Goodbye Sarah

Saturday saw club physiotherapist for the last two season’s, Sarah Richardson treat the players for the last time. Sarah left the club after Saturday’s match and everyone at Links Park would like to wish her all the best and thank her for all her efforts over the last few years.
They were much appreciated by the management team and players as she looked to get them back to full fitness. Thanks Sarah.

PFA Team Of The Year

Marvin Andrews was recently named in the PFA Scotland SPFL Team of the Year for League Two, as voted for by the players themselves. The full team was - Neil Parry (Albion Rovers), Shaun Rooney (Queen’s Park), Michael Dunlop (Albion Rovers), Marvin Andrews (Montrose), Ross Dunlop (Albion Rovers), Bobby Linn (Arbroath), Darren Miller (Queen’s Park), Paul Woods (Queen’s Park), Shane Sutherland (Elgin City), Peter Weatherson (Annan Athletic), Simon Murray (Arbroath).
Arbroath’s Bobby Linn was named as the League Two player of the season at the dinner that took place in Glasgow on Sunday 3rd May.

Clark Simpson

It was with great sadness that Montrose FC heard of the passing of Clark Simpson. This football club has lost a very long standing supporter who has been in loyal attendance at Links Park since 1946. Time Tunnel interviewed him in February 2012 and he explained that this football club had been a major part of his life. In his younger days he had to miss quite a few games when he did his National Service and during a time when he himself played Junior football locally but The Mo were always there and he came down Wellington Street as often as he possibly could, right down to his twilight years.
There are not many fans nowadays who can recall watching Montrose in the C Division days but Clark Simpson remembered that time and when interviewed the old stories and memories came trotting out at quite a pace. Not just the games but memories of how Links Park had changed over the years. He even recalled the music played over the tannoy from a wee hut beside the old stand on the far side of the ground. It was as if he could close his eyes and just cast himself back a few years and more. The late 1950’s and early 1960’s were the times he remembered most fondly when Montrose re-entered the SFL, but it also brought out a few goose pimples as he mentioned the halcyon days of the mid 1970’s and the Championship year in the 1980’s. We could go on and on but when finally asked what else he would do on a Saturday afternoon he simply said ‘ few things are better than watching your home town team on a Saturday afternoon as I’ve been fortunate to see many very memorable matches.’
Montrose Football Club sends its deepest and sincere condolences to his family and as he will be up there somewhere watching down on us – thanks Clark, we will miss you.

SPFL chairman calls for “much fairer” BBC deal

The chairman of the SPFL says the Scottish game is being “badly short-changed” by the BBC and has called for a far more equitable split of licence fee spending on the game north of the border.

Ralph Topping was responding to reported comments made yesterday by the BBC’s director of Sport Barbara Slater, who admitted there was “inequality” in the amount of money the Scottish game receives from the public broadcaster compared to the English Premier League.

He said: “The days of the BBC selling Scottish football short are drawing to a close. There is an overwhelming argument that the public money spent by the BBC on the UK’s national game should be more evenly split.

“There is no doubt that the English Premier League is one of the most powerful leagues in the world, and the BBC is paying £68million per annum over the next three years for its slice of that particular cake, but Scottish football will no longer be satisfied with the crumbs off the table.

“Compared to England, Scots contribute a tenth of the licence fee, yet at less than £1million for TV highlights, our BBC deal is only 1/60th of what the BBC pays to the English Premier League – and that doesn’t include the money they also pay to the English Football League for highlights. The BBC is damaging the game in Scotland and these double standards are indefensible for a publicly-funded broadcaster.

“It’s a sad reflection of the BBC’s approach to its investment in Scottish football that Gary Lineker’s salary is DOUBLE the amount the BBC pays for TV highlights of over 250 SPFL games each year.

“In the current deal, the BBC has almost halved the amount they previously spent on Scottish football. There comes a point where you have to say ‘enough is enough’ and we’ve reached it.

“Fans, clubs, politicians and the Scottish public recognise that, as our national broadcaster, the BBC has a duty to do the right thing.

“The facts could not be clearer – for far too long the BBC has been discriminating against Scottish football and it’s time for the corporation to increase its contribution to the sport in Scotland to properly reflect what our country contributes to the licence fee.

“There is one more season left on our current deal with the BBC and we’re determined that any new deal far better reflects the importance of the game in Scotland and the hundreds of millions the corporation receives from Scottish licence fee payers every year.”

Paul Hegarty Wins April Manager Award

Montrose recently endured a 2 leg pyramid playoff against Highland League champions Brora Rangers after finishing the season bottom of the table.
But despite their bottom of the table finish,  they won two and drew one of their four matches during April under Hegarty, who took charge in February with the side already sitting bottom.
Montrose appointed Hegarty, the 60-year-old who previously managed Forfar Athletic, Aberdeen, Dundee United and Livingston, after sacking George Shields.