Exit leaves Thistle boss unfazed

Apr 29 2009 by Paul Thomson, East Kilbride News

Exit leaves boss unfazed

ALAN McCrae insists wanting a change of scenery prompted his exit from East Kilbride Thistle – but admits he didn’t see eye-to-eye with Jags boss Colin Mitchell.

The 28-year-old left the Showpark last week to join Cambuslang Rangers and he told the News things hadn’t been quite the same for him since former boss John Brogan quit the club last summer.

He said: “I just wanted a change really. I’ve been at the club for two years and things have just come to an end for me here.

“I don’t want to say too much but I didn’t get on very well with Colin Mitchell and I really don’t know if I would be involved in his plans if I had stayed anyway. We weren’t getting on well but that happens in football sometimes.

“I’ve enjoyed my time at Thistle but I was really disappointed when John Brogan left the club because I always knew where I stood with John and he was really good with me.

“The players have been great as well, especially when I wasn’t very well last year, and my greatest moment here has got to be when I scored from kick-off after five seconds. That was amazing.

“But I wish them all the best for the league – I know they are going to stay up now – and with Cambuslang going up to division one maybe I’ll face them next season.”

Boss Colin Mitchell wouldn’t go as far as to say he and McCrae were the best of buddies.

He added: “Alan wanted more time on the pitch but I couldn’t do that recently because the team was doing so well. He spoke to (assistant boss) Ian Penman last week and then Ian told me Alan had left the club, so he never said anything to me about it.

“The team’s been playing well and there are lots of players doing well for themselves so I couldn’t put Alan in before them. But I wish him all the best at his new club.”