'We know that we are stepping into the unknown this season' - Spartans ready for their big adventure

The close-season has been a short one but after finishing last term on such a high, Spartans captain Kevin Waugh admits that he could have played on without the break, such was the surge of positivity.

Spartans' Kevin Waugh during the Scottish League two play-off final second leg against Albion Rovers.

“I missed it the minute I left, to be honest, and I probably would have happily played right through the summer after the season we had. Truthfully, I was happy to get back,” he said as he previewed the return to competitive action, against Dundee United in the Viaplay Cup, today.

Not that the former Hibs starlet had much time to miss his team-mates, with 10 of the promotion-winning squad heading off on a celebratory holiday together and the group chat ensuring the close bond they established as they grafted their way into League Two, with play-off wins over Highland League victors Brechin City and then Albion Rovers, did not have a chance to fracture.

“We are so close – as tight knit as I have ever known a part-time team to be,” added the 25-year-old centre-back. “When I was at Hibs and we were seeing eachother every single day, you sort of expect that but it doesn’t usually work like that at part-time clubs. Here, though, we see eachother three times a week [for training and games] but we also make the effort to see each other more than that. It is a brilliant dressing room and that bond is even stronger after everything we went through and achieved last season. I think we are all excited to get going again.”

Spartans overcame the Coatbridge outfit to take their place in League Two.

The arrival of Ayrton Sonkur from Albion Rovers, James Craigen from Edinburgh City and Danny Denholm from Stirling Albion has added quality without upsetting the equilibrium of the squad, according to Waugh, who was a talismanic presence at the back for Spartans last season. “Sonks is a big, strong, physical player, James’ career speaks for itself and he has high standards and makes demands of himself and all of us, while getting Danny is a bit of a coup,” said Waugh. “They have fitted in well and, like the rest of us, they believe that we can build on what we’ve already achieved and go even higher.”

With less than three weeks of pre-season under their belts, they are tapping into everything that campaign taught them as they look to push onto the next level. The priority will be their maiden SPFL campaign, which starts on August 5, when they welcome Clyde to Ainslie Park, but the Viaplay Cup group games can play a vital role in how ready they are for the challenge ahead.

“That is what the gaffer alluded to. We will use these four games [against Dundee United, Falkirk, Peterhead and then Partick Thistle] to make sure that we are ready,” continued Waugh. “When the draw came out, the gaffer was one of the first people to text me and say how exciting it was. We have three full-time teams in our group so it is a good opportunity to test ourselves which is why you want to be in competitions like this. When I left Hibs I had to fall in love with football again, and I’ve done that, but I always wanted to get back to this level, playing against teams like these. It will be tough but when you are playing in national competitions you don’t expect easy games.”

Having come through the youth ranks at a Premiership club Waugh will come up against lads he has known for a long time. “Declan Glass is back at Dundee United [after a loan spell at Cove Rangers] and Sean Mackie, who was at Hibs with me, is at Falkirk, so it will be good to go up against them.”

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin will not have fond memories of his last competitive visit to Easter Road, which led to his sacking from Aberdeen back in January.

While there is kudos in facing United, Falkirk and Thistle, the key tie will be the one against fellow League Two outfit Peterhead, as that will offer Dougie Samuel’s men the clearest idea of what they will be up against this term. But, with a club of Dundee United’s calibre up first, Waugh knows the capital underdogs cannot allow themselves to be distracted by looking too far ahead. If Spartans are breezing into a new SPFL era on a high, the mood will be different among Jim Goodwin’s men, who are preparing for life in the Championship following their relegation.

“I know Dundee United had a disappointing season but from a player point of view I think they will just be desperate to forget last season,” explained Waugh. “They are a massive club and they’ll know they shouldn’t be in the second tier. They’ve lost top players like Stephen Fletcher and Dylan Levitt but they still have a lot of good players and this gives the younger players the opportunity to prove themselves and for the club to hit the reset button. I think they will be professional and be doing everything they can to win their league and prove that they are still a big team. I don’t expect much of a hangover from last season.”

They may be United by name but, according to Waugh, the blossoming Lowland League champions epitomise that word – on and off the pitch. They will run out in front of an anticipated crowd of over 2000, which is a sign of the times. A club who have spent years laying solid foundations and then building towards league admission, there is a sense that the North Edinburgh club are entering the next stage of their evolution and the enthusiasm generated by recent success has attracted a new generation of fans.

“Before any player signs, the gaffer sits them down and explains what the club is about. It is very much part of the community and you can see that in the bond between the players and our young ultras. We know that we are stepping into the unknown this season but we will face it together and we will face it head on.”