Most managers would be downhearted after suffering relegation - but Renfrew co-boss Martin Ferry isn't 'most managers'.

The Western Park gaffer admitted he was "down in the dumps" after Frew lost their Super League status six weeks ago.

But the truth is that, despite seeing it coming long before it happened, the former Irvine Meadow full-back - and joint boss Colin Clark - were powerless to do much about it.

The intrepid duo had looked on helpless as an entire team of players had left the previous close season to be replaced by a string of promising, but raw kids.

But Ferry and Clark pressed on regardless, and while the first half of last season was definitely one to forget, the former said: "Things definitely improved after the festive season.

"The kids more or less came of age and we started becoming quite difficult to beat. We won a couple of games and things started looking up.

"At one point it looked as though we might actually avoid the drop, but we started shooting ourselves in the foot and lost a lot of games because of individual errors.

"Clarky and I knew what we had at the start of the season, but it wasn't always the kids who were making the errors so it was really frustrating."

The inevitable eventually happened and even a points deduction for Kilwinning Rangers failed to prevent Frew dropping into the Central District First Division.

Straight away, though, Renfrew's management team clicked into gear and started preparing for life in the lower leagues.

Ferry said: "We re-signed around seven or eight players, including Iain Nicolson, who started his career with Rangers. He has also been with the likes of St Mirren and Hearts, so he has bags of experience.

"That's vital when you have a lot of youngsters in the team, and Iain has so much to pass on.

"We have also kept players like Brian Mulgrew and Colin Forbes, so there will hopefully be a lot of continuity in the team when the season starts."

BUT while Renfrew will be among the bookies favourites to win the district league, and bounce straight back up, you'll be waiting a long time to hear Ferry shouting it from the rooftops.

He said: "It's definitely not my style. We're not favourites to win the league in my book - and not even to get promotion.

"For a start, I don't know when we will be playing at home, given we're just waiting to get the nod to start building our new stadium.

"It looks as though we will play all four of our Sectional League Cup games away from home and then play the first couple of home league games at Johnstone Burgh's Keanie Park.

"I would prefer to play our first few home league games away, and then start playing games as soon as our new park is ready, but we will have to wait and see.

"That is something we are all so excited about, although it has been on the go in one form or another for quite a few years now. We're very close now and can almost touch it.

"We're very excited at the prospect of having a new ground. Western Park has been a fantastic home base, but it's tired and has served its purpose. The new ground would give us a new lease of life so we can't wait. I'm sure it will be well worth it when it happens."