The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Strachan’ s pride over Blue Toon testimonial
Peterhead player/comanager Ryan Strachan told of his delight that his 10 years of service is being rewarded with a testimonial next year.
The Blue Toon this week confirmed that the 33-yearold will be honoured with a match on July 6 2024.
Strachan joined Peterhead in 2009 and spent eight years at the club before leaving for Cove Rangers in 2017.
He returned to Balmoor Stadium last summer.
Next year’s testimonial is a personal milestone that Strachan is incredibly proud of.
He said: “It’s not often people get 10 years of service, so it is great to be rewarded for it.
“There will be a lot to do between now and the summer for the match with getting a team fixed and things ready, but I’m delighted to have been granted the testimonial.
“I’ll look forward to the day and it will be a special occasion for me and my family.
“The club have always been good to me. We’ve been through so much together as a team and you do spend more time with your team-mates than you do your family.
“The management and the staff have always been great with me and I would like to think I have been good to them as well with my commitment and my service over the years.
“It will be a good celebration when it comes around. The club means a lot to me.”
Strachan’s Peterhead career has been filled with highs such as reaching the 2016 Petrofac Cup final against Rangers at Hampden, and lows including relegation from League One.
He added: “The relegations are obvious lows. I’ve had two with Peterhead and last year was the biggest low of my career, never mind my time with the club.
“The way the whole season unravelled from start to finish was not good but, at the same time, it gave me and Jordon (Brown) an opportunity to experience a real high in our careers (by being named co-managers).
“The positives have been playing in the Petrofac Cup final and winning League Two.
“It was good to get so much exposure against a team like Rangers, getting to play them home and away often, during their turbulent years.
“There have been good things and some bad, but that is going to happen in every football career.”
Peterhead, who sit second in League Two, five points behind leaders Stenhousemuir but with a game in hand, host eighthplaced Forfar Athletic at Balmoor today.
It is the second of three consecutive matches where the Blue Toon come up against the league’s current bottom three, having beaten basement side 2-1 Clyde last weekend.
They then travel to Borough Briggs to face Elgin City on December 30.
Strachan said: “We treat each game the same whether we are playing against the top half or the bottom half of the table.
“We have had a turbulent time with injuries and illness recently, but we will be ready for it.”
He added: “It was a difficult game when we played them away from home a couple of months ago.”
Peterhead will be without Rory McAllister, who is suspended, and long-term absentees Kieran Gibbons and Conner Duthie.
Captain Jason Brown is a doubt.
• Peterhead have taken an unusual approach to build a new stand for their passionate young fans.
The Blue Toon are currently in the process of converting an old shipping container, which was donated by club chairman Rodger Morrison.
It is being transformed by local business Peterhead Fieldweld Services with funds raised by the club’s supporters over the last couple of months.
In November, the club revealed plans to create a new home for their “young ultras”, who “sing their hearts out and are impeccably behaved”.
The social media post read: “We really want to encourage our young fans of the future, therefore we have been looking into various ideas to give them their own dedicated area.
“We have weighed up various options as we knew that we wanted a permanent structure that could withstand the Peterhead conditions.”
The renovation is now in full swing. A designated section in the East Stand has been provided for the young fans until the new stand is completed.