Annan to concentrate on SFL activities

May 15 2009 by Craig Robertson, Dumfries Standard Friday

ANNAN Athletic are to drop their South of Scotland League side.

It’s part of an ambitious move by the Galabankies to spread their wings even further as an SFL club.

And as the South side goes, a team will be launched to play in the Third Division reserve league along with an SFL U19 squad.

Chairman Henry McClelland says it is part of Annan’s long-term plan to build a sustainable future.

He told the Standard: “We are pulling the team out of the South League and putting a team into the SFL reserve league and we are looking to develop an under -19s team to set the foundations for the future of the club and to give the youth of the area a chance to get involved in the SFL.

“We have appointed Mark Turner as head of youth development and through time we will be looking to get all our youth teams in the SFL initiative which is a higher standard.

“But we will dip our feet in the water with the under-19s for now.”

Annan’s season rolled to a finish on Saturday with the 3-1 defeat from Dumbarton at Galabank but the work behind the scenes won’t stop.

“Our plans for the club will continue through the close season,” said McClelland.

“We will get into the first phase on widening the pitch and there will be an amenity block created for the away supporters.

“We also have an extra piece of land at the bottom end of the ground which we can tidy up.

“We need to continue to improve the ground to the SFL and SFA requirements, that will come first but there will also be resources available for the manager.”

A list of players who are leaving the club is being drawn up and rumours have already started circulating on who may come in.

One of those is Annan-lad Andy Aitken who was released by Queen of the South this week.

McClelland said: “I have heard those rumours but there has been no discussions with Andy, as up until this week he was still contracted with Queens.

“But I would be delighted if we could get someone like him.

“We are not going to rush into anything, we will wait until the dust settles and sit down and discuss what we need.

“The fans will be expecting an even better season next year and we don’t want to suffer that second season syndrome.”