Stranraer appear to be edging closer to extinction. Already bottom of the Second division, the club are in debt to the tune of 250,000. With the current credit crunch comes a lack of investment, and particularly in struggling football clubs. Stranraer are hoping to launch a share issue in the summer to raise funds, but chairman Nigel Redhead is doubtful the club will survive until the end of the season. Stranraer have not won since October last year, when they beat East Fife 2-1 away from home.
Up in Inverness, three more names have been added to the list of possible candidates for the post of manager, left vacant following the sacking of Craig Brewster earlier in the week. Maurice Malpas, formerly manager of Swindon Town rejected the change to succeed John Robertson at Caley back in 2004 is now in the running, as is Manchester City legend Willie Donachie. Donachie, who played at left-back for city for many years had spells with teams in England and the USA, but his only managerial experience – a year at Millwall in 2006 – came to a sticky end. Donachie has never played or managed in Scotland.
One intriguing application came from former World Cup winner Osvaldo Ardilles. Ardilles, who has managed to get sacked from most of his spells as manager of Japanese, Israeli and Paraguyan sides is perhaps best known in the UK for his time as a player with Tottenham Hotspur and as a generally unsuccessful manager of Swindon, Newcastle, Spurs and West Bromwich Albion.
Caley are not the only side going into the weekends action without a manager. Elgin City, currently bottom of the Scottish Third division have been holding interviews with more candidates, including former Montrose manager Eddie Wolecki and ex-Ross County assistant manager Ross Jack. The search continues for City chairman Graham Tatters who is sifting his way through 13 applications (also thought to include Lossiemouth manager Charlie Charlesworth). Tatters insists that whoever gets the job needs to bring a ‘long term vision’ to the club (i.e. not be bottom of the Third division for the next 10 years). Sounds like a load of management-speak to me, but if you’re interested in a career in football management at the arse-end of the league, get along with your application before Ossie Ardilles and Craig Brewster beat you to it.
Queen’s Park progress into the last 16 of the Scottish cup thanks to a Ryan Holmes header. The win over fellow Second division side Peterhead sets up a tasty tie with Celtic. The final tie of the fourth round between Highland League outfit Inverurie Locos and SPL side Motherwell (who surprisingly demolished Dundee United 4-0 at the weekend) has had to be postponed again. A lunchtime pitch inspection at Harlaw Park deemed the pitch unplayable due to frost, making it two postponements in a row for this fixture. The tie is now scheduled for Monday 26 January.
Why Locos don’t ask for the tie to be played at Pittodrie is any one’s guess, but sure, who am I to ponder why?
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Tags: Elgin City, Inverness Caley, Inverurie Locos, Motherwell, SPL, Stranraer
Why don’t Locos ask the tie to be played at Pittodrie? Possibly because the Aberdeen board will want money for that nights rental and given that it is not their home ground they probably feel they would play better at home than a stadium that they never play at. While they may sell more tickets for the game at Pittodrie it is always better to play at home even if it is always frozen.
But is that their fault or the SFAs fault for not instituting the winter break given last years debacle of postponed games left right and centre due to the weather?
Well, the links between Locos and Aberdeen FC are not as tight as say, Cove Rangers and AFC, but still, in the interest of the survival of Scottish football (a popular topic at the moment ;-) ), why not let Locos play there? It’d be no different to a reserve game, Motherwell *might* bring more to Pittodrie and the any eventual rent paid to AFC should still see Locos come out with a big(ger) profit.