Take over

I've kept quiet about the take-over, for fear of letting cats out of bags etc. I'm still going to keep my gob shut until the whole thing is done and dusted. 

Trust chairman John Bell was on Radio Newcastle, you can hear the interview here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7728145.stm

McGonigal 'Prepared to Step Down'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/berwick_rangers/7721946.stm

Take-over Bids

This morning's edition of the Berwick Advertiser reported on two different bids to take over the football club. The first bid is from a consortium fronted by the Supporters Club, who have offered to buy a controlling interest in the football club.

The other is an unknown bidder from Edinburgh, with director Criag Forsyth cliaming that talks with that party are at an advanced stage. He even says that the deal could be done before Saturday's game against Albion Rovers.

The full article is here. This one could get interesting folks...

'Assault'

This is the 'assault' which prompted referee (solicitor by day!) Colin Brown to report Gary Greenhill to the Police after Saturday's game at Dumbarton. It happened after the referee ran 40 yards to flash a red card when Greehill crashed into Lennon after the ball had gone out of play. 

I understand that Gary was arrested at his home on Sunday morning. He waits to find out whether or not the fiscal will take the matter to court. Utterly ridiculous!

Scotsman

This appeared in the Scotsman over the weekend...

Club For Sale?

After Saturday's Scottish Cup defeat to Albion Rover effectively ended our season, there was an interesting post on Pie and Bovril over the weekend, from a poster called 'Bobby Hogg Hogg Hogg'. It reads:

"I think you will find Robert is more than willing to step down as Chairman as I am as a Director. We are prepared to sell our shares under RCR Holdings for the price that was paid for them. What Mr Bells keeps forgetting though is Robert also has 49,000 shares in his own name that were bought for £1 a share and I have 7,100 that were bought for £5300 and Mr Darling has 5000 that were bought for £5,000. Mr Darling is also owed £5,000 for a directors loan. On top of this we are personal guarntors for £10,000 each. Which is to cover a £50,000 loan currently being repaid over 10 years. (Think we are now into 4th year). So if someone is prepared to cover the above we would walkaway tomorrow."

The particular alias is widely known to be BRFC director, Craig Forsyth. Perhaps we'll hear something official from the club this week? Maybe there will be a posting on the official club website? Er....possibly not. If this post rings true it effectively means that the club is up for sale.

Berwick Rangers 3-0 Annan Athletic

Penalty fever

We brushed past Annan on Saturday as Shielfield, scoring two penalties and missing one on the way. That makes a total of 6 penalties in our previous two games at Shielfield Park.

Post-match, McGonigal said: "I looked at these matches back to back at home as must-wins and this sets us up nicely. It was particularly pleasing to keep a clean sheet."

"This result has been a long time coming but I have said on a number of occasions I think we are heading the in right direction."

Stenhousemuir 2-0 Berwick Rangers

It is fair to say that Alan McGonigal will be feeling the pressure after we fell to our 4th league defeat of the season. We have now only recorded four wins in 44 games.

To be fair we did go down fighting, with a much improved display. Partly due to a much more stable looking defence which was lead by the reinstated Robbie Horn, who was excellent.

Kevin Motion, the man that we had looked to get in during the Summer was at the centre of most of Stenny's moves and had a part to play in both goals, the second being the penalty he won for the home side (video below).

It was John Overstone who had headed Stenny infront early on and Dalziel sealed it with the penalty 15 minutes from time.

The Berwick manager and the board took a bit of stick from the travelling fans. But McGonigal seemed unfazed by it all post-match: "We dominated most of the play but when you are down at the bottom you seldom get any breaks. But we are not downhearted and will keep working away. If we keep playing like that the breaks will come along."

John Coughlin will be enjoying football life just now and had this to say: "I am delighted with another clean sheet and the three points that keep us ahead of everyone else. Berwick made it difficult, as you would expect, but although the performance was not the best the result keeps us in pole position in the title race and I can have no qualms about that."

Summer 2008

Well the Summer is well on it's way out, with the dark nights closing in and the return of taking a jacket along to the football. I hope you all had a good Summer, I certainly did!

I wish I could say the same thing about Berwick Rangers FC. 

It was only a matter of time before Michael Renwick was shown the door and indeed he was, after a thrashing from Raith on 19th April. It was the night of Gary O'Connor's Testimonial Quiz Night when the news filtered through via the players in attendance. There was almost a massive sigh of relief by the players and the fans there that night.

In May we heard of the appointment of Alan McGonigal. Who? That was what most of us said straight away. I had never heard of the guy, although I don't follow Junior football at all. A friend of mine who does follow it said he was highly rated at Camelon and given the success we had with John Coughlin, most fans were more than willing to give Alan a fair chance. Although I suppose any new manager should be given a chance really.

He brought with him a glut of new signings from the Junior ranks. I must admit I do remember thinking at the time it was just too much. When Coughlin bought Junior players in the Summer of 2005, he kept a core of senior players too. Football at our level is all about balance. Whether that be balancing the books, balancing success on the pitch with a structurally sound club or balancing young players with more experienced guys.

In came Mark Lunn, Ryan McGurk, Steven Kiczynski, Jamie Ewart, Peter McMahon, Graham Guy, John Dillon, Craig Anderson, Steven Bonar, Fraser McLaren, Jim Lister, Darren Gribben and David Grant. Andy McLean made the step up from the reserves along with Chris Anderson. The likes of Tommy Lennox, David Greenhill, Stuart Callaghan, Andy Howat were retained, alongside our most senior players in Ian Little and Robbie Horn.

Grant McNicoll and Gary Wood both decided not to sign contracts. Grant joined Arniston and Gary is rumoured to have joined the Police force.

We basically started the new season with an entirely new side. I only saw one pre-season friendly so the game against QOS in late July had me, and a few others, wondering who all the new players were. QOS did very last season and they had qualified for Europe this season, I didn't think we'd have a hope in hell. We didn't, they ran out comfortable 5-1 winners.

A week later we hosted Shire and put in a much improved performance with Darren Gribben and John Dillon putting us two goals up before they got their consolation. We lost at Ayr that midweek before travelling to Montrose to get a point out of a 1-1 draw. Right up until that point I thought we had a chance of doing something this season.

The cracks started to show and Dumbarton took advantage on 16th August with a 2-1 win. We then travelled up to Coatbridge on the Bank Holiday weekend to witness a shambles of a display, Albion winning 2-0 when it could easily have been much more.

A 2-2 draw against Forfar a week later breathed a little bit of hope back into the side. We had a week's break for Scotland-Macedonia which gave us a chance to re-group, but an awful game at Cowdenbeath on Saturday saw us lose 2-1. 

So that's where we are just now. It's not been a great start, the next few games are going to be crucial. We have Stenny on Saturday, more on that tomorrow! 

The Ducket Blog is Back!

Well after a four month absence, I've decided to get back to writing the blog. I've had various emails from fans across the country wondering why I had stopped updating it - I even had someone asking if I was still alive. And then this post appeared on P&B, with various messages of support. 

