Arbroath are writing a story that defies the odds, and co-manager David Gold insists they won't abandon their part-time roots even if they reach the promised land of the Scottish Premiership.
The Gayfield side are just 90 minutes away from a potential fairytale promotion, but they face a 1-0 deficit heading into Friday's play-off quarter-final second leg against Dunfermline Athletic. The winner advances to face Partick Thistle in the semi-finals next week, with the ultimate prize being a showdown against the Premiership's second-bottom club.
Gold envisions a "hybrid" model if Arbroath complete back-to-back promotions—blending their core of part-time players with select full-time additions and loan signings. It's a pragmatic approach for a club that operates on a fraction of the budget of top-flight sides.
"Financially, the club would be in the best place it has ever been, I would imagine," Gold told BBC Scotland. "Continue to do what you're doing, try to attract better players maybe, reward the players who have got you to where you have got, and just take it from there. I think that would be the best way to go about it."
At the heart of Arbroath's squad are loyal servants like captain Tam O'Brien, who has been Gold's teammate for nine years. "He's got a really good job and he's now 34. Is he going to go full-time? No. Does he deserve a shot at the Premiership when he's done everything to try and get us there? Aye, I would say."
Gold, who shares managerial duties with Colin Hamilton, is adamant that loyalty matters more than a rigid business model. "You couldn't just go, 'you're not fitting this model anymore – see you later.' I don't think that would be right, and I think it would be against what we are as a club. We are very much together."
Arbroath have already exceeded all expectations this season, finishing third in the Championship after winning League 1. Four years ago, Gold and Hamilton were players under Dick Campbell when Arbroath battled Kilmarnock for the second-tier title. Now, another chapter in this remarkable journey awaits—and they're determined to write it their own way.