Edinburgh City are benchmark for new Whitehill boss

The former Gillingham, Raith Rovers and Livingston striker was appointed as the new manager at Roswell on Thursday, and will take full control following today’s South Challenge cup tie against Ormiston.

Hislop cited the Ferrari Packaging Lowland League champions not just as an example of what to achieve, but how to achieve it.

“It’s not going to happen overnight,” he cautioned. “I’m not going to say we’re going to go challenging next season – we won’t. What we will be is prepared, and how we do next season will be the benchmark for the season after.

“I look at Edinburgh City and the small budget that they had – we don’t have a big budget next year. People think that Whitehill have lots of money. Let me assure you, I know we don’t.

“I’m going to use City as a benchmark because Gary [Jardine] and Ross [MacNamara] have done a great job. They’ve built the team up and now they’re peaking. They’re going to win the league this year – they’ll not say it, but it’s theirs.

“That’s what I want; to build up a good, young team that are just hitting their peak and then we can go for it.

“They’re the benchmark. I want to be them, and I want other teams to be saying ‘we want to be where Stevie and Davie Bingham are at Whitehill’. We’ve got three years, and I’m not saying it’ll be won in three years, but we have a squad that’s capable, with a few additions, of doing it.”

Hislop also hailed the importance of Bingham’s addition as assistant manager, especially his Lowland League experience with Preston Athletic.

“Bingy was my first and only choice,” he explained. “I’ve known him a long time and he has bags of experience at this level. He’s a guy I can trust and I imagine he’ll potentially be the most qualified coach in the Lowland League.

“When I asked he said yes straight away and he could potentially be my most important signing, someone I can fall back on and use his experience.”