Graham Tatters expects "succession" to his Elgin City chairman position as Borough Briggs club finds difficulties on and off the pitch
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On the back of their worst-ever result, Elgin City have problems to sort off the pitch as well as on it.
Club chairman Graham Tatters has highlighted the club's recruitment difficulties, both in attracting players and new board members.
Elgin produced probably the most embarrassing defeat in their 130-year history on Saturday, a crushing 6-0 defeat at East of Scotland League Jeanfield Swifts in the Scottish Cup.
The Black and Whites are also bottom of League 2 and facing the real prospect of being relegated back to the Highland League.
With the club in crisis, Tatters insists no-one is looking for hiding places and everyone must tackle the challenges head-on,
The 74-year-old knows that he will eventually have to retire from his position at the head of the Borough Briggs boardroom, with fellow director Cecil Jack - a sprightly figure still at the age of 80 - also unlikely to be considered a long-term prospect for City at committee level.
"We are all getting old, that’s the fundamental problem," he said.
"Cecil is 80 and I’m 74 and we need to consider succession, that is one of the main things.
"Our infrastructure is second to none. The pitch is looking terrific just now and Cecil does a great job.
"But how much long can he keep going - and can I keep going? My circumstances have changed drastically in the last few months and there are things we need to take into consideration.
"We want to bring fresh faces in who are really passionate about it and see what they can bring to the table."
As for matters on the field, Tatters admits City face a "serious problem" in trying to lure good quality players from further south in the current Scottish football climate, with more and more Central Belt clubs emerging from the junior ranks with the finance and ambition to progress.
"We are back to where we are with what we said last season and the season before, with the way that everybody sees the SPFL as a panacea," he said.
"All these clubs down south, the leading juniors are working their way up through the West of Scotland to the Lowland League and they are all desperate to get in.
"They are offering deals to all the ex-pros that you thought you might have got up here in the past. In years gone by we've recruited players like Paul Kaczan, Allan Dempsie, Jamie McKenzie from the Glasgow area.
"These types of players are all playing Lowland League now. They don’t want to come up here.
"Peterhead suffered from it last season and they have managed to turn the corner for now.
"It is a major problem for us. Nobody here is trying to dilute it, it’s a fact that we know exactly where we stand. The last thing you want is to be bottom of the league and facing a play-off.
"When you see the way East Kilbride are going and the quality they have, you don’t want to be in a play-off with them or Brechin City. So we need to get out of that Club 42 situation."
Tatters said manager Barry Smith, who replaced previous boss Ross Draper after just nine games in charge this season, knew from the start how big a challenge he faced at the Borough Briggs helm.
"He is desperately trying but no matter how good his pedigree is and how good a manager he is, he can only work with the tools he’s got and he’s trying his best with that.
"We've had players injured and out sick, and we couldn't play our Ross County players on Saturday. We can’t bring anybody in unless its free agents and we are trying to find some.
"You can’t bring in any more loan deals, the five are used up so it is what it is until Christmas.
"We have discussed it, the manager is out there looking now but even at Christmas there’s no guarantee unless someone really wants to leave their club.
"Circumstances arise and you make decisions and you have to deal with it. There’s no hiding places, that’s for certain, especially with social media. You’ve got to face up to it, it is what it is.
"I can’t give the fans any sort of statement that everything is sweetness and light. They are not daft. We’ve got very intelligent fans and they are not going to be hoodwinked with me making statements that I cannot substantiate.
"The bottom line is, it’s not good right now. We are trying our best but we can’t move with what we haven’t got."
Tatters said funds will be made available to Smith when the transfer window re-opens in January.
"Yes I’m certain there will be. That will be one of the things we will be doing, putting a package together, ready for him to make sure he’s got something going for him.
"There’s no magic wand. We’ve got to find the players that are available and then try to attract them to Elgin. When you are sitting at the bottom of the league it’s not such an attractive prospect.
"I believe we can stay in the SPFL. The bottom line is we’ve got to give it our best efforts, persevere and hope that things turn around and that players become available in January.
"Geography is against us, it is what it is and we’ve just got to deal with it. We’ve dealt with it before and we’ve got to make sure that we are not club 42 at the end of the season.
"Nothing else matters except that."
