This is only the second meeting of the sides since Glasgow Uni entered the West of Scotland Football League, with the conferences of last season keeping the clubs apart. The first meeting at McKenna Park back in October where a Graeme Crawford double and a goal from Rui Carballo gave the Ants a 3-1 win.

We meet tonight at the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie at 8pm with Glasgow Uni looking to bring a 3 game losing streak to an end having suffered defeats to Maybole (Home 1-3), Kilsyth Rangers (Home 2-3) and last Saturday away to Wishaw (2-0). The Uni currently occupy 11th place in the Division on 28 points having played 25, winning 9, drawing 1 and losing 15. They have a goal difference of -10 having scored 44 but conceding 54 goals.

Having lost out narrowly on Saturday to Maybole, Danny and the team will be itching to get back to winning ways with only 5 matches remaining of what has been a great season so far for the club.

The Excelsior Stadium is ticket only entry and if you want to come along tonight tickets are priced at £5 for Adults and £2.50 for Under 16’s. Tickets MUST be purchased online and can be done so here

If you can’t get along to cheer on the team then we will have live updates on the clubs Twitter feed from 7pm

MON THE ANTS 🐜🔥💚

The development of the young players at the club has played a big part since we launched our Under 20’s squad as we joined the West of Scotland Football League, and as part of our commitment to the youngsters we are always looking at ways to help aid their development.

Naturally not all players in the pathway will make the step up to the first team for a myriad of reasons and we looked at ways we could provide other pathways, both with the club and away from the club and have explored a few new partnerships that will help us in providing those alternative pathways.

We are delighted to announce today the first of these partnerships which will see the club link up with NEXT GENERATION USA who are a Soccer Scholarship company who specialise in providing colleges in America with both male and female student athletes aged 16-20 from Scotland, who go and live in America whilst studying for a degree and playing in the ultra competitive college leagues Stateside.

This partnership will open the door for those players who are interested in a scholarship in America to discover if it is something viable for them and will see us work closely with NXT GEN USA in identifying and assisting players who are looking to move stateside.

There are a multitude of benefits for the club with this partnership and we look forward to working with John and the team at NXT GEN in the coming months and years as we look to offer our young players the pathway that is right for them.

NEXT GEN USA will host a series of soccer trials across the UK & Ireland for all potential Soccer Scholarship candidates to showcase their ability and have trials coming up on Tuesday 2nd May 2023 at New Douglas Park, Hamilton between 7-9pm. If you are interested, or know someone who may be, visit the trials section of the NXT GEN USA website to apply or for more information.

The future looks bright for the #YoungTeam

The Club are delighted to announce that we have signed up as a #CheckYourBallsForLIFE partner with Cahonas Scotland, ensuring that the players, coaching team and officials have the locker room lowdown on Testicular Cancer.

Cahonas are a Scottish charity dedicated to raising awareness about testicular cancer and want testicular health to be talked about openly and self-checks to be part of everyone’s monthly routine. At events, workplaces and education establishments, they share their message about the symptoms of testicular cancer and how to check for them.

Cahona’s have lots of free resources for you to download: including education materials, their Self-Check Guide and a Self-Check poster to help you spread the word! A link is available to those materials at the bottom of this article.

They also run award-winning marketing campaigns to raise awareness of testicular cancer. From their inaugural #TartanChecks to the annual #CheckYerBawballs, the campaigns have reached more than 100 million people online, garnered support from a host of celebrities and got the nation talking balls for the past three years running.

As part of the partnership Cahonas will host a session with our Under 20’s, Walking Football Team and First Team players and officials explaining the #CheckYourBallsForLIFE concept and self examination guides will be placed in the toilets, committee room and home and away changing rooms each matchday

Click here to browse their full range of downloadable materials.

The club are delighted to announce a partnership with Scottish fan engagement company Fanbase that will see us offer matchday, Season and even fundraising event tickets through the platform starting with our next home match v Ashfield at McKenna Park on Saturday 11th February.

