Sharp back in charge at Nairn County
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
NAIRN County have confirmed the appointment of former boss Ronnie Sharp as the Highland League club’s new manager.
The 50-year-old has been part of the club’s under-20s coaching team, but takes up the manager’s post immediately on a one-year rolling contract after Les Fridge left at the end of the season following sponsors Narden pulling out of their backing.
As a Nairn player, Sharp establishing himself as one of the most cultured midfielder’s in the Highland League before stepping back to a sweeper role towards the tail end of his career.
He featured sporadically for Nairn as a youngster in the mid-1980s as two leg breaks hampered his progress and he left the club for the first time in 1991 when he joined Clach. He returned to Station Park in 1995 via Nairn St Ninian and was made playerassistant manager under Jim Walker in 1997, but departed after one season to continue his playing career back at St Ninian.
His first spell as Wee County manager started in February 1999 when he took the job on an initial caretaker basis before agreeing to become the club’s permanent player/manager.
His last match as a player was a defeat at Fort William in 2002 and he then led the club to its highest finish since the 1976 championship success as a team including the likes of Michael Rae, David
Macdonald, Gary Farquhar, Mark Holmes, Willie Barron, Iain Brooks and Scott Kellacher impressed observers from all quarters on their way to fifth spot in the table.
He left the club again in 2004 after five years at the helm and took up the position as manager of Nairn St Ninian in the summer of 2005. In nine years at the Showfield, he won the Elginshire Cup twice and also earned two promotions.
Having stood down as Saints manager in 2014, he came back to Station Park to join Ally Munro in coaching the under-20s side in November and he has now agreed to begin a second stint as the club’s manager.
A number of players such as Robbie Duncanson, Conor Gethins, Michael Morrison and Calum Antell have moved on over a turbulent summer, but Sharp says the job was one he simply could not refuse.
He explained: "This season is going to be a massive challenge for the club, but I am looking forward to tackling it.
"I have previously said that I was not interested in returning to management, but this is the only club I would have ever considered reversing that decision for.
"The call came a bit out of the blue on Friday night, but the more I thought about it over the weekend, the more the challenge of building up the squad again appealed to me.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the club’s under-20s over the last few months and I know there are players there who will be ready to step up to the first-team over the next few seasons. I look forward to continuing my involvement with their development and giving them their chance to make a mark at Highland League level when they are ready because that is the way the club has go."
Interim chairman Donald Matheson said: "We have weighed up all of the options open to us and we feel that we have now found the best man to take Nairn County forward."
Sharp’s first match in charge is a pre-season friendly against Nairn St Ninian at Station Park on Thursday, July 21. Kick-off is at 7.30pm.
