What’s the Goss?

STRIKER Tommy Goss looks set to depart Annan Athletic but Galabank gaffer Wullie Gibson insists there’s been no fall out between the pair. Goss – who hasn’t featured for the League Two outfit during the Premier Sports Cup campaign – handed in a transfer request which was reluctantly accepted by Annan officials on Sunday night. And boss Gibson revealed that he was on a family holiday abroad when Goss phoned him to tell him he was wanting to leave the club. Once Gibson stepped foot back into the country, he had a meeting with the board and then one with the wantaway forward before officially putting him on the transfer market. And Gibson told the Annandale Observer that he’s given an unnamed club permission to talk to Goss. “A club has been in contact with us and I’ve made Tommy aware of the situation. I gave the club permission to talk to the player, then it’s about making an offer to the club,” Gibson said. “The big man came to us and said he wants away. We’ll try and do everything that we can to make that happen. Obviously for us it’s a blow to lose an important player so unexpectedly when you are planning to put a squad together to try and come back up. “I didn’t see this coming but I’d like to say that any rumours of a falling out between myself and Tommy are untrue. “Tommy has a lot of respect for myself, we’ve been good for each other. I brought him to Queen of the South from Abbey Vale and we’ve played together here. “I’ve supported him the best way possible through his injury. There’s no falling out between us whatsoever. “We have to get a solution to this matter quickly because when there’s a player who says they don’t want to be here then we need to get the best possible deal for the club. “He hasn’t been involved in the cup games and we’re waiting to see where we are. Is Tommy going to make himself available for us until he gets a move away? We have to wait and see. “I want it to be amicable between the player and the club.”

GOAL . . . Tommy Goss was instrumental for Annan during their League Two promotion The Dumfries striker’s goals were greatly missed last season as he suffered a knee injury. Athletic set up a fundraiser to pay for an operation, and the Galabank faithful responded in amazing fashion – they raised the £4500 target within a week. Goss scored 58 goals in all competitions for the Black and Golds, his 28 goal haul in the 2022/23 promotion campaign went a long way to help Annan reach League One for the first time in their history. In the meantime, Myles Gaffney has signed with the club after impressing on trial where he netted twice against Premiership side St Mirren. Gibson added: “We’re lacking in that department and as Tommy is moving on at some point we’re still looking to bring in a couple more. "I’m also desperate to get an experienced centre half but it has to be the right player, we can’t keep shipping goals.” On the injury front, Scott Hooper and Max Kilsby could return for the first or second week of the League One season, whilst forward Joel Mumbongo looks to be a long-term knee injury.