Former Stoneywood-Dyce captain Lennard Bester has revealed a desire to test himself at the top end of the Eastern Premier League led to him leaving.
The South African took over as skipper at People’s Park last year but departed last week with the side in a relegation battle, sitting second bottom above only Meigle.
Bester has played for Stoneywood-Dyce since 2019, but has now joined Forfarshire with his job as a business development manager in the chemicals industry also requiring him to travel to Dundee on a regular basis.
The 37-year-old said: “There are a number of things that led me to the decision.
“It was a very difficult decision to decide to leave. I’m very fond of Stoneywood-Dyce and the people there, but my desire to put a mark on the league has led me to this.
“I feel I’ve got four or five good years left in me and I’d like to try to win or make a mark in the league and Stoneywood-Dyce aren’t quite in the position to do that.
“It’s difficult when survival is enough, I want to be part of something better.
“I felt we could finish in the top half of the table this season, but the commitment hasn’t been there.
“I can’t change people’s mindsets, there’s nothing wrong with that, but I want to go and try to win trophies.
“What’s frustrated me is not losing games, but it’s the manner in which we’ve lost.
“It’s almost like there’s a view that it’s OK to lose to teams like Grange and Heriot’s and as long as we beat the sides around us we’ll stay up.
“I aspire for a bit more than that.
“It might sound selfish, but changing the mentality of the club is not my forte, I just want to be another fish in the pond and contribute to something different.
“Forfarshire are more in line with my aspirations and goals.”