Buckie break transfer record for Chisholm
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BUCKIE Thistle have paid a club record £16,000 transfer fee to take Deveronvale stopper Mark Chisholm to Victoria Park on a four-year contract.
The 32-year-old defender ended his 12-year stint with Vale by completing the deal yesterday (Thursday) with his hometown club, who he played two matches for as a teenager at the start of his career.
Jags’ chairman Mark Duncan was delighted to finally get his man, who he said was the only player for whom he would have sanctioned such a big fee.
“The club wouldn’t have pushed the boat out this far for any player bar him. In my nine-and-a-half years at the club, Mark is the one player we have wanted to bring to Buckie Thistle.
“He was an exceptional player for Deveronvale, and the fact that he’s a local loon is a big part of why we wanted to sign him.”
‘Chis’ told the ‘Northern Scot’ he wants to help Jags to their third straight Highland League flag to make up for the hurt of losing out to his new club at Victoria Park in last season’s title decider with Vale.
“That was a disappointing day for me, but being a Buckie loon and seeing family, friends and people I knew from school celebrating, and my home ‘toon’ winning the title, it was not a good feeling.
“Now I just hope I can win it with Buckie.
“I feel I’m joining one of the best teams in the league. They’ve won back-to-back titles which is a really difficult thing to do, and I’m coming here with the view to challenging for more titles and trophies with them.”
The £16,000 fee may come as a surprise to Buckie fans at a time when the club was believed to be trimming its costs, but president Duncan insists it is money well spent.
“It has been funded by the Board, and the financial situation at the club remains as it was,” he said. “We are still trying to keep a tight ship with regards to spending money.
“But when a player like this does become available, we’re ambitious so we’ll do everything we can to get him.”
“When you speak to the supporters, the one player they’ve been harping on about to get here is Mark Chisholm and we’re all looking forward to seeing him play in the hoops.”
For full story, see Friday's Northern Scot
