After just two training sessions with the National Team, Steve Milne and I were faced with the daunting task of selecting our first competition squad for the Novotel Cup in Luxembourg. This is the part that all coaches hate; the selection was made all the more difficult by the fact that all the players who have attended the sessions have been fantastic in terms of performance, attitude and desire to work for each other and the Team. If this continues it will be near impossible to pick a team for the Small Nations in May.
That being said Steve and I have picked a strong team and have been able to pick a couple of players from Simon Coleman’s YS programme to give them a taste of International competition.
| Setters | Steven Todd | City of Glasgow Ragazzi |
| Gavin Watt | City of Edinburgh | |
| Outside Hitters | Alistair Galloway | City of Glasgow Ragazzi |
| Mike Penny | Team Fife | |
| Callum Green | Sheffield VC | |
| Sean Hendry | GB Programme | |
| Euan Duncan | Kilmarnock | |
| Andrew Stronach | Bon Accord | |
| Middle | Brian O’Neil | City of Glasgow Ragazzi |
| Alasdair King | City of Glasgow Ragazzi | |
| Stuart Edgar | Kilmarnock | |
| Libero | Barry McGuigan | City of Edinburgh |
Unfortunately Steve Milne will not be able to travel with the squad to this tournament but I will be ably assisted by Iain Parker who was my assistant with the YS Girls programme. Steve Scott joins the team as Team Manager again Steve and I have worked together in the past and Steve is a superb addition to the programme.
I have no illusions that the matches in Luxembourg are going to be an easy introduction to International Coaching as we take on Latvia and Austria along with the hosts; all three teams are preparing for qualification campaigns for the European Championships. The challenge is large but one that I am looking forward to immensely.
Simon Loftus
Men’s National Team Coach