The Cameron Conundrum

[albert ross]

Some good stuff on here, much of which I agree with in regard to the players. I'd keep the back 5 (Bald, Jacobs, Young, Fairbairn & Drummond), plus Notman and Willis, and possibly Miller. I'd bomb everyone else. The squad needs a substantial refresh, not least in mentality and attitude. The support at the Spartans and Hibs games showed there is still a lot of goodwill towards Berwick Rangers in the local community, but the longer the current 7 year spell of mediocrity goes on, the greater the risk of squandering that goodwill.

In short, the shake-up that is needed does'nt just apply to the playing squad. I believe that the manager should go on the basis of a dismal league season, and if it means using some of the cup money to pay off his still unexplained contract extension, then do it. I'd change the entire management team. Start from scratch, and bring new ideas and mindsets into the club. Not that I'm advocating his return, but along the lines of whatJohn Coughlin achieved. Look at what Shire have done to turn around their season. It shines a harsh light on our lack of progress.

I also think there need to be changes at board level. The current board have been effective at stabilising the club and introducing genuine financial rigour to a club not reknowned for its ability to keep its finances under control. But maybe this is the time for some changes. What prospect of bringing new, business-minded individuals (absolutely excluding anyone with previous boardroom connections) into the boardroom ,and what prospect of some new leadership at chairman level? That's no reflection on the current incumbent who deserves the high regard he's held in, but a well-planned change can have a reinvigorating effect. I think the club is in desperate need of that now. We're losing long-time supporters, and we can't afford another season of drifting aimlessly in mid-table, assuming we avoid the drop this time around. The fact that i'm even saying that is a damning indictment of this campaign.

HALLE-FUCKIN-LUJAH

this has been a long time coming ! glad to see you have eventually woke up & smelt the coffee, abeit a few years too late as we could be now heading for the abyss !

[BerwickMad]

I'm not sure where these charismatic new businessmen are going to come from. It's all very well if we have an alternative waiting in the wings, or the current board were blocking investment, but I haven't seen any evidence of that. We're well run off the pitch so I don't see any desperation to change that side of things unless there's a better alternative staring us in the face. We're the envy of most clubs off the pitch, not that there's no room for improvement. There always is.

[Red Mist]

HALLE-FUCKIN-LUJAH

this has been a long time coming ! glad to see you have eventually woke up & smelt the coffee, abeit a few years too late as we could be now heading for the abyss !

[/quote

The only thing I can still smell is the trail of shite you left when you were a board member

[albert ross]

HALLE-FUCKIN-LUJAH

this has been a long time coming ! glad to see you have eventually woke up & smelt the coffee, abeit a few years too late as we could be now heading for the abyss !

[/quote

The only thing I can still smell is the trail of shite you left when you were a board member

:) must try harder ! if its a guessing game red bill ! or is it razor mist !! it just goes to show how mutch crap comes out your bill, razor

but just say i was a ex board member, please confirm "the trail of shite" ? coz the way i & others see it is that they where achievers compared to the present

incumbants, who over seven yrs have squandered big time ! this COULD go down as the worst season EVER !!! whilst having the biggest playing budget

EVER !!!

if your wanting to compare 1 trail of shit (as you call it) to THIS trail of shit, this one wins hands down

[Red Mist]

:) must try harder ! if its a guessing game red bill ! or is it razor mist !! it just goes to show how mutch crap comes out your bill, razor

but just say i was a ex board member, please confirm "the trail of shite" ? coz the way i & others see it is that they where achievers compared to the present

incumbants, who over seven yrs have squandered big time ! this COULD go down as the worst season EVER !!! whilst having the biggest playing budget

EVER !!!

if your wanting to compare 1 trail of shit (as you call it) to THIS trail of shit, this one wins hands down

Jesus wept.

Do you foam at the mouth when you type these posts?

You and your "achievers" oversaw the worst season in history in 07/08. 3 wins all season and 16 points.

So your assertion that that isn't a trail of shite is correct. It's a volcanic eruption.

Feel free to keep on partying like its 2007. That's ancient history now. What's important is how current problems are addressed. You're not offering any solutions on the same way you avoid posting any positive comment about Berwick Rangers Football Club. Everyone else has moved on, but you still seemed locked into some half-imagined past.

[albert ross]

Jesus wept.

Do you foam at the mouth when you type these posts?

You and your "achievers" oversaw the worst season in history in 07/08. 3 wins all season and 16 points.

So your assertion that that isn't a trail of shite is correct. It's a volcanic eruption.

Feel free to keep on partying like its 2007. That's ancient history now. What's important is how current problems are addressed. You're not offering any solutions on the same way you avoid posting any positive comment about Berwick Rangers Football Club. Everyone else has moved on, but you still seemed locked into some half-imagined past.

