Danny’s Thoughts on Season Ahead

At long last, the league campaign kicks-off tomorrow. The players and coaching staff are itching to get started and give our best.

The league, more than any other competition, is what gives football clubs their status in the beautiful game. For too long now, ten years, our wonderful club has been in the fourth tier, a level that we have the potential to exist above. Now is the time for everyone at the club to pull together in a magnificent joint effort to turn that potential into a reality.

This season, we are looking to build on and continue that positive second half of last season. At the very least, we are looking to improve on last season’s fifth place finish. Our overarching aim is to get promoted out of this league, either via the play-offs, or most preferably with a shiny trophy in our hands. 

This is a competitive league and every game will be a challenge, so we must ensure that we are at our best at every opportunity. There are nine other clubs in this league who have hopes, dreams and ambitions too.

There is an air of optimism and expectation at the club that has been missing for many years. That shows we are making progress, but we have a lot of work still ahead of us. We haven’t achieved anything yet. We will have a great chance though, if we all give our absolute best at every opportunity. 

The bookies have us as second favourites for the league. I expect us to improve on last season and that has to be our aim. Two of the teams who finished above us last season got promoted out of this league. The other two teams who finished above us, Peterhead and Stirling Albion, I would see as our main rivals for the league title and promotion. Add to that the two clubs coming down from the League 1, plus the teams finishing just below us like Elgin City having potentially strengthened their squad, then you can see that this is going to be a highly competitive and interesting season ahead.

We have assembled an exciting squad, with genuine competition for every starting position and the capability to achieve promotion. The vast majority of the squad consists of the personnel that performed so well in the second half of last season, with some strategic additions to enhance the squad. We have a good blend of youth and experience, pace and strength, technical ability and winning mentality. Our coaching staff are focused on ensuring that every player enjoys their football this season and performs to the peak of their ability, individually and collectively.

Promotion out of this league would be a tremendous leap forward for the club. That is our focus this season; to develop the winning mentality and the winning formula on the pitch on matchday, with every member of the squad buying into what we are looking to achieve together and every member of the squad playing their part. Only through every single member of the playing and coaching staff giving their upmost best at every training session, every rest day and every matchday, will we achieve our ambition for the season.

It is a collective responsibility. Everyone needs to take responsibility for themselves and their team-mates and coaches. Let’s create a positive future for ourselves.

Danny Lennon