Prize has Pam jumping for joy
Trampoline star takes top honour
The town’s top amateur sports stars were honoured at the East Kilbride Sports Awards on Saturday night – with trampolinist Pam Clark taking the top prize.
She beat East Kilbride Football Club midfielder Sean Winter to the overall prize after they won the adult female and adult male awards.
Clark was crowned British champion in trampoline last year but missed out on the Olympic Games in Rio just days after her moment of glory.
Meanwhile, it was a big night for East Kilbride FC as Winter, fresh from his goal-scoring exploits against Buckie Thistle earlier in the day, also collected the senior team of the year prize on behalf of the club .
The awards recognised performances in 2016 and Winter was Kilby’s player of the year last season, helping them to a Scottish Cup tie with Celtic and an unofficial world record-breaking run of wins which was recognised by Dutch club Ajax.
Winter, who helped EK win the Lowland League last month, said: “I played nearly every game for the club last season and scored a lot of goals (22), so it’s nice to get recognition for that.
“It’s been a massive year for the club as well and if not for the success we had last year, we wouldn’t have been able to have such a successful season this year.
“It helped us attract some great players and we’ve gone from strength to strength. I didn’t know what to expect and to win my award was a nice surprise. “It was a really good ceremony.” Club of the year went to East Kilbride Amateur Swimming Club once again as they continue to develop some of the country’s most promising young swimmers.
In the junior category, EK Athletic Club sprinter Greg Kelly won the under-18 male prize, while fellow athlete and Whitemoss AC member Holly McArthur won junior female.
St Kenneth’s Primary School athletics squad won junior team of the year and Luke Kirwan was named top coach.
This year is the 50th anniversary of East Kilbride Sports Council and their treasurer, Bob Anderson, was presented with a special services to sport award by the director of SALSC (Scottish Assocation of Local Sports Councils) Dilawer Singh, MBE.