OMG whot a pleb ! your the one that keeps harking back to "the old regime" you seem to be transfixed with thier achievments ! you need to move on !

agreed that 07/08 season was a huge failure, but to compare this season & where we could end up (god forbid we do) just shows your not ready to accept how inept this regime has been thus far ! 07/08 was in a league above where we are now for a start, coff jumped ship taking halfe the team with him, there was no money. compare that to this season well you just cant !

but you are getting on a bit now so will give you a little latitude

now if i where to have posted a few weeks ago that we need to get rid of cameron, & restructure upstairs you would have been the 1st to have a go. but its good that you have eventually come to your sense's

i would agree (prob a 1st) cameron needs to go, but please lets not go down the crease road again or ex berwick players, & yes we need a change upstairs too i would like to see the supporters reps be replaced ( by votes from each camp on who the fans want to elect a new rep every 2yrs say) that keeps it fresh & stops complacency, that may help bring in new investment a new fresh aproach !

[Eyemouthboy]

Just caught up on this conversation, some great points raised and some shite. A bit like our club. Fully agree that changes should start at the top.

We need new younger blood in the boardroom to take the club forward. Build the foundations and get more community involvement with schools and youth teams

Sadly it will never happen

[berwicksfinest]

Well i dont mind holding my hands up and saying, wow wtf has happened ? but keep doing it !! I was wrong

I thought East Fife would tear us a new one, but all of a sudden loan players arriving and certain "hanger ons" have pulled their fingers out. and its working

The skeptic in me says wait until 17.00 after Queens Park but there is a ray of optimism !!

Could this not have been done before Xmas ??

[Redcar]

My opinion on Cameron evolved over a year or more, so doesn't change much after 2 games.

But I'll be happy to be proved wrong over a long period and he seems to have done well with the loanees as well as getting the team focused and scoring goals.

Keep it up tomorrow.

[A Believer]

Cameron, the whole squad and the board must stay!

[DuklaWandy]

I've been at two Berwick games this season. They were very good when beating Arbroath at home and a bit unlucky at Albion Rovers last Saturday. Obviously I'm not seeing them often, but I've been impressed when I have.

[Redcar]

Cameron had to try and win yesterday, but there are now 3 games with nothing to play for and we'll get an insight into his thoughts.

Surely no point in playing Martyniuk or Dillon. He has to bring in players from the fringes to see if they are up to it. That means Bauld, Watson, Miller, Gold, Gray etc etc getting a look in. If they don't, they will rightly assume their Berwick Rangers future is a tad insecure.

[sammyreidloyal]

On that note Cameron has been rather quiet recently.

All in all,what a gash season. Cup run apart,and that was a bonus ,the season has been one long roller coaster and we are no further down the line as a club than with any other manager.

The Cowden fans did say he was underwhelming and after a decent start up there,lost his way and their fans were glad to get rid of him. Last year Dargo,nothing really improved .We needed better players in January,everyone could see it. Henderson,come on?

As I write this I am asking myself why bother?

I kind of hope it encourages others to write the closing thoughts on a season of few highs,and many lows...again. Can't be bothered with Clyde tripe or any other teams bollocks.

[Kevin Haynes' Son]

So much hope for this season, and I remember last season, last home game, disappointment of losing out on the play offs , but we were ready for Cameron's first pre season at Berwick, to bring in new players and improve the squad and get rid of the dross. He's got rid of most of the dross I'll give him that.

That day, last home game of last season, Cameron was walking down the tunnel with his head down and I heard a wise man in front of me tell him 'don't worry Colin we will win the league next season' and his reply was a very confident "definitely!"

Where did all go wrong? I mean cmon, lying 9th place in a division with teams no better than we are!

Poor poor performances from our top players (and top earners at that!!) and just a severe lack of interest.

There are plenty funds at his disposal , just it would appear he chooses not to use them, albeit considering we already have the highest wage budget in the division it seems? Plus a big cup cash fall . Yet dargo Henderson and a couple of loans for players we've never heard of came in to replace first framers that left. Not good enough transfer business

On to the pitch, we score goals, no question. Our strikers definitely know where the back of the net is. Russell gets a lot of hate, which I still don't understand. He always puts a shift in and grabs a goal ! Albert is a class act, when he wants to be, which is never near enough! Henderson, not seen enough to decide. So yes we do score goals.

Defence, where to start? Jacobs has been a shadow of himself last season, and Drummond started very well but has lost the pace a bit. And I reckon we our best centre half pairing in years! Yet concede a barrow load of goals, down to the goalkeeper? Once again not having a number "one" goalkeeper for the season after too much switching and changing.

Onto the midfield , the obvious starting point being our numerous player of the year, league team of the year player and nomination for league player of the year... Where has he gone? Head dropped after being snubbed by hearts instead of getting his head down and working hard to get another chance at a big move! Shouldn't have played near as many games as he has this season, id have dropped him. Norman has been a class act and I'm glad he has as it could've been a lot worse for us this season without him. Wingers Willis and Gray done well and would re-sign the pair of them. Amongst the goals too!

