The longest season Scottish football has ever known finally drew to a close on Tuesday evening.
It did so with what eventually was a comfortable Nations League victory over Armenia.
I say season, but to be honest, I’m not really sure when 2020-21 finished and 21-22 began!
Looking back, I rounded off the previous campaign with the Kilmarnock v Dundee play-off final, had a few days, then it was into Scotland’s warm-up matches for Euro 2020.
That was quickly followed by covering a dozen games during the tournament, finishing with the final itself on July 11. Less than a week later, I was at Tannadice for the Dundee United v Arbroath fixture in the Premier Sports Cup, and then the early European ties.
And 125 games later, my domestic campaign drew to a halt with the Scottish Cup final, but almost immediately we had Scotland’s congested run of matches in June.
The visit to Yerevan rounded it all off, the win reviving the ambition of topping the group, and Steve Clarke’s hopes were further boosted by Ireland’s draw against Ukraine a few hours later.
For the players, it was the end of a gruelling marathon campaign, and they fully deserve what will be a short break before 2022/23 gets up and running.
Some have barely had any time off in the last two years and the recuperation period will be crucial. I cannot imagine how they must be feeling, but I do know that I was drained when we came off air and the season had finally reached a climax.
At the start of it all I could not have imagined the conclusion that has unfolded, and I certainly was not anticipating calling time as presenter of Sportsound on Saturday afternoons.
That has all happened fairly quickly in the last couple of months. I will still be broadcasting, doing Sundays and midweek programmes for the BBC, and I am relishing my new role at Cove Rangers.
I officially began that on June 1 and Paul Hartley left for Hartlepool 24 hours later!
It was certainly a baptism of fire, but one which immediately gave me an early appreciation of what is involved in running a football club. It has been something of an eye-opener, but absolutely fascinating to get a better handle on all of the work that goes on unseen behind the scenes.
Even having been involved on the outside for three and a half decades, I hadn’t fully taken on board what happens in the inner sanctum, and the learning curve is something I absolutely intend embracing.
Friends had warned me I would very quickly get sucked in, that the job would become all-consuming. It already has!
As has now been confirmed, Jim McIntyre has been appointed Cove Rangers manager, and having heard so many good things about him over the years, I look forward to working closely with the new boss.
It has been a hugely exciting time for the club these past few years, and while challenges clearly lie ahead, the building blocks are there to ensure the success story continues. I hope to be able to give a few insights into the campaign as 22/23 unfolds.
Ramsay cash will be reinvested
As the old season finishes, so preparations for the next one have already got under way with a number of teams back in training, including the Dons.
It’s been a slow start on the transfer front with Ylber Ramadani the only confirmed arrival. Tobias Lauritsen has had some rave reviews, and there appears to be some excitement about his potential appearance. With the Premier Sports Cup now just three weeks away, fans can surely expect some serious movement in the very near future.
Dean Campbell’s move to Stevenage makes sense, and Calvin Ramsay’s transfer to Liverpool looks like an outstanding piece of business. The add-ons may or may not happen, but the initial fee of £4.5 million will be crucial to Jim Goodwin’s rebuilding plans.
That sum will, of course, not be paid in full up front, but it is guaranteed income and should give the manager more breathing space.
There has been much talk about impending deals and the scouting system which has been put in place; now is the time to deliver as the club cannot afford another woeful window like last summer.
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