DEPARTING Musselburgh head coach Graeme Paterson has called on his team to write themselves into the history books.
Burgh make the journey north to Aberdeen Grammar this weekend looking to cement a sixth-place finish in the Tennent’s Premiership.
The trip north will mark the last time Paterson takes charge, having been at the helm for four years.
He said: “It has shown in the last couple of weeks that it is not going to be an easy game.
“Aberdeen Grammar picked up a good win against Selkirk last week.
“We cannot assume it is a right for us to go up there, take five points and move away.
“We have to play well, prepare well and hopefully finish the season well and finish in sixth in the league.
“That is a great achievement for the guys to get into that position.”
Paterson was appointed head coach at Musselburgh in 2018 and marked his first game in charge with a 53-14 victory over Biggar.
Since then, the Stoneyhill club has been on an upwards trajectory.
The head coach said: “First of all, we gained promotion into the Premiership and we have sustained that over the last two seasons.
“If we finish off with a win in the final game, we will get that highest position ever that the club has been in for club rugby.”
Currie Chieftains were the visitors to East Lothian on Saturday and came away with a dominant 61-10 victory.
The Edinburgh side sit top of the Premiership standings, having tasted defeat just once this season, and will be looking to go on and be crowned champions.
Paterson felt that he was leaving at a time when the club was on a sound footing.
He said: “It is not just playing wise – the structure of the club, the advances they have made in terms of facilities, club sustainability, and the financial footing as well.
“It has been a two-pronged attack.
“They have got the club in a really good position off the field and now married up with a good position on the field.
“Overall, the club has developed well over the last four years.”
The 52-year-old was planning to take time away from the game for a period of reflection before considering if he wanted to look at taking the helm of another club.
He highlighted the time-consuming nature of the role and the dedication it required.
He said: “It fluctuates but you are probably looking at 15 to 20 hours a week.
“There is obviously planning that goes into the sessions and the whole season.
“When you have an off-season, you are planning your next season.
“You do get some downtime when there are no games or training but it is not like you are doing nothing.
“When the season is ongoing, you have got game analysis.
“The level we play at, the games are videoed so you are spending four to six hours looking at both your own performance and looking ahead at who you are playing next.”
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