U19s kick off at St Andrews

Six pre season friendlies ahead of SPL U19 League start at home to St Mirren

Dunfermline U19s will play six pre season friendlies starting against Queens Park on Saturday 16th July at St Andrews University where the Glasgow outfit will be training. The following midweek sees them take on Spartans on Thursday 21st July, then there's a game against Ballingry Rovers on the Saturday.

Others friendlies will involve Civil Service, Berwick Rangers and East Fife before Hamish French's young stars will emulate the Dunfermline Athletic first-team squad by kicking-off their league season against St Mirren. The fixtures list for the SPL Under-19s League has been announced and the Buddies will make the journey to Fife to face the Pars on Saturday, August 13.

The U19s will then take on reigning Under-19s champions Celtic on Saturday, August 20, and their first fixture against Rangers' young guns will take place at home three weeks later.

After Dunfermline travel to Paisley to face St Mirren on Saturday, December 3, the Under-19s League will go into a two-month-long winter shutdown. The Pars will be back in action on Saturday, February 4, at home to Aberdeen while their final game of the season is scheduled to be at home to Celtic on Saturday, March 31.

A number of members of the current Dunfermline first-team squad - Nick Phinn, Paul Willis and Ryan Thomson - have made the breakthrough after honing their skills in the Under-19s.