New manager named by Arbroath

Arbroath have announced the appointment of Jim McIntyre as the Club’s new Manager.

McIntyre, who has gathered a wealth of coaching and managerial experience over the last 16 years, has agreed an 18-month deal to take over from Dick Campbell with immediate effect. He will be assisted by former boss Jimmy Boyle and lead training for the first time on Tuesday before taking charge of the team for Saturday’s visit of Greenock Morton.

During a near five-year spell as Dunfermline boss, Jim took charge of the East End Park side 192 times and led them to the old First Division title in 2011 - as they finished 10 points clear of rivals Raith Rovers. McIntyre then moved to Bristol City as First Team Coach before being appointed as Manager of Queen of the South in June 2013.

He was also at the helm for Ross County for three years in the Scottish Premiership and masterminded the greatest silverware success in the Dingwall side’s 94-year history - the 2016 League Cup. County beat Hibernian in the Final, having seen off Celtic en-route to Hampden and that trophy win led to him being named the prestigious Scottish Football Writers’ Association Manager of the Year award in 2016.

McIntyre, 51, has also had managerial spells at Dundee and Cove Rangers and can draw upon 19 years of experience at the top level as a player. An ex-striker, McIntyre helped Kilmarnock win the Scottish Cup in 1997 and had successful spells at Dundee United and English side Reading.

He emerged as Arbroath’s favoured candidate, after a rigorous selection process, and is determined to make his mark as he prepares for his Arbroath managerial bow at home to Greenock Morton on Saturday.

McIntyre, who will be assisted by ex-Airdrieonians boss Jimmy Boyle, said: “I’m really excited to be here and can’t wait to get started. Arbroath have had incredible success, on and off the park in recent years and have firmly established themselves as a respected Championship club. In my discussions with the board, I was really impressed with the levels of ambition the club have shown on and off the park. You can see by the investment Arbroath have made in recent years in the infrastructure, that it is a club that wants to continue progressing. There are many experienced and talented players in our squad who have played an integral part in the Arbroath success story. The backing from the support has also been exceptional. The town really gets behind their team, and I know crowd numbers have trebled over the course of the last few seasons in the Championship. I’ve already met with the staff, and there’s a real feeling of togetherness throughout the club, with strong community links a critical part of the Arbroath DNA. It’s my job to embrace everything Arbroath stands for and put a team on the park the fans can be proud of, and I’m looking forward to getting to work.”

Arbroath Chairman Mike Caird said: “We’re delighted to welcome Jim and his assistant Jimmy Boyle to the club and look forward to working with them. This is a crucial appointment for the club and one which required a rigorous selection process. We spoke to a number of talented candidates, but Jim emerged as the Board’s unanimous choice from the interview process. He impressed us with his energy and desire to embrace Arbroath and everything our club stands for. We have had a number of very successful seasons in the Championship and the togetherness of everyone at the club - volunteers, staff, coaching staff, players, the board and the supporters - has been pivotal to our rise. Everyone at Arbroath is determined to bring continued success to the club and as a Board, we will give Jim and his staff our full backing. I’m sure our loyal supporters will do likewise by continuing to turn out in big numbers to back the team.”