I started to think that people kind of relied on what I was writing. The club website is rarely updated and the Supporters Trust website rarely carries football stories. Although over the summer the Supporters Club website has popped up which is being updated on a regular basis.

Towards the back end of last season I had become increasingly disenchanted with everything at Shielfield Park, culminating in the relegation of the team and the sacking of Michael Renwick.

To be honest I lost a lot of interest in the club after our worst ever season. I was also struggling to get the time to write on here. I didn't want to continue with the Blog unless I could commit to updating it at least three times a week.

Tomorrow I'm going to round up all the things I've missed...

Updates

You'll all be thinking I've lost interest in updating my blog! I've not, normal service will be resumed shortly!

Berwick Rangers XI 4-4 Hearts XI

Grant McNicoll's Testimonial

Sunday saw the testimonial of Grant McNicoll, in honour of ten years service to the club. Gary McKay put together a decent Hearts Legends side to face Grant's own team.

It was good to see some old faces back in Berwick shirts - Marc Anthony, Kevin Haynes, Ross Godrey, Davie Watt, Murray Hunter, Spider Ramsey, Colin Campbell, Gary O'Connor (!) and Neil Oliver to name a few (the full list is in the post below).

The scorers were Davie Watt, Marc Anthony, Kevin Haynes and Grant McNicoll came off the bench to score a rather dubious looking penalty! And at 4-3 Hearts were awarded a penalty, which McNicoll converted after swapping shirts with John Robertson (below).


All-in-all it was a decent game, it is just a pity there wasn't more of a turn out for Grant.

Danny Swanson

There was a good article in the Scotsman yesterday:

http://news.scotsman.com/health/Danny-Swanson-The-football-39genius39.3948373.jp

Grant McNicoll Testimonial

This Sunday sees the long awaited testimonial for Grant McNicoll. He has put together a Berwick side made up of players he has played with over the past few years to face a Hearts XI, which has been rounded up by Gary McKay.

Amongst others, the Berwick XI will feature: Gary O’CONNOR, Ross GODFREY, Keith McNICOLL, Colin CAMPBELL, Neil BENNETT, Mark BRADLEY, Robbie HORN, Dale GRAY, Murray McDOWELL, Martin NEIL, Gordon FORREST, Darren SMITH, Murray HUNTER, Paul FORRESTER, Gary WOOD, Kevin HAYNES, Kevin GORDON, David MURIE, Kevin McLEISH, Davie WATT, Marc ANTHONY, Michael McDERMOTT and Alan NEILL

And the Hearts team will be made up of: Gary MACKAY, John ROBERTSON, Paul RITCHIE, Wayne FOSTER, Walter KIDD, Dave MacPHERSON, Henry SMITH, Scott LEITCH, Tosh McKINLAY, Jose QUITONGO, Stevie FULTON, Darren JACKSON, Neil IRVINE, Jimmy SANDISON, Scott CRABBE, Brian HAMILTON, Kenny BLACK, Stuart CALLAGHAN and Brian McNAUGHTON

Adults £7, concessions £3 - advanced tickets are available from The Pilot Inn.
Programme available on the day, prices £2.

Please try and make it along if you can - Grant deserves a decent turn out.

Michael Renwick

We have seen a slight improvement in the last month or so at Berwick, but despite this most fans would still like to see the back of Michael Renwick. Last month I ran poll asking you how long you'd give Renwick, 44 of you voted and 63% of you said that the BRFC Board should sack him right now!

A few of you (20%) said you would give him the summer to get a squad together to make a challenge for the Third Division title, but if we didn't start the season well that would be the end for Renwick. The remainder of the people voting said that they would be happy to give him next season or even longer.

I do think that some of the comments levelled at the guy on P&B have been a bit strong, but I can understand why people want him out. At the time, the appointment seemed a little bit mis-guided and a big risk.

One thing that sticks in my mind when I see all the critisism of Renwick is something which happened nearly ten years ago. Paul Smith had been in the hot seat for over a year and despite some big name signings (such as Marc Anthony and Kevin Magee), we had a dreadful start to the season which saw us second bottom at the end of September 1999.

There were a few of us who organised a protest at an away game at Forfar, which involved a 'SMITH OUT' banner and we called for Jamie Curle to give him the bullet. But Jamie stuck with his rookie manager and Paul Smith ended up proving us wrong with a promotion in April 2000. He went on to be the third most successful Berwick manager, enjoying some good Second Division campaigns and cup games against Rangers, Falkirk and Hearts.

It just makes me hope that if we are going to keep Michael Renwick on until next season, he proves us all very wrong.

BBC Storyline

We were featured on BBC Storyline this week. It is available to view on the BBC's iPlayer until Monday (our bit is about 25 minutes into the programme) - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/page/item/b009ncgv.shtml?q=english&start=1&scope=iplayersearch&version_pid=b009ncft

Back from Barca

Firstly, apologies for the lack of updates in the last couple of weeks. I have been away to Barcelona for the past week or so, missing the Brechin game (thankfully) in the process.

Seems like it was quite a tanking once again, check out the thread on P&B, things aren't getting any easier for Michael Renwick. I sat in a pub on La Ramblas watching the scores roll in on Sky Sports and I wasn't at all suprised it ended 5-0, I was suprised that the result didn't relegate us. That particular delight has been reserved for this Saturday, where anything less than 3 points against Peterhead would relegate us.

Barca was good though, I took in FC Barcelona's game against Real Valladolid at the Neu Camp. Tickets were available right up until kick off and at 48 euros they for a seat behind the goal, I didn't think it was too expensive. Nearly 60,000 catalans turned up to watch an entertaining game in the sun, with Henry, Eto'o, Zambrotta and Bojan standing out in a 4-1 win.

Watching the Spanish version of Match of the Day later that night showed that Real Villadolid's goal was never a penalty and one of Barca's goals was offside. From our view both goals looked good - such was the distance from the pitch.

A game and a good day, The Neu Camp certainly beats the likes of Central Park.

Cowdenbeath vs Berwick Rangers

It is D-Day at Central Park tomorrow, nothing less than a win will do to fend off our inevitable relegation. The maths are quite simple now, if we lose to Cowdenbeath and Queen's Park win at Brechin, we are down. That said, the odds are probably in our favour as I would fancy Brechin to beat Queen's if we fail to take anything from Cowden.


Tuesday night's thriller at Shielfield will have taken a lot out of both sets of players. The fitter squad of players will win this game, sadly I don't think that will be us.

The main story this week has been the apparent loss of Jordan Smith, who has seemingly joined Stenny. I can only assume that this is a pre-contract agreement and he will be with us for the remainder of the season.

In a quite perverse way I am quite looking forward to this game - Cowdenbeath away has always been one of my favourite fixtures. There is quite a large group of us travelling up who will be intent on enjoying the day despite the fact we will could leave Fife on Saturday teatime as the Third Division's newest team.