We can’t wait to develop our partnership with them and continue to work to improve the fan experience at McKenna Park

To purchase tickets for the Ashfield game and then use them it couldn’t be simpler –

go to https://app.fanbaseclub.com/Fan/Tickets/SelectType?fixtureId=2500

register with the App then you can use a payment method of your choice

A QR code ticket is sent to you which you present to our ticket scanning committee member upon entry, and that’s it. Job done

The first Ants Ladies night is almost upon us, In partnership with Breakthrough Entertainment and Legacycomps and we can’t wait. We’ve got music from the amazing Laura B and our squad will be there as your waiters on the night. There will also be a few surprises throughout the night as you take to the dancefloor and get partying. A full buffet will be available so that you don’t go hungry through the night and its from 7pm – late. All this for only £10.

backofthenet0002

Wondering what the above code is?

It’s the Ants new way to get kit and equipment!

We are delighted to announce the Ant’s are now supporters of Legacycomps Prize Bonanza founded by St. Mirren FC legend Tony Fitzpatrick (see welcome video above from Tony).

Legacycomps Prize Bonanza is a competition website where you can win fantastic prizes from as little as 99p per ticket.

When you buy a ticket using backofthenet0002 code you do so in the knowledge this will help the Ant’s as we will receive vouchers for kit and equipment which will benefit the club!

Please use the simple steps below:

• Register to set up an account (free one time only) at www.legacycomps.com
• Use affiliate code backofthenet0002 when purchasing your tickets
• Please follow Legacycomps Prize Bonaza on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

Finally, we would like to thank you all for your continued support and getting behind this fantastic new opportunity.

Good Luck!

Whether you are an avid fan of Scotland’s national team and back them to win every game they play, or place the odd acca on the weekend, ensuring you remain in control of your betting sessions is paramount. 

In this guide, the most useful safe gambling strategies, tips, and tactics are discussed. So, if you’re trying to deal with a gambling problem or are concerned about a friend or family member’s gambling activities, the following information will help. 

Responsible gambling help and advice 

If you are passionate about remaining in control of your gambling, these tips will ensure you stay on the right track: 

• Set a time limit: Limiting the amount of time you spend on online betting sites is a worthwhile task. This will reduce the risk you face of becoming addicted to online betting. 
• Set a betting budget: It is important that you have a betting budget in place, ensuring you are not overspending and putting yourself and your family at financial risk. 
• Take regular breaks: Taking regular breaks from gambling is an advisable move. This will make sure you are making sensible decisions and allow yourself time to regroup before logging back into your betting site. 
• Only gamble when you are in the right headspace: Gambling when you are stressed, upset or intoxicated is ill-advised. This is because not being in the right headspace can cloud your judgment and lead you to make rash gambling decisions. 
• When the fun stops, stop: All bettors must remember that gambling is a form of entertainment, not an avenue to generate money. This is why when gambling 

Signs of problem gambling

There are many signs that you are not gambling responsibly. These include: 

• You are spending more and more money on online betting 
• Friends and family members have passed comment on your gambling 
• You find refraining from gambling hard or impossible 
• You are spending an increased amount of time on betting
• You are placing riskier bets with long odds
• You are constantly seeking betting tips and free bets
• You are loaning money to fund your gambling habits

• stops being fun and entertaining, you must log out of your betting account. 

Responsible gambling services 

If you have taken the above tips on board and are still concerned about the amount of time and money you are spending then there are some responsible gambling services you can utilise. Many of these can be actioned via your chosen betting account. 

• Deposit limit – A deposit limit is a feature that allows bettors to establish a deposit limit for themselves, allowing them to only gamble a specific amount of their own money. This restriction can be set on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
• Loss limit – By establishing a loss limit, you are telling your betting site how much money you are willing to lose. As a result, the amount of actual money you may lose from deposits is limited. 
• Time-Out – By making use of your gambling site’s Time Out feature you can lock yourself out of your account for a certain amount of time, restricting your access to betting products completely. 
• Self-exclusion – Self-exclusion is a feature whereby gamblers can exclude themselves from gambling activities on all betting sites for at least 6 months. This option can usually be found on the ‘responsible gambling’ page of a website. Players can also enforce Self Exclusion via GamStop.

Leading safe gambling charities and organisations 

In the UK, we boast an incredible support network when it comes to gambling-related harm. If you are seeking professional help, the below organisations are there to aid you back to health and support you emotionally. 

• GamCare – GamCare is a national organisation that helps those who have been harmed by gambling. It offers both free telephone counselling and face-to-face group sessions. GamCare can be contacted via phone – 0808 8020 133. 

