Edinburgh South CFC Roma 2012s - Div 2

We’ve not found ourselves on astro too often in recent memory, but back at Holyrood today to entertain Tranent who like us kicked off their campaign with a win last week.

The visitors asked more questions of us across the piece, and we didn’t have the right answers on this occasion. A deserved victory for the men in maroon and one to reflect on from our point of view, and use as ammunition to improve on.

A unanimous decision for our parents’ MOTM in the man between the sticks. Certainly the busier of the 2 keepers and intervened on a number of occasion to keep us in it until the end. Well done pal 👏💪

A positive start to the campaign with a 6-3 victory over capital neighbours Edinburgh Utd. The hosts started brightly with too early goals but allowed United back into it with 2 soft goals via a penalty and a corner.

The boys in red stepped it up a notch after the interval to put the game to bed. Delighted with the tenacity and work ethic across the team, especially from Declan, Ashton and Alasdair who put in tireless shifts in centre mid from start to finish.

Our first Parents’ MOTM went to Cooper for a standout performance at full back. One of last season’s coaches’ players of the year started this season like he finished the last, but with an improved element of attacking play in his role. Like a man possessed he was in that 2nd half and showed no signs of letting up 💪❤️⚽️

Apologies, it’s been a bit quiet on here recently. The squad have been hard at work during pre-season in preparation for the upcoming U15s campaign. We’ve had competitive friendlies with the likes of Lochend FA and East Calder Utd, as well as tournaments in Stirling, Morton, and at our very own home - Inch Park - where we hosted an 8 team tournament last weekend ❤️⚽️

A big season ahead (which actually got underway this past weekend 😅) and plenty games coming up. Signing news ✍️ and weekend match report to follow this week 👍

Here’s the team that played in our home tournament last weekend, with some new faces 👀

After a restful and restorative time away, on-field preparations get underway this Sunday with a busy few weeks ahead for pre-season 👊🏼⚽️

Edinburgh South Roma 2012s actively recruiting competitive and ambitious players to play in Div 2 and make the step up into Div 1 next year. Training Monday/Wednesday. Get in touch for more info 👍⚽️

🚨🏆⚽ PLAYER OF THE YEAR TRIPLE WINNER ⚽🏆

A huge congratulations to Harris Welding on an outstanding season for Edinburgh South Roma CFC U14s.

In his first season after stepping up from our 2012s Rams team into Division 2, Harris has been nothing short of exceptional. His hard work, commitment and determination to improve have been clear for everyone to see. The progress he’s made over the past year has been incredible.

A powerful and hardworking striker, Harris brings so much more to the team than just goals. His physical presence, team-first attitude, willingness to work for his teammates and vastly improved technical ability have made him a key player for us throughout the season.

His goalscoring achievements have been a huge factor in Roma’s improvement this season, but it’s his overall contribution to the team that makes him such a valuable player.

It’s no surprise that his efforts have been recognised throughout the club, picking up:

🏅 Players’ Player of the Year
🏅 Parents’ Player of the Year
🏅 Coach’s Player of the Year (Mikey’s award)

To win all three awards is a fantastic achievement and a reflection of the respect and admiration he has earned from teammates, parents and coaches alike.

Well done, Harris. You should be incredibly proud of what you’ve achieved this season. Keep working hard, stay hungry to improve, and the future is very bright for you.

👏⚽🇦🇹

🚨CLUB AWARD - Alasdair MacLeod🚨

For those that haven’t realised, our club badge has the Latin phrase written on it ‘Vinculum Unitatis’, which translates to Bond of Unity. We wanted to recognise someone that embraced this. Teamwork, cooperation, selflessness, someone who brings the best out in their peers, someone who is reliable, someone who their teammates can depend upon. Alasdair is someone who carries these values as a player, but first and foremost a person.

Alasdair joined us only a little longer than a year ago, and within a short space of time, made quite the impact. Alasdair arrived at us after a season with our Div 1 team, and it was apparent he brought with him a strong work ethic, terrific attitude, and wisdom beyond his years. Despite only just joining the team a few weeks before, he was determined to get his teammates in for a huddle in and lead the charge for each of our games through in Stirling at the Wallace Cup tournament.

Alasdair is often a loud and leading voice on the pitch, motivating and encouraging his teammates. He is comfortable sharing his thoughts and opinions with coaches and is self aware of his own performances and development. Alasdair’s hand is one of the first to go up and shows great enthusiasm when it comes to initiatives off the field too. These include, but not limited to, our Malawi Kit Appeal and Educated Pass sessions at the University of Edinburgh.

We haven’t even started speaking about Alasdair’s footballing ability yet which had him in the running for our other awards, but this award is in recognition of everything else Alasdair brings to our team. We are grateful he is part of Edinburgh South Roma and are excited to continue working with him in the future ❤️⚽️

🚨Coach’s Player of the Year: Cooper Adamson🚨

JP’s Coaches’ Player of the Year goes to someone who has been the most consistent player in the squad throughout the season. Whether he's played at left back or right back, you always know exactly what you're going to get from him—100% commitment, a great attitude and a performance the team can rely on. As a full back, he often does the hard work that doesn't always grab the headlines, but it's the kind of work that wins matches and gives the rest of the team a solid platform.

What's been especially pleasing is seeing how much his game has developed over the last few months. It feels like the penny has really dropped. Rather than just doing his job well, he's started to take responsibility, be more confident on the ball, drive the team forward and go and make things happen himself. He's become more positive in possession, more decisive in his play, and it's been brilliant to watch that confidence grow.

One of the best qualities he has is his consistency. Every training session and every match, he turns up with the right attitude, works hard, listens, learns and gives everything for the badge and for his teammates. As coaches, that's exactly what you want to see.

In some teams, the coach’s son gets away with some things, but if anything, I'd say the expectations have always been even higher for him. This award has been earned completely on merit. His performances, his development and his attitude have made him a standout all season, and he's a thoroughly deserving winner of our Coaches' Player of the Year. Congratulations, Cooper. Very well deserved 💪❤️⚽️

🚨 We’re delighted to announce our Edinburgh South Roma 2012s Coaches’ Player of the Month for May –

JAMES HARRIS

After a constructive conversation with James back in March, we questioned his appetite at the time and challenged him to show why he merited a place within the team. My word, has he delivered!

We’ve been especially delighted with James’s progress over the last 8 weeks or so. A slight positional change has helped him utilise his strengths, showcasing a newfound self-belief, and he’s backed it up by working extremely hard both in training and on matchdays.

James has become a regular starter at left-back and has developed his defensive game tremendously. His reading of the game has improved significantly, allowing him to anticipate danger, intercept through balls and break up opposition attacks before they develop. He’s become much more aggressive and confident in 1v1 situations, showing great determination in the tackle while remaining disciplined in his positioning. Just as importantly, he’s used his defensive work to help the team transition forward, winning possession and getting the team up the pitch at key moments in games.

Keep up the great work, James! 💪🏻🇦🇹⚽️