Berwick Rangers

As per my other career threads on past FM games, this one started with me unemployed, and hunting for any job I could get my hands on. With my past experience set to Automatic, I thought it wouldn't take too long to get a job, and on Thursday 5th September 2013, I was approached to become manager of Berwick Rangers in Scottish League Two... I accepted, and here is my career.



Berwick Rangers - A history

Berwick Rangers Football Club are an English football team based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed situated on the border with Scotland. Despite being situated in England, they play in Scottish League Two. They are managed by Colin Cameron in reality.

Berwick are the only side outside of Scotland to play in the Scottish league, just as Swansea, Cardiff and Newport County play in the English professional leagues. Berwick are Semi-Professional, have a regional reputation, and their highest finish was 3rd in the Scottish League One (Division Two) in 2000/01 season.

My Goals

As with any manager, the goal will be to get Berwick promoted up the leagues as quickly as possible, but a couple of key points I am hoping to work to along the way:

- Become a professional team
- Focus on signing young British players (predominantly Scottish)
- Become a profitable club
- Get into Europe


The first goal to become a professional club is one which will only come with time and good financial management. With a couple of promotions, we should be able to make the change, and hopefully by becoming professional we can develop better players, and nurture the ones that we bring in.

I'll mainly be doing a lot of my transfers in the summer windows, picking up players that have been released by bigger clubs, and focussing on British players. I will predominantly look to bring Scottish players into the club, but as long as they are British, I think that will be the best guide. As with all rules around transfers, there will be times when this will be flouted to ensure we achieve our league finishes, but hopefully most of the players I bring in will fit this mould.

By bringing players in on little or no fees, I hope that we can develop them to a point where we either achieve with them, or can sell them on to ensure the club can keep turning a profit. As with most lower league football clubs, money is tight, and if we can turn around one or two players each season into high transfer fees for the club, that should keep us moving forward. Much like the Crewe model of the 90s, selling a Neil Lennon or a Dean Ashton on each season will help to balance the books.

Finally, the ultimate aim is to compete at the top of Scottish football, and to them compete in Europe. This will be a massive challenge for all involved, but hopefully we can really make a go of it, and push the club forward.

So there is my introduction, Season 1 is already completed, so a brief overview will follow, and then we will move swiftly on... thanks for reading.

Season 2: 2014/15 - Scottish League One
December - May

Right, so let's get this all rounded up, and as promised there will be screenshots for this update rather than all that blurb...

Transfers

We made five signings in the second half of the season, three loans and two permanent.

Colin Nish (Free Transfer)

Posted Image

Colin Nish was signed on a free transfer too add some much needed experience to our attacking line. Whilst he is getting on in years, he's only here until the end of the season, and is also chipping in with some of the U19 coaching.

Andy Murdoch (Loan from Rangers)



19 year old midfielder Murdoch signed on loan for the season, and will be part of our strong midfield. Very good potential, and coped well in League One.

Leighton McIntosh (Loan from Dundee)



Along with Nish, McIntosh was signed for cover and to put pressure on the strikers already at the club.

Allan Fraser (Free Transfer)



15 year old defender, looks to be a bit rough around the edges, but high work rate and determination at such a young age normally leads to a half decent player. Worth a gamble.

Jamie Ewings (Loan from Celtic)



Strange to sign another goalkeeper with McGovern and Gastal already on the books... or are they...

OUT: Arnaud Gastal (£100k to St Johnstone)



St Johnstone made an enquiry for Gastal, and I sent a reply of £100k cash up front, plus 50% sell on clause expecting it to frighten them off. They returned with that a non-negotiable offer of exactly that... well it's safe to say I had their hand off, and made £100k profit on a player we signed for free. Happy days all round!

Scottish League One

So how did we get on, well after finishing 3rd in the first half of the season, play offs were a must, and with the added players above, we managed to go on a good run and won the league!



Amazed that we won it so comfortably, and the final two games were run outs for youth players and fringe players to give them a chance to stake a claim for a first team place. We finished a massive 54 points ahead of Elgin City who were promoted alongside us last season, and we were joined by East Fife in the Championship next term. Owen Ronald was on top form, but tore his hamstring towards the end of the season which was unfortunate - and coincided with our only bad run of the season - whilst Darren Lavery finally started to find the net on a regular basis. Very happy, and we're into the Championship!

