Cans boss gives his report card
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FORRES Mechanics will raise the championship flag on August 4 when they host the new look Brora Rangers at Mosset Park in what will be a proud moment for all those at the club.
The Cattachs will undoubtedly be a tricky opponent despite their poor showing last term but with Steve Mackay, David Hind and Grant Innes already signed up and rumours linking the likes of Bobby Mann and Zander Sutherland with the Dudgeon Park side they are sure to be a different proposition next term.
The Can Cans first away game is a short trip to currently managerless Lossie with a home game against Fraserburgh then preceding the first round of the Scottish Cup.
As the dust settles on the title celebrations we caught up with Forres boss Charlie Rowley to produce the End of Term Report Card. There are no prizes for guessing that this was an A* season in every sense.
Manager, Charlie Rowley gives his ‘End of Term’ Report Card on the 2011-2012 Forres Mechanics season
It was an exceptional season we had the belief that we could do something if we went on a run but to be title winners was probably too much to ask at the start of the season. However our commitment attitude and quality throughout the season saw us win the title and I can’t praise the players highly enough. It is a team effort, a club effort if you like, but the players should get the major plaudits. I ask for 100% and they gave me that and more throughout the season. It has been a massive achievement and we can all be proud of that.
Most Pleasing Factor:
Being title winners is the obvious answer but whether we finished first, second, third, fourth or wherever the attitude of players was the most pleasing for me. Every moment be that in training on bus to games or heading home it has been a pleasure to work with them and so the overall input of players was always going to be the most pleasing factor whether we had won the league or not
Least Pleasing Factor:
Lee’s injury by a country mile. I think it was a credit to himself and his family and how much every rates Lee that he was voted our Clubman of the Year from within the club. He never felt sorry for himself, the first game after injury he was there in the dressing room at the same time as everyone else and he coped admirably with it all. I can’t wait to see him back with football boots again, it is unfair that it happens to certain individuals but that is life and I think everyone is excited about him making a return.
I should add though that we are not putting a timescale on when he will be back. After his sessions with the NHS physio we also asked him to go and see Greig Smith, who does our physio work and he said he was probably a third of the way there. He gave him a series of exercises and also suggested that he started wearing a tubigrip to provide stability as he had found that after some exercises his knee was swelling up a bit.
It is certainly not about the short term solution here, he has to be right before he can come back and that is why we are not looking at any specific dates.
Star Pupil:
Obviously you don’t win the league with one individual it is a far bigger squad effort that that but for me one outstanding individual throughout the season and that was Grapies (Graeme Grant). From the first minute to the last minute he has produced the performances of a top Highland League player, the top Highland League player and he has been our most consistent performer throughout season.
There are other individuals who have been right up there as well; Lee would maybe have sneaked it had he stayed fit and everyone a played a major part in our success. Our defensive record was outstanding, the midfield stopped the opposition coming onto back four and our strikers adapted to the injury to Lee and the changes we had to make so there are a lot of star pupils but Grapies shone a wee bitty brighter.
Who would receive your vote to be the Player of the Year and Manager of the Year:
I voted for Kevin Tindal as the Manager of the Year. To guide your team through from November to the end of the season without a defeat is a phenomenal effort as they kept piling the pressure on as at the same time as getting to the final of the main cup competition in the league. Okay they were the bridesmaids on both occasions (and that says a lot about our players) but for me he was the outstanding candidate. In terms of the top players outwith our team, well, there were a lot of good individuals but I would have voted for Steven Mackay from Nairn.
Transfer Plans
We are in the midst of talking to 3 or 4 individuals at the moment and we hope to have news on that front fairly soon. One is currently under contract at another club while the other three are free agents and at least two of them are names that will be familiar to Highland League fans but as yet there is nothing concrete to report
I will speak to Neil Whyte in due course but I normally leave it for a few weeks to give him a break from me pestering him so we will wait and see what he says. Garry Tweedie is obviously away and we have spoken to Robbie Taylor who is also out of contract. Gordon McNab is possibly one we may lose, I have left a couple of messages but had no reply from him over the last couple of weeks so I am not convinced he will continue. It was hard for him to break into the team because obviously there aren’t going to be drastic changes made when you are winning every week but I was pleased with his performances and he was unlucky not to play more.
Forres Thistle will remain in the North Juniors Superleague next season as we revealed last week but this Sunday’s AGM could see the current league structure altered with a proposal being made that would see the Superleague sit above two regional leagues. This would make logistical sense given the rising travel costs and is likely to be a proposal that sits well with the clubs.
