Formartine United manager Stuart Anderson says he will continue to strive for improvements after he and his staff extended their contracts.
Anderson was appointed as boss at North Lodge Park in March 2022 and has penned a new deal along with assistant manager Martin Skinner, goalkeeping coach Errol Watson, assistant coach Eric Whyte and kit manager Sandy Moir.
Meanwhile, midfielder Aidan Combe has also extended his contract.
During his first full season in charge, Anderson guided the Pitmedden side to fourth in the Breedon Highland League, the third round of the Scottish Cup and the final of the Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cup.
This term United are top of the league with 25 points from 11 games.
Anderson, who first joined Formartine as a player in January 2014, said: “We’re enjoying it and I’ve been at the club a long time so it was an easy decision to extend my contract.
“We’ve done a lot behind the scenes on the youth side and we’ve managed to get a stable first-team squad in place.
“We’ll keep striving to get better – not just at first-team level, but across the whole club.
“Our aspirations are just to keep developing the club. There’s a lot of competition and you can’t afford to stand still.
“The staff I’ve got are brilliant for the club and for myself.
“They put in a lot of work that people don’t see and I’m very grateful for the effort they put in.”
Youth focus at Pitmedden
Away from the first-team, Formartine have also been trying to make strides in youth development during Anderson’s tenure.
He added: “We started an under-18s team and we’ve got a link with the Formartine United Academy now.
“We’ve got a lot of young players signed up, who we feel have got a lot of potential in the years ahead.
“It’s something I feel every club needs to do. We want to develop our own players if we can.”
STUART ANDERSON AND HIS STAFF SIGN AGREEMENT EXTENSIONS@FormartineUtd are delighted to announce that their Manager, Stuart Anderson and his entire Technical Staff have all signed extensions to their Agreements with the Club.
Read more here: https://t.co/dw0yFAekZQ pic.twitter.com/QuyW4Niu5k
— Formartine United Football Club (@FormartineUtd) October 21, 2023
Reflecting on the news, Formartine chairman Atholl Cadger said: “I’m delighted Stuart and his staff have agreed to sign their new deals.
“I’ve said several times that I believe we have one of the best young managers in the Highland League, so it seemed a completely natural step to extend Stuart’s agreement, thus ensuring stability and continuity.
“In his time so far with the team, Stuart has proved to have the talent that we expected from him.
“Stuart and staff have a great work ethic with an eye for the smallest detail, which has helped the whole team to improve and progress.”
Combe to carry on
Combe joined Formartine from Fraserburgh last October and has now signed a deal until the summer of 2028.
The 26-year-old is currently out with a groin injury, and Anderson said: “Aidan’s been great for us. He was happy to commit to Formartine and we’re delighted he has.
“He’s been frustrated to be out injured, but we’re hopeful he’ll be back soon.
“Aidan was really good last season, and although he’s only had a few games this season, he’s been excellent.
“He’s got a great attitude and we’re lucky to have him.”
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