New Lossiemouth manager Bobby Beckwith cannot wait to get started after meeting his new players for the first time for training at Gordonstoun last night.
Beckwith departs Turriff United, where he was asistant to Ross Jack, to succeed Charlie Charlesworth, who resigned last month.
The 57-year-old Grantown-based part-time taxi driver laves Turriff with mixed emotions.
He said: “I now know what the term bitter-sweet means. It was a very hard decision to make as I have been Ross Jack’s assistant for the last eight years, firstly at Elgin City and then at Turriff.
“I am looking forward to the challenge. Opportunities like this don’t come along that often but I’ve been given this chance and I’m going to give it a good go.
“Ross and I are very close. It’s funny being an apprentice at my age but I have learned off the best. If Ross could bottle his passion for the game he would be a millionaire now. Ross said he would be sad to see me go but he would never have stood in my way.
“I’m looking forward to getting down to work with a good squad of players. Lossiemouth are a good club and the committee made every effort to get me on board, showing passion about how much they wanted me.
“Turriff have been brilliant to me. I just loved their supporters but I have left the Haughs club in a really good place. Hopefully, I’ll get a warm welcome any time we face them in the future.”
Coasters chairman Rab Mulheron said: “Turriff have been brilliant to deal with.
“I am delighted we have been able to secure the services of Bobby as our new manager. He didn’t actually apply for the job, so I suppose you could say we headhunted him.
“Bobby is well respected in the game, he has all his coaching badges.
“We have given Bobby a three-year contract and I can’t thank Ross Jack and Turriff United chairman George Manson for their understanding. They even waved their right to compensation to allow Bobby to become a number one in his own right.”
