I would not normally use this page to write about myself; there are plenty way more interesting topics, but given events of the past week or so, I would ask you to indulge me on this occasion.
Within minutes of the BBC announcing I am to stand down from presenting Sportsound on Saturday afternoons, my phone began beeping with notifications. It barely stopped doing so for the next 72 hours, a situation intensified when Cove Rangers released news of my appointment there.
Just to clarify, I am not retiring, far from it! In fact, I expect to be busier than ever in the next few years.
Prompted by my youngest daughter’s plans to head to London in the summer, I began to consider my position – and when I realised I was about to complete 30 full seasons of Saturdays, I figured it was a nice round number to bow out on.
I had always intended to return home at some point; now seemed as good a time as any.
Various things had to fall into place, and thankfully they did. Firstly, I came to an agreement with the Cove Chairman, Keith Moorhouse and, secondly, the BBC made it clear they still wanted to use me on Sundays and midweeks.
I am delighted P&J Sport also want me to continue writing my column, and the combination of those commitments leave me hugely excited for the future.
Despite that, the decision to step away from Saturdays was a massive one!
I have been so lucky to get to do a job I still love for over three decades. I have never taken it for granted, never gone into a programme other than full of anticipation for what might unfold.
Not a single minute of Sportsound is scripted, we are entirely at the mercy of events, and that live aspect still gives me a huge buzz every week, particularly in the closing stages of the season when fates are decided.
Trying to listen to eight or nine reporters, monitor the vidiprinter, pay attention to the producer, jot down scores and scorers, check my well-thumbed stats folder and amend league tables, while at the same time talking and trying to make sense, might sound like a recipe for mayhem, and it generally is, but those were the moments I loved most. I will certainly miss that adrenaline rush.
I might still have it on Sundays and in midweek, but the intensity will inevitably be diluted.
The thrill of live radio on a Saturday afternoon will now be replaced by a different kind of excitement, and I am eager to get started at Balmoral Stadium.
I know I am facing a whole different world and that I have plenty to learn, but I hope the experience I have gained over the decades can be put to good use helping Cove make what will be a huge step-up on and off the park.
The club is full of positivity and ambition, traits I can buy into, and it is a job I feel will energise me; hopefully there will be benefits for both parties.
Finally, a huge thank you to any P&J readers who were among the many who took the time to pass on their best wishes. I was truly humbled by the response to the news and now look forward to my next chapter.
Chance for Aberdeen to play with a bit more freedom
I travelled to Pittodrie last weekend full of trepidation.
Given the run the Dons had been on, even a home encounter with bottom side Dundee could not be seen as a guaranteed win. There were some early scares, but the players, to their credit, gained a grip on the game, and the final whistle brought with it a wave of relief.
Relegation should no longer be an issue, and hopefully the guys can play with a bit more freedom in the three remaining matches.
Jim Goodwin will already have decided who he wants to retain for next season; nothing they do now will alter his opinion. It’s too late for that, but they are playing to impress potential new employers.
He will be keen simply to get the remaining fixtures ticked-off and begin in earnest the massive rebuild he plans to implement over the summer.
ICYMI – 🔴⚽️🎧 Is it time to throw Dante Polvara into the Aberdeen team and see what the US college soccer prodigy can do?
Plus, Connor Barron, Vicente Besuijen and Jack MacKenzie impress.
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