WHEN a rugby club hits hard times they can usually be expected to earn widespread sympathy in the sport, but Currie know from experience that that does not always ring true.
When the Midlothian club, formed only in 1970, enjoyed their greatest moment nearly two ago, lifting the Division 1 championship for the first time, it was against an acrimonious backdrop of almost becoming bankrupt. The irony was a bitter one.
T
he club had built themselves into a respectable member of Scottish rugby's elite, and yet had only just staved off the bailiffs. Moving on from both situations has proven difficult, not least due to the scoffing of some rivals who believed the financial hardships owed everything to a misplaced eagerness to pay players salaries in an effort to buy success.
Club president Brian Buckner has watched the affairs from inside the committee room and the touchline, however, and, reluctant to blame past administrators, he insists both Currie's on-field and off-field business is shifting back into more encouraging territory.
"The biggest problem was simply spending more money than was being brought in," he said, "and when the money clubs received from the SRU dried up a few years ago it landed Currie with major problems.
"We were certainly in financial difficulties when we got to the top, and were knocking on the door (of going bust]. I don't know exactly where all the money went as I wasn't as closely involved a few years ago as I am now – in fact, it took us the best part of a year to try and work out where it was going.
"We heard all the stuff said about money spent on players – everywhere we went in recent seasons Ally Warnock, our stand-off, was getting a greater and greater salary, when the reality was that all he received from Currie was expenses.
"We looked at where money was spent, and how we were we generating money, and we have put in place greater accountability and good business sense, where people can't just buy something for the club without approval. It's not helpful to start pointing fingers at people now, but I'd say we have learned to stand on our own two feet.
"Rugby clubs are small businesses, and need good business practice, but it's very hard when crowds are diminishing, everyone's fighting for the same money, and like any club, we seem to have the same people doing the same jobs, only they're now 20 years older. But we have some great friends of the club, like John Connor, whose firm Stirling Fibre sponsors us, and without their support we would not be where we are."
With a relatively short history, Currie had only one international, hooker Graham Ellis, until this year when Ben Cairns made his Scotland debut against Argentina. His talent and efforts have provided a timely beacon of hope as Currie seek to consolidate their place as a top Scottish club and improve on last season's fourth-place finish.
Coaches Ally Donaldson and Graham Hogg have moved away from the tight-five dominated style that drove them to the title and in beating Musselburgh 44-17 at the weekend seemed to have embraced the quicker style of the ELVs. Even the Malleny Park pitch is in good nick, the hard work and investment on drainage and surface quality appears to be paying off.
Buckner, a former 3rds scrum-half-cum-wing at Currie, added: "There is a lot of optimism around Currie this summer and I'm confident we can remain as one of the 'big boys' this season.
"We were absolutely ecstatic for Ben in Argentina, which is down to his hard work of course, but there is also the feeling that he has proven what can be achieved at Currie as he came through our youth system.
"We had nine teenagers in the last game of last season against Ayr, and the youth section is really growing. I was surprised that we didn't attract players to the club after winning the Division 1 championship, but the combination of a successful senior side and enthusiastic, growing youth section really gives the club heart.
"I think we've turned the corner on and off the field."
FACTFILE: CURRIEHome: Malleny Park
Last season: Fourth in SHE Premiership Division One
Coaches: Ally Donaldson and Graham Hogg.
Captain: To be announced.
Number of Scotland internationalists since being formed in 1970: Two.
Pros drafted: Ben Cairns, Andrew Easson, Dougie Hall, Andrew Turnbull, Dan Turner, Simon Webster.
Most-capped player: Graham Ellis (4).
The full article contains 770 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
