Deveronvale manager Craig Stewart highlights shortage of players as well as people behind the scenes at the Princess Royal Park club following Saturday's 6-0 defeat to Turriff United
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DEVERONVALE slumped to our of their lowest-ever points on Saturday, prompting manager Craig Stewart has issued a call for help to the local community.
Injury-ravaged Vale crashed to a 6-0 home defeat to a Turriff United side winning for only the third time this season, including both meetings with Vale.
Regarded as one of the shock results of the Highland League season, it provided no great surprise for Stewart who missed the match due to Covid issues.
The exasperated Vale manager has seen his squad decimated by injury and was forced to blood untried youngsters in their first taste of Highland League football.
He feels the problem stems not only from a shortage of players but a lack of helpers within the club, and is urging the people of Banffshire to lend their support.
“It’s the worst feeling in the world having your hands tied behind your back and not being able to do anything about it,” he said.
“Some people locally don’t get it, even the position the club is in where we have a small group of helpers.
“It’s all very well people complaining about it but we don’t seem to have anyone offer to help the club, which is what we badly need right now.
With coach Kevin Stewart and under-18s coach Colin Shirreffs in charge, the Banff club found themselves on the receiving end of Turriff’s best result in years.
“The injury list and bodies we’ve got missing is ridiculous,” said Stewart. “I’ve never experienced it in all my time as player or manager.
“You are throwing in 17 and 18 year olds and your team is made up of youth. It’s really not fair for them.
“People locally don’t get it, they just see a result and they don’t know about how many bodies we have out.
“We are actually risking players by playing them. Robbie Allan coming back had ended up pulling up in the second half and it looks like he’s going to be out for a wee while.
“We had Kyle Willox who just rolled out of his bed after having Covid. We were forced to play Rory Davidson, who hasn’t played for weeks and weeks and only trained during the week for the first time.
“It’s not a case of feeling sorry for ourselves, it is just facts. We can’t let ourselves have any self-pity but it is different if you have some experience to help the young boys, but we are just full of young boys at the minute.”
Vale blooded kids like Kayden Bradford, Jay Goldie and Antonio Jam from their youth team, but were soon swept aside by a slick Turriff.
The home side had stopper Aaron Hamilton sent off after 25 minutes, by which time they were already 2-0 down.
Hamilton will be added to the list of absentees when Vale make the trip to Keith next Saturday, as will the young players who are expected to be on duty for the club's under-18s team.
"It’s been a horrendous run of luck, we are getting no breaks whatsoever," Stewart added.
Vale fans have vented their fury at the recent bad run of results on social media.
The manager responded by saying there are ways that supporters can back the club in their hour of need.
"I see other clubs round about us with the amount of committee and helpers they have and various things going on, and there is a lot of envy.
"We can charge on with the people we’ve got because they do a great job keeping the club running, but the frustration comes from people who don’t seem to understand the situation and want to have their say about it.
"At no point do they want to say ‘what do you need help with as a club?’ but the fact is we need more people involved.
"When things are going well you don’t look at it as much, you just soldier on. But when you are struggling a wee bit, that’s when you do reflect and look at things.
It’s definitely one of the lowest points the Vale have been at.
"People don’t realise the amount of work that the chairman puts in and other committee about the place, just to keep it going.
"Yes, there are clubs in similar positions but we are very tight at the moment in terms of a lot of things round about.
"Having helpers and getting the buzz going again will make a big difference to the club."