• Gamblers Anonymous – Gamblers Anonymous refers to itself as a “fellowship” dedicated to assisting compulsive gamblers in their recovery. Users can access details of local meetings on the Gamblers Anonymous website; gamblersanonymous.org.uk.

• GamStop – GamStop gives consumers the option to join the National Self Exclusion Program, which allows them to exclude themselves from all online gambling activities for six months, one year or five years.

• The Samaritans – The Samaritans provide a wide range of services to people who have been affected by gambling. These include counselling, mentoring and emotional support. The well-known charity works closely with the UK Gambling Commission to educate people about the dangers of gambling. Gamblers have the option to talk to a Samaritan on live chat at samaritans.org.

This responsible gambling guide has been provided by betting.bet; the UK online betting portal. Betting.bet is owned by Kontempry Ltd which also operates free bets platform, freebets.ltd.uk and online casino sites portal, casinosites.ltd.uk.

How many of us allow  ourselves to get all worked up about things that , when we look closer, aren`t really that big an issue. We all tend to zoom in on little problems and concerns and let them explode out of all proportion.

An Every day example : someone might pull out in front of us in traffic.

In cold light of day, the best thing is to let it go but somehow we convince ourselves that our anger at their action is justified. We mull over it and run through an imaginary confrontation in our mind, perhaps even going on to tell others we meet that day about the incident rather than simply letting it go.

We should try to have some compassion for the person and remember how painful it is to be always in such a hurry. This way, we can maintain our own sense of well being and avoid taking other people`s problems personally.

There are of course many similar “small stuff “ issues that can occur in our every day lives:

Queuing, having to listen to unfair criticism, carrying a heavy workload while others get off lightly.

Try not to worry too much about small things, this drains our own life energy and camouflages the magic and beauty of life. Conserve our energy and allow it to help us be more kind and gentle to those around us

Rev. Brian

At our South Challenge Cup match v East Kilbride FC at McKenna Park, Match Secretary Felix McKenna got speaking to the EKFC Club Chaplain, which brought back into the forefront of his mind a presentation to the Junior Clubs a year or so earlier where SFA Chaplain Mark Fleming spoke of the usefulness of the Sports Chaplaincy service to the member clubs. Felix was keen to introduce the service to the Ants, but it was put on the backburner whilst some issues were ironed out. The conversation with the EKFC Chaplain saw Felix get back in touch with Mark and before long our chaplain was in place, so without further ado lets meet him, and find out what it is a club chaplain actually does!

Hi Team! I am Brian Mackenzie, a married father of three children, one of which made me Papa to two Grandsons. I live in Neilston but was brought up in Govan and left when I got married in 1987. I have spent my working life in International Transport and recently transferred to Social Care where I now support a man with Autism in his own flat.  

I was ordained Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church in 2011 and currently serve in parish of St Charles R C Church in Paisley. During my training and for two years after I also served in both Greenock and Kilmarnock Prisons as part time Chaplain, offering pastoral care to the prisoners.

Having noticed an advert for Football Chaplains in Sports Chaplaincy UK, I applied and was accepted by the SFA Chaplaincy team after completing the short Training Programme I was duly appointed to St Anthony`s in November 2020.

I am delighted to have been appointed to St Anthony`s and look forward to working with you all in the years to come.

SO, I hear you ask

What Does A Football Chaplain Do ???

1 ) Regularly interacts with Players ( 1 x weekly Training Session and home match day ).

2 )  Accept boundaries set in place by the Club ( I am there by Invitation NOT Imposition).

3 )  Address loneliness or homesickness.

4 )  Get alongside players who are injured or isolated.

5 )  Make themselves available to all Players, Management Staff, Coaching Staff and Committee with personal problems.

6  ) Support the mental wellbeing of all those within the Club.

7  )  Helps during bereavement and other crises.

8  )  Help people understand their identity outside of Football – see the person NOT JUST the player.

9  ) Follow up on players who have left the Club

10)  Provide discipleship for Christian players who so desire it.

Obviously any conversations with me will remain confidential and no comments made will be disclosed to any other Club member. The only exception is if I see that there is a potential harm to person telling me something or potential that said person may then harm another.

Brian is going to be writing a regular feature on the club website which will cover a whole host of topics, so keep your eyes peeled for that