Cambuslang Rugby Club president John McLaughlin says he owes it to the club’s players not to rush into appointing their new head coach.
Gavin Blackburn stepped down a fortnight ago to take up the post at National League 2 side Dumfries Saints, having not only saved Cambuslang from relegation, but landed them in a respectable position.
It has left Cambus in a tricky position as they get set to host Ardrossan in their West League 1 opener on September 3.
But McLaughlin said: “We are disappointed to see Gavin go, but we’d never step in the way of anybody’s ambitions. The timing could have been better for us, but we wish him all the best for his future.
“Gavin galvanised the team last season at a time when we needed it, and that was the impetus we required to allow us to stay up in West 1.
“He understands the game very well, he’s quite a tactician, he’s played and coached at a very high level, and we were delighted when he came on board. It was just a pity that we couldn’t have got another season out of him.”
There have been notes of interest in the job, and McLaughlin says investment in the club means it is a viable option – but he won’t make any hasty decisions.
“At the minute we’ve had a couple of people interested, but nothing that has progressed to an offer as yet,” he said.
“We are avidly looking for the right person, but I’m not in a hurry to make quick decisions.
“The boys deserve a bit more. They’ve given their all and they’ve committed to this season, in what is a relatively young team.
“I need to get the right character and the right candidate to come in.
“We have decent resources now that allow us to invest in not just the facility but the coaching staff, so from that point of view we should be getting looked at as quite a viable opportunity for the right person.”
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