Chalmers is in atW/D as Matt leaves

Waysiders/Drumpellier are gaining a coach but losing a star player as they eye an October start-up date.

Stuart Chalmers is coming in from Uddingston, but Matty Coey is heading back to Northern Ireland, according to team manager Gerry Brankin.

He said:“Stuart was with Uddingston last year and is coming across to assist us.

“I’ve known Stuart for a number of years but never worked alongside him.

“He came in to Uddingston to try and steady the ship but I think they were all but down at the time.

“I’ve seen some of his teams in the past and when he gets the players involved and motivated he has some good ideas.

“We’re also losing one of our better players, he’s going back to Northern Ireland.

“He was working over here as a physio for a number of years and we were the local club, so he came along to play for us.

“To be perfectly honest he was way too good for us, and he will be a big loss next season.”

Scottish Rugby bosses hope rugby action resumes in October, and Brankin says everyone is eager to get stuck in.

“The players are all champing at the bit to get back and do something,”he said..

“There are three or four of them at a time who are coming down for a run, just to blow way some of the cobwebs off. We’re going to need to hit it big-time when we do get back into it, just to get the fitness levels up.”

Waysiders hope to open their beer garden on Thursday of this week, but Gerry says there are risk assessments to carry out and they’re taking cautious steps forward with it.

Gerry said:“We have our fingers and everything else crossed.”