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Press and Journal
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Highland League: Connor Scully on why he's joined Formartine United
Connor Scully is aiming to win trophies with new club Formartine United after ending his success-laden stint with Cove Rangers. The 32-year-old has spent 16 years at Cove and was offered a new contract, but has opted return to the Breedon Highland League with United. With Cove, Scully won the Highland League four times, the R Davidson (Banchory) Highland League Cup three times and the Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cup and Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield once. The midfielder also helped the Aberdeen side gain promotion to the SPFL in 2019, win the League Two title in 2020 and the League One title two years later. Explaining why he's decided to join Formartine, Scully said: 'I've known the manager Stuart Anderson for a long time. When he laid out the ambitions for the club, that impressed me and that was why I decided to go to Formartine. 'We want to be higher up in the league after where the club finished last season (eighth). 'The manager wants to be pushing as high up the league as possible, I'm a winner at heart, so I'd say I want to win the league with Formartine. 'I've won it four times with Cove, so I'd really like to win it again with Formartine and hopefully we can also do well in the cups. 'I've been used to winning things at Cove, so I'd like to continue that with Formartine. 'I'm at a good age, I'm still fit and feel I can contribute. I'll try to help the boys at Formartine as best I can. 'It feels like the right time to take on a new challenge and I'm happy to be coming back into the Highland League.' In total Scully made 567 appearances for Cove and also received a testimonial in 2023. Reflecting on his time at the Balmoral Stadium, he added: 'It was a tough decision to leave – looking back I've got so many great memories. 'I've made a lot of good friends, the fans always supported me throughout my time and were fantastic with me. 'Everyone at the club has been brilliant with me. I'm proud of what I achieved at Cove. 'It's a fantastic club and I'm sorry to be leaving, but I feel like I'm ready for a fresh challenge. 'The travelling involved in playing in the Scottish League was taking its toll because I have a young family. 'I'll give the same level of commitment to Formartine, but there is less travelling in the Highland League. It is that bit more local. 'My time at Cove was always going to end at some point. This is the time and I leave on good terms.'
Press and Journal
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
Highland League digest: Fraserburgh management sign extensions while Clachnacuddin tie up key man
Manager Mark Cowie says he is hungry to deliver more success for Fraserburgh after he and assistant manager James Duthie signed contract extensions. The duo, who are the longest-serving management team in the Breedon Highland League, have put pen to paper on deals until the summer of 2029. Since their appointment in April 2015 Cowie and Duthie have led the Broch to the Breedon Highland League title, four Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cups and four Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shields. Cowie hopes there are more good days ahead, and said: 'We're on the cusp of a transition or a rebuild of our squad in the years to come and it would maybe have been easy for James and I to walk away. 'But we've still got the fire in our belly to oversee that and to continue doing the job and trying to make the club as successful as we can. 'We're delighted we'll be at Fraserburgh for years to come.' Preparing for the future Looking ahead, Cowie is preparing for a time when some of Fraserburgh's stalwarts decide to hang up their boots. But he is confident the Bellslea outfit can continue to challenge for silverware as new faces come into the fold. He added: 'We need to make sure we're pushing on the next generation of players and we've already started doing that. 'We've got guys like Willie West, Bryan Hay, Jamie Beagrie, Paul Young and Scott Barbour who I love to bits and who have been a massive part of the success the club has had. 'There will come a day when they're no longer playing, but they're as hungry as ever. Mark Cowie has won nine trophies as Fraserburgh manager. 'When you're getting towards the end of your time, it makes you more determined to be successful – and they're putting in more than ever before to try to be successful. 'I don't think they're at the end yet. They've still got a few more good years ahead of them. 'We want the club to continue being successful, so to do that we need to set the standards and the players need follow them. 'It's our job to make sure that new players that come to the club and youngsters that come through achieve what they're capable of. 'The club has been really good to me. I was a nobody 10 years ago who threw my hat into the ring for the job. 'The club gave me the job and a lot of trust has been placed in me during the last 10 years and there's more trust being placed in me with this contract extension. 'I want to give back to the club, I'll be doing my best for the club and hopefully it can be a good period for us.' Banks o' Dee trio sign on Meanwhile, Banks o' Dee have announced Lachie MacLeod, Mark Gilmour and Magnus Watson have signed contract extensions. The trio have enjoyed plenty of success in both the Junior and Highland League ranks during their time at Spain Park. As part of their new deals striker MacLeod and midfielder Gilmour are set to receive testimonials as they close in on a decade of service in the first-team. Midfielder Watson has broken through in recent years and returned to action towards the end of the season after a long spell on the sidelines. Key business for Clachnacuddin Conor Gethins reckons securing James Anderson on a new contract is a massively important piece of business for Clachnacuddin. The striker, who netted 23 goals in the 2024-25 season, only had a year left on his deal, but has penned an extension to stay with the Lilywhites beyond the summer of 2026. After finishing sixth in the Breedon Highland League, manager Gethins reckons it's crucial the likes of Anderson remain at Grant Street if Clach are to progress again next term. Gethins said: 'I think it's a massively important piece of business to keep a goalscorer like James. James Anderson has committed his future to Clach. 'There's been quite a significant bit of interest in James over the last year. 'He finished the season really strongly and when I spoke to him about the season, being honest he didn't really kick into gear until November. 'We challenged him to get fitter and give us more. He really kicked on and finished the season really well. 'I think it's important that Clach aren't going to be a feeder club for other teams. 'Yes Connor Bunce moved on this season, but we got a former Highland League player of the year in Andrew Macrae joining us as part of the deal. 'We want to push on as high as we can as a club so it's important we retain players like James.' Natural goalscorer knack Anderson has notched more than 50 goals for Clach, but Gethins believes the best is yet to come from the 23-year-old and has challenged him to continue delivering for the Inverness outfit in the years ahead. He added: 'I think we're stronger now than we were a year ago and I don't see why James can't score 20 goals plus every season. 'James is a natural goalscorer and that's something you can't really coach. 'Yes you can coach movement and positioning, but you can't coach that knack of being a natural goalscorer and James has that knack. 'I want James to have the mentality of expecting to score in every game he plays and hopefully I can help him with that.'
