Carluke Rovers soap opera rolls on with third new manager appointed in four months

In another incredible twist to the relentless Carluke Rovers soap opera, the club this week appointed its third different management team within just four months.
Cameron McNeish has quit as Carluke Rovers managerCameron McNeish has quit as Carluke Rovers manager
Cameron McNeish has quit as Carluke Rovers manager

The latest upheaval came when recently appointed gaffer Cameron ‘Spike’ McNeish resigned unexpectedly to take up his old job with the Motherwell FC academy, plunging Rovers into potential turmoil ahead of their league trip to Bellshill Athletic last Saturday.Swiftly drafted in to take charge of that 3-1 defeat were experienced duo Derek Wilson and ex-Rovers player David Menelaws to manage team affairs on an initial short term caretaker basis. All this mayhem came little more than a month since mysterious ex-Rovers gaffer John Dunne was axed by the committee after just five matches in charge amidst accusations he rarely turned up for training sessions.So it’s fair to say that Rovers chairman Ian McKnight has had a lot on his plate in recent months!“Spike has been lured back to his old job,” Ian said.“He has been made, in his mind, a better offer and something he reckons is a bit more challenging.“But I’m not miffed by what Spike has done.“You have to make choices in life and if opportunities present themselves then you have to make decisions.“But I didn’t expect this to happen as quickly.”Although McKnight is not publicly slating the McNeish departure, privately he must surely be cursing his luck with managers this season.The campaign began with long serving Colin Slater in charge at John Cumming Stadium, but he resigned in October after more than six years in charge.Ex-Forfar Albion boss Dunn soon arrived as Slater’s replacement and certainly talked a good game as he spoke of his desire to get Rovers promoted from Central Division 2.But it turned out to be a disastrous appointment as Dunn left less than two months later amid allegations that he had effectively conned the Rovers committee at interview by allegedly making false promises on the credentials of his backroom staff.And now McNeish is also away in double quick time, with replacements Wilson and Menelaws in charge for this Saturday’s home derby against Lanark United.“Results and performances will determine if they will stay longer term,” Ian added.“We don’t think promotion is a possibility this season any more.“If we can finish mid table then the committee would be satisfied with that.”

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