2 hours ago
We are delighted to announce the signing of Dale Wood from Buckie Thistle.
The versatile 28-year-old will be available to make his debut in tomorrow’s visit of Formartine United to Station Park having signed a two-and-a-half year deal with us.
The ex-Rothes and Forres Mechanics player can operate at full back or in the middle of the defence or midfield and Manager Wayne Mackintosh was pleased to secure one of his top summer targets ahead of schedule.
He said: “We thought we might not get Dale in until the summer but things have progressed over the last few days and I am delighted that we have managed to do a deal with Buckie to complete the transfer now.
“Dale ticks a lot of the boxes we are looking for in new players. He has good experience at the top end of league, he has won medals, he has good versatility and he is entering the peak years of his career. When we found out he was in the last six months of his contract, we were keen to talk to him straight away and things have progressed from there over the last couple of weeks.”
He added: “Dale was a mainstay of Buckie’s championship-winning team a couple of years ago and it is that sort of experience we are going to need at the club if we want to make progress. He has a great mentality and his ability in a number of different positions means that he will be a great asset to us.
“I have seen him play at left back and in the middle of the park and he has performed well every time I have seen him play, so to get him in now is a big boost to us going into the next part of the season, where we still have plenty of football left to play.
“We are ambitious to finish as high up the table as we possibly can and bringing in Dale now instead of in the summer also gives him that extra time to settle into the squad earlier than we had expected. He has not played much football lately but we will get him up to speed as soon as we can and it is now our job to get him back to his best again.
“The Coaching Staff and myself are all looking forward to working with Dale and we are excited about what he can deliver on the park for the club. We would also like to thank Buckie Thistle for their co-operation in allowing us to complete the deal swiftly and in time for Dale to join up with the squad before tomorrow’s game.”
Dale started his senior career at Dufftown in 2015 before moving on to Rothes two years later. After a three-year spell at MacKessack Park, during which he scored for the Speysiders in a 4-1 home win over us, he joined Forres Mechanics in 2020 but was then loaned back to Rothes during 2020/21 season when the Can Cans did not compete due to Covid-19 regulations.
After returning to Mosset Park, he then joined Buckie Thistle in the summer of 2023, scoring in the Jags’ victory over us that September and winning the Highland League championship in his first season at Victoria Park as well as featuring from the start in their Scottish Cup match away at Celtic the same season. He now moves on to his next challenge and will be looking to earn a place in the team as soon as possible.
If you wish to sponsor Dale for the rest of the season, drop us a message on Social Media or email info@nairncountyfc.co.uk.
Image by Kenny Macleod Photography.
