Kenny Crawford
Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. Coughs; the UK property market; the Ford Focus.
Perhaps a portion of the more optimistic Alloa Athletic Football Club supporters uttered that line after their relegation to the Scottish Football League Division Three was confirmed, following a truly calamitous second half of the season collapse.
The club’s then-manager, Allan Maitland, had seen his plans for turning the Wasps into a full-time Division One side do an about turn. Ironically, it was only in the first half of the 2010/11 season that Maitland was batting off questions from certain quarters about whether he would be tempted if a bigger club were to come calling for his services.
Ultimately however, Alloa and Maitland’s paths diverged. Chairman Mike Mulraney put his thinking cap on for a week or so, while the usual suspects from the Scottish lower league unemployed managers’ association put their names forward for the vacant role.
The eyes of loyal Athletic fans rolled as they anticipated the least appetising of appointments, yet Mulraney had his eye on the specials board all along.
News of the unveiling of former Scotland international Paul Hartley may not have sent shockwaves through the property market, and probably would not have prompted a loss of control over a Ford Focus either, but it might have brought about the emission of a sudden small cough from those who liked to think they were in the know about Scottish football.
This was altogether fresh, left-field, out-of-the-box thinking. In Hartley, Alloa had captured a respected senior player of international standard; one who is eager to take successful baby steps in management.
It was a blow to Aberdeen manager Craig Brown, who was grateful to have such a steady and influential calibre of player at Pittodrie amidst a period of real transition. Needless to say though, Brown still gave Hartley his blessing, understanding the ex-Hearts, Celtic and Bristol City man’s desire to embark on a coaching career.
Probably the most pertinent question posed to Hartley was in relation to whether he realised exactly what he had bitten off, and if whether would really be able to chew it? After all, the 34-year-old’s career has been entirely in the full-time arena, whereas at Alloa his eyes will be opened to the starkest realities of the part-time football environment. Not only that, but the club’s fans were in turmoil over relegation and, on joining, Hartley would discover only one player had been officially retained for the 2011/12 campaign.
Unfazed, Hartley gave out positive sound bytes: Alloa are a forward thinking club; the chairman is ambitious and supportive; everyone has to start somewhere; the contact book will be utilised in the sourcing of new players – the right type of players.
Those right types required for squad rebuilding at Recreation Park are arriving slowly but surely.
Most notably Darren Young, a 32-year-old combative midfielder who has spent the majority of his career in the Scottish Premier League with Aberdeen and Dunfermline, although most recently with Dundee and Greenock Morton in Division One. The contact book link here, no doubt, would have been Darren’s brother, Derek, who played alongside Hartley last season at Pittodrie. Young will coast in Division Three.
Another interesting addition is striker Armand One. The ungainly Frenchman has led a journeyman career at Scottish clubs ever since leaving Nantes as a youngster, but scored an impressive 22 goals with fellow Division Three club Stranraer last season.
Elsewhere, Hartley has also been busy acquiring accredited coaching qualifications, attending the UEFA B Licence course in Largs along with the likes of ex-Everton star Duncan Ferguson.
Surely, now, things can only get better for Alloa.
Photo courtesy: Alan Streavans
