Seven trialists win Clyde deals

Park, Gair and Casey impressed John Brown in Clyde's open trials

Cash-strapped Clyde have signed seven players as a result of open trials.

Strikers Willie Sawyers, 22, and Alan McFadden, 26, arrive from Maryhill Juniors, while ex-Ayr midfielder Mark Casey, 26, was with Albion Rovers.

Ally Park, 19, was released by Hibernian despite being part of their double-winning Under-19 side.

Fellow defender Scott Gair, 19, was freed by St Mirren, while winger Conn Boyle, 18, was with Ayr and midfielder Paul Stewart, 29, with East Fife.

Stewart, who played for Clyde as a youth, left the Fifers at the end of the season and has been assisting manager John Brown with the coaching during the summer.

Relegated Clyde held the open trials after releasing 13 players and being forced to cancel the contracts of another 12 to avoid going into administration at the end of last season.

Brown has been assisted by Stewart during the trial and coaching process

The Cumbernauld club, then managed by Graham Roberts, used such trials to form a squad in 2005 that went on to knock Celtic out of that season's Scottish Cup.

Midfielder Craig Bryson scored that day and has gone on to play for Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premier League.

Clyde this time have particular high hopes for Sawyers being able to take the step up to senior football having scored 44 goals for Maryhill last season.

Apart from coach Stewart, who will face his previous club in Division Two this season, Casey is the most experienced of the new signings.

The midfielder began his career with Celtic and moved on to Portsmouth before three seasons with Ayr then spending last term with Rovers in Division Three.

All the new signings will play against traditional rivals Partick Thistle in a friendly on Saturday.

They will be supplemented by members of the Under-19 squad and trialists close to concluding deals or who are still hoping to persuade Brown they are good enough for his squad.

Brown had invited about 45 players along to his coaching sessions before narrowing it down to around 20 vying for new contracts.