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Everyone at the club would like to pass on our sincere best wishes to midfielder Jamie Masson, who is about to fulfil a long-held ambition and emigrate to Australia.

Jamie joined Cove Rangers in 2017 and played a massive part in the rise up through the divisions. A multiple trophy winner, he was at the heart of everything achieved during his time with us and will leave a massive gap at the club.

A richly talented footballer, Jamie is also a huge character, and he will be sadly missed both on and off the pitch.

The move is something he has been considering seriously for two to three years, and he believes now is the right time to take the plunge:

“I’m excited by it! It really began to take shape when I had my ankle injury, so that gave me time to think. My best mate is over there, he’s been texting me encouraging me to go, and I think it’s maybe time to pack my bags and do it.

“It was a tough decision, certainly tough to leave this club. I’ve known six or seven of the lads since I was about eleven years old, so that’s difficult, but sometimes you just have to take a chance when it’s there.”

One man Jamie has also known all that time is Cove Rangers Chairman, Keith Moorhouse, who was keen to pay his own tribute:

“From a football perspective, we are really disappointed to lose Jamie Masson, but on a personal level, I’ve known for quite a while this was his long-term plan, and I’m delighted he has been able to fulfil it.

“I have known him and his family since he was just a boy and part of the Aberdeen FC youth academy alongside my son, Grant, and a few more of the current Cove team. I am proud to have watched him grow up to be the man he is, and he goes with my best wishes.

“I hope it all works out for Jamie, but I want to make it clear that we have an agreement that should he return back home, he will be re-signing with Cove Rangers.

“Jamie is part of the family, and he always will be.”

‘Mass’, as he is affectionately known, is a larger than life individual at times, and very much the life and soul of any party, and the Chairman admits he is looking forward to a bit of relief from that side of Jamie’s character:

“I certainly won’t miss the 2.00am Face Time calls from Jamie! Whenever he’s on a team night out, he regularly tries calling me, and can be very persistent. One night he tried eighteen times before finally getting the message that I wasn’t going to answer!”

You get the feeling that being on the other side of the world will hardly be a barrier for Jamie, and he says he will keep in touch with home, but in the main this is all about beginning a new chapter:

“I’ve got a job lined up, and I certainly hope to keep playing football. It’s a new life, isn’t it, and something I’ve fancied since my mate went out there and has been telling me to go join him.”

As that new life unfolds, Jamie has a host of memories and special occasions which will live with him forever. His football journey began at Pittodrie, there were loans to Elgin City and Brechin City, and a spell with Formartine United, but it was at Cove that he really settled properly, and got his career up and running:

“Mostly great memories, with a great bunch of lads, and obviously still a lot of people here from the Highland League days. There have been promotions, cup wins, and doing it with lads you’ve been mates with for years makes it even better.”

“The fact that I’m leaving the club when it’s in the Championship doesn’t really surprise me. We always had good squads, the boys were hungry, and every year we set new standards to aim for.

“There was the one bad experience, losing the play-off against Cowdenbeath, but we all just pulled together, and since then it’s kicked-on. It’s been a great journey, and not just with the players, but everyone else behind the scenes, the Chairman, John Sheran, the gaffer. They’ve all been great.”

Having made his debut for the Dons back in April 2012, Jamie ultimately had to drop down before relaunching his career. There was a major step forwards in May 2019 when he scored in both legs of the play-off final against Berwick Rangers, the 7-0 aggregate win earning Cove that coveted place in the SPFL.

It is not so much the game at Shielfield Park, but the journey home, that Masson highlights as one of his most treasured memories with the club:

“The bus journey from Berwick….” at which point Jamie pauses, and that trademark smile lights up his face, “In fact, that’s probably not one to share, I’ll leave that story for when the cameras stop rolling!”

It was clearly an achievement to celebrate, and anyone who knows Jamie will be well aware how much he enjoys a celebration! As for those games, and winning through into the senior leagues, he says that was very special:

“What an experience that was, we all knew how much it meant to everyone at the club and doing it with those boys who had come up through the Highland League and to then win the pyramid, that was brilliant.”

“Great memories to have for the rest of your life, and I’m so proud to have been part of it.”

There is little doubt that the home dressing room will be a quieter place from now on; as Jamie puts it, “They’ll need to get some other idiot in now!”

He will be missed in there for his humour and friendship, and all across the club for everything he has contributed over the past six years.

Jamie Masson leaves Balmoral Stadium as a Cove Rangers legend, someone who will be welcomed back with open arms at any time.

We wish him all success in his adventure down under.

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