PEEBLES manager Ger Rossi admits all senior clubs should take heed of the demise of Duns.

But he believes his own club's hard-working committee will make sure the Rovers stay afloat.

Duns pulled out of the East of Scotland League at the start of the month after failing to attract enough players.

And they will continue with only a Border Amateur team for the forthcoming season.

While Rossi is disappointed that there will only be 11 teams in the league for his first season as manager, he is also excited about the campaign ahead.

He told the Peeblesshire News: "This for us will be a bedding in season as we try to find our level.

"We have a vibrant committee who are all working hard for the best of Peebles Rovers but what has happened at Duns shows that we can't take anything for granted.

"I know how hard Duns have worked in recent years to get their new ground - it's a shame that this has happened.

"We need Peebles to be strong and we need the East of Scotland League to be strong.

"It is a worry for the league at the moment as so many teams have left, but we need to keep things going and hopefully the league committee will attract new teams in the seasons ahead."

Rossi, along with his assistant Alan McDonald, has already built a squad of 16 signed players since take over the baton from John O'Hara at the end of last season.

And he hopes that his policy of promoting youngsters from the Peebles area will have benefits - both medium- and long-term.

Scott Inglis, David Lindsay and Ben Brown have all stepped up from Peebles amateur teams.

But he's also drafted in the experienced pair of Colin Smith and Alan McMath from Innerleithen.

Rossie continued: "What John O'Hara did here at Peebles was excellent. He took us from the bottom and made us league and cup winners.

"The next step in continuing on from what John did is to introduce more local players and that is what we've been busy doing.

"More than two-thirds of the players we have signed are from in and around Peebles.

"A lot of the players are young and still learning - it will take a few seasons before we see the best from many of them - but this policy of bringing local boys through to the first team will have benefits for the future of Peebles Rovers.

"There are no targets this season - we just want to do as well as we can and keep the buzz that the club seems to have just now."

Rovers plant to have a further warm-up match next Tuesday evening against Edinburgh amateur side Salters Athletic.

They will also entertain Carluke Juniors on Saturday, July 23.

It remains unclear when the East of Scotland League will kick off following the departure of Duns. The season's re-arranged fixtures are due to be released in the next few days.