No parting with part-time as Arbroath seek Scottish Premiership place

Arbroath would continue to field part-time players if they were to gain promotion to the Scottish Premiership, believes co-manager David Gold.

The Gayfield side continue their quest for top-flight football on Friday as they host Dunfermline Athletic, trailing 1-0 from the first leg of the play-off quarter-final.

Gold says an evolution to a 'hybrid' model, with some additional full-time and loan players, would make most sense for the Angus club if they were to complete back-to-back promotions.

The winner of the tie will face Partick Thistle in the semi-final next week, before the final against whichever side finishes second bottom of the Premiership.

"Financially, the club would be in the best place it has ever been I would imagine," Gold told BBC Scotland when asked about what promotion would mean to Arbroath.

"Continue to do what you're doing, try to attract better players maybe, reward the players who have got you to where you have got and just take it from there. I think that would be the best way to go about it."

Arbroath consist of a squad of part-time players, bolstered by a small number of full-time players on loan from other clubs.

"You have got Tam O'Brien, who is the captain, and who has been my team-mate for nine years," said Gold, who shares managerial duties with Colin Hamilton.

"He's got a really good job and he's now 34. Is he going to go full-time? No. Does he deserve a shot at the Premiership when he's done everything to try and get us there? Aye, I would say.

"You couldn't just go, 'you're not fitting this model anymore – see you later'. I don't think that would be right and I think it would be against what we are as a club. We are very much together."

After topping League 1, Arbroath have exceeded expectations this season by finishing third in the Championship.

Four years ago, Gold and Hamilton were players under Dick Campbell when Arbroath duelled it out with Kilmarnock for the second-tier title.

Another potential fairytale is on the cards, but Gold believes his players have yet to get the credit they deserve.

"We have gone totally under the radar," said Gold. "No-one has said a word about us. That year [2021-22] it was all over the news.

"I don't know what the difference is. The magnitude of that achievement is huge.

"That would take us massive strides forward as a club."

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