FOR some players, the start of the season is still to come.

While the majority of those employed in the SPFL Premiership look ahead to their second league match this weekend, and those in the three lower divisions prepare for their campaign opener, those "in between clubs" are left to ponder a future full of uncertainty and frustration.

Shrinking budgets and squad sizes mean opportunities have been limited for those out of contract and looking for their next challenge. Where once a club would take a gamble on an additional striker or pad further an already well-stocked defence, a more prudent policy has become prevalent.

While Harry Redknapp can say without a hint of irony that he still needs "three or four more" additions to an already bloated Queens Park Rangers squad, it has been a somewhat different story north of the border. Managers have had to adopt a more pragmatic approach - quotes such as "we're going to go with what we've got" and "the younger ones deserve their chance" a tacit admission that the coffers have run dry.

For Andy Barrowman, it has been an eye-opening experience. The well-travelled striker left Dundee at the end of the season, having been released by Dunfermline Athletic a few months earlier when they went into administration, fairly optimistic he would not be unemployed for long. Two months later and he is still looking for a club.

It has not been for a lack of trying, both on the part of Barrowman and his agent Blair Morgan. The 28 year-old has trained with Falkirk, spent two weeks on trial at Fleetwood Town, and travelled to the Netherlands with a view to signing for Heracles. For one reason or another, none of these openings have led to a contract. He remains hopeful of finding a club soon but admits it is an uncertain time.

"It's difficult when you don't have a club as you need to pay your bills like everybody else," Barrowman told Herald Sport. "My last pay was at the end of May and I've not had a wage since. So it's starting to bite financially. Last Saturday without a game was one of the longest days of my life - it just dragged in, sitting watching the telly and wishing you were playing. It's not nice, I'm not going to lie, but it's just a case of sitting tight and hopefully something changes.

"Teams might pick up injuries or have a bad start to the season and look to bring someone in. I've been doing double sessions on my own to stay fit - I know every bump and pebble on the road inside Strathclyde Park. It's hard pushing yourself, but you've got to make sure you're ready if a chance arises. I scored 14 goals in the first division last year so I believe I can do a job for someone at that level."

Deciding to pursue opportunities in the Netherlands and England cost Barrowman the chance to sign for a number of Scottish clubs but he has no regrets. "I think I've been unlucky to say the least. It was a great opportunity going over to Holland to train and play with Heracles, even if they didn't offer me a deal. I then played a bounce game for Fleetwood and did well so they invited me back for a second week.

"I was reluctant to do that as I wanted things tied up - I had other offers up here that I had put on hold. Fleetwood would have been ideal as playing in England is something I wanted to do, and financially the game is in a much better state down there. So I took the chance and went back, knowing it could cost me things up here.

"It looked as if I was going to sign and then Fleetwood signed another centre-half for £200,000 and that scuppered my deal. The other opportunties I had up here were no longer available as those clubs had spent their budgets. It was a gamble, and in hindsight maybe it wasn't the right thing to do, But I would still take the same decision again given the chance."

Jack Ross of PFA Scotland admitted it was difficult to quantify the number of players out of work but confirmed opportunities for those like Barrowman were becoming limited. "It's becoming increasingly difficult for players with a recognisable cv to find employment due to budget restrictions and clubs trying to push through young players who ordinarily wouldn't get an opportunity that early," he said. "To sustain a 15-year career in football these days, at whatever level, is very tough."

The merging of the two league bodies over the summer was meant to help those clubs in the second tier - now re-branded as the SPFL Championship - get on to a steadier financial footing but Barrowman's experiences make him wonder whether full-time football is sustainable at that level.

"It's safe to say most clubs are struggling financially but it's not until you're in a situation like mine that you fully appreciate how tight it is for some of them," he added. "There's not a lot of money and the way it's going I can see a lot of clubs outside of the Premiership going part-time."

Ross felt there was merit in investigating some kind of halfway house between part-time and full-time football to help players such as Barrowman. "When you get older and have more responsibilites like children or a mortgage there are full-time wages on offer that are hard to live on. That's why you've seen some experienced and talented players moving to part-time football as it offers them a chance to continue playing while supplementing a part-time wage with income from elsewhere. A hybrid model that allows players to play almost full-time, while also getting involved in other areas during the rest of the week with the help of their clubs, may be the best way forward."