Barry Commits Until 2019
Barry Ferguson has committed his future to Clyde, having signed a new contract that will see him manage The Bully Wee through to the end of the 2018-19 season.
Speaking to the official website after agreeing the extension, Barry said: “I just thought that this was the right thing to do. We’re trying to build something and plan ahead, rather than just look at it one season at a time. We’ve been discussing new contracts with the existing players and they were looking for my commitment as part of that.
“The chairman and the board have backed me 100% and they let me get on with the job without any interference. They’ve put their trust in me and that’s a really important factor. I’ve got involved in a lot of things that I didn’t think I would when I took the job, but I’ve learned how to run a team from top to bottom.
“I’m ambitious for myself but if I do move on in the future I want to feel like I have left something behind that puts the club in a good position to keep moving forward. We’re not even halfway through that yet. A big part of what we want to do is building up the youth side again and, as already announced, the under-20 players will be training beside us next season and they will be a mixture of Football Performance Programme players and players that I will help to recruit. Ultimately we need that team to be providing players for the first team on a regular basis.”
The contract extension comes as the club sits third in the League 2 table and facing a challenging final seven games, in a very tight competition for promotion. Barry continued:-
“We had an unbelievable support at East Stirling yesterday and I hope that the fans can now see what we’re trying to do; I’m a winner and I want the squad to reflect that. We’re going in the right direction now but I know that it’s nowhere near finished and there’s a long way to go, with a lot of hard work to come.
“I’ve enjoyed my time so far – we’ve had some ups and downs but I’m sure there are more ups to come. I’m delighted to have agreed the new contract and I’m looking forward to what lies ahead.”
Club chairman, John Alexander commented: “We are all focussed on an exciting end to the season, but we need to plan for the long term. Securing the manager on a further three-year contract is a fundamental part of being able to have the stability that allows existing players to be retained and attracts new players to the club. That continuity also encourages sponsor backing.
“I am delighted that Barry has been enthusiastic about extending his stay. He has developed in his time with us, learned a great deal about the role and I am confident that he has what it takes to succeed with the club.”