Football Focus Issue 81 | Page 72

Berwick Rangers FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/FOOTYFOCUSMAG Berwick Rangers FOOTBALL CLUB Berwick Rangers FC is a fine example of a club that does a superb job of representing the local community. Football Focus Magazine recently caught up with their Chairman Dennis McCleary to find out more about how they have been getting along lately. Atmosphere He told us, “The mood is cautiously optimistic for most people, and we’re determined to look forward and bring more positive times on and off the field. Of course, clubs are judged on results, and our points tally so far has rattled a few fans, but we feel that we’ve got a good management team in place to address that.” Present “We’ve had a difficult start to the season and of course would have welcomed a few more points, especially from our home games, but we’re still a work in progress. Off field issues had an effect on transfer activity, so we’re playing catch-up with our competitors and that’s a tricky issue to overcome given the limited resources at our disposal.” Youth “We’ve tried to keep engaged with SFL and SPFL youth developments for some years now, with first U17, then U19, U20 and now Reserve Leagues. It’s not easy, as we’ve extremely limited resources to commit to it. All our Reserve (formerly u-20 Development League) players are amateurs, and the effort they put in is tremendous, with lads travelling from as far afield as Perth to play for Berwick – that’s 90 miles away! Our volunteer Coaches set that example – they’re hugely committed individuals that spend most of their free time watching players, identifying future targets and getting the side prepared for SPFL Reserve League fixtures.” Integration “We’ve had one player become a First-Team regular this year, and hope this sends the message out that opportunities are there at Berwick. All too often the talent a young player has is let down by questionable attitude. They’ve got to have the desire to do well in football and really apply themselves, but we find that many players are content to play at a level well below what they’re capable of. That’s frustrating, and local fans always feel we could do more to promote local talent, but they’ve got to want it as much as their rivals.” Proud sponsors of Berwick Rangers FC GEOTECHNICAL SITE INVESTIGATION SPECIALISTS • Cable Percussive • Window Sampling & Dynamic Probing • Gas & Ground Water Monitoring • Vacuum Excavation • Coring • Trial & Hard Piting • CBR Testing • Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Telephone: 07541 553837 Email: [email protected] Website: www.vcdrilling.co.uk 72 Issue 81