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Rutkiewicz‘privileged’to get back to football

Stirling Albion manager Kevin Rutkiewicz can’t wait for the return of League Two this weekend when Brechin City visit Forthbank.

The suspension of lower-league football was lifted at the beginning of this month and the opening fixtures have now been confirmed, with the Binos at home to bottom club Brechin this Saturday and away to Elgin City on March 27.

League Two clubs are set for an 18-match campaign before a split into a top and bottom five for another four games, with the play-offs to follow after that.

It’s set to be a hectic schedule but

Rutkiewicz is thrilled to be back in the dug-out after an absence of more than two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

League Two clubs have until the end of this month to make loan signings and Rutkiewicz has not ruled out adding to his squad but the long lay-off has allowed midfielder David Wilson to recover from injury. Dylan Bikey is also available and 19-year-old Chris Hamilton could make his debut after joining on loan from Hearts back in January.

Jack Leitch will miss the Brechin game due to suspension.

Rutkiewicz said: “Everyone is fit and well and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s been a long time coming and we want to get back into the routine of it. It’s going to be slightly different and it will be a challenge because of the number of matches so training will be minimal – you are hoping the good work we did six months ago means the boys have retained some of that muscle memory!

“We have obviously done a bit of a crash course since we came back but there’s not been an awful lot of time. I’m not complaining, though, because I would much rather have this situation than nothing – I feel very privileged and very lucky to have the football back again.

“The boys are excited to be back and we are in a good place at the moment. We left on a good note when football was stopped and that is still the case but it’s back to business and everything is focused on the Brechin game – it’s not about looking at the league table or what we have done before.

“The challenge is to pick up where we left off but it will be a tough game against Brechin because they will have a vastly-changed team from the last time but I’m confident in the group of players I have here.

“We have 19 outfield players but other teams in our division have more. We wouldn’t rule out adding one or two to the squad because we are heading into uncharted territory in the next couple of months but the deals would have to be right because we also have the added costing of Covid testing.”

Numbers drawn on Wednesday, March 10 in the Stirling Albion Supporters Trust lottery were 3, 20, 23, 30.

There were no jackpot winners so the jackpot today (Wednesday) rises to £2450.

Three lucky dip winners each receive £20 - A Samwell (Stirling), D McGregor (Stirling) and J Anderson (Stirling).