The only way is up for new Thistle boss!
STRATHSPEY Thistle’s new manager Brian Ritchie has outlined his plans for the Highland League club over the coming months and years.
The 42-year-old has stepped up from his role as the Jags’ assistant manager to replace Donly McLeod, who will now fully concentrate on his position as club chairman.
Ritchie had no hesitation in accepting the offer when approached by the club’s committee, even though he thought he may have had to wait a while longer before being in a position to take over the reigns.
He told the "Strathy": "It is a huge privilege to take over as manager and one that I thought I may not get for another few years.
"However, because the club is going for its SFA licence, Donly has made the decision to concentrate his efforts on that.
"To be fair to the man, he has his fingers in a lot of pies, and without Donly, we wouldn’t be where we are.
"The time has come for a fresh challenge for him and he is looking to concentrate on where we are heading off the park."
Ritchie has already dismissed the idea of a summer spending spree and insists he will rely on hard work and commitment from his players to improve on their position next season.
He added: "We always have to remember we are a club at the bottom of the Highland League and aren’t up there challenging with the big boys.
"I am certainly not going to go out and splash big money on transfer fees and wages.
"We had a meeting last week and told the players that we want every one of them to remain with us.
"But anyone with ideas of grandeur and big wages can forget it – that won’t be happening with me at the helm.
"I want boys here who will play for Strathspey and play for the jersey to get the club going forward.
"We are down at the bottom just now and the only way is up.
"It is for the boys to lead us up the table and although we don’t yet know where we will finish this season, if we can climb one position then we are going in the right direction."
He added: "If the players attend training, do their best, try hard and – most importantly – listen to what we are telling them, then they will get a jersey, and hold on to it.
"Over the last four or five games, I have seen a huge improvement in the players’ attitudes and we have had a more settled team because the boys who have done well have held on to their positions.
"I am not the sort of guy who sits on a Saturday morning and tries to pick a team based on the best players we have.
"If players put the effort in at training then I will give them a chance to play Highland League football."
Aviemore-based Ritchie had trials at Motherwell and Middlesbrough as a young player but a double leg break and ankle fracture in a local cup final put paid to his chances of a full-time career.
He started out at Inverness Caley before turning out for Clachnacuddin and Inverness Thistle in the Highland League but spent the majority of his senior career in the East of Scotland League with Selkirk and Peebles Rovers.Upon returning to Aviemore, work commitments restricted Ritchie to amateur football where he played for Carrbridge prior to taking over as player-manager at Aviemore Thistle.
While there, he won the Strathspey and Badenoch Welfare League and then moved on to Strathspey Thistle.