Away the lads... Largs Thistle have bolstered their squad as they head in to the new season but it is now more important than ever before to support the team in a highly competitive environment.

Like the senior game, finance has become a big factor in the sport and fundraising to keep the club playing at a high level is a crucial factor for any junior side and Thistle are no different.

The club has made great strides in recent years to generate a welcoming family atmosphere at Barrfields Park and even featured on Radio 1 last year for the high quality of their half-time cuisine!

The season kicks off on Wednesday August 6 at home with a barnstormer against Kilwinning Rangers on Wednesday 6 August at 7pm. Their last warm-up encounter takes place on Saturday at Barrfields at 2pm against Greenock Juniors.

Fireman Sandy MacLean raised the stakes last season to get an improved league position in his first season as manager and introduced a range of new players. He has further added to the squad while important mainstays of the squad including keeper Stephen Connick, defenders Stewart Hendren and Neil Shearer and forward Jamie Marks choosing to stay on for another season.

New signings include Clydebank captain Gordon Lappin, former Greenock Morton defender Craig Black, defender Drew Russell, midfielder Alan Barnes and striker John-Paul Dow, brother of current midfielder Martin.

Club president Douglas Bennie told the "News" that the dressing room atmosphere is brilliant and with a series of new signings, an exciting season beckons.

Thistle"s home form last season was disappointing but it was in stark contrast to their excellent away form in which they won the majority of their games on the road, generating a great spirit on their travels. Manager Sandy MacLean is hoping that Largs can put on a show for the fans at home as well as away this coming season.

Largs is now once again a club to be reckoned with and major sides from Glasgow and beyond have been put to the sword by the famous 'Theesel' during recent seasons, just like they used to do in their famous Scottish Cup run of the mid-90s when they lifted a glittering prize at Ibrox in front of millions of tv viewers. But while all the success on the park is down to the manager and the team, the hard working individuals on the committee provide the backbone of the club and are the essential cog in the wheel.

The club has had a long history in the town dating back to the start of the 20th century, and the club has two committee men on board who have seen the club grow and develop over a 40 year period. The youngest committee members are in their teens.

It now costs in the region of �40,000 to run a junior football team every season and with only �9000 being made during match days alone, it does not take a mathematician to work out that fundraising is a major source of income for the club.

This year, Thistle have gone nuclear as British Energy and Hunterston "B" Power Station have become shirt sponsors of Largs Thistle for the first time.

There are dozens of ways in which you can provide help for the club that provides so much in the way of thrills and spills every Saturday, as has happened down the generations.

* Saturday is matchday and costs the princely sum of �5 for adults and �3 for children. Sometimes there are family days when kids accompanied by an adult get in for free.

The match programme is packed with stats and is always worth buying to keep you up to date with junior football. The club canteen offers a rich variety of curries and soups and has something for everyone and is always great value, and even received a celebrity endorsement last year. 'Don the pie man"s grub is legendary,' said Edith Bowman, live on Radio 1!!

* The Lucky Numbers prize is a lottery competition with a twist. Guess four numbers and if they appear you scoop the top prize which is currently a whopping �1800! Tickets are available from committee members.

* The 200 Club represents a major source of income to the club and only cost a fiver a month to join. There are monthly cash prizes from �250-�1000 and all the proceeds go to the club.

* The club hosts a range of fundraising events throughout the year. There is a Coffee Morning with fresh baking and second hand items up for sale in the Dunn Memorial Hall on Saturday August 30. During the past year, the club has hosted Race Nights, bag packing at Morrison"s supermarket, and the annual sportsmen"s dinner which proved to be a big success this year at the Willowbank Hotel.

* Season tickets are available at �50 for adults or �25 for concessions (children, OAP and 200 Club members), and each season ticket holder receives a free hot drink or soup at ALL home games) * Businesses can support Largs Thistle in a rage of ways. Match ball sponsorship, match sponsorship and programme advertising are all available for local companies.

Ground signage (printed banners) are an excellent way to get your company or business promoted throughout the whole season. There is something to suit every budget.

It has been a tradition in Largs to head along to Barrfields Park to support the local team and in recent seasons the club have enjoyed being in the limelight in the West of Scotland superleague along with the big boys across the west of Scotland.

With a studious management team of Sandy McLean and Paddy McIlvogue at the helm, a hard working committee in the background, and one of the best supports in the land, why not give something back to the club which has provided so much excitement and fun for generations of supporters?

The club is now well represented on-line with regular updates within the dressing room at www.largsthistle.org.uk