My predictions: Cowdenbeath 2-0 Berwick Rangers; Brechin City 2-1 Queen's Park

Weather: Cloudy, 8 degrees.
Bluesq: Cowdenbeath 4/7, Draw 13/5, Berwick 4/1

Berwick Rangers 4-5 Cowdenbeath

What a bizarre game of football at Shielfield Park last night. The 259 punters that turned out certainly got value for money, something that rarely happens at Shielfield these days.

With Peter Logan suspended, Michael Renwick chose to keep Chris Flockhart out of the side and instead bring in ex-Alloa and Montrose 'keeper Gary McGlynn as a trialist.

Denis McLaughlin (below), who was part of our Championship winning squad last season, got Cowden off the mark with just 40 seconds on the clock. And he doubled Cowden's lead three minutes later. We all got that familiar sinking feeling.

But we had hope when Ian Little got one back, but that was squashed when Mark Ramsey (another ex-Berwick player) knocked in a third for Cowden. But right on half time the on-form Little made it 2-3.

David Greenhill got our equaliser with a deflected shot in the 70th minute and two minutes later Fairbairn put is 4-3 infront.

Then three minutes later McLaughlin completed his hat-trick to level things at 4-4. And just as it looked like being an amicable 4-4 draw, he added his fourth and Cowden's fifth in the 90th minute.

A defeat for Berwick at Cowdenbeath on Saturday will see one of our earliest ever relegations in the history of the club.

Berwick Rangers 1-2 Alloa Athletic

Another defeat, watched by only 332 people. Brown Ferguson, a one time Berwick signing target, got Alloa off the mark with just 2 minutes on the clock. On loan Blair Tolmie gave us hope with a headed equaliser and things looked even better when Forrest was sent off for Alloa for a bad challenge on Thommo.

Unfortunately a minute later, on loan Berwick 'keeper Peter Logan was sent off for man handling Ferguson outside the box and Ferguson converted the penalty.

Most of the small crowd left early in the rain.

Berwick Rangers vs Alloa Athletic

Sadly this could be our lowest crowd of the season so far, the Ducket was pretty empty last week as many fans decided to give it a miss (me included), this game could see an even lower attendance.

Failure to win today could see us relegated in the next seven days. Possibly the earliest relegation in the history of the football club. That won't be the only bad record we will be breaking, but I don't want to depress you all just yet!

As I said before the Ayr game, it is now a matter of players playing for contracts and a place in the squad next season. Renwick has always said he would like to be judged on next season, when he will have the squad of players that he wants in place.

My prediction: Berwick 1-1 Alloa

Weather: Sunny, 10 degrees
Bluesq: Berwick 3/1, Draw 11/4, Alloa 4/6

New Blog

I came across a new Berwick Rangers blog today, not sure who does it, but it is worth a look - http://www.blogstoday.co.uk/bloghome.aspx?username=BA%20Sport

Relegation

The trapdoor is open...

After last night's 3-0 defeat at Airdrie, we remain 14 points behind second bottom Cowdenbeath, having played one more game. Looking at the points which remain and the fixtures still to come, we could quite easily be relegated by Cowdenbeath when we visit Central Park a week on Saturday.
Michael Renwick had the white flag in the air back in January so we shouldn't really be surprised that it has come to this. But of all the teams, Cowdenbeath! We have a long history with The Blue Brazil - we won promotion on their turf in 1979 and more recently denied them Scottish Cup ties against Rangers (2002) and Hearts (2001) by beating them in the Second Round of the competition. They have the most recent victory though - they narrowly beat us to the 2005/6 Third Division Championship. And now it looks like Michael Renwick's old club are going to send us back to the basement of Scottish football.

There is some hope that they won't relegate us, but that would mean us beating Alloa this Saturday and hoping Cowden drop some points before we meet them. We would then probably need to beat them twice in our two consecutive games against them next week (we also face them at Shielfield next Tuesday).

Airdrie Tonight

The game is in some doubt, although there is no inspection planned. Check with Airdrie before setting off - www.airdrieunitedfc.com/news_article.asp?article=165

Berwick Rangers vs Ayr United

It is now a case of players playing for a contract next season as Michael Renwick prepares his squad for the Third Division. He has already said that there will be players he doesn't rate leaving us in the Summer, so now is the time the players to start impressing their gaffer.

My prediction: Berwick 1-2 Ayr.

Weather: Sunny, 8 degrees
Bluesq: Berwick 9/4, Draw 5/2, Ayr 10/11

BBC Storyline

Filming at Shielfield on Sunday seems to have went well. The film crew took footage of Berwick fans having a kick about on the park before being asked their views on the current England-Scotland debate. The show goes out at the end of March on BBC 1 Scotland.

Berwick Rangers on BBC Scotland

The BBC will be at Shielfield Park tomorrow (Sunday) to do some filming. They are inviting all Berwick fans for a chat about the big England - Scotland debate. If you want to come along and give you views and maybe get on the telly, make your way to the ground for about 9.30am - everyone is welcome.

The show goes out on BBC 1 Scotland in the next few weeks.

Airdrie United vs Berwick Rangers

MATCH OFF

Waterlogged pitch. No new date yet.

More on Gary O'Connor

As Gary prepares for his first game for East Stirling at Forfar, we are left to wonder what actually happened between him and Michael Renwick. It was a month ago that Gary was told to either find a new club or join up with the Reserve team for training and on matchdays.

Gary has chosen to keep playing senior football and has joined East Stirling on an emergency loan deal.

Michael Renwick says that Gary just isn't good enough and he needs younger and more hungry players in his team. He also questioned Gary's attitude in training (which I find hard to believe).

Renwick was quoted in the week's Berwick Advertiser: "In my opinion Gary's performances for us were simply not good enough. I know what he has cost us in terms of points this season, so I was looking to make a change. Gary was aware of that, but his attitude made my decision all the easier.

"Gary instigated a move to Stenhousemuir himself, but then the deal fell through at the last minute. He will now spend the rest of the season either playing with the reserves or go out on loan as an emergency signing to another club. I know it is his testimonial season, and that will still go ahead, but I couldn't let that influence my decision."

Now this is the bit I don't understand, Renwick says that Gary's performances 'were simply not good enough'. Yet when you look at the facts and compare his record this season with that of Flockhart and Logan, it is obvious that Gary has been a much better 'keeper this season. He kept the score respectable in a lot of games, including Michael Renwick's first game in charge at Airdrie.

Gary O'Connor: Games - 19, Conceeded - 44 (av. 2.3 per game)
Chris Flockhart: Games - 4, Conceeded - 17 (av. 4.25 per game)
Peter Logan: Games - 3, Conceeded - 10 (av. 3.33 per game)

Okay, Peter Logan has only played three games since he joined, but I'll revisit this particular maths lesson at the end of the season to see if his average improves. If it does and it drops below 2.3 goals per game, Renwick made the correct decision. If it doesn't, it was a bad judgement. You simply can not argue with facts and figures.

