Football Season Guide

Elgin City go into the new season hoping that this is the year to win promotion to League One. The Highlanders will have spent the summer with a sense of regret having failed to the most of the opportunity to lift the title. Experienced manager Jim Weir will have been disappointed to finish in 7th place in the table in 2014/15 but showed plenty of loyalty to his squad last summer. He was dealt a blow with striker Shane Sutherland leaving to join Peterhead. He signed goalkeeper Mark Hurst on loan from St Johnstone for the season and he missed just one game between the sticks. His faith in his players was rewarded with improved performances from full-backs Matthew Cooper and Archie MacPhee, midfielder Brian Cameron and striker Craig Gunn. A positive start to the season saw the side spend six weeks at the top of the League Two table until February but they were unable to keep pace with East Fife. They relied upon their superb form at Borough Briggs, losing just once at home in the league all season but it was their poor away form which cost them with ten defeats on their travels. They finished as runners up but proved to be no match for Clyde, losing 5-1 in a two-legged play-off semi-final. The close season has seen the Black and Whites suffer a blow with attacking midfielder Dylan Easton joining rivals Clyde. Weir will be delighted to have retained the services of playmaker Brian Cameron, who was outstanding last season, and leading goalscorer Craig Gunn, who notched 21 goals whilst also welcoming striker Shane Sutherland back from the Blue Toon. Striker Kyle MacLeod has also returned on loan from Ross County and the Highlanders will be one of the favourites to challenge Clyde for the League Two title this season.