Glebe chief upbeat despite testing start

Brechin chairman Ken Ferguson admits their start has been “challenging” but remains optimistic for the season ahead.

City have shipped an incredible 21 goals in four matches since the campaign began just a fortnight ago.

Their first post-lockdown game was a 6-2 home loss to Dundee United in the Betfred Cup , which was followed by a 7- 0 away hammering from St Johnstone in the same tournament.

Mark Wilson’s men then lost their next cup group game 3 -1 at Peterhead before kicking off League Two with a 5-1 defeat to Edinburgh City at Glebe Park on Saturday.

Next up is a trip to Borough Briggs to face Elgin City.

The form book makes for grim reading for a club that finished bottom of the pile in the SPFL before coronavirus closed last season down.

Ferguson didn’t shy away from recent results, but he did put them in a bit of context.

The City chairman said: “The word ‘challenging’ is probably overused in football but I think it’s justified in terms of our start to the season.

“It has been a difficult one for the club, to say the least.

“We have faced two Premiership sides in the Betfred, both of whom had been playing for two months before facing us.

“I think we played quite well against United but not against St Johnstone.

“Also, I’m not sure it’s appreciated how difficult League Two is, especially since the trap door out of the division was introduced, because we have had a lot of teams strengthening in an attempt to avoid that.

“Obviously, we have been in the Championship relatively recently, so to have dropped down to be club 42, as we did last season , was a huge disappointment for Brechin.

“We have constantly been trying to rebuild and this year is really a transition period for us. We have had to start from scratch really.

“We have looked at the whole structure of the club – a root and branch review – so that has meant a lot of change here.

“I also think we have a lot of young players who could take time to learn to play together.

“I would stress, though, that everyone here is well aware that it is a shortened season so time isn’ t something that is in great supply.

“We do all understand the need to get things right on the pitch.”

Ferguson believes, like other teams in the land, the City players are desperately missing not having their fans in the ground roaring them on.

He said: “Our supporters are brilliant and have supported us so well through the coronavirus crisis.

“I have real sympathy for those fans who would love to get out of the house on a Saturday and come to watch us, especially some of the older supporters who enjoy the companionship they get at a game.

“We are missing them and I actually think we could comfortably accommodate our season ticket holders (approximately 200) in the ground safely, all socially distanced.

“We have to deal with the situation as it is, though, and we are grateful just to have football back.”

‘CHALLENGING’: Brechin City chairman Ken Ferguson says the club has seen a lot of changes during transition period.