Gary Joins Shire

Gary O'Connor has joined East Stirling on an emergency loan deal until the end of the season. As you will all know, Gary has been left out in the cold by new manager Michael Renwick and was told to find a new cliub or train with the reserves.

Gary O'Connor Tributes

As most of you will know, season 2008/9 will see Gary O'Connor's Testimonial year get in to full swing. There are a number of events organised, including a match at Shielfield, a quiz night, dinner, golf day and other events. The Supporters Trust are helping put together a 64-page souvenir brouchure to celebrate Gary's time at Berwick and his long career.

Editor of the brochure, George Mathison, is looking for fans to send in any tributes, memories or storys about Gary. So if you would like to have your quote included, please send it to mail@ducketblog.com

League of Wales

Last weekend a few of us took a trip down to North Wales to take in three games in the Welsh Premier League. A break away from watching Berwick and a change of scenery were the main reasons for our trip and it was also good to compare the standard in Wales to that of Scotland. We definately were not doing the 'ground-hopping' thing!

On Friday night we went along to Caernarfon Town vs Newtown AFC, a mid-table clash on a freezing cold night. The ground was a bit like an East of Scotland park, with a small stand and the rest terracing. It had all the usual stuff - club shop, pie stall etc. And the locals were friendly enough. The match was pish though - a nil nil draw. Both sides were made up of Scousers and the standard was way below Scottish Third Division.


The following day we took in Bangor City vs Llanelli AFC (pronounced Lan-effly!). This was a much better match and much like watching a good Scottish Third Division game. Bangor's stadium was a lot bigger and obviously set up to cope with small European games. The match ended 1-1 and it was quite and entertaining, both sides would certainly give Berwick a tough game. Again, both sides had a heavy Scouse/Manc influence with very few locals.

We took in the 'sights' on Saturday night in Bangor, with its mainly student population. A few good bars and the inevitable visit to the local dodgy nightclub 'octogon' which was basically a bigger version of Bedrocks with all the locals speaking this weird language called 'Welsh'. A good night out though.

We faced a 300 mile drive on the Sunday, but had planned to take in Rhyl vs The New Saints (or TNS to you and me) on the way home. When we arrived at the ground the sun was beating down and we didn't even consider the game might be off, however news in the pub an hour prior to kick off was that the game had been postponed.

We partook in some free pies and made the long journey home, briefly stopping off at Gretna to see how their ground development was coming on. As you can see from the pictures, they haven't done a thing and it looks like they will be ground sharing with Livingston next season.

A good weekend away, certainly beats a 4-0 thrashing at Shielfield.

Talk-in

It looks like the manager' talk-in went off with out too much incident. The people I have spoke to have all said the same thing really - Michael answered all the questions put to him quite well.

The subjects covered seem to have included:

• Gary O'Connor saga - Michael's side of the story
  
• Robbie Henderson not signing
  
• Steven Noble not being good enough for this division
  
• The injury crisis
• The Peterhead game
• Grant McNicoll
• Swearing at Reserve games!
• Plans for next season
• Trust/Board relations

As well as many other topics. The meeting ran for over 2 hours with fans being able to ask a variety of questions, which Renwick seemed to answer. Obviously as I wasn't there it would be wrong for me to say much more than this.

Pop over to Pie & Bovril to see what folk are saying. A few have said that their opinion has shifted slightly and are willing to give Renwick more of a break - whilst others have taken the 'a good speaker doesn't make a good manager' stance.

Berwick Rangers vs Ross County

I'll not be attending this match, I have a trip to Wales organised for this weekend instead. The last time I missed a competitive match at Shielfield Park involving Berwick Rangers was back in March 1995. We beat Meadowbank Thistle 1-0, I attended the next match against Clyde where we drew 1-1, from there at the age of 13, I was pretty much hooked.

In those thirteen years I have stood in the Ducket or sat in the stand and watched some complete shite. The Jimmy Thompson days, Sandy Clark's failed attempt to keep us up and the first season of Paul Smith's reign were probably the worst.

Countless times I have walked out of Shielfield Park uttering the words "I'll not be back". I always said it but never really meant it. Until now. I left the Brechin game in January early and missed Iain Diack's double right at the end, but even before that I had had enough of this season. I was actually quite glad when the Cowden game was called off, leaving my Saturday free to do other things.

I'm not saying I won't be back - I'll be at the remainder of the home games and most of the away games. But it wasn't that long ago I wouldn't consider missing any games (it was only in December I missed my first away game in ten years) - now if I miss a game it isn't the end of the world, such is the poor season we have had.

I'm not too fussed about winning league titles, even winning games. But even in the darker days of Paul Smith and Jimmy Thompson we did have guys playing for the jersey, not win bonuses. That is all the fans want to see from a Berwick team - 11 honest guys panning their heid in for the cause.

The bullshit flying around the club and on P&B has also left me feeling like I can't be bothered with it all anymore.

As I keep saying, I just wish this season would end. I really hope there is a plan for next season...

Talk-in with Michael Renwick

...this Friday

The long awaited talk-in with Michael Renwick takes place at the Black and Gold this Friday at 7.30pm. Quite a few fans have said they are going along to this, it should be quite entertaining. If you can't make the talk-in and would like to table a question, please email it to mail@ducketblog.com and I'll do my best to make sure it is asked!

The past three managers have all held talk-ins with fans, John Coughlin was always an excellent speaker but Sandy Clark struggled to win the fans over. Paul Smith gained a bit of respect from his time in front of the fans, this is Michael Renwick's chance to do the same.

Queens Park 3-1 Berwick Rangers

Michael Renwick had some really strange quotes in this morning's Daily Record. He said that the players should now be looking to win some games, to bump up their pay packets!

He said: "Since January I've been preparing for next season. Like any team who make a step up without strengthening we've struggled. I can't expect a side who have only won twice all season to win nine of the remaining games.

"Now I just want the boys to play for themselves and get some bonus cash into their pockets."

What about winning some games for the fans? Or for a little bit of pride?

Queens Park vs Berwick Rangers

A trip to Hampden always used be quite an occassion, great stadium, great pitch and usually a pretty even match. A Mark Ferry goal for Queens was the only difference when we visited the National Stadium back in September for what turned out to be John Coughlin's last game in charge.

Queens came up from the Third Division with us last year, qualifying for a Second Division place through the play-offs. They have gone on to perform better than us and the step up hasn't proved too much for them.

Renwick will probably stick with his new boys. He has taken a lot of flack for replacing established Berwick players with loan signings - now is the time for these new lads to prove themselves.

We are due the rub, hopefully we can get a point here.

My prediction: Queens Park 1-1 Berwick Rangers

Weather: Mild, chance of rain. 10 degrees.
Referee: Queens 8/11, Draw 11/4, Berwick 11/4

Club Statement

The club have issued a statement on their Official Website, which fully backs under-fire manager Michael Renwick.

