Bonnyrigg Rose legend Robbie Horn opens up on departure and what the future holds

Former Bonnyrigg Rose manager Robbie Horn

Nonetheless, the former Bonnyrigg Rose boss, who steered the club up through the pyramid system culminating in promotion to the SPFL in 2022, is now ready to get back on the saddle once more.

The 47-year-old was relieved of his duties in March last year following a 2-0 defeat at Dumbarton - with the club sitting eighth in the standings - and swiftly replaced by Calum Elliot, who swapped Lowland League Cowdenbeath to take up the reins of the League Two side.

Having assumed the manager's position in 2015, Horn enjoyed a trophy-laden nine years at Rose over two spells, briefly swapping New Dundas Park for Berwick Rangers' Shielfield Park in 2017, before returning to Midlothian the following year when the club were plying their trade in the Junior ranks.

As Horn takes time to reflect on how his tenure with Rose came to an abrupt end, there is a wave of excitement at taking on a new challenge.

"We had some special memories over the years and I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Bonnyrigg, but it was disappointing the way it all ended," he explained to the Evening News. "I felt at the time we would have got ourselves safe - and it was only five or six weeks before I left, we'd played Aberdeen away in the Scottish Cup. We gave them a really good run for their money and then not long after I found myself out of a job.

"The club had also made a decent return of money with that cup run so it was frustrating the way it ended. It was a bit of a shock to be honest because I didn't have any inclination it was coming. I felt, at the time, I deserved a wee bit better but, ultimately, that's football and the way it works.

"I have had a few approaches since leaving last year and chats with a few teams; East of Scotland, Lowland League, League Two, but they just didn't feel right. It's got to be the right move. I feel ready to get back into things should the right opportunity arise but I’m not just going to dive into anything that comes up."

Horn has never been too far away from a touchline most Saturday afternoons, none more so after a call from Spartans manager Dougie Samuel, as he explains.

"I've enjoyed watching games for Spartans. Dougie asked me to do match reports on opposition teams and what have you so he's been very supportive to me. There's a lot of managers who you had a lot of contact with that you don't hear from so much anymore, but again, that's just football.

"To be fair to Dougie, he's kept me involved so he's been a huge help and I'll not forget that. He's a great guy, and has had a lot of success at Spartans. We’re pretty close now - certainly a lot more than when we played against each other!

"I've also been out just watching just a few local games, Penicuik, Musselburgh in the Scottish Cup a few weeks back, so just trying to keep my eye in. I've been to Tynecastle too to watch Hearts. I still sit and watch highlights of League 1, League 2 and the Lowland League on a Sunday morning. I watch managers being interviewed after matches and you can see the pressures they're under sometimes, so from that point of view the break has been nice.

"I don't think some people realise that the managers' jobs in League 1, League 2 and even the Lowland League, for that matter, is another full-time job on top of the day job you're already doing. I take my hat off to part-time managers because there's a lot of work involved that's for sure."

Former club Bonnyrigg's 3-1 victory over Stranraer on Tuesday night gave Elliot's side some breathing space towards the lower echelons of Scottish football's fourth tier. They are now seven points clear of bottom-of-the-table Forfar - who have played a game fewer - ahead of this afternoon's visit of Clyde.

However, Rose would have been sitting mid-table, three points off the promotional play-offs, had it not been for a six-point deduction incurred in November for an SPFL rule breach regarding the gradient of their pitch. A crowdfunder has now been launched as the club aims to level the surface in time for the start of the 2025/2026 season. The remediation work is expected to cost in the region of £120,000.

Horn said: "As a club we knew it was coming and were aware the licensing laws had changed. But, ultimately, I think the points deduction is harsh especially if you look at other clubs' grounds that haven't been compliant at different points, but maybe they had contingency plans in place?”

“The slope has been there for a long, long time, there’s no advantage and it's the same for both teams. I think their squad is good enough to stay clear of trouble anyway. They've spent a decent amount of money this season and they've now got a goalscorer in Cammy Ross.”