Transfer News: Skinner Makes Loan Switch Permanent
Defender Stephen Skinner has become the latest permanent addition to the Nairn County squad after completing his transfer from Ross County. The deal comes as a late Christmas boost to Les Fridge's men before tomorrow's trip to face Rothes in the league after a three-week enforced break.
Twenty-year-old Skinner moved to Station Park on loan just days before the start of the season and was thrust into the team for a baptism of fire in the derby clash with Forres Mechanics in the North of Scotland Cup on July 31. Nairn won that match 3-1 and Skinner has remained in the team ever since,
The centre half's loan deal was due to end in a few days on December 31 and with his Victoria Park contract up at the end of the season, his future hung in the balance. That was until he was told by Ross County head coach Derek Adams that he was free to find a new club in January, sparking a race for his signature. And it is a race Nairn have won as they beat off reported interest from Forres Mechanics, where Skinner spent the second half of the 2006-07 season, also on loan.
Nairn boss Les Fridge was delighted to tie up the loose ends of the deal to keep in place one-third of what has been an almost ever-present defence this season of Skinner, Martin Sanderson and Martin MacDonald.
He said: "We have signed Stephen Skinner on a two-and-a-half year deal. He was released by Ross County and he wanted to stay with us so we are delighted to have him on board.
Skinner is one of many players in the Nairn squad who have arrived from full time football and as has been seen in the past, it is not an easy step to make. The classy defender seems to have adapted quickly and efficiently to his new surroundings though since making his temporary switch in the summer.
Fridge said: "When players drop down a level I think it can take a wee while - maybe a season or so - for them to get used to it. What Stephen had in his favour when he first came here was that he had already been on Forres on loan last season. He has now been here since the start of this season so he knows what it is all about and I think he will make the transition very easily."
The manager feels that the Nairn fans have yet to see Skinner at his very best, which is sure to send a shiver down the spines of Highland League strikers given the defender's solid form so far in his Nairn career.
The gaffer said: "There is a lot more to come from Stephen because he was not entirely happy at Ross County due to being put out on loan and things were not working out the way he would have hoped. For that reason, I still think there is a lot more to come from him."
Fridge added: "At the end of last season, the chairman told me that with regard to the stats, it was the least amount of goals that the club had conceded in his 10 years here as the chairman so that was very pleasing. Obviously our goalkeeper John Campbell comes into that category along with our back players and it was no coincidence that he was our Player of the Year last year as well.
"So overall, things are developing OK and I think Stephen will be a good signing for this club."
Tomorrow Fridge's men are scheduled to be back in action when they travel to Rothes for their next league fixture. A pitch inspection is due at 8 am to determine whether the game will go ahead or not and the manager will be praying that the MacKessack Park surface holds up and his team can get back out their after three weeks in cold storage.
He said: "Rothes is never an easy place to go at the best of times and I'm sure the park will be very heavy through there tomorrow. It is not ideal that we haven't had a game for a couple of weeks. I would like to keep us playing as much as possible but that has not been the case. We are now in what I would call the 'silly season', where people maybe over-indulge a little. It has also been difficult to get the boys in training because of the bad weather but we need to get back on track with some games and get playing. It will be a tough game tomorrow but we are looking forward to it."
Fridge was looking forward to having some faces back in his squad from injury tomorrow but defender Martin Sanderson misses out. It could mean a return to the starting eleven for defensive players Darren Jarvie, Duncan Jones or Neil MacDonald, while Malta international Jonathon Holland could also slot into the defence.
The manager added: "We've had a wee break due to not having games and it means we've been able to get a few boys back. Duncan Jones came off during the Fraserburgh game with a bad knock and was not 100 percent fit during training the following week so we could not risk him against Buckie. Wayne Mackintosh took a knock in the Buckie game as well so it has given us a few weeks to get these players back fit. Scott Nicholl is due back training so it will be good to see him back after he had a serious injury which needed a major operation. Angus Lawrie is still out with a back injury, Jason Robertson is offshore, Martin Sanderson is unavailable for tomorrow and Iain Brooks has moved to Aberdeen with the Fire Brigade so once he settles in there we will see what his situation is and look to get him back."
Having almost reached the halfway point in the season, Fridge declared himself pleased with the way things were shaping up for his side.
He said: "For one reason or another, we lost players in the summer - that's football. Also, Iain Brooks and John MacAskill are players who would figure regularly in our team but we haven't had them available to us at all this season, so we have had to bring in a lot of new players. It has been a wee bit of a transitional period for us and we do a very young team. But in fairness to the players that have come in, they have fitted in really well. We're working really hard and we have been getting the results."