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The club is delighted to confirm that long-serving midfielder Blair Yule has been granted a testimonial; a just reward for more than a decade’s service to Cove Rangers.

Blair is steeped in the history of the club, his dad Raymond having also played with distinction for Cove for many years, and apart from a brief spell down the coast with Arbroath, he has been a major part of all the success enjoyed by us since he first signed on as a youngster in 2011, making his debut in a festive fixture against Fraserburgh at Bellslea Park.

Having played a big role in Cove’s glory days in the Highland League, collecting numerous winners’ medals along the way, Blair played in both the play-off matches against Berwick Rangers during that never to be forgotten week in May 2019 when the club realised its dream of clinching a place in the SPFL.

Blair was a near ever-present over the next three seasons as the club gained promotion up to the Championship for the first time in its history, but a longstanding ankle problem required an operation in the summer of 2022, delaying his introduction until mid-September. He then had a good run in the side, and scored what might have been a crucial late equaliser against Arbroath at Gayfield, but his injury curse struck again at Hamilton early in April, and his presence was badly missed as the team suffered the heartbreak of relegation on the final evening of the campaign.

It was only last week, when he came on as a second half substitute against Montrose, that the manager was again able to call on his services.

The midfielder is now hoping to make a big contribution over the coming months, and says he is absolutely delighted to have been recognised in this way:

“I’m so pleased the club has agreed to this. Having been here for so long, I’ve watched the likes of Eric Watson, Stuart McKenzie and Connor Scully enjoy their big celebrations, and I am so proud to be joining that roll of honour.

“There have been various others too, and that’s an indication of how happy good players are to remain with this club. It means so much to me and I’m really looking forward to what should be an exciting year.”

Having joined Aberdeen as a teenager alongside the likes of future Cove team-mates Mitch Megginson, Fraser Fyvie, Scott Ross and Ryan Strachan, Blair suffered the crushing disappointment of being released as a sixteen-year-old. He joined the Montrose youth set-up and had a spell with Dyce Juniors before making the breakthrough at Allan Park, and when he did it was at a time when the club was really taking off.

Over the next few years, Blair would win three Highland League titles, three Highland League Cups and an Aberdeenshire Cup in a side packed with guys who were not only good players, but close friends:

“I had that year away at Arbroath, I took the decision to give the SPFL a crack after we had been beaten by Edinburgh City in the play-offs and lost the Highland League to Buckie on goal difference in successive seasons, but while I enjoyed the first six months, it just wasn’t the same, and I knew I wanted to get back to Cove. Thankfully, the clubs sorted that out in the summer of 2018, and I was delighted to sign on again.

“It was perfect timing. We won just about everything that year, came up through the play-offs, and that afternoon at Berwick will live with me forever. So will the bus journey home!

“We had an exceptional team. Big Stuart was in goal, there was Alan Redford, Ross and Strachan. Harry Milne was in the side, Scully, Daniel Park and Jamie Masson, with Paul McManus supporting Mitchel Megginson up front. We also had excellent options on the bench; it was such a good side.

“We had known each other for years, in many cases we had grown up together, we understood our strengths and weaknesses, and everything just came together. Ask any of the boys and I’m sure they would agree; that was one of the best times of our lives, not just on the pitch, but off it as well.”

“They had suffered losing to Cowdenbeath the previous season, and that hurt drove them on. Whenever anything went against us, we tapped into that pain, and we made it work in our favour, it fuelled us, and we were such a determined and focused group.”

Reaching the SPFL with Cove Rangers was something Blair had yearned for, and he knew what it meant to chairman Keith Moorhouse, the manager at the time, John Sheran, and everyone else who had put in the hard work over the years.

It was the realisation of a long-held dream, and the midfielder says it meant the world to him:

“We had such a good team, and after John’s illness that summer, Paul Hartley came in and brought with him the professionalism and experience he had gained over the years. The players were ready for it, we proved that by comfortably winning League Two then following that up a couple of years later by taking the League One title as well.”

It was during that campaign that Blair’s injury problems first showed up. He had been troubled by his ankle since September 2021, but somehow made it through to the end:

“I was working with the physio, taking pills and just battling on. I had hoped that resting it over the summer of ’22 would clear the issue up, but almost as soon as I started pre-season training it became clear that wasn’t going to be the case.

“I had a couple of injections to help with the pain and played a good amount of games before Christmas, but it flared up again last January, and coupled with another injury in April, I eventually decided to get the operation. It has been a frustrating time for me being unable to help the boys, so stepping back out on to the pitch last weekend came as a huge relief, and after the first couple of passes, I relaxed and felt good.”

Now, Blair is concentrating on doing what he can to help the team, says he has been delighted with the response to the news of his testimonial, and is looking forward to what will be a busy year:

“It’s been great, I’m really pleased that some friends and colleagues have formed the testimonial committee, and there will be a lot of work put in to try to make it a successful time. They are planning various events, I’m also going to make sure that some charities benefit from whatever funds are raised, and we will be in a position to say more about that in the next few weeks.

“My main priority will always be playing for Cove and bringing success to the club, but this is an exciting period off the pitch, and I’m hoping we can maximise it and also do some good for others along the way.”

The committee is in the process of trying to get agreement for a glamour match next summer, there will be a gala dinner in the springtime and plans are also being put in place for a few other events in the coming months.

Blair’s testimonial will officially kick-off with a race night at The Ashvale on Thursday, November 9^th. Further information and details on how you can buy tickets for the evening will be released in the near future.

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