Dick Campbell insists the success of Arbroath is not solely down to him – even if his personality does help draw in some players.
The Lichties gaffer has become a cult hero in Scottish football and is renowned for his off the cuff quotes and witty tales from his career.
A fan has even set up a Twitter account dedicated to the 68-year-old’s best moments.
— No Context Dick Campbell (@ContextDick) December 5, 2021
Campbell appreciates the fanfare but says his fame is down to the Gayfield side.
Campbell never been more popular
“I was in Edinburgh last week, we went for a couple of pints and watched the game,” he told Courier Sport.
“We went through Waverley and the amount of people that came up and wanted photos – my stock is as high as it has ever been in my life.
“That’s because of the success of the football club.
“But it does help when you’re trying to sign players. It’s not Dick Campbell that brings players to Arbroath.
“I help in that area, but it’s good players which attract good players.
“We had the best goal difference in the season and lost the least number of games, that’s why we finished second.
— No Context Dick Campbell (@ContextDick) October 29, 2021
“I’ve got to maintain that standard next year. To do that you need good players.”
Campbell has already added two players to his squad for next season in Cammy Gill and Keaghan Jacobs.
Seven more players are required to fill the team and provide depth to cover for absences.
Difficulty finding players
Work is well under way to find those players but the Lichties gaffer admits it can be hard to find the right players to add to the part-time side.
“Players get well-looked after here, financial-wise, than at other part-time clubs,” he said.
“People think part-time football is going down a level, but the next stage after Arbroath is full-time.
“I’ve got the difficulty of bringing in good players to Arbroath because they know they might not play because I’ve got the best.
“Chris Hamilton is an astonishing player; he will likely get a full-time team. I’ve replaced him with Keaghan Jacobs, which is a good replacement.
“He wants to go part-time and he’ll be a major asset. The fans will love him because he likes to put himself about.
“I’ve got 14 players signed; I need another seven. I’ll be close to signing one or two more in the next few weeks but the big ones will be in August.
“Every player that comes to Arbroath needs to want to win.”
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