St Duthus chairman Niall Harkiss paid tribute to departed management duo Stuart and Andrew Ross as the Tain club gears up for two successive derbies in the North Caledonian League.
The brothers won the Caledonian and Football Times Cups and reached four finals overall during their five-season period in charge.
It is a club they helped to reform and rejoin the NCL set-up where they remained competitive within the top four including last season.
After just one win in five games this term, however, they felt the time was right to let someone else come in and drive the group forward at Grant Park, a venue where their late father Tommy managed.
Saints coaches Alan Geegan and Justin Rogers have taken on the management roles on a temporary basis and their job begins with a trip to Invergordon on Saturday, one week before they host Alness United.
Invergordon test for St Duthus
Harkiss insists the interim bosses will be backed all the way as the side seek to climb the table.
He said: “It’s no easy shift for any club in the North Caledonian League. Because there are more teams, there is greater competition for players. There is no team in the league that is a slouch. It’s really competitive.
“We give Alan and Justin their due for stepping in at the moment. With everyone’s support, hopefully they’ll do fine.
“Invergordon away is always a big game for us and that’s followed by Alness at home. It’s two derbies back-to-back and those will be two local games before we get a bit of a break the way the fixtures lie.
“Stuart and Andrew certainly won’t be easy to replace, but we are lucky to have Alan and Justin here, who are familiar with the players already and we have the advantage of a bit of continuity with them stepping in for a short time.
“That allows us to find our feet and figure out what out next steps are. They have offered to help and that works for us right now.
“We need to get to grips with the changes and it’s not little changes. We’ll probably hold a committee meeting soon as we enter October after the dust settles.”
Committed duo took club forward
Harkiss praised the Ross’ passion and commitment which has put the club on a strong fitting for their successor.
He added: “We can look back over the past five or six years and see Stuart and Andrew have really pushed the club on.
All the goals from yesterday’s game at King George V Park away to Loch Ness. pic.twitter.com/jeO1JY7KSH
— St. Duthus Football Club (@StDuthusFC) September 26, 2021
“From a committee point of view, they were really valuable for the club in general. Not just the on-field side of it, but they were a huge part of the passion and drive for steering us on.
“The vision they had for Grant Park and having the environment and everything was put in place for what the clubs wants to achieve.
“We are obviously disappointed not just to lose a management team, but two people who were passionate and committed to the cause.”
Six years of progress for Saints
Saints chief Harkiss explained the Ross brothers’ influence stems back to 2016 when the vision was to get a competitive club active again in Tain.
He added: “Come March, it will be six years exactly since we had the first meeting to reform the club and Stuart and Andrew were right there as part of that initial revival. They were a hugely influential pairing.
“Considering the club only reformed in 2016, it was great to win two trophies and we’ve also had two seasons interrupted by the pandemic.
“Stuart and Andrew took the club to be consistent top half contenders in the league as well as winning two trophies was really good.”
League and cup action for NCL sides
In the other league games on Saturday, Nairn County reserves could move as high as third if they defeat Orkney, while champions Golspie Sutherland play only their third league fixture as they host Bonar Bridge.
It is also quarter-final day in the Football Times Cup as Alness United face Halkirk United, Lewis and Harris tackle Thurso in Ullapool and league leaders Loch Ness take on Inverness Athletic.