Elgin City manager Allan Hale

Highland News & Media

Allan Hale praises the Elgin City effort to reach the SPFL League 1 play-offs.

Transcript

00:00Right, Alan, you're in the playoffs. Give me your reaction to that.

00:04Yeah, just proud. Unbelievably proud for being our first full season.

00:09You know, the turnaround that we made in the summer with the recruitment.

00:12And, you know, I can't remember how many was it, nine or nine players that came in.

00:16And look, this group of players have been written off pretty much since day one of pre-season.

00:20Everyone's wrote them off. Everyone.

00:22I think we were tipped by the bookies to finish eighth, I think it was.

00:25We were tipped by the pundits to be down there in a relegation battle again.

00:30With an unbelievable start of the season, you know, broke the club record.

00:35Fourth round of the Scottish Cup.

00:36Been in the top four all season and we're going to remain there now.

00:40Which I don't know if an elegant team's done that before, but it's so difficult to do that in such a tight league.

00:44But the fact that we've been in the top four all season highlights just how impressive

00:48and how talented this group have been and the results that we've picked up along the way.

00:53And every question that's been asked of them, you know, the unbeaten run, you know,

00:57people started to turn against us and question everything that we were trying to do

01:00and the identity that we had.

01:02And, you know, we had a few bad runs and even when we then won a couple of games

01:07and lost a couple again, it was the same again, you know.

01:10But these group of players just, they don't know to give up.

01:12It's not in their DNA. It's not in their nature.

01:14It's not in the identity of what we're building here.

01:17And I'm just so delighted for everyone connected to the club.

01:21You know, the board deserve so much credit.

01:23You know, they backed me massively in the summer in terms of identifying the players that we could come in.

01:29But the way that they've improved the club behind the scenes

01:31and the way that we've all as a football club, you know, internally came together

01:35speaks volumes about the place.

01:37And I'm so delighted for the supporters as well.

01:40You know, they've had three years of, you know, pain, if you like, bad moments.

01:44And then to reward them with finishing in the playoffs is really good.

01:49I'm delighted. I'm proud.

01:50But, you know, now the challenge is on us.

01:52There's no pressure on us because no one is going to expect Elgin City to win the playoffs.

01:56You know, every team will be looking at Elgin and thinking that we'll be the team that everybody wants to play.

02:01And, you know, if people think that way, then that's fine.

02:04But I think our squad have shown enough through the course of the season

02:06that on our day we're a match for any team.

02:09And that's including teams in the league above.

02:11You know, we beat Kelty a couple of times this season who were top of league one at the time.

02:15So we know on our day we're a really talented side.

02:17And, you know, with this crowd, you know, if we can turn out in our numbers

02:21and get the atmosphere the way that's been again the last couple of weeks,

02:23then, you know, this will be a really difficult place for teams to come.

02:27So our job's not done.

02:29But, you know, the incentive's there now.

02:31You know, we're in the playoffs and we've got a chance to go make history,

02:33which, you know, no one needs any more incentive than that.

02:35And, you know, to play as well as we did today, I guess,

02:38the Surnar team who, you know, have had an outstanding second half of the season

02:42since Chris has came in and taken over.

02:44I think Surnar's been one of the most consistent teams, I think, in the league too.

02:48So it was a real test for us today and they made it really difficult.

02:51But we showed the moments of quality where it mattered and we got the win.

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