Alright, so check this out – the veteran goal-grabber, Rory McAllister, is making moves to the Breedon Highland League next season. He’s leaving Peterhead behind and joining Formartine United to chase after some trophies.
McAllister, who’s a seasoned striker with over 300 goals under his belt in the SPFL, is ready to take on this new challenge with the Pitmedden club. The 37-year-old has quite the resume, starting off at Inverness Caledonian Thistle and then making stops at Brechin City, Cove Rangers, Montrose, and even having three stints with the Blue Toon.
Looking ahead to his time with United, McAllister shared with The Press and Journal, “I think at Formartine we’ll be looking to improve on this season. We’ll see how it goes, but hopefully we can be up there challenging, that’s the aspiration I’ve got. That’s always where I want to be as a player, challenging to win things.”
He’s not looking to coast into retirement at Formartine. No way, Jose! McAllister is all about that winning mentality and getting things done on the field. It won’t be a walk in the park though, with the Highland League packing some serious competition. But hey, there’s no harm in giving it a shot, right?
Reflecting on his time at Peterhead, McAllister played a key role in helping them clinch the League Two title in 2014, 2019, and most recently this year. Plus, during his stint at Cove, he nabbed the League Two title in 2020 and followed it up with a League One win two years later.
He’s even lined up for a testimonial at Peterhead, but the limited game time this season convinced him it was time to move on. McAllister explained, “I maybe could have stayed at Peterhead if I’d wanted to. But it would have been similar to this season where I wouldn’t have been playing too much. At this stage of my career, I want to be playing. I’ve never been someone who enjoys sitting on the bench.”
Retirement isn’t on his radar just yet. McAllister reckons he’s still got a good couple of years left in him. As he puts it, “I think I’ve got a couple more years left in me, but we’ll see how it goes. Overall I’ve had great times and great memories at Peterhead. I’ve won three league titles there.”
Now, onto the man of the hour – Formartine manager Stuart Anderson couldn’t be happier about snagging McAllister for the team. According to Anderson, “We struggled to score goals this season, so we were on the lookout for somebody that could potentially put the ball in the net for us.”
He’s pumped to have Rory on board, praising his incredible track record as a goal-scoring machine. Anderson even played with McAllister back in the day when he was on loan at Peterhead in 2008. The man knows how to find the back of the net, that’s for sure.
But it’s not just about the goals for Anderson. He sees McAllister as a role model for the younger players on the team, someone they can look up to both on and off the pitch. Anderson believes Rory’s enthusiasm for the game and his hunger for goals will be a huge asset for United next season.
So there you have it – McAllister’s ready to make waves in the Breedon Highland League with Formartine United. It’s a new chapter for the goal-scoring legend, and who knows what kind of magic he’ll bring to the pitch. One thing’s for sure, though – he’s not done yet, and he’s got his sights set on more silverware. Let the games begin!
