Strathspey, Fort new faces All change: Clubs have fresh managerial teams for start of the season

Strathspey Thistle have appointed Ally Munro as successor to manager Brian Grant, who resigned a fortnight ago.

Munro will be assisted by coaches Gordon Nicholson and Ian Brooks.

The only way is up for the 55year-old former Brora Rangers centre half from the mid-1980s, who has been involved in the youth set-up at Nairn County, a club he also played for.

Former policeman Munro said: “I’ve been a football man all my life and half the current crop of players were in nappies when I was playing in the Highland League.

“I'm from Oban and I was a policeman for 30 years until I retired four years ago. I was a young bobby based in Grantown but I used to travel to play centre half for Brora in the mid-1980s alongside the likes of Joe Mulholland, Donald Allan, Les Murray, Donald MacKay and John Suttar, for a season and a half.

“I was also a Coventry City youth player but I didn’t make it as I was just a wee boy from the sticks who hadn't been away from home before.

“An ankle ligament injury put me out of football for more than a year and when I had recovered Henrik Madej took me to Inverness Thistle but shortly after I got posted to Barra for three-and-ahalf years with my work, so that was the end of my Highland League playing career.”

Looking to the challenges ahead, Munro added: “I didn’t take up coaching until I left the police. I started off with the Nairn County 15s, I have been at Nairn for the last five years, latterly running two teams, the 15s and the under-20s.

“I took a break from football about five months ago. When Strathspey chairman Donly McLeod approached me about four weeks ago, having played for the club when they first joined the junior ranks, I thought it would give me a good chance to get back into the game. I still know a lot of people in Grantown.

“It’s a real challenge. A lot of the Nairn County first team came through the ranks under myself.

“Another former Nairn player, Ian Brooks, and the former Caley Thistle youth coach Gordie Nicholson are joining me. I'm looking forward to the challenge.”

Strathspey have also recruited eight new committee members.

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Ally Munro: Football man