here. It was a case of starting at the bottom and I would have to say the local council have been great to us.
"The fact we have a covered enclosure and a hospitality suite, too, is fantastic and, what's more, all our players are sponsored by local businesses.
"We can't afford to pay the players wages but they get expenses and it is great for me as the manager that I can go out and try to sign someone knowing that our facilities aren't an embarrassment to anyone."
The aforementioned stag weekend was for Craig Lines, the club captain, and, unfortunately for Dalkeith as far as their hopes of giving Beith another tough test on their home patch, his wedding was being held today.
He's not the only player ruled out tomorrow as a result of that either. His brother, Fraser, is the best man and Craig Fell, who plays at right-back, is an usher.
"It's one of those things and we just have to get on with it," added Pearson, who was connected to Easthouses Under-21s for a lengthy spell, during which he played a part in the emergence of players like Alan Lawrence, the former Hearts and Airdrie striker, and Ian McCaldon, the ex-Livingston goalkeeper.
"It will be a tough game for us through there but I have players champing at the bit waiting to come in for those who are going to miss out due to Craig's wedding.
"We will certainly have no fear going through there because, while Beith missed a penalty last Saturday, I thought a draw was a fair result."
Goalkeeper Stuart Hogarth went off injured after just 20 minutes last weekend and he's a doubt, though Pearson has an able deputy in Gavin McLean.
"Gavin, who is 32 and has bags of experience, was first class when he came on in the first game," he said. "Stuart is only 50-50 for tomorrow but we know that Gavin won't let us down if he has to take over the gloves again."
Johnny Kelly, the grandson of former Hearts, Montrose and Bonnyrigg Rose player Andy, is one of the players doing well at Dalkeith, while Pearson is also getting the best out of Scott Maxwell, a 19-year-old who was at St Johnstone, and Darren Wilson, who had a spell at Linlithgow Rose.
"The Richardson brothers, Barry and Lloyd, who I had at Easthouses Under-21s, are doing a great job for me as well and, all in all, I am very pleased with the progress we are making," said the manager.
While focused on Cup business at the moment, Dalkeith will be back on South Division duty before too long and Pearson, for one, reckons it's a scandal that only one team goes up from that league into the Premier Division
"In a league where you only play 28 games, it's a disgrace that only one team go up," he said. "But, as it always appear to be the case, the powers-that-be don't give a damn about the teams in the so-called rubbish leagues."
