Alness United hire former boss to take charge of club for the second time in his career
ROBERT MacCormack said there was no hesitation in accepting the invitation to become manager of Alness United for the second time in his career.
MacCormack was officially unveiled as the new manager of Alness, with Paul Sangwin appointed as assistant manager at Dalmore Park.
Their appointment comes after the resignation of Robert Mitchell from the role after they finished in sixth place in the North Caledonian League.
MacCormack was previously manager of Alness United before leaving the club to become manager of Highland League club Strathspey Thistle in 2023.
He was at Seafield Park until he stood down from the position in March 2024.
He returned to the Alness coaching team working under Mitchell last season and says he is looking forward to holding the reins again.
He said: “I was helping Rob last season and he was brilliant for the club and it was a massive blow for them when he decided to go.
“After a chat with the club, we decided that I would give it another go.
“I am pleased Paul will be my assistant as he has been a good friend of mine, he is a good football guy with badges and qualifications. He was the first person that I spoke to and I am pleased that he has decided to come in with me.”
MacCormack says he enjoyed his time at Strathspey Thistle and says having the opportunity to be in charge of a Highland League club has made him a better coach.
“Going to Strathspey wasn’t the easiest job in the world, but I have learned a lot and it was an experience builder and I feel a better coach for doing it.”
Looking ahead to the North Caledonian League next season, MacCormack is determined to use the club’s successful youth system to give talented players the chance to play first team football.
He said: “Last season, we worked out only a handful of people who didn’t come through the youth system were in the squad.
“Success is measured in a lot of different ways, including playing the bulk of our players who come from the youth system.
“We want to be challenging for league and cups, Invergordon look like they will be a strong force for a few years along with Halkirk United. We want to be in the mix, but we also want to give a platform to young boys to play first team football.
“We had eight guys from the under-18’s from the squad this season and they will get an opportunity to play next season. We want to keep our squad as local as we can. We will also take in players from elsewhere, but the bulk of our squad will be made up from our youth system.”