So where does it lie? How many times have we went 1-0 or 2-0 up and not picked up the three points? Too many!

We've scored the second highest goals this season, attacking is no problem! However have conceded the third most in the league, shocking. Can't blame the goalkeeper for all of that can we? No.

Best centre half pairing in years and two average but not piss poor fullbacks, yet concede that many goals?

What can we blame Cameron for? Inept tactics and no motivation? Yes. Poor transfer dealings? Yes. Players ability to concede so many bloody leads? No. That needs to be sorted in the players heads?

A lot of people have completely lost interest in games and the club, including myself. Don't see why I should pay over £50 for the train, ticket into the ground, and usual match spending, to watch actual dross and the same old. Football is about winning games , meaning happy faces on the fans. That's all we want.

Massive clear out needed please Colin. You've got the new contract so you'll be here next season. Big pre-season this, certainly no lack of funds, time for a squad overhaul.

And hopefully that "definitely" was for the following season maybe?

[Redcar]

The decent long post (above) rather sums up our season. Lots of good observations but no obvious smoking gun.

How we can dominate games and regularly draw or lose remains an unanswered question. The 2nd important unanswered question is the steady drop in form from January onwards, culminating in a gruesome display at home to Clyde.

We need 2 strong fullbacks and a strong experienced keeper, together with further experience/strength in centre mid and some pace in attack. But saying who we'd keep or re-sign is easy from the terraces. What we can't really comment on with any degree of accuracy, is the attitude and team spirit in the dressing room.

And it's that spirit that I would really question. Lavery, both Curries, Drummond, Gray and Young, all had dips in form that lead you to think they were a tad weary at some things off the pitch. All good players and if they were all up for it every game we surely wouldn't be 9th.

It points at Cameron's off the field leadership and motivational skills, but maybe not. Maybe it's just chemistry, or maybe they're not as good as I think. The positive news is that Fairbairn, Young and Notman have all signed for Cameron again (they surely wouldn't if they thought he was a Pillock) so maybe that shows the problem lies elsewhere - perhaps with the other individuals psyche/attitude.

[jimmy two times]

It's going to be an interesting summer . If anymore money is made available if must be spent more wisely than this . 9th cannot be acceptable again. Just have to wait and see.

[albert ross]

It's going to be an interesting summer . If anymore money is made available if must be spent more wisely than this . 9th cannot be acceptable again. Just have to wait and see.

acceptance

[berwicksfinest]

As someonewho relies on what's going on via the media, I would be interested to here what the board has to say on the current situation

Correct me if I am wrong I thought the minimum acceptable position was a play off place ??

Yet save for Montrose we could have said bye bye.

Biggest wage bill, worst position.

Personally apart from the 2006/2007 season we seem to start like we're the next brazil, until November time then the Christmas slump takes effect and lasts usually until March time.

B which time the reports on the club website dry up until the day before the next game. February time is usually when apathy takes effect and crowds dwindle.

As very well put above why should we spend a great deal of money travelling to games to be served basically 11 underachieving, uncaring players and a manager that seems to be bimbling along satisfied with the crap served.

Pesonally speaking another season lost, and I really can't see next season getting much better.

[albert ross]

As someonewho relies on what's going on via the media, I would be interested to here what the board has to say on the current situation

Correct me if I am wrong I thought the minimum acceptable position was a play off place ??

Yet save for Montrose we could have said bye bye.

Biggest wage bill, worst position.

Personally apart from the 2006/2007 season we seem to start like we're the next brazil, until November time then the Christmas slump takes effect and lasts usually until March time.

B which time the reports on the club website dry up until the day before the next game. February time is usually when apathy takes effect and crowds dwindle.

As very well put above why should we spend a great deal of money travelling to games to be served basically 11 underachieving, uncaring players and a manager that seems to be bimbling along satisfied with the crap served.

Pesonally speaking another season lost, and I really can't see next season getting much better.

well said too many trying ti keep the 'status quo' WHY ? its not doing club any favours ! these same people a few yrs ago would be baying for blood !

but they do have a vested interest

[toto1504]

well said too many trying ti keep the 'status quo' WHY ? its not doing club any favours ! these same people a few yrs ago would be baying for blood !

but they do have a vested interest

Status Quo not in the same league as Led Zeppelin.

Joking apart this has been a dismal season and the need for a new broom to sweep the crap away is urgently required.

Instead of the usual way of getting players in from the Edinburgh/central belt areas can't we look in the north east of England. I believe that there are lots of lads who have been released from the toons academy or Sunderland academy. They are probably playing in the northern leagues. As for this "oh berwick train in Edinburgh" I don't know why we can't train in Berwick. Fill the team with north east lads . We might even improve on the dizzy heights achieved this season.