Daily Record

East Kilbride Thistle boss: New deal will bring stability to Showpark

Daily Record logoDaily Record 2/04/2021 07:00:00 Paul Thomson

East Kilbride Thistle boss Iain Diack believes signing a new two-year deal at the Showpark will help bring some stability to the club.

Last week Lanarkshire Live Sport revealed Diack was on the verge of committing his future to the Jags, and on Saturday he signed an extension until June 2023, along with assistant manager Kevin Coyle.

Diack joined the club just over a year ago at the tail end of the 2019/20 campaign, but took charge of just one game before the pandemic hit and cancelled the season.

The same fate hit Thistle again this season with the new West of Scotland League deemed null and void amid the continuing crisis.

But with light at the end of the tunnel and hope of a regular season in the 2021/22 campaign, Diack is delighted to be staying.

He said: "I'm really happy with it. Since Kevin and I have come in, we have been working hard behind the scenes to raise the standards at the club.

a group of people holding a sign posing for the camera: Diack and his coaching team when he was appointed in March 2020 © East Kilbride NewsDiack and his coaching team when he was appointed in March 2020

"With the work of Brian McMullan [chairman], Garry O'Hanlon and Kris Mackinnon [committee members], it has been slowly getting there.

"The club see the work we are trying to do and what we are putting in place.

"We are setting achievable goals - we are not reaching for the stars or anything - we are just trying, bit by bit, to make the club better. They've responded positively to us and vice-versa.

"So this [deal] has been put in place to show there is a commitment from both parties there.

"It's not ideal if there is a manager out of contract every year, there's never that stability, so that has come into it and it's great for all involved."

a group of young men playing a game of frisbee on a football field: The Jags hope to return to training in the next couple of months © Iain DiackThe Jags hope to return to training in the next couple of months

Diack is already planning for next season and confirmed Thistle will take part in the EKYM Angus McConnell Memorial Summer League, which is planned to take place during June and July.

He added: "It will be an EK 11 we put in because it will overlap with the start of next season for us, so we will probably play the first part of it and handover to other players.

"Guys have missed too much football and the sooner we can get back the better.

"It will help us in terms of fitness.

"Last year wasn't ideal because of Covid and we found it very difficult to get pitches and teams for friendlies.

"I think we played three friendlies before the start of the season and we'd normally play double that before starting back."

Follow Lanarkshire Live Sport on Twitter via @LanLiveSport, like us on Facebook or find us on Instagram for the latest sports news, pictures and video

vendredi 2 avril 2021 10:00:00 Categories: Daily Record

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