Fraser Hobday is pleased to be returning to the Breedon Highland League with Banks o’ Dee.
The Aberdeen outfit will make the step up from the Juniors next term after Fort William withdrew from the relegation play-off.
Goalkeeper Hobday joined Dee from Turriff United last year and admits stepping into the Juniors was a risk, but says the reward of helping the Spain Park club get promoted was worth it.
The 26-year-old, who has also played for Huntly and Peterhead, said: “When I signed for Banks o’ Dee it was a great opportunity for me to take part in a great project.
“I had a really good time at Turriff United and enjoyed playing for the club, unfortunately things didn’t go as we wanted them to.
“From the time I signed to when I left I felt we’d gone backwards and coming to be part of this project at Banks o’ Dee interested me.
“When I signed I knew the idea was to get promoted. You always want to play at the highest level you can so leaving the Highland League could have been a risk.
“But the opportunity to go with Banks o’ Dee up into the Highland League outweighed the risk.
“Over the last three of four years I think Banks o’ Dee is a club that everyone could see as one that could play in the Highland League with the facilities and the squad we’ve got.
“The results against Highland League clubs over several years in cup competitions has shown we can compete.”
Disappointing conclusion
Although Hobday is thrilled Banks o’ Dee have been promoted, he admits the way it came about was something of an anti-climax.
Jamie Watt and Roy McBain’s side had been prepared to face Fort William in the first leg of play-off at Spain Park on Saturday.
However, on Friday evening the Lochaber club withdrew because of player eligibility issues and Dee’s promotion was confirmed without having to kick a ball.
Hobday added: “It was a bit disappointing for us the way it panned out.
“The whole lead-up last week was focusing on the play-off and preparing for Fort William, we were really looking forward to it.
“We had the straight play-off against Fort William and it was disappointing and the players felt a bit flat.
“Ultimately the end goal was to be promoted and we’ve achieved the outcome but we wanted to do it on the pitch.
“We wanted to do it over the two games.”