Elgin City monthly double for October
The Black & Whites scoop Ladbrokes player and manager of the month awards in League Two
Elgin City manager Jim Weir has been rewarded for his squad’s outstanding form during the month, having won four of their five matches in total, including a thumping 5-0 win away at Montrose.
Weir said: “I've got a cracking backroom team with Gavin Price and Stevie Dunn. It's not just that, I've got the physios working away and the staff at the club give great support to the directors"
“It's an award to the club. I'd rather say that it's an Elgin City award for the team of the month or the club of the month rather than the Manager of the Month. That's the way it should be.”
Their run of strong form propelled Elgin up to second in League Two and they've managed to remain there despite the 2-1 defeat to Clyde last weekend.
Weir is determined for his team to stay grounded despite their lofty position, he added: “Forfar got a brilliant start and Gary Bollan is a great manager"
"They were suffering a wee spell that every club probably suffers, but they will come through it. A good thing for us at that time is we managed to capitalise and close what was a difficult gap"
“Things can change very quickly in football and I'm well aware of that and we just have to concentrate now on the job and look to hit our own targets"
“We know that it’s a very tough league, it's tougher than it was last year, but I feel that we've grown and we've kept the majority of the players so we are maybe a wee bit more experienced"
“This year we've got as good a chance as anybody to push towards the top half of the table and next year we are either in the title hunt or we are in the play-off hunt. That's the target.”
Shane Sutherland meanwhile has been named Ladbrokes League Two Player of the Month for October, with the striker insisting his new-found maturity is behind his blistering form.
Having had two spells with Elgin earlier in his career, the 26-year-old decided to depart for pastures new by signing for Peterhead back in 2015, but returned to Borough Briggs for a third stint last summer.
Since re-joining the Black & Whites, Sutherland has been at the top of his game, scoring 9 goals in 18 appearances so far this season.
Sutherland said: “I've grown up and the older you get, and the year away playing with arguably better players like Rory McAllister, with his goal-scoring exploits, you've got lot learn a few bits off him"
“In general terms I’ve grown up as a person and hopefully on the park as well I've matured a bit of my game.
“I am becoming a dad in December and it puts an outlook on life that there's more important things than football to go home and worry about"
“There's more things becoming a part of my life now that will be my priority, so maybe that's part of it"
"I can relax on the pitch now knowing that's not the biggest pressure - that bringing up this kid will be the biggest pressure and maybe I can relax a bit more.”