Gordonians will bid farewell to National League 2 on Saturday but player president Matthew Brechin is confident their absence will not be a long one.
The Aberdeen side complete their campaign at bottom club Whitecraigs with the two clubs dropping to National 3 next season after being relegated.
There is disappointment at Countesswells at not doing enough to stay in the division but Brechin insists there is cause for optimism for the future.
He said: “We felt we were more than capable of competing in National 2 but I don’t know if it was a lack of belief or confidence but we just didn’t quite start the season strongly enough.
“I don’t think that will happen next year and my expectation is that we will be pushing for promotion.
“Our second XV won the league this season and playing more competitive games at a higher level can only be good for the players and the club in terms of our development.”
Brechin keen to maintain status quo
While their city rivals Aberdeen Grammar have revamped their coaching staff following their relegation from the Premiership there are no plans to change the structure at Gordonians.
With the club making strides at all age levels Brechin is confident the ingredients are in place for a successful future for the club.
He said: “We have no talks planned nor are there changes planned within the backroom staff. We hope we can maintain the status quo.
“I’m sure on the pitch, as is the case every year, there will be some players who retire while others may move away or their work circumstances change, but we’re working on the assumption we will have our core group together.
“Our junior section is booming and it’s fantastic seeing 160 kids every Sunday while we’ve started an over-35s team for the Golden Oldies tournaments and within a few weeks we have around 30 players wanting to be involved in that.
“The club is a good place to be at the moment and it all bodes well for the future.”
Positive culture crucial to club development
Culture is a word which has been used by all and sundry at Countesswells during this campaign with the desire to have a positive environment at the club resulting in a high level of commitment and turnout from players.
Brechin believes fostering that in the months and years ahead will be the top priority for the club.
He said: “We’ve done a lot of work in the last two to three years to build the right culture at the club.
“I think that has been evident in the way we play the game, the strong numbers at training and the youngsters coming through.
“We’ve had a very young squad for the last two years and they have been getting steadily better as they have gained more experience.
“Even when we’ve missed a few players at times others have stood up to be counted and that ethos will continue.”
