Calvin Shand quit Musselburgh because '˜things not right'

Calvin Shand has revealed he reluctantly quit his post as manager of Premier League champions Musselburgh Athletic because things weren't right behind the scenes at the club.
Calvin ShandCalvin Shand
Calvin Shand

Shand ended his two-year spell in charge of the Olivebank outfit in style on Saturday as they broke the record points total for the Premier League in their 5-2 victory away to Arniston Rangers – Burgh’s last match as a Junior club before their move to the East of Scotland League next season.

The 34-year-old wouldn’t disclose the full reasons behind his sudden exit, after only signing an extension to his current deal in January, but admitted his position as boss had become untenable.

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“It was time to move on,” said Shand. “It wasn’t something I wanted to do and the club know the reasons for it and the supporters know the reasons for it. That’s all I should really say on it; I don’t want to go into too much detail and say things I maybe shouldn’t, I want to go out on a high and be remembered for the good season that we’ve had.

“It’s not necessarily a new thing, there’s been a little bit of a history with the club and things need to change for the better of the club. It’s difficult because I came into an absolute mess and the club should never be in that situation again. Hopefully it never will.

“There was only one signed player when I came in and there were circumstances as to why people left. What we came into wasn’t great and hopefully people see that. Relegation was nothing we ever planned for but we had to take that step back to get to where we are now.

People make their own judgments and the people that matter know the truth. It will be an interesting time in the club’s history in the next month or so, and we’ll see what happens.

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“I don’t know [if the club is lacking money], you would need to speak to the chairman [Charlie McGlynn] about that. There’s loads going on behind the scenes. For me, personally, it is time now to move on.”

Shand revealed he had been considering his position for sometime during a season in which his team bounced back from the heartache of relegation in style; beating all sorts of records as the club went the entire league campaign unbeaten at home.

“It had been in the background and I had been considering leaving for a little while,” Shand continued. “The most important thing was to keep these players focused on winning the league and once we done that, my mind was made up that it was the time. I was only focussed on getting the job first. As soon as I made my decision the players were told about it. I built up a good relationship with the players and I was honest with them at all times; whether they liked my honesty or not - I think that’s why I had such a good relationship with them.

“The team that we put on the pitch and the performances we put on this year have been really pleasing to see and shows that the hard work was starting to pay off.

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“I enjoyed my time there and I need to thank the club for giving me the opportunity. I’m not stepping back to be out the game. The offer would have to be the right club that excites me and is the right type of challenge. I don’t want to be out the game, I’ve been involved in the game a long time and this will be the first summer where I don’t have anything to plan; it will be a little bit strange for me.”