Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
AIMING HIGH
New signing Brown has sights on promotion play-offs
New Airdrieonians signing Ross Brown insists the Diamonds can grab one of the League One promotion play-off spots.
The midfielder is the fourth signing of the window so far at New Broomfield joining Darry Duffy, Dale Carrick and ex-Queen’s Park goalkeeper Willie Muir.
Brown insists they can reach the promotion places after being inspired by first-team coach Stephen Findlay’s vision for the future.
The 24- year- old, who can also play in defence, endured an injury-hit spell in the Championship – having had six successful years at East Fife.
The former Player of the Year at the Fifers made the step up to full-time and following a couple of niggling issues missed pre-season training before breaking his foot.
He admits he found it tough to earn a spot in the starting eleven in West Lothian and thought it was important to get regular minutes on the pitch.
Brown has signed on initially until the end of the season, but has bought into the new philosophy at the club having met the squad and management team and already hopes to spend next season at Broomfield.
He admits it was a hard few months at Almondvale and was convinced by the positive background progression at the Diamonds – with the Bobby Watson-fronted consortium at the helm. He told the Advertiser: “After speaking with Stevie (Findlay) and seeing where he saw me in his vision, and he talked about what I would be a part of, I knew this was the place I wanted to play.
“I want to kick on after a difficult few months with injury.
“I’ve been to training and see the lads playing and they seem like a really good group. I want to get my fitness up and contribute to a play-off push.
“It was a bit of a frustrating one for me at Livingston. I wanted to take my chance and prove myself at full-time but picked up an injury in my first couple of weeks.
“It was one thing after another and I broke my foot after that – it just didn’t seems to work
out for one reason or another.”
He believes he still has a lot to offer at this level after his ill-fated spell in the Championship.
Brown has targeted a promotion run-in for the remainder of the season.
“I had spent a good five or six years at East Fife. The promotion was good, and as a team we really proved ourselves at this level. “I’m hoping I can pick up where I left off there at Airdrie. “I’ll get my match sharpness up and hopefully we can get ourselves into the promotion places.”