CLYDEBANK manager Gordon Moffat admits that the club have paid a “good fee” for new signing David Syme, but insists his summer business has been done in an astute manner.

The former Darvel captain becomes the Bankies’ third summer signing from the Ayrshire side with goalkeeper Andy Leishman and midfielder Dean Cairns already checking-in.

Syme made his debut the club in Saturday’s final pre-season friendly against Inverurie Loco Works – which Bankies won 3-0 thanks to goals from Ciaran Mulcahy, Adam Hodge and Craig Truesdale.

The Premier Division of the West of Scotland Football League looks to be the most competitive yet with the likes of Johnstone Burgh and Drumchapel United expecting to challenge at the top-end of the table after their promotions last season, with the usual faces of Beith, Auchinleck Talbot, Pollok, Darvel, St Cadoc’s and Gartcairn also expecting to battle for top spot alongside Clydebank.

Moff’s three summer signings from Recreation Park bring a wealth of experience with them as the Bankies boss paid tribute to club chair Grace McGibbon for her calculated approach to recruitment in recent seasons – though hinted he isn’t finished his dealings quite yet.

Speaking to the Post, he said: “It’s been going on for three to four weeks with Darvel and needing to have a bit of patience but I’m delighted we have got our man.

“On the surface, it looks like Clydebank are doing this and that, but what Grace and the board have done this year is find a wee pot of money to do some transfer fees – our wage stricture remains the same so everyone who is coming in needs to fit into that.

“For this level we have paid a good fee for him but we’ve got him on a three-year contract and at 27 years of age we’re delighted to get him.

“The landscape has definitely changed in our league and above in the last couple of years – the fees have certainly gone up since my playing days but it’s just the way things have gone.

“Grace has been really astute and has recognised that and has been gradually putting pots of money away for something like this.

“We don’t have an individual putting in huge amounts of money so we need to be quite astute about putting that money aside and making sure we go after the right ones.

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“With Andy, David and Dean all coming in, it’s no coincidence they’ve all won a lot of trophies and have a lot of appearances and add real qualities to their positions.

“It’s been very targeted and we’ll do the same in the forward area but it needs to be the right player and if it doesn’t work for the club then we’ll need to walk away.

“We’ve been working hard in the forward areas but it’s not really because they are quality players that come with a fee. If it doesn’t fit in with our wage stricture then we can’t do it but we’re trying our best to make something work.”

Bankies kick off their competitive campaign this week with back-to-back away ties against Gartcairn and Shotts Bon Accord before Pollok visit Holm Park in a busy first week of action.

Moff was keen to get his side looking sharper ahead of the new season and believes they have done that by putting in some good performances along the way and now wants his players to take that into the competitive action.

He added: “We’ve looked a lot fitter and sharper this year with the changes we made to the schedule and the boys deserve credit for their attitude and really embracing it.

“We’re in a better place than we have been and good to go for the new season.

“We’ve had some good performances throughout pre-season but the proper stuff starts this weekend.”

Kick-off at MTC Park on Saturday is at 2:00pm with Wednesday’s clash with Shotts at Hannah Park getting under way at 7:30pm.