‘Fitness guru’ to benefit Lichties

Arbroath manager Jim Mcintyre has revealed he persuaded new “fitness guru” Tom Ritchie not to retire in favour of a reunion at Gayfield.

The 62-year-old was set to hang up his stopwatch at the end of the season after leaving his role at Cove Rangers – where he previously worked with Mcintyre – but a conversation between the pair tempted Ritchie to follow his former boss to Angus.

Having started his career in football under Craig Levein at Cowdenbeath back in 1997, Ritchie, a lifelong Hearts fan, went on to spend a decade at Tynecastle and was part of the backroom staff that competed in the Europa League, Champions League and won the Scottish Cup in 2006.

That experience with the Jambos saw him move to Europe under former Hearts boss Csaba Laszlo, who took him to Belgian Pro League side Charleroi, before returning home and having spells at Alloa, Dundee, Falkirk and Cove.

Mcintyre said: “We have brought in Tam Ritchie, who is an outstanding fitness guru as I would call him.

“He has a wealth of experience working with top-level players here and abroad.

“I worked with him at Cove Rangers and was blown away by some of the content that he puts on for the players.

“As a manager, I felt it was too good an opportunity because he was thinking of retiring.

“I had a conversation with him and he decided to give it another year or two, so we are very lucky to have him.”

Meanwhile, Ewen West has been named as the club’s new chairman.

He succeeds Mike Caird who has decided to step down from the post after seven years.

West first joined the Lichties as safety officer in 2014 and has been vice-chairman since 2018.