Cumbernauld coach relishing WOSL test

Cumbernauld United player/coach Colin McMenamin reckons the challenge to win the new West of Scotland League will be just as tough as staying in it.

The new setup, which saw all the former West Region Junior teams join the SPFL pyramid, is packed full of strong sides with giants Auchinleck Talbot, Pollok, Glenafton and McMenamin’s former side Hurlford among the main contenders.

United will be one of the outsiders for the title in the sixth tier, but McMenamin reckons a lot of sides will need to be wary of dropping into the WOSL Conference.

He said:“It’s going to be an exciting time and a very strong league. It’s going to be difficult not only to win it, but stay in it as well.

“I had a taste of it playing for Hurlford last season. I enjoyed it and there will be big games to look forward to.

“Pollok will have a big crowd, Clydebank as well, and then you have your big Ayrshire teams like Auchinleck, Hurlford, Glenafton and Irvine Meadow and Kilwinning, who are showing a bit of ambition as well.

“It’s going to be difficult. But I’m looking forward to facing my old team.

I’ve made a lot of friends there and got on really well with everyone.

“I’m not going in blind this time. When I went in at Hurlford, I didn’t know enough about the Juniors. Now I know a lot more, I’m looking forward to experiencing it from both sides.”

The WOSL provides a pathway to the SPFL and, despite impressive performances by the likes of Talbot and Lowland outfits BSC Glasgow and East Kilbride in the Scottish Cup, the former Stenhousemuor gaffer reckons the gap to the SPFL is a substantial one.

He added:“I understand in one off games it can be different and Talbot have done well in the Scottish Cup, but once you go up you have to really set your stall out. I think the difference is massive to League Two.

“It’s very difficult up against boys with 200 or 300 appearances at that level, so over the course of a season there’s a big gap.

“That’s not to say that gap can’t be bridged, especially now with the way the pyramid is going. There’s teams like Darvel signing a lot of ex-seniors.

“It’s going to go that way. Players at League One and League Two are going to be more attracted to this level. The gap will get smaller that way and it would be great to see the pyramid working the way it is supposed to.”