Queen's Park set to bring 'strong team' to test East Kilbride's new pitch

East Kilbride are set to try out their new pitch in a pre-season friendly against Championship newcomers Queen's Park in 10 days' time - provided that the surface is ready.

It's a provisional booking at K-Park on Saturday, July 16, against the Championship play-off winners, who beat Airdrie in the final last season, but Rutkiewicz reckons it will be a very good test for side ahead of their Lowland League opener against Tranent on July 23.

Rutkiewicz says Spiders boss Owen Coyle has promised to send a strong side to give them a good work-out.

He said: "We're provisionally booked in for July 16, which is the Saturday, and it will be against Queen's Park.

"Owen Coyle is going to bring a team up, and it's going to be a good team. It's going to be the boys who haven't had maybe as much game-time in the League Cup section, and they've got quite a deep well of players.

"Obviously we're a bit tied about it, because if the park is delayed we can't help that, and Owen is totally aware of that, but that's what we're aiming for.

"It would be great to get some fans along, give them a wee look at what we're all about, against a decent Championship side, so it would be a really good test for us.

"It would be a really good pre-season. I think Forth, Celtic 'B' and Gartcairn are all progressive sides, then a St Johnstone XI and then a Queen's Park XI sets us up well for the Tranent game.

"Hopefully by then we're under no illusions about what has to be tightened and what has to be done to get the team right."

Rutkiewicz has been working hard this summer to assemble a squad that is capable of challenging for the Lowland League title, and says he will make sure they're working hard in training.

He said: "I think we've put together something