"The Board of Directors at Berwick Rangers Football Club fully support our manager Michael Renwick despite some poor results in recent weeks.

We have the utmost confidence in Michael and are prepared to give him time to build his own team. The Transfer Window has seen many changes to the current squad and we hope to see an improvement in both performances and results between now and the end of the season.

The Board are prepared to give Michael a healthy budget in order to attract better quality players to the club, so we can be competitive in whatever Division the Club is playing in next year. If, despite his efforts, we are in the 3rd Division then promotion straight back to the 2nd Division will be the aim.

As fans as well as directors, we too are very disappointed by our overall performance this season. We would ask all our fans to get behind the players and the manager as condemning them does not help Berwick Rangers Football Club.

It is hoped that supporters will take the opportunity to attend the forthcoming “Fans Talk in” on Friday 15th Feb, to pose their questions to Michael."

Shielfield Park 1980 Video

A rare look at how the ground looked in the early 80s has recently appeared on Google Videos. Click here to view it!

MATCH OFF

Today's fixture against Cowdenbeath has been postponed. The Shielfield Park pitch failed an 10am inspection. No new date has been set yet, although I would think it will be sometime in March.

Pitch Inspection at 10am

There is a pitch inspection at 10am this morning. The pitch is frozen in parts and although the sun is beaming down, the temperature might not rise enough to thaw the pitch. Check back here after 10am to find out if the game goes ahead.

Cowdenbeath vs Berwick Rangers

The weather forecast has this game in some doubt. The weather in Berwick has been okay today, but the forecast is for -4 temperatures during the night which could see the Shielfield Park pitch freeze up.

That said, the morning forecast is good with temperatures rising to 5 degrees and a good chance of some sunshine. If you are travelling for this one, it might be worthwhile checking with the club (01289 307424). I will try my best to update this blog with news in the morning.

If the game does go ahead, home fans will see a much changed Berwick side since the last game at Shielfield with up to 7 new faces likely to feature.

Cowden are fighting to stay in this division and will not want to be dragged into a relegation dog fight. They'll be looking for the three points and I'm sure we will be in a position to hand them over. As I said last week, I wish this season would just end.

My prediction: Berwick 0-2 Cowden. They'll do the job in second gear.

Weather: 5 degrees, sunny.

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Gary O'Connor Situation

Quite a bizarre episode in the Berwick Rangers soap opera this morning. The official website last night reported that Iain Diack joined Brechin just before the close of the transfer window (I heard we got a couple of grand for him joining early, he has already agreed a pre-contract for the summer).

The bizarre story was further down the page where the club report that out of favour goalkeeping legend Gary O'Connor has joined Stenny on loan until the end of the season. It turns out that he has not joined Stenhousemuir after declining the offer of a loan period. It is a bit of a mystery why the club published the story last night when it hadn't been confirmed.

We are becoming more like Harchester United every week.

Stuart Callaghan Signs

Michael Renwick made a last signing before the end of the Transfer Window this evening. He has brought midfielder Stuart Callaghan to the club from Brechin City. Stuart can also play in defence.

There is a suggestion that he may have been a part exchange with Diack going the other way.

Berwick Advertiser Letter

Those of you who read The Berwick Advertiser will have seen a letter from 'Name and Address Witheld' in today's edition. There are two letters pages in today's copy - this letter is nearer the back. It makes interesting reading...

SIR, - It would be encouraging to report that Berwick Rangers’ dispiriting defeat at Raith Rovers on Saturday represented an improvement on the embarrassing humiliation inflicted on the team at Peterhead the previous weekend, but the unpalatable truth is that the crisis enveloping the club seems to have spiralled further out of control with little sign that the ruling clique at Shielfield are capable, or even interested, in doing much about it.

Rangers’ desperate performances (Saturday’s defeat was their 11th out of 12 matches on the road this season) should come as no surprise to anyone with a passing interest in their local football team. Last season’s championship victory simply papered over the cracks, and the current campaign was a catastrophe waiting to happen, the inevitable consequence of a combination of factors ranging from the lack of long-term planning and vision to a chronic under-investment in the team.

Berwick Rangers FC used to be a decent football club which was held in respect by its peers. During the last week alone, the club has blundered from one sorry mess to another; to begin with, the second worst defeat in Berwick Rangers’ league history (they’re also on course for their lowest ever points total since joining the Scottish Leagues); then the furore surrounding Robbie Henderson’s exit from the club after a single match, heavily criticised in the tabloids and the possible subject of legal action, followed by the extraordinarily disrespectful treatment of legendary keeper, club captain and all-round good guy, Gary O’Connor, who has been advised that he is no longer welcome at Shielfield and should find another club.

These problems are symptomatic of a football club in crisis on the field and off it. Manager Michael Renwick looks way out of his depth and the breakdown of his relations with senior players - hardly a surprise given his treatment of them - looks to be a massive misjudgement in terms of the future development of a competitive team. Renwick was a political appointment by a club chairman wary of managers (like Paul Smith and John Coughlin) who were independent characters and who had their own ideas about running a football team, and, heaven forefend, enjoyed decent relations with the supporters. The cost of that paranoia is now being seen every Saturday on the football field.

Renwick’s seemingly random team selections have been influenced to some degree by the resources available to him, but you cannot build a team on the serial recruitment of loan players whose loyalties inevitably lie elsewhere, or on untried youngsters whose confidence is being destroyed by an unending sequence of defeats. The alienation of the remaining senior pros at the club and Renwick’s naive declaration that, with 45 points still to play for the team were already relegated, does not instil confidence in Berwick Rangers’ future prospects. The board are between a rock and a hard place on Renwick’s own future; do they sack him and admit they got it wrong, or do they fly in the face of supporter opinion and all natural logic by retaining a manager whose brief reign is already sparking claims that Berwick Rangers are the East Stirling of the new millennium?

While the manager is largely responsible for what happens on the pitch, the board are the people charged with the effective running of the club under company law. Unfortunately, the “board” at Shielfield seems to exist in name only, with the majority of directors sidelined by the ruling clique of Wilson, Forsyth and Darling. These are the people who decide what happens at Berwick Rangers, and their efforts deserve closer scrutiny.

The chairman’s silence on the current crisis affecting the club is remarkable but not untypical. Doubtless he will be quick enough to trumpet any improvement in the club’s finances at the May AGM, but he should ask himself whether Berwick Rangers are better off now than they were a year ago. At the bank? Possibly, though an overdraft converted into a loan is still a debt; On the pitch? Absolutely not - check the league table then contrast and compare with John Coughlin’s impact at Stenhousemuir; Dressing room morale? In tatters; On the terraces? Not if you listened to supporters who spent all afternoon at Kirkcaldy chanting for Renwick to be sacked. There is a fine balance between financial prudence and putting a team on the park that isn’t a laughing stock. That balance looks like a distant dream at the moment.