Scottish Cup

Having already won the Challenge Cup, we had a fantastic run in the Scottish Cup too. We were very fortunate with the draws, avoiding both Rangers and Celtic at one point, before progressing to the final to face Partick Thistle. Partick had finished 9th in the Premiership, so this was a massive undertaking for us to consider beating them - although the winner would be in Europe next season! A massive prize at stake and we... failed.



3-0 down at half time was just embarrassing and nothing like the side we had been all season. Changes were made at the break, and we got ourselves back in it, but the damage had already been done. However, it's all good money in the bank, and a day out at Hampden was quite fun!

Onto the Championship!

Thanks Dan, it's been quite a progression! We're in the Championship, but still semi-professional which is a bit concerning as other sides will certainly have the fitness edge on us!

August 2015
Transfers In:

Our transfers out were Colin Nish and Jordan Leyden, with neither really making the cut. With the big step up, and still worries over fitness, we strengthened in a couple of key areas, CB, wingers and FW.

Jack Hendry (Free Transfer)



Jack Hendry was the first player to come in during pre season after he was released from Dundee United. The young Welsh defender can play in the centre or at right back, so that is a great addition for us.

Philip Anderson (Free Transfer)



Philip Anderson signed to play backup to McGovern, but looking at the two, I think Anderson will edge it, and become our first team goalkeeper this season. Signed after he was released from Dundee United, he has a lot of potential, which I hope he will realise here.

Sean Fitzharris (Free Transfer)



This one is a bit of a long shot for us, signed from Nairn County and on very low wages. Fitzharris will primarily be a substitute this season, as he offers cover in both wings. At 23, he still has time to become a key player for us, but with Ronald and Gray starring on the wings for us last season, it will be tough for him to cement a regular starting berth.

Ryan Finnie (Free Transfer)



Another young defender who can play at right back or centre half, Finnie was signed after his release from Hamilton. We're amassing a good group of competitive young defenders, so hopefully it can cover for any periods of injury this season.

Lee Knox (Loan)



Lee Knox was signed on a two year loan from Queen of the South to give some much needed backup to Stirling Smith at left back. Knox has a lot of potential according to our scouts, and at 17 years old, we can try to mould him into a good player. Will be backup this season, but will be given opportunities to impress.

Adam Harwood (Free Transfer)



Another defender, and another player arriving from Dundee United. Decent stats (at this level) for tackling, passing, heading and pace, so should do a good job for us this season.

Kyle McAusland (Free Transfer)



McAusland was signed after his release from Rangers, and again has some great attributes for this level. We've maybe gone a bit over the top with signing central defenders, but they are all competitive, and hopefully it will pay dividends as the season goes on.

Morgyn Neill (Loan)



Neill is signed from Motherwell on a season long loan, and looks a decent standard for this level. With his contract up at the end of the season, I am hoping this will work as a 'try before you buy' loan, and we can attract him to sign permanently next season. Decent in the air, quick along the ground and just 19 years old, a lot of potential!

Lee Erwin (Free Transfer)



Signed from Queens Park for free, Erwin will provide a different option to us. Being able to play on the wings or as a striker, he will push the likes of Ronald, Gray and Lavery for a starting place. Only concern for me is that as a striker his 9 for finishing is a bit low.

Steven King (Loan)



Another loan from Motherwell, and another versatile forward. Able to play on the right wing, or up front, King will spend time developing here. At just 17 years of age, he will be given opportunities to play from the bench and in the cup competitions. Aggression seems very high, but hopefully that will help in a competitive league.

Connor McManus (Free Transfer)



The last player to join the party was midfielder Connor McManus. The 19 year old midfielder was released from Celtic in the summer, and he has agreed a deal to join us on a two year deal. This should work well for us as we can see what he's got, and hopefully he can grow with the club. Decent creativity and passing for this level, and a 9 in finishing is as good as some of our forwards!

So that's our transfers in... 11 signings, 8 permanent and 3 loans. Preparation for the season is complete!

