The Official Berwick Rangers 2014/2015 Thread

[T-zero]

Marc Mckenzie joe mbu or David Cowan.

[Redcar]

OK we'll see.

Hope Paul Currie spends pre-season reinventing himself as a striker.

[Razor Bill]

Marc Mckenzie joe mbu or David Cowan.

McKenzie was at Shielfield years ago and did'nt impress then, so unless his goalscoring prowess has improved dramatically, a resounding "No". I'm hoping CC will be looking beyond the ranks of Cowden cast-offs.

Don't need Mbu when we've got Fairbairn and Tulloch at centre half, plus Hoskins who can cover and the possible return of the eternal enigma/ figment of the imagination Dougie Brydon. I'm guessing from the lack of vitriol on here that he did'nt play at the Stanks?

So, still need a left back, a left-sided midfielder (Shire's Scott Maxwell, who we may or may not be in a tug of war with Albion Rovers over), 2 quality strikers and a midfield general.

Assume neither Currie nor Lavery have put pen to paper with anyone else yet?

Source close to the board told me on Satuday night that the offer made to Currie by the club would have made him the best paid player in our history, though I'm not sure £6.15 an hour gets you very far these days.

[berwick-the-unbeatable]

Whenever I'd seen McKenzie he'd looked a bit of a joke player, especially at Shire, but it's worth noting that by far the best form he's had in his career was under Cameron - including 18 goals in League One. I don't think I'd say no that easily to a player that Cameron clearly knows how to get the best out of. Perhaps A, Trialist for him would be good?

Speaking of enigmas, rumour has it we've withdrew that best paid in history offer to offer it instead to Armand Oné. We're going up.

[Razor Bill]

No problem with trialling prospective signings, though I'd prefer to see some good players added before we get to the friendlies stage of pre-season, which should be about fine-tuning line-ups and tactics.

Liam Buchanan?

[BerwickMad]

To be the best paid player in our history would be going some. Were Eddie Forrest and Alex Burke not on about £450 a week during the Curle era? Sure Hawke was full time in the 90s too.

[Razor Bill]

"Source" had been on the sauce, so..........

[Razor Bill]

In fairness to my source, he had been on the sauce.

But yes, Burke, Forrest, Wood etc were supposed to have been on big wages. No idea if true. Lot of bollocks talked during that era.

[Redcar]

Difficult to contain excitement at all our pre-season news.

2 loanees gone, O'Brien and Gielty gone, Lavery and Currie probably gone and....... er, no signings.

[BerwickMad]

Mind, we're not even through May yet! Haha.

[BerwickMad]

[Razor Bill]

Great news and good work by the club.

Despite conjecture that he was off to EF, we've managed to retain one of the best all-round goalscorers in the league. Let's hope we play him as a central striker next season rather than a winger, which...........

....is what the signing of Scott Maxwell suggests. Gray and Maxwell will give us two guys who know how to graft on the flanks. Excellent. Now for another quality striker, a specialist left back and a midfield general.

Think that takes the 1st team squad up to 17, and CC was talking in the press about needing 20-21, so still a few to come.

[berwick-the-unbeatable]

I'm far more chuffed than I thought I'd be that we've signed Lavery up again. For all he is frustrating, he's a guaranteed 15 goals and to sign that up again is very decent - Cameron has done well. I still hope that he gets his head down and works a little harder for the the team next year, which is something I'd hope two coaches as good as Cameron and Horn could make happen, but if not we still have a player on our hands who defences at this level struggle with.

I also think Maxwell will be a very smart addition. Liked him whenever I've seen him. Him and Gray on either side could be carnage.

Just a note on that 20-21 quota, if the right players come available I wouldn't be particularly surprised to see that change. He said he wanted 30 players across two sides. We've re-signed some players that still need development imo, the likes of Morris etc. I wouldn't be surprised to see them considered amongst the reserves.

[BerwickMad]

Lavery will be a good signing if he can recapture his form of the season before last. Too many times last season his head went down, and if he wasn't scoring we might as well have had 10 men. Hopefully Cameron can get the best out of him.

We're looking in good shape, but the remaining signings need to be quality ones if we're going to compete for the championship.

In a 442, we're looking like this IMO:

Bald

Notman

Fairbairn

Tulloch

*left back

Gray

*centre mid

Cameron

Maxwell

Lavery

*striker

Subs and Back Up:

Andrews

Jacobs

Hoskins

Miller

Paul Currie

Dalziel

Russell

Think we're going maybe need two centre midfielders though because Cameron isn't going to be fit every single week. You've got Notman who can play there though and Miller was promising in the last few games. A back up centre back or someone who's going to push Fairbairn and Tulloch to start could also be important. Carse and Morris still have a bit to do to be considered first team squad members I think, but both have shown promise.

[NELLY]

Where does Lavery stay? Is he Edinburgh based?

[BerwickMad]

Prestonpans I think. Not 100% sure though.

[Druridge_Bay_Dogger]

In fairness to my source, he had been on the sauce.

But yes, Burke, Forrest, Wood etc were supposed to have been on big wages. No idea if true. Lot of bollocks talked during that era.

I'm sure its 99.9% true and you could add the guy Tony Smith who we signed from Dundee United to the list too. I heard he was roughly on the same. Burke and Wood did us a turn but the other two were dross. A fair amount of money was wasted that season.

I'm pretty sure Warren Hawke was full-time too because I'm sure he told me that a few years ago when I bumped into him.

[mid-table]

I'm pretty sure Warren Hawke was full-time too because I'm sure he told me that a few years ago when I bumped into him.

Warren Hawke was full-time, but a large part of his role involved training the youth team, who were in a national league at the time. I remember watching them play at Dens in a youth league game that season.

[Redcar]

Lavery will be a good signing if he can recapture his form of the season before last. Too many times last season his head went down, and if he wasn't scoring we might as well have had 10 men. Hopefully Cameron can get the best out of him.

We're looking in good shape, but the remaining signings need to be quality ones if we're going to compete for the championship.

In a 442, we're looking like this IMO:

Bald

Notman

Fairbairn

Tulloch

*left back

Gray

*centre mid

Cameron

Maxwell

Lavery

*striker

Subs and Back Up:

Andrews

Jacobs

Hoskins

Miller

Paul Currie

Dalziel

Russell

Think we're going maybe need two centre midfielders though because Cameron isn't going to be fit every single week. You've got Notman who can play there though and Miller was promising in the last few games. A back up centre back or someone who's going to push Fairbairn and Tulloch to start could also be important. Carse and Morris still have a bit to do to be considered first team squad members I think, but both have shown promise.

I see Jacobs as 1st choice right back and Notman nailed on in midfield. This all makes an excellent starting XI but we need 2 or 3 more to strengthen the squad.

[owteno]

Little memo to "Berwick-the-unbeatable". Iain Thomson along with every other shire squad member was invited to a meeting to discuss their future. I believe he did not attend. Those who didn't attend were written to. You should check your facts before slating a club. The Shire are a very professionally ran club, and take their treatment of players very seriously indeed. Just ask any other ex-players ( apart from Iain Thomson it would seem..)