Rangers supporters with longer memories will recall that during their time on the terracing chairman Wilson and director Forsyth were some of the most vocal critics of poor performances and ineffective management. Their own experience seems to have taught them very little. Their knee-jerk reaction to criticism, however justified, is to batten down the hatches and continue the “us against the rest of the world” siege mentality, avoiding any form of constructive dialogue that might lead to improvements.

That contributes towards the general air of despondency at Shielfield, compounded by the board (sorry, ruling clique’s) relations with the two main supporters organisations, the supporters club and the trust. Without the financial contribution of both, the continued survival of the club would be an even greater challenge, yet relations with the former have deteriorated and they remain in a state of permanent conflict with the latter. It would be a pleasant surprise if the other members of the board, Messrs Davidson, Hush, McLaren, Parkin or Porteous were to emerge from the sidelines to help steer the club back into calmer waters, but the feeling remains that their influence is minimal and that they have been well and truly sidelined. Recent attempts by the chairman to persuade the Berwick Advertiser to drop David Cook’s away match reports because he’s had the temerity to criticise the running of the club speak volumes about his approach to free speech and a general interest in the future success of Berwick Rangers.

For some time now, there has been the sense that there is something rotten at the heart of Berwick Rangers FC, despite the good work of many. The chairman has the opportunity, through the pages of the Berwick Advertiser, to disprove that theory and convince an increasingly disenchanted support that he has a future plan for the club that will see it emerge from its current travails to be regarded with the same degree of admiration as well-run outfits like Brechin City. The ruling clique can no longer lay the blame for Berwick Rangers’ demise at the door of Jamie Curle, Paul Smith, John Coughlin, the injury crisis, leaves on the line, Uncle Tom Cobbley and all. It’s time for chairman Wilson and his cronies to take full responsibility for the mess that Berwick Rangers find themselves in.

The challenge for them is not only accepting that responsibility, but sorting it out. If they can’t do that, then it’s time for them to go.

NAME AND ADDRESS WITHHELD

Wood & McNicoll Sign Contracts

Pair commit for 18 months

The official website reports that Gary Wood and Grant McNicoll have both signed 18 month contracts, committing to the club until May 2009. Grant played as a trialist at Raith on Saturday. Excellent news. I have also heard that Ian Little has extended his contract.

Poll Results

Q: Who is to blame for our current position?

Results:
The Berwick Rangers F.C. Board - 39%
John Coughlin & Co - 31%
Michael Renwick & Co - 26%
The Players - 2%

Some interesting results here, with the polling quite evenly split between the Board, John Coughlin and Michael Renwick. Only 2% blamed the current playing squad.

Some of you may be thinking that I ran this poll to make trouble - I was simply interested in what the rest of you thought, as I still can't make up my own mind. And the results of the poll prove that opinion is well and truly split.


Where did it all go wrong?

Lets rewind just 8 months, we had just won the league and things couldn't really get any better. John Coughlin said in the press that he hopes to strengthen the squad in the summer, with three or four solid additions to an already championship winning squad.

John brought in Scott Gemmill from St. Mirren, where he has previously scored 20+ goals for the reserve squad. Tommy Lennox came from Albion and Paul McMullen arrived from Stranraer (take a look at this goal he scored last season - or this goal). Paul was obviously quite decent for Stranraer.

We also welcomed (!) back Kevin McLeish who had a season with Stenny. I honestly thought, at the time, that we would have quite a good season. All of these signings came quite highly rated and added to the likes of Danny Swanston, Gary Wood, Iain Diack, Gary O'Connor and the likes, as well as Ian Little returning from long term injury I thought they would form a squad more than capable of holding their own in the Second Division.

We did lose some key players last summer and early season; Grant McNicoll was freed and Kevin Haynes was sold to Bathgate. Gary Greenhill's departure to East Fife and the news that Danny Swanston was off to Tannadice in the New Year didn't bode well. It was about this point in early October where we hadn't picked up many points and John Coughlin decided to jump ship to Stenny.

Why he went I guess we'll never really know - my guess is that he saw the writing on the wall for Berwick and didn't want to be associated with a club heading for relegation. His hands were tied when it came to signing players with the board choosing to use the transfer fees from Haynes, Swanson and Greenhill to reduce the debt at the club. Having no money to spend on bringing players in may have been the final straw for John Coughlin.

So the board were left to find a replacement, pointing out in the press that they were not going to rush into making an appointment. Jimmy Crease took over team affairs for a trip to Cowden where we lost 3-1. A few days later the Berwick rumour mill was working over time, claiming that ex-Hearts midfielder Lee Makel would be offered the job. Eventually we learned that Michael Renwick would be taking over.

Who? That was the reaction of most Berwick fans. His name rang a bell, firstly I thought of Falkirk and then I remembered he had been at Hibs for years. A quick look at Soccerbase confirmed that he had spent 8 years at Hibs, only playing 36 games.

I was happy to give the new manager a chance and be patient, as you have to be when I new guy comes in. But as the weeks rolled on the results still weren't coming. He made an 'emergency signing' for our game at Brechin on December 1st, Kevin Davison.

This was followed by more loan signings in Murdoch, Staunton, Ayre, Logan and Tolmie. Many fans on P&B have said what I have been thinking - loan signings are not the answer. Consistency in your squad and a group of players that actually care if they get beat is far more important.

A season of shit finally came to a head at Peterhead with the club's second worst ever defeat, a 9-2 defeat at Balmoor. Some have questioned Renwick's signings and tactics and rightly so.


Who is to blame then?

The rot started with John Coughlin's transfer activity in the summer. He should have never let Grant McNicoll or Gary Greenhill leave. It was a shame Kevin Haynes couldn't get back up to fitness, he would have given Second Division defences something to think about. We were always going to lose Danny I suppose.

He brought in players that were no better than what we already had. The likes of Steven Noble and David Greenhill were pushed back to bench status. Gary Wood playing up front would have given us a lift but he was locked in at the back for every game until he got injured.

Injuries have not helped, Thommo and Fraser were always masters of the engine room and without them we always look a little bit light in midfield, which in turn heaps pressure on the two centre halfs.

The appointment of Michael Renwick was seen as a mistake by most, but in all honesty who did we have to choose from? Experienced managers were hardly beating down our door.

Who is to blame? I still don't know. One thing I do know is we will be back in the Third Division next season, where do we go from there?

The Cook Report

David Cook reports from Starks Park...

This was Groundhog Day revisited,but with added misery.Another away match meant yet another defeat as Berwick Rangers slid to their 11th defeat in 12 away fixtures this season.Ok,so it was an improvement on the calamitous capitulation at Peterhead,but the plain fact is that a remodelled Rangers outfit including three debutants never looked like taking anything from the game once a pedestrian and uninspired Rovers side took the lead 11 minutes before the break.

