SHOTS have been heard within Borders East of Scotland football circles and this week it’s Hawick Royal Albert and newly appointed manager Graeme Chadwick who are right in the firing line, writes Fiona Scott.
At the beginning of the month Chadwick was sacked from his position as assistant manager at the Hawick club by then manager Lawrie Dunn. Two weeks later Chadwick stepped into the role of manager at Peebles Rovers after the shock departure of Stuart Robertson. Last weekend Dunn jumped before he was pushed from his Albert job following the team’s 5-1 defeat by Eyemouth (report, page 24).
This week Chadwick left Rovers after only two games and stepped into the role of manager at Albert Park.
And TheSouthern can reveal that Albert manager Graeme Paxton and three committee members have stood down also.
“The whole thing just stinks,” agreed Dunn and Peebles Rovers chairman Colin MacDonald.
Both are disappointed in the apparent lack of loyalty displayed by both the Albert Park club and former Easthouses player Chadwick.
Dunn told TheSouthern: “To be honest I’m glad to be out of it. The whole thing stinks.
“I was fully committed to the Albert and am sure I could have turned things around by the end of the season, but one or two of the committee were not willing to give me a chance, despite me having the backing of their chairman and other committee members. I have never come across anything like it before and sincerely hope that I never do again.”
MacDonald was equally scathing as he worked towards putting a new coaching team in place for the second time in a month.
“I gave Graeme [Chadwick] a chance and feel that he has thrown it back in my face,” he told us. “I feel let down and so do the players. Three of our players have already said that he has been trying to get them to go to play at Hawick. The whole thing just stinks.”
Peebles have not had their problems to seek this season with Whitestone Park unplayable and player registration issues cropping up. But MacDonald has managed to find another two coaches ahead of Saturday’s Alex Jack Cup tie at Ormiston.
He said: “Former Rovers players Dale McCall and Jason Girdwood have agreed to come on board. Both are looking to make a start in coaching and both have all the qualifications so we are going to give it a go. Both are keen as mustard and the players are all behind it, so we are moving on and putting this whole sorry mess behind us.”
As TheSouthern was going to print, we were unable to make contact with Chadwick but Royal Albert secretary Doug Purves commented: “Graeme applied for the job, which was advertised on the East of Scotland website, and has a wealth of experience in the East of Scotland leagues so the committee decided that he was the best man for the job.
“I was surprised that he applied so soon after joining Peebles but that’s football for you.”
Hawick play Berwick Rangers Reserves at home this weekend in a qualifying league tie.
In the first division, Gala Fairydean and Kelso are both at home to Easthouses Lily and Duns respectively.
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