Bathgate Thistle boss Stewart Devine says team will be “in a good place” when new era begins

Bathgate Thistle are preparing Creamery Park for a new era in the East of Scotland League football this season

Thistle are one of the eight West Lothian sides to have made the switch from the junior ranks into the senior football pyramid over the summer, and will start in the eighth tier Conference X on July 17 when they host Syngenta.

“We’re starting to play the way myself and the coaching staff are wanting to play,” Devine told the West Lothian Courier. “We’re definitely going in the right direction.”

He added: “I think we’ll be in a good place when the season starts. I think we’ve brought in some quality and we’re creating chances, whereas last year I don’t think we created enough.

“We’re two weeks away from the start of the season, which is really the aim in terms of being ready.

“We’ve worked a lot on our shape, which I was pleased with in the game. We want to play football. The pitch at Creamery Park is tremendous and I really think we’d be doing it justice if we didn’t have the gameplan of going out there and playing football.”

Devine was a player/coach in the juniors last season but made the step up to manager when Andy Colley moved on to join Camelon. He is enjoying the challenge.

“It’s certainly different from playing but I’m really enjoying it,” he added.

Bathgate continue their preparations with a friendly at home to Harthill Royal on Saturday.