August 2015
Results

Friendlies:

We had the usual fun with the pre-season friendlies, with the highlights being a 2-2 draw at home to Everton, and the lowlight being a 3-2 defeat at home to Gateshead. But it was a useful pre-season.

Berwick Rangers 2 - 0 Livingston
Challenge Cup Round 1

The cup competitions start early in Scotland for the sides not in the European qualifiers, and we were drawn at home to Livingston. We came away with a good 2-0 win, although the game was very nervy until the late penalty from Ronald.

Scorers: Andy Brown (57) and Owen Ronald (90+3)

Berwick Rangers 4 - 2 Elgin City
Scottish League Cup Round 1

We faced our old enemy Elgin City in the first round of the League Cup, and came away with a smart victory. We rotated the squad slightly, with Steven King and Jack Henry making their debuts, and despite an Elgin onslaught, we held on for the win.

Scorers: Ross Gray (6, 7), Darren Lavery (27) and George Brislen-Hall o.g. (56)

Berwick Rangers 1 - 3 Raith Rovers
Scottish Championship

We finally started our league campaign, and our third competitive home game in a row... and we were brought down to earth with a bump! We didn't really get going in the game at all, and Raith showed us what this division is really going to be like this season. We weren't at the races at all, and it cost us dearly!

Scorers: Owen Ronald (54)

Berwick Rangers 7 - 4 Morton
Challenge Cup Round 2

Yeah that scoreline is completely correct, and this eleven goal thriller was pretty amazing to watch. I'm not entirely sure what happened here, but goals were flying in left right and centre! Both goalkeepers got low ratings (ours 6.1) but the fans loved it, and we progress to the next stage. Amazing stuff...

Scorers: Glenn Eadie o.g (2), Darren Lavery (5, 17), Stephen Tulloch (26), Joshua Tanner (45, 48) and Ross Gray (81)

Cowdenbeath 0 - 4 Berwick Rangers
Scottish Championship

Our first away game of the season, and it finished with a resounding 4-0 win. It was something to behold, as we played terribly! After taking an early lead, and doubling it just before half time, the score line is very deceptive, and to be honest how we won this at all is beyond me! But it was our first three points of the season, and hopefully we can continue to get results like this.

Scorers: Devon Jacobs (16), Liam Dunn o.g. (43), Steven Meechan (78) and Steven King (89)

Hamilton 1 - 1 Berwick Rangers
Scottish Championship

This is more what I was expecting from this season, a really tough challenge, and a hard work out for the side. We fought well, and after taking an early lead again, we actually maintained possession and were the better side for much of the game. Unfortunately, one mistake cost us, and they capitalised on it.

Scorers: Owen Ronald (8)

Berwick Rangers 4 - 4 Rangers
Scottish League Cup Round 2
Rangers win 10 - 9 on penalties

Seeing really is believing:



Quite an incredible game, where there were more ups and downs than I'd expect in a whole season. Two nil down within 10 minutes, three one down after 40, nightmare performance from us, and a dreadful start. We fought back after half time, and with Darren Lavery's strike in the 81st minute, I thought we'd done the impossible and nicked it... only for Darren Ramsey to score two minutes later.

Extra time beckoned, and Nadir Cifti had two goals disallowed for our visitors, and then it was onto penalties... goal after goal flew in until we missed one... then they missed... and it continued until we got down to the goalkeepers. McGovern missed his penalty, and Gallagher scored his. We were out.

Scorers: Owen ROnald (30), Darren Lavery (44, 81) and Kyle McAusland (68)

Kilmarnock 1 - 2 Berwick Rangers
Scottish Championship

After the madness against Rangers, we returned to league action, and got a great result against Kilmarnock. Dougie Brydon was sent off for a dreadful challenge, but we stuck it out and got a fantastic away win. If we can claim points against ex-Premiership sides like this, then we are obviously moving in the right direction!

Scorers: Owen Ronald (17) and Joshua Tanner (72)

Player of the Month: Owen Ronald

Five goals during August for Ronald, which from our right winger is quite amazing. More than delighted that we extended his contract, and despite his stats not really reflecting the calibre of player I thought I'd need at this level, he has been brilliant throughout, and continues to defy believe. Ronald has played in every season for us so far!

