Football Season Guide

The Highlanders will still be suffering from nightmares after a dreadful end to last season saw them miss out on a place in the play-offs. It was a miserable failure which could have spelled the end for manager Jim Weir after two-and-a-half years at the club. He accused a few of his long-standing players of losing their edge and pledged to bring “a freshness” back to the club during the close season. The manager will not have wanted to lose left-back Archie MacPhee however, who has joined Formartine United. Midfielder Mark Nicolson and striker Craig Gunn have been allowed to leave and join Highland League neighbours Brora Rangers whilst versatile midfielder Kieran Stewart and winger Daniel Moore having also left for pastures news. The biggest loss however remains that of striker Shane Sutherland, last season's leading goalscorer and player of the year, who is unlikely to recover from an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury until after Christmas. Replacing Sutherland's goals is likely to be Weir's toughest challenge and he has began that task by bringing in striker Calum Ferguson from Albion Rovers and striker Jordan Allan, who spent last year at Colraine. Weir has always been keener on evolution rather than revolution of his squad and he has signed defenders Cammy Eadie, Ross McKinnon and Stephen Bronsky over the summer. The Black & Whites are likely to be the best supported club in the division in this season which should give them a chance of competing for promotion again. They can rely on full-back Matthew Cooper and centre-back Darryl McHardy and midfielder Thomas Reilly, who have all signed new deals over the summer whilst Brian Cameron is likely to be their creative force in the middle of the park once again. Having signed a new deal himself over the summer, Weir will be under pressure to deliver a title push this time around.