Well done for making veteran campaigners vogue again Rovers

A COLLEAGUE wants Cliftonhill renamed Jurassic Park after Albion Rovers appointed John Brogan as boss.

This 64-year-old with a lifetime of experience isn’t hip enough apparently but let’s beg to differ on that.

Well done to the Coatbridge side for making veteran campaigners vogue again.

It’s a bold direction to take and a refreshing change from opting for would-be managers in their early 30s who believe they’re Jose Mourinho after taking one training session.

Broggie’s experience with East Kilbride, Lanark, Yoker and most recently Wishaw in the Central District junior league will stand him in good stead.

The argument against him goes thus. Last April Darren Young was sacked by letter despite laying claim to being the most successful boss in the club’s 136-year-history.

It’s a fair shout as they were sitting high in League One and at one point within punching distance of the Championship play-offs.

Next into the chair was Brian Kerr to coincide with a credit crunch on a budget that played a major part in last season’s relegation.

Being unable to cut his cloth to fit any expectation of better fortunes, he has headed for pastures new with East Kilbride.

Now Rovers have Brogan on board it’ll be a campaign of firefighting in League Two which is all about trying to prevent being pulled down the pyramid system while balancing the books.

He’s a spit-and-sawdust kind of guy and a warning to his players, let’s just say this summer’s signing-on sessions should be blunt and straight to the point.

Junior football has been his bread and butter in the 22 years since his last senior post at Arbroath and he knows his latest port of call is far from the land of plenty. This is the month when managers call boys into their office to thrash out new contracts or send them on their way. Brogan is well versed in the art of the deal.

A mate in charge of a junior club had a player in this week who’s on £60 a week with a clause that his money rises to £70 in his second season. The lad in question is the highest earner but doesn’t get a game. These are the difficulties at the impoverished level of our game.

He’s had them all this week, one player wanted a signing-on fee of £500 and was laughed out the door. Another wanted his money upped by £5 and was wished all the best.

This boss has his work cut out as his side has just survived relegation and, just like Brogan, it’s now going to be a major rebuild.

He tells a story about a text he sent to a signing target asking if he’d be interested in coming on board. Both the spelling and the state of play with money-driven footballers left a lot to be desired when the reply came. It read: “Any doughe?”

That’s the issue which will confront Rovers and Brogan in the next few months but here’s a quick tale that shows it’s not all take, take.

Kilsyth Rangers lost to Rob Roy on Monday and their players were given brown envelopes after the game containing their last pay of the season.

One player handed his back immediately stating he didn’t deserve it. Needless to say he’ll be getting a new contract.

One player handed his pay packet back right away saying he didn’t deserve it