Published: Thursday, 12th June, 2008 09:00
Athletic close in on Bayne
By Ally McRoberts
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Greg Paterson could be pitched into first team action
PARS boss Jim McIntyre wants to bring in another goalkeeper this summer although the club has no fears about pitching teenager Greg Paterson into first team action.
As well as the hunt for three new strikers – and Inverness hitman Graham Bayne could well be one of them – a keeper is also on the list.
Sean Murdoch’s departure to Hamilton means the Pars only have Paterson as back-up to Paul Gallacher but they have faith in the highly-rated 18-year-old.
Chairman John Yorkston said, “Jim is looking to bring in a goalkeeper but there’s no definite choice and if we have to go with Greg as back-up, then we will as he’s a good player.
“Obviously we also need three forwards but we’re talking to big clubs about players on loan and to see who else becomes available.
“There’s no rush and no-one’s panicking as there’s another two months yet.
“We’re always looking to keep a space available too as someone always pops up that you hadn’t expected.
“All it takes is for a big club to sign a couple of players at the end of August, it then means others go down the pecking order and could go out on loan.”
It’s understood that Bayne, who has expressed a desire to return to the central belt, would fit the requirement for a towering hitman in the Pars side.
If the Pars get their man, who still has a year to run on his contract in the Highlands and could therefore force a transfer fee, they would then look for two smaller, more mobile strikers as a foil for Bayne and McIntyre.
Nothing is agreed but the Caley man may be on board by the time the Pars jet off for their Austrian training camp where they’ll face Ukrainian and Romanian opposition.
Matches have been lined up against FC Metalurh Zaporizhya on Sunday 6th July and CFR Timisoara on Wednesday 9th July.
Last season the Ukrainians finished 9th in the premier league, won by Shakhtar Donetsk, while Timisoara were 13th in the Romanian football’s second division.
Yorkston said, “We’ve got Dundee United and Hearts in friendlies when we come home, and they’ll bring sizeable supports with them, but it’s always good for the fans to see something different.
“I think it’s the first time we’ve played a Ukrainian team and we faced a Romanian team in our trip to Italy a couple of years back.
“They’ll be good interesting games, I don’t know the venues as yet but they won’t be too far from our training base.”
Hearts and United visit East End on 16th and 22nd July respectively but the chairman revealed that the Pars were lining up another foreign side for a friendly at East End Park on Saturday 19th July.
He said, “I can’t say anything until it’s all sorted but it’s a foreign team that’s coming to Scotland for their training camp.”
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Former Pars star Dolan dies at 39