Elgin City will hold a board meeting on Tuesday – and look to appoint a new permanent manager imminently.
The Moray club will kick off next season in League Two, having finished one point above basement side Albion Rovers to narrowly avoid being involved in the relegation play-off.
An interim management trio of player Ross Draper, and coaches Charlie Charlesworth and Steven Dunn, guided Elgin to safety after taking over from long-serving boss Gavin Price, who was sacked with assistant Jim Weir last month.
Elgin’s 1-0 win against Dumbarton a fortnight ago ensured their survival before an injury-hit squad lost 3-0 at Bonnyrigg Rose on Saturday – a result which was enough to also keep the Midlothian club up in their debut season in the fourth-tier.
Former Caley Thistle and Ross County star Draper has support from within Borough Briggs to be handed the Elgin boss’ job on a permanent basis, with Dunn and experienced defender Darryl McHardy last week backing his appointment.
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Chairman Graham Tatters explained 34-year-old Draper aims to keep on playing and will be considered alongside the other candidates should he apply.
He said: “Ross wants to continue playing. It’s a difficult decision for him.
“We’ve got to look at all the applicants. If Ross puts his hat in the ring, he will be judged accordingly.
“The response (for the role) has been reasonable. Last time, not this time, one applicant had a glowing CV – which at the end confirmed all his qualifications were gained on PlayStation 2!
“We are looking at all the applicants. We need someone geographically who is able to be here all the time to take training.
“We’re a community club and we depend on the community for loads of stuff. We run a tremendous community set-up and we’d like a manager to be locally-based.
“Gavin was phenomenal. He’d come up from Aberfeldy and Jim would come up from Perth. You can’t keep that going.”
The moment that secured our Cinch League 2 Status 💥
C’mon ⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/dklMzk7HxA
— Elgin City F.C. (@ElginCityFC) April 30, 2023
Attracting talent north is a struggle
Tatters believes competing for players against ambitious clubs in the Lowland League has added a tough challenge for Elgin – and for whoever replaces Price.
But the clock is ticking in order for City to rebuild for next season.
He said: “It’s a dilemma. We are so far north and we’re trying to attract players, but, because of the Lowland League, it’s practically impossible to get players in.
“Players think: ‘Why should I go up there, when I can stay in the Lowland League and go through the motions?’
“We can’t afford to go full-time – we haven’t got that sort of budget.
“We’re looking to get a new manager in as soon as possible. We have 15 signed players and whoever comes in has got work to do to get a squad in place.
“The nucleus of a squad is there, but he will have to increase those numbers.
“We are putting the budget together and that’s what will be discussed along with the manager’s position.”
It is the chairman’s view Charlesworth and Dunn also will remain at Borough Briggs, with the new manager likely to turn to their local experience for support.
Hester’s suffered double bone break
Tatters, meanwhile, confirmed star striker Kane Hester, who bagged a stunning 29 goals in all competitions this season, is paying the price for playing until the final game and has now got an injury to recover from.
He added: “Kane has been struggling (with injury) for the past six or seven weeks, but his dedication has been fantastic, with the distance he travels (from Angus) for training. He’s been fantastic.
“He’s now to keep a medical boot on for four weeks because he’s broken two little bones in an ankle and can’t train for six weeks. He should be okay for pre-season.
“Kane has been playing through the pain barrier for this club to keep us in the league. He’s a tremendous character.”
Fans’ backing was appreciated by City
While staying in League Two was crucial for Elgin, Tatters explained the only real reason to be cheerful was for their faithful fans, whose backing despite the team’s struggles was fully appreciated,
He said: “It wasn’t great that we were celebrating not being in the relegation play-offs.
“With the budget we gave the manager, we set out to at least be in the promotion play-offs – we spent a lot of money this season, but to no avail.
“Luckily, we were still getting crowds of around 700 – the support has been magnificent, but that can’t continue.”
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