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?

Alloa Athletic vs Berwick Rangers

We return to Recreation Park three weeks after our last visit for take two of Alloa vs Berwick. Our game there on 22nd December was abandoned in the second half due to freezing fog. We were losing 2-1 at the time, so we are lucky to have a second bite of the cherry tomorrow. Both sides are out of the Scottish Cup, so it made sense to re-arrange the fixture for tomorrow.


We are really starting to struggle now, with Renwick even admitting that he thinks we are probably down already! Recently we have been without the likes of Stuart Fraser, Gary Wood and Gary O'Connor, which has meant starting places for some of Renwick's new breed. Lewis Coult and Andy McLean have both stepped up from the reserves, whilst new additions Stuart Murdoch, Mark Staunton (both from Falkirk), Brian Fairbairn (from Alloa) and emergency signing Kevin Davison all featured over the festive period.

Those that are carrying injuries aren't showing any signs of a speedy return, with Gary Wood out for the season and Stuart Fraser currently nursing a broken ankle. If we were relying on having luck on our side to stay up, we might as well start planning for a return to the 3rd right now!

Alloa are in a good position just now and will be looking to cement a play-off place. We on the other hand could go 11 points adrift of Ayr if they win the game in hand they will have over us after Saturday.

My prediction: Alloa Athletic 2-0 Berwick Rangers, we never do well at Alloa.

Referee: David Somers
Bluesq: Alloa 4/7, Draw 13/5, Berwick 4/1
Weather: Cloudy but dry, 4 degrees

Renwick: We are down

Gaffer gives up the ghost...

The Newcastle Journal ran with some interesting quotes from Michael Renwick, following Saturday's 2-2 draw with Brechin...

After watching his Borderers battle back to earn a point with two late goals against Brechin at Shielfield Park, Renwick admitted “Looking at the league table at this stage you would say that Rangers are relegated. The aim now is for the players I have to try and enjoy their football and pick up as many points as possible and if we do get off the bottom then that will be all well and good but I am now looking ahead.

“If that means bringing in young players who are keen to do their best for Berwick Rangers then so be it, that’s what will happen. In fact that actually interests me more than the older players who are on their way down the footballing ladder and might only be using the club to see out their days because in my view there is no future in that”.

Renwick had nothing but praise for his makeshift team, adding: “We really are suffering more than most from injuries most of which are long term. The situation has been aggravated by bad injuries to both Gary Wood who has a fractured cheekbone and Stuart Fraser who broke his ankle at Ayr and to add to that now Scott Gemmill is suffering from an old hip injury which could keep him out for some time.”

Normal Service Resumed!

Well I hope you all had a good break, I know I did! I struggled to keep the blog up to date over the festive period, mainly because they don't have Internet access in Barrels, The Brown Bear, Foxtons etc etc! Back to Earth with a bump this morning.

So what did I miss on the Blog over the festive period?

Alloa Away (Sat 22nd) - a few of us made the trip up for this one. At first we were under the impression that there is a new train route to Alloa from Edinburgh. Wrong! The new route isn't in operation until May, which meant a train to Edinburgh and a change for Stirling before a taxi to Alloa! And for what? A game abandoned half way through the second half. It was the right decision though, we were standing on the terracing and couldn't see the main stand on the other side. A-A (they'll try again this Saturday)

Raith Rovers at Home (Boxing Day) - I managed to update the blog after this match. A great result, showing we are capable of getting results. 2-1

Airdrie Utd at Home (Sat 29th) - we were 4-0 down after half an hour and it looked like it could be more. We got a grip of the game after half time and Danny Swanson scored a penaly in his last game for the club before Diack added another. It wasn't enough, the damage was done. 2-4

Ayr United Away (Sat 2nd) - as a result of the New Years day festivities, I managed to miss this one. I had planned to get the 9.22 train, but, erm, didn't. By all accounts we were well beaten, just as we were in August. An injury to Gary O saw Flockhart keep goal, while 49 year old goalkeeping coach John Martin was registered as a player so he could be named on the bench.

Brechin City at Home (Sat 5th) - this was a strange sort of match. Brechin looked like quite a poor side and were there for the taking. Despite this, we found ourselves 2-0 down in an hour or so. Ian Diack got us two late goals to earn us a point.

So where does all that leave us? Rooted to the bottom of the league, 8 points behind 9th placed Ayr. And with a tough next 6 games, it is looking grim.

Sat 12th - Alloa Ath (A)
Sat 19th - Peterhead (A)
Sat 26th - Raith Rovers (A)
Sat 2nd - Cowdenbeath (H)
Sat 9th - Queen's Park (A)
Sat 16th - Ross County (H)