Arbroath boss Dick Campbell has revealed the family heartache that has put his Championship survival challenge into perspective.
Dick and his brother Ian kept a bedside vigil with sister Margaret in her fight with cancer for several weeks.
Her battle came to an end almost two weeks ago, passing away just three minutes before Dale Hilson scored Arbroath’s winner at league leaders Queen’s Park.
Campbell discovered the news as he travelled home from the game and considered temporarily passing on the managerial duties to first team coach John Young.
But, as Arbroath enter into the final six games of the season in a three-way fight with Cove Rangers and Hamilton to stay up, he’ll stay in the dugout.
“We have a team here and the players have been very supportive of us,” Campbell told Arbroath TV.
“It’s been very difficult for me and my brother to accept that our sister is no longer with us.
“She was a football girl and she knew everything about it.
“She was just a lovely, lovely person but had a terrible time at the end.
“When she passed away and you start to think about whether we should just leave the team with John for a couple of weeks so we can look after the rest of the family.
“But we do that anyway and my sister would have wanted us to be in the dugout and shouting like idiots.
“She’ll be watching up there, I can assure you.”
Colin Hamilton injury update
Meanwhile, Campbell has revealed Colin Hamilton’s season is over.
Hamilton was taken off with a serious hamstring injury just eight minutes into Arbroath’s 2-0 win over Ay United last week.
And Campbell believes he could be without one of his ‘best signings in 33 years’ for the long haul.
He added: “I don’t like the saying in football that: ‘Everyone is entitled to an opinion.’
“I’m entitled to an opinion because I’m the guy who picks the team.
“I think Colin Hamilton is one of the best signings I’ve ever made in 33 years as a manager. He’s Mr Consistency.
“But it looks as if his hamstring is off the bone and he certainly won’t play again this season.
“It’s a good job we signed Steven Hetherington. I’m glad I’ve got him in there as a replacement for Hammy.”
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