One to watch: Joshua Tanner

Joshua is a product of our youth academy, and one that is attracting a lot of interest! At just 17 years of age, the English born midfielder has played nine games for us already this season, with an average rating of 7.21. He's a fantastic asset to the football club, and despite interest from Peterborough United, I really hope we can keep him here a while longer. Contracted until the end of next season, he certainly won't be sold if I have anything to do with it!

League Table



So, one month and four league games into the season - we've played more games in the cups (5 so far) than in the league - we're sitting fourth in the table. Hearts are surprisingly struggling again, and I have been linked with the managerial role there, which I have no interest in. St Mirren are our early leaders, and hopefully we can catch them up.

We face St Mirren next in the Challenge Cup, so hopefully that might give us an edge over them for when we face them in the league. Thanks for reading!

September 2015
Results

01/09/2015 - Berwick Rangers 2 - 1 East Fife
Championship



East Fife have struggled this season, but had a lot of the game against us here. I'm a bit concerned that we're allowing teams this much time and space at home, and we fell behind early on. Fortunately Ronald was there to get us back on track and Harwood finished the job. We made this more difficult than it should have been.

Scorers: Owen Ronald (43) and Adam Harwood (74)

05/09/2015 - St Mirren 3 - 4 Berwick Rangers
Challenge Cup Round 3



We seem to have an affinity with the Challenge Cup, and being drawn against early Championship leaders St Mirren proved to be a very exciting tie. When McFadzean scored in the 90th minute, it made for a very nervy finish for us, but we're through to the next round!

Scorers: Lee Erwin (6, 69), Ross Gray (73) and Steven King (86)

12/09/2015 - Berwick Rangers 2 - 1 Dunfermline
Championship



A double from Owen Ronald gave us a great win here, and we made the most of the few chances we had on target. Ronald is proving to be a very key part of Berwick's history now, scoring goals at every level and really becoming a fans favourite.

Scorers: Owen Ronald (32, 37)

19/09/2015 - Hearts 1 - 4 Berwick Rangers
Championship



A fantastic win for us here, really expecting Hearts to win this division this season with Rangers now promoted, but we made very light work of them on the scoreboard despite a fairly even game statistically. Great win though, and delighted with the result!

Scorers: Owen Ronald (23), Stephen Tulloch (36, 55) and Lee Erwin (90)

26/09/2015 - St Mirren 1 - 1 Berwick Rangers
Championship



Massive game for us as first hosted second, and it was a bit of a nervy affair. We edged possession, but they had a lot of chances to do something when they had the ball. Darren Lavery scored our only goal, and the result meant that there was no change at the top of the table. Very happy not to lose ground on them, but disappointed to lose after beating them in the cup.

Scorers: Darren Lavery (14)

Transfers In

Simon Mensing (Free Transfer)



Simon Mensing came in to give us a bit of experience down the spine of the team. We've built a very young squad, with the average age in the early 20s, so having Mensing come in is a good addition. He's signed until the end of the season, and will feature predominantly in midfield for us I think despite playing much of his career as a centre half.

David van Zanten (Free Transfer)



van Zanten has spent his entire career in Scotland, and is probably most famous for his time with St Mirren or Hibernian. He was released from St Mirren, and we snapped him up as a calming head at the back. I can't see him playing that much for us, but it's good to have experience in and around the first time. As with Mensing, he's signed a one year deal.

League Table



So after eight games of the season, we find ourselves second in the league, and we're playing quite well. Kilmarnock, Raith and Hearts all have excellent squads at this level, so I am unsure how long we can maintain this lead at the top of the table with St Mirren as we quite simply don't have the resources. My main worry is that we are not a professional side and that fitness may become an issue. This can be worked around with a larger squad (which we have) but I would love to sign professional terms.

Player of the Month: Owen Ronald



Easy decision for me really, he has been superb since he arrived at the club, and continues to impress. At just 22, he has a fantastic record for us with goals and assists. Four goals in four games during September, can't ask for much more!

Thanks for reading!

Whistle stop tour now to get you back up to speed...

2015/16 Season
Scottish Championship



This was a massive four way battle between ourselves, St Mirren, Hearts and Kilmarnock as we tussled for the top slot. We all held the position for good lengths of the season, before we finished up with games against St Mirren and Hearts. We won both, and secured our place in the Scottish Premier League. The squad is still made up of the same standard of players, and most of them are the ones that have been with us since the first two seasons. It's fantastic to see the squad growing together, although the Premiership could be a step too far!