Although Rangers were,by a slim margin,the better side during the opening half hour by virtue of the fact that Canadian Under-20 international and Hibs loanee Keegan Ayre brought a welcome touch of confidence to the midfield,and fellow debutant Peter Logan looked composed in goal,they quickly fell apart once Campbell gave the title-chasing home side (in their dreams,on this showing) a 34th minute lead.The triumvirate of new starts was completed by ex-Cowdenbeath reserve Andrew Howat,who worked hard but rarely saw the ball.The bench featured Grant McNicol,listed as a trialist,but a genuinely heartwarming sight nonetheless.Having watched his new colleagues for 71 minutes before replacing the stricken Robbie Horn,he should be under no illusions about what he's let himself in for.

A dull game on a bumpy pitch took a long time to spark into life.Brechin-bound Ian Diack put in another immense shift in the channels,highlighting the imminent loss of Rangers' only genuine cutting edge.Fairbairn looked lively down the right,and,together with Logan,Horn,Ayre and Diack,emerged as one of Rangers' best performers until his late dismissal for a petulant foul on Templeton.Rovers looked devoid of ideas and passed most of their possession across the pitch in homage to Ray "The Crab" Wilkins at his risk-free best.

Diack should have given Rangers a 4th minute lead but missed a free header,then worked his way in from the touchline to threaten Renton's goal in the 16th minute.Rovers eventually awoke from their slumber in the 28th minute,Hislop narrowly failing to get on the end of Templeton's cross.Logan made a brilliant save in the 34th minute to turn Sloan's 25 yard free kick around the post,but Campbell bundled the ball home from the resulting corner for the opener.With Rangers reeling,Horn hacked a Goodwillie shot off the line a minute later before Rovers had a second goal chalked off for an infringement.The siege was lifted by the welcome intervention of a partial floodlight failure (as if we needed more gloom) and the half-time whistle,though not before Logan made another good stop from Goodwillie.

Rangers began the second half sitting a lot deeper than they had in the opening third,and the instruction from the beleaguered Michael Renwick seemed to be damage limitation.Fairbairn embarked on a brilliant run down Rovers left in the 50th minute,his cross just too far in front of Diack for him to make the crucial connection,but Rovers killed the game off with a second goal in the 69th minute,Hislop flicking a long cross beyond Logan as Rangers failed to deal with another set piece.A minute later,Smith had to clear off the line from Davidson with Rangers still rocking from conceding the second goal.Rovers sub Weir ended the scoring with an 83rd minute header,from,you've guessed it,another Rovers corner.There was still time for Brian Fairbairn to cap another depressing afternoon by getting a straight red for a daft swipe at Sloan.It was an unedifying end to a desperate week for Rangers.

Off the field, the away support kept up a constant refrain of "Renwick out" and chants in support of fans favourite Gary O'Connor,apparently sent to detention for speaking up on behalf of his disenchanted team-mates.The message was clear enough and should not be lost on the board,though it will be interesting to see whether they persist with a manager who,at any other club,would be a dead man walking.Where do Berwick Rangers go from here? Supporters are clearly fed up with what is going on at the club,and another defeat to rivals Cowdenbeath on Saturday might just be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Logan 7;McLeish 3;Horn 7;Smith 6;McGroarty 4;Fairbairn 7;Thompson 5;Ayre 7;Greenhill 2;Howat 5;Diack 7.

Attendance 1466

Berwick Forums

As some of you may have noticed, the Berwick Forums website is no longer. Thanks to Kev for site, which was online for nearly three years.

Bad Press

Berwick Rangers Football Club took a bit of a beating in Saturday's Scottish Sun. In Des McKeown's (ex-Stenny manager) article he claims that BRFC and Michael Renwick handed Robbie Henderson poorly.

Click here to read the article.

Bear in mind that McKeown is big pals with Henderson and infact signed him during his time at Ochilview. Make of it what you will.

Raith Rovers 3-0 Berwick Rangers

A comprehensive vistory for Raith at Starks Park on Saturday. A goal in the first half and another two in the second saw us off.

There were some more new faces in the Black & Gold - Peter Logan made his debut in goal after joining on loan from Killie. He look quite steady and a good shot stopper, despite being below average height for a 'keeper.

Keegan Ayre also made his first start after joining us on loan from Hibs. I thought he looked quite good, showed some good touches. Andy Howat signed for us on Friday from Cowden and was thrown straight into action, partnering Diack up front.

We did go down to ten men for the second time in two games - this time Brian Fairbairn was sent for an early shower after he chopped down a Raith player from behind.

(Grant McNicoll back in action -www.raithroversfc.com)

One positive was the introduction of 'A Trialist' in the 72nd minute. Grant McNicoll was given a brief run out and didn't look out of his depth. Infact for 18 minutes it was like he had never left. Welcome back Grant.

There is an interview with Michael Renwick on the Official Raith Rovers website.

We are sitting bottom of the league on the lowest points total in Scotland, with the 9th placed team having accrued more than double our points tally and massive 13 points ahead of us. We have also now leaked 60 goals in 23 games, that is nearly three goals a game.

I wish this season would just end.

Raith Rovers vs Berwick Rangers

What a week this has been. Beaten 9-2 by Peterhead last Saturday, most fans were calling for heads to roll. Some good news came on Wednesday with the news of Grant McNicoll's return, which apeased the fans for a short while.

But today's news that Gary O'Connor has been told to find a new club has shocked everyone. Michael Renwick is not a popular man at the moment and I have a feeling a few fans will be travelling up to Kirkcaldy tomorrow to voice their opinions.

A bit of good news though - highly rated Hibs duo Keegan Ayre and Blair Tolmie will be available for the Starks Park fixture. Having trawled through various Hibs websites I have to say I'm quite pleased with the arrival of these two. They are, however, only loan signings. Even so, they should beef up the already thin squad we have.

Raith are hot on the heels of leaders Ross County and are only a couple of points behind them, although they have played two more games. They will look to record a comfortable win.

Lets forget about last week and try and put in a decent performance tomorrow - we may be going down, but lets not turn into a complete joke club.

My prediction: Raith Rovers 3-1 Berwick Rangers

Referee: Stevie O'Reilly
Weather: Chance of rain, 7 degrees
Bluesq: Raith 2/7, Draw 7/1, Berwick 15/2

Gary O'Connor Shown the Door

Those of you that read the Pie and Bovril website will have seen the rumours regarding this. Apparently Gary O'Connor has been told he will not feature again this season and he is free to find a new club.

I have had it from a very creditable source that the rumour is true. Very sad indeed.

Gary has given the club over 260 games, spanning 15 years and three different spells at the club. He was recently made club captain and was also granted a testimonial. There has been a backlash against Michael Renwick already - check the O'Connor told to go thread on P&B. On Wednesday I said that Grant McNicoll has 'black and gold running through him', I put Gary O'Connor in the same category.

There seems to have been some sort of fall out between Renwick and Gary. I suppose unless one of the two make it public we'll never get the full story. One thing we do know, we have lost a great player and a top guy.

To fill the void, we have brought in Killie youngster Peter Logan on loan. Although I reckon Flockhart will keep the No. 1 jersey in the meantime.

