Michael McKenna starred against Dick Campbell’s Arbroath as the Red Lichties boss made his managerial bow at Berwick Rangers in 2016.
The Lichties gaffer marked six years at the helm this week and McKenna fondly remembers his first encounter with his legendary boss.
Happy 6 year Dick Campbell appointment day
— TASC (@TASC1878) March 8, 2022
Campbell’s reign has seen Arbroath rise from second bottom in League Two to top of the Championship.
But his tenure didn’t get off to the best of starts as Arbroath went down 3-0 away to Berwick Rangers – just hours after his appointment.
‘I didn’t know who was who’
McKenna recalls the game but for more positive reasons – after setting up the second goal for Berwick.
“It was quite a comfortable game,” he told Courier Sport.
“Bobby Linn was playing as was Ricky Little. It’s quite funny to think how far we’ve all come.
“That was the first encounter I had with them (Dick and Ian Campbell).
“I always remember one of them sat in the stand and one was in the dugout. I didn’t know who was who.
Arbroath boss Dick Campbell has seen it all in 34 years of management – many of which beside his twin-brother Ian – the legend of Scottish football has ten promotions and shows no signs of slowing up! pic.twitter.com/Mzl2EeX67u
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) February 27, 2021
“Now I know it would have been Dick in the stand.”
Although their first game didn’t go to plan, the Campbells managed to secure the Lichties’ league status, finishing second bottom.
The next season, they won the league.
And McKenna remembers the difference they made to the side.
“It felt like boys versus men in that first season, then it was apparent how far ahead they were the next,” he said.
“That was obviously down to Dick, Pink and some of the signings they made.
“It shows how good an eye they have for a player and they always get the best out of them.”
Offer to join Arbroath in 2015
McKenna was eventually signed by Campbell in January 2018, with Arbroath paying a fee to secure his services.
But his career could have taken a different path having been offered a contract to join the Lichties in the summer before Dick took charge.
“I spoke to the manager [Todd Lumsden] at the time and they had offered me a deal,” he revealed.
“But I didn’t know anyone up there at the time.
“It wasn’t until Berwick got in contact and offered me a contract – they were more local to me.
“Who knows, if I’d signed with Arbroath in the summer before Dick and Pink came in they might have got rid of me. They got rid of half the team.
“It’s funny how little, split decisions can often mean so much.”
Four years on, McKenna is enjoying the best football of his career and recently penned a new deal until May 2024.
He and his teammates are just eight games away from winning the Championship – something that would have been unthinkable when Campbell took charge.
Next up is Inverness in the Highlands, where the Lichties enjoyed a 1-0 win last time round with McKenna scoring the only goal.
He said he’d happily take another scrappy win to keep Arbroath top.
“It’s almost like cup football, we’re going to do whatever it takes to win,” he said.
“We’re not going to go into the games trying play badly but it doesn’t matter if we have one shot on target and win it 1-0. That’s what we’ll take.”