2016/17 Season
Scottish Premiership



We knew this one was going to be tough, and my word did it prove me right!! We targetted victories against the sides around us, and knew that the relegation group games would be vital. In January, we registered three back to back wins over Aberdeen, Motherwell and Hibernian, before our season fell apart. We beat Ross County in February, but that would be the last time we won a game all season. In the relegation group, we played five games, drew two and lost three. Disappointing end to the season, but we were just completely out of our depth.

We lost the relegation play off against Kilmarnock, and ended up back in the Scottish Championship with our tails between our legs. Realistically, if we'd been more competitive against St Johnstone across the four games, we could've stayed up as they were about the same as us overall, but we didn't pick up the results we needed and bang went our season.

One perk though, I was appointed manager of the USA! Interesting, but something to distract from the disappointing season we had.

2017/18 Season
Scottish Championship



After the disappointment of last season, we set about to get back into the Premiership as soon as possible. I kept the main crux of the side from the previous season, fighting off bids for a number of players, and added a couple of young full backs and a new goalkeeper. The season ebbed and flowed, but we managed to come out on top, facing St Mirren in the penultimate game to clinch the title. St Mirren have been our biggest league rivals for so long now, and they are promoted with us to the Premiership.

We sold McClymont (sorry forgot screenshot) to Brentford for £150k, which breaks our previous record sale, but he wouldn't sign a new contract and had to leave whilst he was still worth something. The most notable signing was Charlie Adam on a free transfer, and he managed to score 10 goals from midfield which was excellent. A lot of them were free kicks, and his deliveries from corners were a class above!

Gold Cup - USA



My first competitive tournament, hosted by us, and we won it beating neighbours Canada. We didn't concede a goal until the final, so it was a bit of an easy tournament, but a win none the less. It also allowed me to test new players for the impending World Cup in Russia...

2018 World Cup - Russia



We managed to sneak through our group alongside Norway, and we would face whoever finished top of the group between France and Argentina. We played France, and they were a class above. Their regens have proven to be very good in the top leagues, and they made very light work of us here. Fun tournament though, and delighted we got into the knock out phase.

I resigned after the France defeat as I didn't think there was much progression left in the role. So there we are, all caught up and ready for our second stab at the Scottish Premiership!

Thanks for reading!

2018-19: Berwick Rangers Squad Preview

Goalkeepers

1. Alex Cairns



Signed on a free transfer after leaving Yeovil Town. Alex started his career at Leeds United, and spent most of his career in the Championship. I hope that he will be a key player for us this season.

13. Kevin Walker



Kevin was our goalkeeper last season, and whilst he was a decent custodian for us, I wasn't sure if he would step up to the Premiership. We signed him in the 2016/17 season from Crewe on a free transfer.

20. Aidan Dillon



Aidan was promoted to our youth team in 2015/16, and has six appearances for us, as well as 17 appearances for Annan on loan. He will give us some extra back up, but probably won't develop into a first team player.

Right Back

12. Steve Wallace



Steve Wallace was signed by us last season, but was released at the end of the season due to him not willing to sign a new contract. A few months later, he's still unattached and we signed him back up. He had spent most of his career at Dundee United before signing for us.

22. Jordan Binks



Jordan is another graduate of our youth academy, and will be backup to Steve Wallace this season at right back. It might be a step too far for him this season, but I would like to give him a chance. At just 16 years old, he could prove to be an excellent prospect.

Left Back

3. Calum Waters



Calum Waters was signed on a free transfer from Rangers, after loan spells at Raith and Queen of the South. He'll be our first choice left back this season, and after we secured him to a two year deal, I hope he can become a main stay in the side.

18. Willie Sneddon



Willie Sneddon is another one of our own, at just 18 years of age, he should prove to be a good asset. We've already rejected a host of offers for him, which if they continue to creep up in value, may well turn a profit for us - or we'll have a very good young left back at the club. Either way is positive for us! He's already made 37 appearances for us over the last three seasons.

