Rose all ready to start rise to the big league
BONNYRIGG ROSE are just four steps from the end of the road in their illustrious 128-year journey as a junior club.
After more than a century as one of the big hitters in the East Region, the Midlothian side are set to leave their comfort zone in the juniors and move into the increasingly awkward pyramid pathway to the promised land of the SPFL.
Next season Bonnyrigg, along with 11 other junior clubs, will take their place in the East of Scotland League looking to win instant promotion to the Lowland League and stand just one tier away from the land of the professionals.
These are exciting times for the Rosey Posey and manager David White has set a three-year timescale to be in a play-off for a place in the SPFL.
But for now he is fully focused on the job in hand – winning their last four league matches this season to clinch a fourth Superleague title and bow out of the juniors in style just like Kelty Hearts did 12 months ago.
White said: “It’s massively important to us that we go out as champions.
“We want to finish the season and move on to the next chapter as league winners just like Kelty did.
“I share the ambitions of the committee. This club has been in the junior ranks for a long time and it’s going to be sad to leave all that local rivalry and history behind.
“But in order for the club to progress this is the right move.
“With the squad we have at Bonnyrigg right now I’m confident we can be up there challenging for the Lowland League title within three years.
“That’s the difference. This allows us to challenge for a place in the SPFL rather than just winning the Superleague in the juniors then having to do it all again in the following season.
“If we could have stayed in the juniors and been part of the pyramid set-up that would have been ideal and the junior leagues might well become attached over the next few years.
“But there’s no guarantee that was going to happen so the club has taken matters into our own hands. I know with the fan base we have and everybody pulling together we can achieve our dream.
“The club is working hard towards getting our SFA licence, we’re ambitious and have good local backing.
“The majority of our squad have been here for three or four years and are determined to move the club on.
“The dream would be in two or three years to be winning a play-off to take our place in League Two. But there’s a lot of work to be done before that and first and foremost we are focused on finishing our junior life as champions.”
Bonnyrigg have four league matches left and sit eight points clear of Linlithgow. But White said: “I want four wins from four to clinch the title in style and set us up to make the next step.”