Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Lichties in top flight looks a full-time job
ARBROATH vicechairman Ewen West has not ruled out the club going full-time should they manage to secure promotion to the Premiership.
The Lichties sit top of the Championship at the halfway point in the season, taking on second-placed Inverness on January 2.
Dick Campbell’s Red Lichties have lost only two games all season, have the best goal difference and lead by three points – all while being the only part-time team in the division.
West says they may need to reassess that position should the side gain promotion – or even win the title.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, he said: “If we were able to make that step up, we’d have to have a close look at our set-up, contracts and players.
“We’ve got a really good nucleus of a squad. Dick has just signed up seven players on extended contracts. We’ve already had two or three signed for another season.
“We would have to have a look at it all and see what we’d need to change and improve.
“We’d do that in consultation with Dick and Ian and his staff.”
The club’s main target for the season was to cement their position in Scotland’s second tier and they have surpassed those expectations.
Despite their lofty position at the halfway point, West is keeping his feet firmly on the ground and won’t get too carried away with talk of promotion.
“It would be a tremendous achievement but we’re only halfway through the season,” he added.
“We’ve got 17 games to play and it’s a really tough league.
“Our focus is completely on the next game against Caley Jags on Sunday and we’ll need to be at our best to win that.
“It would be great – but there is a lot of hard work to go yet.”
Regardless of Arbroath’s final position this season, the journey throughout the campaign has brought a sense of pride and happiness into the town when it was needed most.
“People are going about with smiles on their faces,” West explained. “It’s a good news story.
“We’re in the midst of a pandemic and the news sometimes is not too great, so to have a good news story like this is fantastic.
“We’ve sold more season tickets than we’ve ever sold.
“Our community trust is thriving with over 700 kids and it is just over a year old. We can only look forward.”