Gass nets 100th appearance for 'Dean

David Knox 1607 - 1607 • Last updated 22 Apr 2009 09:59 0 Comments

IT"S not very often a 21-year-old is rewarded for long service.

But Gala Fairydean"s Grant Gass was handed a centenary bowl ahead of Saturday"s game with Vale of Leithen.

The Netherdale club has gone through a huge transition over the past four or five years.

And the only survivor of all the on and off field changes is the apprentice brickie.

Gass stepped into Gala Fairydean"s first team towards the end of the 2004-2005 season as a fresh-faced 17-year-old.

He rewarded his then manager Scott McFarlane with a hat-trick in the 4-2 victory over Preston Athletic. But the joy didn"t last as the Dean were later relegated from the Premier Division.

Gala sunk even deeper the following year as they slumped to second bottom of the First Division.

But a revival in recent seasons has lifted Gala back towards former glories.

And through it all Gass has been heavily involved. He told the Border Telegraph: 'There have been plenty ups and downs since I first started with the senior team.

"It"s been good lately with all of the Gala boys coming into the team again - there was a time when I was the only one.

'We had hoped to get promotion both of the last two seasons and haven"t been far off it.

'I"d like to think we"ll be up there next season and I hope I"m still part of the team. Gala Fairydean is one of the biggest clubs in the East of Scotland and I want to keep playing for them.'

More changes are on the way for the Dean with new manager Fraser Lothian looking to strengthen the side.

But the boss has Gass at the centre of his plans. Lothian said: 'For someone of his age it is quite an achievement to have played 100 senior games.

'Grant is an important player for us just now and will be for the future. He is a quality player that will continue to get better.'

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This article appeared in Border Telegraph 22 Apr 09

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