Centre Backs

4. Jack Hendry



Jack is our captain, and has been for some time since arriving from Ayr. He is our only Welsh player in the first team squad, and has performed well for us. He played his 100th career game at the end of last season, with 77 of those coming for us. He will be first choice and captain again this season.

5. Adam Harrdwood



Adam, like Jack, has been at the club for a long time now. He was signed on a free transfer from East Fife in 2015, and has made 88 appearances for the club. He's had his ups and downs at the club, and if there is a player likely to pick up a few cards, this is him! He's done well for us though, and hopefully we can get another good season out of him.

2. Kyle McAusland



Whilst his primary position is a right back, I intend to use Kyle more as a backup centre back behind Jack and Adam. He's made 69 appearances for us since arriving from Rangers, although the last time we were in the Premiership he didn't have a great time at all.

21. Jim Porterfield



Jim Porterfield is another player promoted from our youth academy, and I have high hopes for him this season. He will more than likely leave the club on loan this season, but I would like to give him a chance to play some football for us. At 16 years of age, we hope he'll have a bright future at the club.

Central Midfielders

15. Carl Joynson



Carl is another product of the Berwick academy, and he has been given a number of chances at the club over teh last few seasons. He made 11 appearances for us the last time we were in the Premiership, but only found his way into the team 8 times last term. Carl will be on the periphery once again this season, but I hope he can find form and a place in the side.

14. Kyle Bagshaw



Kyle, like Carl above, is a product of the youth team, but at 17 he has already made his way into the first team and has held a place for the most part of last season making 27 appearances last term. He has a lot of potential, and is certainly one to look out for as the season progresses. I am hoping he can stay at the club for a long time to come!

26. Charlie Adam



You know the fella, Charlie Adam was a revelation last season and was a class above in the Scottish Championship. He's a match winner, and I hope that at 32 he can still perform at the top level. He was on loan to Sheffield United (from Stoke) when he was released, and we managed to pick him up on a short term deal. He is very expensive, so if it doesn't work out this season, he will be on his way. However, I am expecting big thing, and I really hope he can help tutor the youngsters.

16. Joshua Tanner



Despite being only 19 years old, Tanner has already made 92 appearances for Berwick Rangers. He has played in every division for us, and is a fantastic prospect. We turned down a bit of £150k from Sheffield United for him, but as we got near to the end of last season, we had a lot of scouts watching him. It will be great for him to get 100 appearances for us in the Premiership this term, and I hope we can keep him. Charlie Adam is currently tutoring him.

17. Marc Gillespie



Marc is another one of our youngsters - it seems that we're quite blessed with young midfielders now writing this up - but he has had less time in the first team than some of the others. He has made 16 appearances for the club, seven of which were in the Premiership during our last visit. He has a long way to go, so may go out on loan this season, but I hope that he can make an impression again this season.

7. Danny Stoney



Signed from Rangers after a successful loan spell, Stoney is our link between midfield and attack. Stoney has made 75 appearances for Berwick, scoring 12 goals, so we'd like to see more of a goal return from him this season. He's only 22, but seems to keep getting overlooked by the International setup having only been picked up at U19 level. He has a great future, and has a 2 year contract still to run.

24. Trevor Brabbs



Finally for our central midfield posse, we have Trevor Brabbs. Whilst his stats don't look amazing, the coaching staff pored over him when I was reading their reports. He has made twelve appearances for the club over the last two seasons, and has done okay. He may need more time to develop, and maybe a club with better training facilities, so we may look to loan him out in the near future. An excellent prospect none the less, especially at just 17 years of age!

Left Midfield

8. Ross Gray



Ross has been with us since day one, and has been part of near enough every team I have chosen during this career. He's been a great asset to the side, being able to play on either flank, but has featured more on the left wing. I'll be hoping for another good season from him, and he is one of our eldest players. His contract runs out at the end of this season, so I hope he can have a good year and we can extend his deal.

23. Phil Porter



Our weakness at the minute is in the backup for our wide players. Whilst a number of our central midfielders can cover the position, it would be better if we could have comfortable replacements. Until then Phil Porter will be in the match day squads in reserve for Ross Gray. At just 15 years old, he's going to be thrown in at the deep end this season. We've brought through a number of young players, and if Porter can compete at this level from the off, I will be very impressed!

