Chris Cameron insists he and co-boss Derek Carson have stepped away from Neilston to give their club the best possible chance of reigniting their promotion hopes.
The Farmer’s Boys stuttered to a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Rossvale on Saturday at Petershill Park, leaving them with just one win in their last five First Division matches.
The Brig O’Lea side are still just three points off a promotion spot, albeit some of their rivals challenging to make it into the top flight have several games in hand.
And Cameron is adamant the decision for him and Carson to step aside after more than four years in charge was made with Neilston’s best interests at heart.
Cameron told Renfrewshire Live Sport: “It was definitely the right decision at the right time for us to go. Our target for the season was to have a right good go at promotion and we’re falling short of that at the moment.
“I still believe this is the right group of lads who can still achieve that, but the club just needs some fresh impetus and a new voice.
“For six to eight weeks it’s just felt like something’s been missing. Me and Derek are Neilston guys through and through and we have never been in this to boost our own profiles. We were in it for the club.
“We just feel that we’ve taken this group as far as we possibly could.
“When we joined in 2018 we wanted to kick the team on and we feel we’ve done that. It’s a very hard decision to leave, but we wanted to go on our own terms and not force the committee to have to make that decision further down the line.
“The performances are well below the standards we know these players can get to and we certainly don’t wish any ill whatsoever on whoever comes in to replace us. It’s the polar opposite.
“We want them to come in, add to the group and take the club back to the top flight where it belongs.”
After a goalless first half on a freezing afternoon, Connor McAteer’s second half brace ensured Neilston returned back to East Renfrewshire empty-handed at the weekend.
While Cameron would have liked to have bowed out of the club on the back of a better result, he paid tribute to the club and the Farmer’s Boys fraternity for their support throughout his and Carson’s tenure.
He also admitted he’s now looking forward to taking a step back from the game after more than 20 years in football.
Cameron said: “Me and Derek were a management team together and he’s been brilliant. We’ve been mates since we were younger, played together at Neilston and it’s worked so well as a partnership.
“Along with David Gordon and Scott Cochrane, we’ve challenged each other to get better and it’s been brilliant.
“Neilston feels like our club and I couldn’t have asked for better people to work with. The committee have been superb and and the whole community have been great with us.
“We all shook hands on Saturday night and there was no animosity whatsoever. It’s just the right time for the club.
“I’ve already had a few offers from other clubs, which is nice because it shows we have done a half decent job here.
“But my plan is definitely to take some time away. I’ve been a player, coach and then a manager for the last 20 years and you give up a lot of your time to make that happen.
“I’ve got my wee girl now as well to think of, so I’m just going to enjoy having the weekends back again and then we’ll see what the future holds next year.”
Carson added: "I’m still hurting to be away from the club and I’m sure the players will be as well, but this is definitely the right time to do it.
“Knowing their personalities as well as we do, I know they’ll dig deep and bounce back.
“We said to the boys after the Rossvale game that nothing would make me and Chris prouder than to see Neilston back in the top division.
“We did that as players and I know this group has it in them to do the same.”
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