Two In - One Out?

Berwick have signed midfielder Keegan Ayre (below) and defender Blair Tolmie on loan from Hibs. Both players come highly recommended and with International experience. Tolmie is with the Scotland U19 set-up, while Keegan has played for Canada U20s.

Both have signed up until the end of the season.

There is also a nasty rumour doing the rounds, claiming that Gary O'Connor has been asked to leave the club. I really hope this is untrue, I'll update you as soon as I hear anything concrete!

Confirmed: Grant Returns!

Confirmation from the Official Website that Grant McNicoll has returned to training with Berwick. I had heard the news yesterday that he had been at Tuesday night's training session in Edinburgh, but confirmation only came last night.

Some good news at last. Grant should never have been freed in the summer, the man has Black and Gold running through his veins.

John Coughlin claimed that he couldn't keep Grant on the books because he was unable to give him half a season due to injury problems. This reason always seemed a bit thin to me and a quick check on Soccerbase.com reveals that McNicoll played 62 games out of 85 under John Coughlin. Maths was never my strongest subject at school, but I make that about three quarters of games, not less than half. I suppose we'll never really know why Coughlin let him go, the important thing is he is back!

Some more good news - Robbie Henderson will not be offered a contract after his appearance as a trialist on Saturday. A posting on P&B claims that there will be a couple of new signings before the transfer window closes next week.

Grant is back!

This is the news all Berwick fans were hoping to here, Grant McNicoll is to return to the club. He will be back in training on Thursday night, although he may not feature on Saturday as he may not be match fit. The club are yet to officially confirm it, when they do I will let you know!

Renwick: I blame the players

Michael Renwick has laid the blame for Saturday's defeat squarely at the feet of the players.

Speaking after the 9-2 massacre, Renwick said: “It was absolutely disastrous. The players were an embarrassment to themselves, the club and the fans. Some of the players need to take a long hard look at themselves whether or not they are staying with me or moving on at the end of the season.”

I suppose it is down to the players to get results, however Renwick was responsible for bringing in Anderson, Henderson, Murdoch, Fairbairn and called up McLean, Coult and Stevenson from the reserves.

Peterhead 9 (nine) - 2 Berwick Rangers

Utterly disgraceful.

The only two words to describe Saturday's result. A result that has left most Berwick fans feeling embarrassed and calling for Michael Renwick to be sacked. Check Pie and Bovril for some unofficial views and match reports. The Peterhead view is here.

We have only suffered one worse defeat in our long 125 year history - a 9-1 defeat at Hamilton in the early 1980s. Funnily enough, we were managed by Dave Smith at the time, possibly our best ever manager!

A Peterhead website is carrying clips from Saturday's game - Diack's second goal is a cracker, sadly that is the only highlight from a Berwick point of view. And to add insult to injury, we will be losing Iain Diack to Brechin at the end of the season after the striker signed a pre-contract agreement at the weekend. Can it get any worse?

Yes - Robbie Henderson. Those that were at Peterhead report that he gave the worst 63 minutes of anyone in a Berwick shirt. When we signed him last week we were laughed at by varous Pollok/Stenny fans, where he had been a complete carthorse. He was sent off just after an hour in to the game.

Renwick is unsettling the defence with every game, chopping and changing players, bringing players in on month long loans and throwing in the likes of Andy McLean. Young Andy has done well for the Reserves this season, but if you are going to bring in 18 year olds, you need to gently ease them into the side. Not throw them in on the wrong foot and hope for the best.

What we need is a no frills defender who is comfortable on the ball and doesn't take risks. Someone like.......Steven Noble? Michael Renwick has relegated him to the stand since he took over in October. Steven was one of our most consistant players in our Championship season, yet when we need consistancy at the back, he is left out in the cold.

Does anyone know what is happening with Grant McNicoll? Letting him go in the summer has proved to be a massive mistake by Coughlin. We had heard that Grant would be interested in returning, but so far he hasn't. He isn't even back training with us, despite the rumours in November. I suppose it is too late in the day now anyway...

Personally I don't think that the situation we find ourselves in is all Renwick's fault, John Coughlin jumped ship as he knew this would happen. When we sold Danny to Dundee United, the Chairman said he would be making money available to the new manager, to strengthen in January. We have only really made loan signings and some of them have been on 30 day deals. Not the answer.

This season is a write-off, so there would be little point in spending cash now. What the fans DO want to hear is that there is some sort of plan in place for the next few years. If we knew things were going to get better - off and on the pitch - this disaster of a season wouldn't seem quite so bad.

Would you keep Renwick till the end of the season? Join the debate over at P&B.

Peterhead vs Berwick Rangers

Berwick make the lengthy journey north to Peterhead tomorrow, for the second time this season. We were there at the beginning of September when we were unlucky not to come away with any points in a 7 goal encounter.

Back then we were still under John Coughlin's reign and we all thought that we would recover from a bad start to the season. Four and a half months later and things have gone from bad to worse.

Michael Renwick will be forced to include players from the reserves, which is excellent for the reserve set-up, but realistically weakens the side he is able to field. Hawick youngster Andy McLean had a decent game at left back last week, despite his preferred foot being hid right. We may get a first look at defender Robbie Henderson who signed during the week.

My prediction: Peterhead 3-1 Berwick Rangers. They'll be a bit too strong for our watered down team.

Weather: Sunny, 6 degrees
Referee: Euan Norris
Bluesq: Peterhead 8/13, Draw 13/5, Berwick 7/2

Meet the Manager

The Supporters Club have arranged a talk-in with Michael Renwick. It takes place on Friday 15th February at the Black & Gold. These events have always been popular and give fans the opportunity to put the gaffer on the spot! The official website will carry more details soon.

Robbie Henderson Signs

We have signed defender Robbie Henderson from Junior side Pollock. His list of former clubs include Stenny, QOS, Raith, Kille and Leeds United. The official site also reports that we are looking to sign a striker from a First Division club in the next week or so.

Alloa Athletic 2-1 Berwick Rangers

Berwick Reserves at least made a game of it at Recreation Park on Saturday. With more or less an entire team out injured, the few Berwick fans that made the short journey struggled to put a name to faces.

Comparing the line up to the team only 8 weeks ago, only McLeish, Little, Smith and Diack are still present. Flockhart, McLean, Staunton, Murdoch, Farbairn, Coult, Anderson and Brydon are all names we either haven't seen feature for a while or new lads Renwick has drafted in. There was a place on the bench for Robbie Manson this week, although he was unused.

On Alloa' s plastic pitch, we started quite well with Lewis Coult coming close but Alloa soon got a grip of the game. And on 38 minutes they went ahead through Graeme Brown.

The Berwick youngesters did well but any hope of getting something out of the game ended with Wilson's goal in the 78th minute.

We got a consolation goal when Anderson (signed from Selkirk last week) pounched to knock the ball home.

We need to get some players back from injury if we are to stand any chance of staying up. It is looking bad. Who is going to Peterhead?