Right Midfield

6. Owen Ronald



Here he is, the man, the legend, Owen Ronald! Along with Ross Gray and Darren Lavery, Ronald has been one of the most consistent players during my time at Berwick. He has been fantastic, and has won many awards during his time with us. He has played in every division, and has given his all in every game. He can play on either flank, but has been our right winger for as long as this save has gone on. It shows the gulf in class though between the top teams and ourselves that our best player has a rating of 11 for crossing, and 10 for creativity... but he's still competitive with them!

19. Ryan Kinnaird



As with Phil Porter, our only reserve in the wings is another youth product. Ryan Kinnaird has made a few appearances for us over the seasons, but remains on the periphery. He is more than likely going to be loaned out this season, as we try to judge how much potential he has before offering him a new deal, which expires in the summer. His crossing and finishing stats aren't very high, and I expect he will not really break into the first team as much as the coaches believe he will. One to watch though!

Forwards

9. Darren Lavery



He's been here since day one, and my aim is for him to break the all time scoring record for Berwick Rangers. He is currently on 77 with the target 104, so it will take another 2 or 3 seasons for him to beat it. However, with his deal running out at the end of the season, he really needs to make an impression in the Premiership... or do I let my heart rule my head and give him an extension for old time's sake? A massive part of Berwick's history already, and we hope he can make a big impression in the top flight this season.

11. Neil Carlisle



Over the summer, we reduced the amount of strikers at the club down to just one, and despite going through the endless lists of forwards on free transfers (including the likes of Leon Clarke & Ross McCormack), we couldn't find a forward that was either good enough, or that we could afford. So we entered the loan market (grudgingly) and signed Neil Carlisle on a season loan from Middlesbrough. Finishing, heading and work rate all look good, so I have high hopes that he can put pressure on Lavery this season.

10. Conor Duffy



Another loan signing, this time from Peterborough, Conor Duffy comes in as a back up player. He hasn't got the finishing stats that the other two forwards have, but he will hopefully offer something a bit different should we be chasing games. This was more of a desperation loan signing as there was little else out there that we could afford, but he has scored in his only pre season friendly outing, so that is encouraging!

It does highlight the difference though, that Lavery has a finishing rating of 15 and is worth £13k, and is a proven goalscorer in Scotland, whilst Duffy has a finishing rating of 9 and is worth £110k - nearly 10 times as much!

So that's our squad for the season. The transfer window is still open, but I cannot see us adding too much now as finances are very tight this season.

We start against St Johnstone, and August's review will be posted in a couple of days - work permitting!

Thanks for reading.

August 2018

Transfers In:

After the above squad review, we added two more loan signings, both were wingers from English clubs.

19. Suleh Richardson



Suleh was added to play on the right wing, and to compete with Owen Ronald. He has a lot of potential, and should give us another option on the wing. I intend to play Ronald and Richardson in rotation to keep things competitive. Richardson signs on a season long loan from Bristol City

21. Mel Knibbs



Mel will compete with Ross Gray on the left wing, and again is a good young player which we can develop. I hope he can use his pace and flair to get past full backs and supply plenty of chances for our strikers. Knibbs signs on a season long loan from Birmingham City.

Transfers Out:

Jim Porterfield



Well I had hoped that Porterfield would be a key part of the team this season, but when Aston Villa offered us £250k + 25% of the next sale, we couldn't really reject, and it has set us up for a better financial position for the remainder of the season. It has meant that our wage budget is in the black once more.

Results:

St Johnstone 3 - 2 Berwick Rangers
Premiership



Last time we were in the Premiership, our performances against sides like St Johnstone meant that we were stuck in the bottom two for most of the season. We looked as though we were out of our depth against St Johnstone again, and despite holding the lead, we managed to throw it away in the very last minute of the game as Sylvain Ebanks-Blake secured his hat-trick. Very disappointed with the result!

Berwick Rangers 3 - 1 Brora
League Cup 1st Round



We rested so many of our first team in this game, and a number of the youngsters were given their chance to push for a first team. Suleh Richardson and Phil Porter both played brilliantly, although eight yellow cards (two of which became red), we lost our heads, but managed to qualify for the next round.

