Quartet realise Victoria Park is the place to be, says Thistle manager Gregg Carrol.

Buckie Thistle have secured four of their Highland League title-winning squad on extended contracts.

Three of the quartet, defenders Bob Duncan and Lewis MacKinnon and centre forward Martin Charlesworth have signed three-and-a-half year deals, while winger Zander Sutherland has put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half year contract.

Jags manager Gregg Carrol said: "We always try to speak to players who are going to be out of contract the following summer earlier.  However because of the weather it wasn't done until December this time around.

"We are delighted to have these players signed up for the long term.  We explained the financial side of things to them.  We haven't gone overboard and the players accepted what we had to say which is a testament to their commitment to Buckie Thistle.

"I can't understand why any player would want to leave Buckie - the players who have signed on again realise Victoria Park is the place to be, even though some of them were offered incentives from other clubs to move."

The attempts to secure Buckie's best on extended terms will not end here, however, and Carrol added: "We have also put an offer on the table to our midfielder Davie MacRae.

"He is taking his time to think things over and hopefully he will follow his team-mates' example and sign on again."

Martin Charlesworth, the 22-year-old elder son of Lossiemouth manager Charlie, said of the deal: "This was something I wanted to get sorted out.  The manager asked me to sign on again and told me to go away and have a wee think about it.

"It is good for us all our new contracts are now done and dusted so we can now fully concentrate on the remainder of the season and try to retain our title.

"When I raised my concerns to the manager about not being a regular in the starting line-up until the last few weeks he pointed out whenever we went with two up-front last season I played the majority of games.  It was only the form of Ian Murray and our change of formation which has kept me out this season.

"Those same factors have also kept Craig MacMillan and Stevie Bruce out of the starting XI.

"When Ian left to work in Algeria recently I got the nod and I'm not willing to give up my place until someone tells me otherwise.  Competition for places is a healthy thing and you won't see that more than at Buckie.

"Bob Duncan has been outstanding throughout the season but when he got injured Hamish Munro came in and did brilliantly, leaving Bob kicking his heels in the stand.  Thats just the way it is here at Buckie."

Report by Dave Edwards, Press & Journal