Brown’s Bulletin

John Brown spoke to www.clydefc.co.uk earlier this week to give supporters some of his thoughts, ahead of a short break with his family.

The interview followed a hectic period of activity, which John felt will stand the club in good stead come the start of pre-season training on June 23rd:-

“Last season I think the club only had two or three players signed before pre-season but we have managed to get a few guys on board this time. People like Kettlewell, Trouten and Waddell – who are coming into the club for the first time – will add a freshness.

“We’ve had to work hard to get players in but I think that’s what you’ve got to do if you are a First Division club. Hopefully we’ll be going into the season with a squad of about 22 or 23.”

John has spoken previously about his wish for what a Clyde player should represent, but he again emphasised his philosophy:-

“I am bringing players in that are hungry. I think they want to prove that they can go somewhere in their careers. When I arrived at the club I felt there was a staleness about some of the players, for whatever reason.

“What we want now are guys that will treat a match against Gretna or Spartans the same as one against Rangers or Celtic. It’s all about consistency of performances and hard work. If the players want it enough then we’ll hold our own.

“Supporters will criticise when the attitude is wrong and their team is not fighting. I think they can see that people like Pat Clarke and Billy Gibson give it everything they’ve got and they appreciate that.”

The Bully Wee will, no doubt, again be one of the favourites for the drop with the bookmakers but unsurprisingly John did not agree:-

“We’re not here to fight in the bottom two, we are here to fight at the top end of the table – that what I want for the club. Everyone here will know that from the first kick of the ball we are looking to the top. I think you’ve got to get that mindset into them and if someone isn’t up for that then he’ll not be here.

“Life’s about adventures so let’s have a go at it!”

Bomber went on to give some more details on what lay ahead for the players when the action starts again in a few weeks:-

“We’re going to be fully based at Little Kerse for the first two weeks of pre-season training, which will save us valuable time. There’s a lot of hard work around the corner.

“I’ll make sure we have a squad that will be fit and will fight for each other. They’ve all been given set summer programmes that started last week and if they come back for training out of shape then they’ll not be in the frame and they’ll be doing treble sessions.”

To conclude, John revealed that he has not yet made a final decision on who will lead the team out on the opening day of the season and confirmed press reports this week that the bonus payment for draws has been removed:-

“We’ll be looking at the captaincy during pre-season. I would prefer it to be a defender or midfield player. Neil McGregor ended up with it last season and he’ll be up there again as he’s a good type.

“I’ve also decided to scrap the bonuses for draws. The players will only be rewarded for a win now.”