Forres looking for another Fraser

For the second week running the Forres Gazette has a scoop from Mosset Park with the news that the Mechanics are hot on the trail of former Forres Thistle defender Steven Fraser.

The 21 year old centre back is currently the captain of Highland League side Rothes and Charlie Rowley confirmed to our reporter that the Speysiders have knocked back two offers from the Can Cans in the past week.

He stated, “We put in an offer and Rothes came back to us saying that he was not for sale but we responded with a second bid however once again the response was that he is one for sale. So things are out of our hands, but he is definitely a player we want to bring on board.

“It is the third time that we have made enquiries about him. The first was when he was at Elgin, then we came closer to a deal last year but it fell through. Now this is our third attempt and it will be our last because we can’t keep chasing a player if it is not going to be successful.”

The local lad ticks the boxes for Rowley especially given the requirement for defensive cover. “Steven is at the right age to progress, he is excelling with his club and his potential is unquestionable. We have an excellent centre half pairing with Grapies Grant and Nathan Sharp who are at the top of their game but in the longer term I can see Graham Fraser and Steven Fraser would be a future pairing at the heart of the defence a few years further down the line.

“At the present we have a budget to bring in new players and defensive cover is a priority. We have been extremely lucky with regards injury this season but on Saturday we had to take Grapies off and move Kyle Scott back into centre half, which took away some of the balance of the team. It would have been an ideal scenario to have had Steven available.”

Despite his efforts to add to the squad Charlie Rowley has found the current transfer market a frustrating one with the finances of other clubs being the stumbling block. Clach’s Allan Pollock (rumoured to be Brora bound) plus two recently released Buckie players Craig Macmillan (Nairn County) and Hamish Munro (Formartine United) have been amongst those who have been targeted.

“We have tried numerous players to come and join us. Some of them were out of contract, some of them under contract and although he have never said it directly to us we are aware that the issue has been money.

“It is a sad state of affairs as I regard the Mechanics as a top club in the Highland League, it is well respected and has a good solid set up yet players are being offered three, four and even five times as much money to play elsewhere and that is not good news for the League.”