Going full-time remains the aim for Cove Rangers but it won’t happen next season, according to manager Paul Hartley.
The Aberdeen side will move up to League 1 next season after being crowned League 2 champions last week after Dundee belatedly voted in favour of the SPFL’s resolution to end the bottom three divisions.
Winning the title in their first season in the SPFL since promotion from the Highland League was a major achievement for the Balmoral Stadium side.
Hartley knows his side will face a far tougher challenge next term in League 1 when football returns, providing the SPFL’s four leagues are not radically altered by reconstruction before the 2020-21 season begins.
With full-time teams such as Partick Thistle and Falkirk in the division, as well as Airdrieonians who operate a hybrid model, it will be a major step up for Cove.
The Aberdeen side have made no secret of their desire to become a full-time operation but Hartley says they won’t be making that move just yet.
He said: “Moving to full-time or a hybrid model would help but that won’t happen in this coming season.
“That might be a year down the line.
“To do it this season would be too quick.
“Eventually do we want to be full-time as a club? Definitely.
“As a hybrid model? It is something worth looking at.
“I know Raith and Airdrie have that.
“Will we do that this year? No.”
Former Dundee boss Hartley, pictured below, guided Alloa from the fourth tier of Scottish football to back-to-back promotions during the early stages of his managerial career.
He is relishing the opportunity of seeing his side compete in a higher division after making a glowing impression on their first SPFL campaign.
He said: “It will be a tough league with a lot of experienced teams.
“It will be difficult and a strong league.
“We will have to go in there with our eyes wide open.
“This is going to be tough and the players will know that.
“It will definitely be a step up.
“The key thing will be preparation with how we work.
“A lot of people are making a lot of noise about reconstruction just now, but what will be will be.
“The managers will have very little say in it.”
He added: “Wherever we end up, if there is reconstruction we hope that is still League 1.
“The thing for us is to prepare as best we can. Who knows when we will be back for pre-season training?
“I have a date in mind but that date may get changed.”
Cove were 13 points clear with eight games remaining when the League 2 season was declared officially over.
The former Aberdeen, Hearts and Celtic midfielder would have preferred to have won the title in front of their own support but believes no one can dispute they were the strongest team in League 2.
He added: “It was a little bit strange. We wanted to win it the right way on the football pitch but the decision was made. We feel we were the most consistent team in the league over 28 games.
“We have led the league since day one and I still feel it is a great achievement for everyone involved with Cove Rangers.
“I don’t think anyone can take that away from us given how we have performed this year.
“It is different but we didn’t make up the rules. We just have to go with it.
“We have sat at the top of the table since day one and our players have performed unbelievably well.
“We have had great backing from the board and the chairman (Keith Moorhouse). Our fans have been great as well.
“We have been getting good crowds so you still have to enjoy it.
“Hopefully when we get back to normality we are able to enjoy it a little bit more.”