Gartcairn have lined up five pre-season friendlies as they prepare for a West of Scotland First Division title tilt. The Airdrie club host Broxburn Athletic on Saturday and then travel to Cowdenbeath on July 5, and welcome Edinburgh City to MTC Park three days later. Camelon are visitors on Saturday, July 12, before Gartcairn head to Musselburgh on July 19. Co-boss Ryan McStay, who works alongside Darren Barr, is delighted with their programme. He said: 鈥淲e鈥檝e got five friendlies lined up, which is a really good test for us that we鈥檙e looking forward to. 鈥淚t will be a really good gauge on where the squad is. 鈥淭hings are looking really well, we鈥檙e singing off the same hymn sheet, and can鈥檛 wait to get started. 鈥淲e need to start the season well and we鈥檒l be hoping to challenge for the league. 鈥淒arvel have retained a few of their top performers, and the likes of St Roch鈥檚 have recruited well. 鈥淭here will be other teams that will look at it and think it鈥檚 a season to try things, with eight teams going up. 鈥淲e鈥檝e signed a few young boys, trying to give them experience and blood them in to the team. But we鈥檙e still going to try and win the league.鈥 McStay says Gartcairn definitely have their stamp on them, and is eager to get going. 鈥淲hen me and Darren came in it wasn鈥檛 really our team in the last six games, but we鈥檝e kept the boys we really wanted to,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a solid base from last season, and we鈥檝e done our work over the last few months. 鈥淲e鈥檝e missed out on a few targets. We missed out on Paul Frize and Robbie Scullion [both from Beith], because we鈥檝e dropped down from the top league. 鈥淏ut we want players who want to come and play for us. We鈥檝e signed a few that have a lot of experience in the West of Scotland and the senior game as well.鈥 Meanwhile, McStay has parted company with six players over the past few weeks. Goalkeeper Kieran Hughes, defenders Ryan Lockie and Scott Rumsby have departed alongside forward trio Kenny Barr, Ross Caldwell and Robert Thomson. A club statement read: 鈥淎s the squad get ready for the hard work ahead, we鈥檇 like to say a massive thanks to the players moving on to pastures new. Thank you from everyone at the club all the best for the future.鈥