Berwick Rangers 0 - 2 Motherwell
Premiership



Another poor performance in the league, as we went down to a 2-0 defeat at home to Motherwell. We were more competitive in the game, but again we really struggled to score. It could be a very long season if we continue like this.

Aberdeen 2 - 1 Berwick Rangers
Premiership



Things kept getting worse here, and Aberdeen could've really handed us a massive beating here. Thankfully, they were just as bad at shooting as we were, and we scraped away with a 2-1 defeat. Really worried that we are getting outplayed by sides who we could compete with in the 'relegation stage' of the season.

Berwick Rangers 1 - 1 Celtic
Premiership



We were so unbelievably lucky here. How Celtic didn't hit us for a cricket score is beyond me, but we fluked a draw, and my word was it an amazing feeling when the final whistle blew. We were awful, and if they had their shooting boots on, we could've really been punished. Our luck appears to be changing!

Dundee United 1 - 2 Berwick Rangers
Premiership



Dundee United had the better of the game, but we continued our good fortune, with goals from Charlie Adam and Darren Lavery to record our first win of the season. The season will be especially tough, so winning games like this is incredible! Nice to get our first win on the board.

Arbroath 0 - 1 Berwick Rangers
League Cup 2nd Round



Again we rotated our squad, and let the fringe players have a chance to stake a claim... and also to ensure we didn't pick up any stupid injuries. We managed to sneak through with an own goal, and whilst Binks was carried off injured, it doesn't look too bad.

League Table:



So with a win over Dundee United, and a draw with Glasgow Celtic, we are 9th in the table. Thankfully, except for Rangers, no team have really made a lightning start, so hopefully we can keep tabs on the sides around us, and remain above the relegation places for as long as possible.

So that's August complete. It's been an interesting month, but hopefully we can continue our run of form.

Thanks for reading!

Thank you for the comments guys, it's been a very interesting start to the season, and certainly feel a lot more confident than I did the last time we were in the top flight!

September

Berwick Rangers 4 - 1 Hibernian
Premiership



Now that's what I am talking about! An amazing win where we created chances, and more to the point, scored goals! Goals from Knibbs, an own goal from Mu Lover (what a name!) sandwiched a goal from Greig Spence - remember him from Motherwell last month? - and I thought we had a chance. McAusland got us further ahead before half time before an injury time strike from Charlie Adam secured the three points!

Berwick Rangers 0 - 0 St Mirren
Premiership



This was definitely a game we targetted as must win. We've had so many battles with St Mirren over the seasons, and the last two times we have been in the Championship, they have been our main rivals. I was thoroughly disappointed that we couldn't score, but only one shot on target is just not acceptable.

Partick Thistle 1 - 2 Berwick Rangers
Premiership



Two shots on target this time, and two goals as our centre backs bailed us out as we again struggled to convert chances into shots on target. We won though, and it was a game that I really hadn't expected us to win with Partick playing well so far this season, and doing well in the league. It's certainly a massive result, so we will more than happily accept it.

St Johnstone 0 - 3 Berwick Rangers
League Cup 3rd Round



A massive result in the cup, and an early opportunity to get our own back on St Johnstone. A double from Harrdwood and Conor Duffy's strike earnt us a comfortable win, although Ebanks Blake missing the penalty just after Duffy's goal gave us a bit more breathing room. Into the Quarter Finals, Rangers and Celtic are both still involved.

Dundee United 1 - 0 Berwick Rangers
Premiership



A 92nd minute goal from Nigel Hasselbaink scuppered what would've been a great point for us. We were again under the cosh for most of the game, and with the time ticking away I really though that we'd nicked a point, but it wasn't meant to be. We're struggling to get into games, and we're being dominated by most sides, but hopefully this will be a good learning curve for our players, who are mostly youngsters!

League Table:



So where does that leave us at the end of September, well we're in 8th position, but we've got a five point gap over St Mirren who are currently in 11th place. It's a good start to the season, although a bit uneven, but so long as we continue to build on this start, we should be okay.

We've won half of the amount of games we managed in the whole season last time we were in the Premiership in just two months, so hopefully that can stand us in good stead. I think we have enough to stay up, so long as we focus on the sides around us.

Thanks for reading.