Football Season Guide

Cove Rangers created history by becoming the first Highland League Champions to be promoted to the Football League via the play-offs. The Toonsers are back-to-back Highland Champions and have notched over 100 league goals in each of the last three seasons. A recent move to their new Balmoral Stadium has also strengthened a club on the up and it was no surprise when they thrashed Berwick Rangers 7-0 on aggregate in the League 2 play-off and seal promotion to the Football League for the first time in their history. They had to recover from the shock of manager John Sheran’s heart-attack a month before the end of the campaign and he has moved upstairs to become director of football this summer with former Alloa Athletic Paul Hartley taking over as manager. He inherits a very strong squad with plenty of League 2 experience and with momentum on their side. The only new arrivals are a trio of midfielders, including Jamie Redman, who has signed from League 1 side Montrose. It was an end of era as long-serving defender Eric Watson announced his retirement at the end of last season. The likes of defender Scott Ross, midfielder Jamie Masson and striker Mitchell Megginson are all likely to thrive in a higher division. The side will be full of confidence going into their first season in the Football League and Hartley looks like the right man to take them forward.