Player Interview : Club Captain Roland Fabiani on signing for Arthurlie, Captaining the team and showing Alan Shields who’s boss!

‘I've been used to winning trophies for the last six years and don’t want it to stop!’

When Roland Fabiani agreed to sign for Arthurlie this summer, it was the third time of asking, having previously turned down former manager Frank Lynch to sign for Pollok and then Kilwinning three years later.  These turned out to be astute moves with the highlights of these years, and indeed his career so far, ‘winning the super-league two seasons in a row and at that time was the only player to have done so which may still be the case!’

Now, six years after being initially approached by the ‘Lie, ‘Fabi’ has not only been persuaded to join the revolution at Dunterlie, but to lead the side out of the darkness that has enveloped the last eighteen months at the club.  It wasn’t however, as cut and dry as some fans may seem to think:

‘I will admit I was a bit apprehensive as I had about 5 other teams asking me to sign but I spoke to a few ex Kilwinning players who had played under Gary and they assured me of his ability and that he would put a good team on the park ... so it took me about 5 mins to agree to sign when meeting him!’ 

Looking further into his signing, I asked why he chose to move to Barrhead now after those previous rejections of our advances, and discovered it was purely a work related issue.  ‘My reasons for moving were purely geographical and work related, as I am working shifts again in my job I was finding it difficult to train on my nightshifts due to the distance and also make games in time when leaving work early. To be honest I wouldn’t have moved otherwise as I had a lot of respect for what the committee were trying to achieve at Kilwinning.’

He clearly has a longstanding admiration for the club, describing us as ‘the best team I had played when I with Pollok and Kilwinning’ when asked about the fiasco that marred last season.  While not going into detail about the repercussions of ‘The Battle of Beechwood’, he does admit that is was for the best that the players moved on over the summer, because ‘if the players hearts aren’t in it 100% then you are fighting a losing battle’, comparing the scenario to the situation at Abbey Park when Kilwinning won the Super League one year, and were relegated the next.

Asked about following in the footsteps of legendary club captains Souness and Digger Fulton, Fabi makes clear his admiration for those two players, telling me he is ‘Totally honoured and if I can be half the captain they were then I'll be delighted’.  He also revealed that manager Gary Faulds asked him to lead the team the same night that he signed on, showing remarkable faith in one of the first signings to be announced over the summer.

With departing captain Souness thought by some (though not this reporter I hasten to add) to be reaching the end of his effective playing career, it may come as a surprise to many of the Barrhead support that a player who will turn 35 during the first half of this season has been chosen to skipper the team, but Fabi himself is in no doubt that he is up to the task

‘I feel as fit now as I did when I signed for Pollok six years ago ... just ask Alan Shields! ([I] ran him into the ground on Wednesday!) and intend playing for a good few years.’

Clearly believing that we have the squad to make an impact this season he singles out former Buffs team mate Ross Ballantyne ‘who will only get better’ and the three signings from Maryhill [Joe Andrew, Greg McCulloch and Martin Hughes] as being stand out players, although he is also quick to point out that signing good players is not a guarantee of winning trophies ‘we have signed very good players but that doesn’t always make a good team! ...but if the spirit is right then we'll have a right good chance as the ability isn’t in doubt.’

My final question was on what role of the Internet was for junior footballers, as he has been spotted on the Arthurlie Forum since signing, indeed that’s where he chose to tell the fans that he was moving to Dunterlie.

‘I was a regular on the Kilwinning site and I would try to give a players opinion and dressing room info to them. Sometimes the fans are the last to know things and I think players etc forget the fans are the ones that pay the money and I think it should be all about them.’

Telling final words from Fabi, and ones which will hopefully be remembered by all at the club in the coming seasons, the fans play an important role in the club and there is no reason why they should always be kept in the dark.

I would like to thank Fabi for taking the time to talk to arthurliefc.bravejournal.com and giving his first interview since moving to Dunterlie!