A fan-tastic backing will please Cove boss

Cove Rangers boss Paul Hartley hopes the club’s League 1 title success can help boost their fanbase even more.

Cove attracted more than 1,000 supporters to their final two home games of the season against Alloa Athletic and Dumbarton, which saw them become champions.

The club have attracted an average of 747 fans per game in 2021-22, which was the second highest in the division behind fulltime side Falkirk.

They will have the benefit of bigger clubs with decent travelling support heading up to Cove in the Championship. But the success of their own club could hopefully bring some more punters through the gates.

“Next year you’re going to have some big clubs in the division where the away support is much bigger,” said Hartley.

“What I was really pleased with on that Saturday (against Dumbarton) was the amount of kids at the game. It was great.

“It was one of those days – we had the weather and managed to get the result. We sent everybody home happy.

“You could see that with the players and staff mingling with the fans, which they should be. It’s a day you’ll always remember.”

The club have been preparing for arguably their biggest step yet, since joining the SPFL in 2019.

Cove have invested in the playing squad yearon-year and won two league titles in their opening three years in the Scottish leagues.

“The club should be so proud of themselves from where they came from,” added Hartley.

“We can’t stand still and I’ve said that to the chairman. If we do that, it can easily go the other way. You can go back down the leagues again.

“It’s a tough league ahead but we’ve got enough time to prepare, for how we can get better and improve all the time.”