Danny’s End of Season Message
The shouts of joy are still echoing around Broadwood from Saturday’s success, but I would like to take a moment to reflect and let you know my thoughts on the season past and our preparations for the season to come.
It has been a special season. I spoke this time last year about needing everyone at the club pulling together as one to achieve something special. We have done that. It is through the sacrificial time and maximum effort of the players, staff, board and fans of this wonderful club that we have achieved great things; league manager and player of the month awards, league manager of the year award, two players shortlisted for league player of the year and four players named in the league team of the year. However, the achievement that matters most is earning the right to play League 1 football next season. Job done and congratulations to everybody who contributed to making this a special season for Clyde FC.
I spoke this time last year about instilling a winning mentality throughout the club, as all successful clubs have that in abundance. That winning mentality is all about never throwing in the towel when things don’t go your way. It’s about keeping giving your maximum until the final whistle blows. It’s about sticking together as a team and making positive things happen. I believe we created that identity for ourselves this season. We overcame numerous setbacks throughout the season, such as injuries to key players and a points deduction, to take the league title race to the final game of the regulation season. When the final game didn’t go our way, we picked ourselves up to go again, played ourselves into the play-off final and overcame a first leg deficit to score the winning goal in the last few minutes of the return leg. Together, we have earned the prize of moving up a league and everyone associated with the club should feel proud of both what we have achieved and the manner in which we have achieved it. I believe we are playing a brand of football we can all be proud of.
I am delighted to have committed my future to Clyde with a new contract for the next couple of years at least. I am enjoying my football here. I took this job 18 months ago, when our club was at the bottom end of league. I believed I could help this great club fulfil its full potential and move up the leagues. Look how far WE have come in those 18 months. Phase one of that ambition is complete. Now onto phase two. As a player, I captained Partick Thistle to back-to-back promotions. As a manager, I led Cowdenbeath to back-to-back promotions. What can WE achieve, TOGETHER, at Clyde? I would love to have history repeat itself. Why not? OUR ambition should not be to simply survive in League 1, but to thrive. OUR mentality must be to build on our momentum, keep giving our maximum and make positive things happen for everyone associated with Clyde FC.
It will be another busy summer for us. We will be offering a lot of contracts to our current playing staff and urging them to buy into our vision for the future. No doubt many of our players will have attracted the attention of other clubs, but I believe we can all fulfil our ambitions together at this club and I would urge those offered new contracts to keep on this journey with us and write another exciting chapter of our own magical story. Inevitably, some of our playing staff will be leaving and we sincerely thank them for their valued efforts and wish them every success in the future. We will be looking to make some quality signings of players with a proven track record, who will add to the winning mentality and talent that we have here.
Let me take this opportunity to thank you, the fans, for your incredible support this season. Your contribution to this club, your club, is vital. I look forward to working closer with you in the season to come and look forward to creating future successes, together.
WE are the Bully Wee!
Regards,
Danny