Can interim boss Colin Slater cement Lanark United job full-time?

Slater, taking temporary charge following Jamie McKenzie’s shock resignation, previously managed Lanark from February 2018 to October 2020 before quitting due to ongoing safety fears about attending games during the coronavirus crisis.

Reid told the Carluke and Lanark Gazette: “Colin Slater has stepped in to steady the ship. He took the training on Monday night and it’s an interim appointment.

"With Jamie resigning on Sunday, I thought: What am I doing here? We’re 12 days away from the league starting, we’ve had to cancel two of our five friendlies due to a lack of numbers; I need someone to take the training’.

"So I phoned Colin and asked if he wanted to help us out to take the training.

"Colin told me he was happy to come in as he would never see me stuck.

"We will work hard and see how it goes.

"There needs to be elbow room on both sides here, because Colin could come in and think: ‘Wait a minute, you’ve waited too late to change things, we haven’t got enough of a squad to compete and I can’t bring in the players I want’.

"But who wouldn’t approach a former successful manager (Slater) who’s currently available to help out?”

Reid is preparing to sift through any incoming applications for the managerial role. At the time of going to press, no applications had been received.