Rebuilt Jags can be shock troops New boss Paterson up for the challenge
Alan Paterson reckons East Kilbride Thistle can be the shock troops in next season’s Central District First Division.
The Jags have entered a period of rebuilding following their dramatic promotion last term.
Pre-season training is underway but few players from Billy Campbell and Gary Johnstone’s successful squad remain.
Indeed, a number of top performers have moved on to pastures new with striker Aaron Connolly putting pen to paper at Super League First Division Irvine Meadow.
Fellow forward Liam McLaughlin has joined Cumnock with keeper Chris Treacey signing for St Roch’s. Kilsyth Rangers are believed to be on the trail of Liam Sloan.
It all adds up to a busy summer for boss Paterson and his Showpark management team. But the gaffer is looking forward to the challenge and believes the players he brings to the club can make a big impact.
He said: “We want to stabilise in this division. We are new and will take time to find our feet.
“A lot of our boys have not been seen at this level so we will be an unknown quantity.
“Many people will have us going straight back down but I think we might shock a few people.
“We’re only going to concentrate on ourselves and what we do.”
Paterson expects to construct a team which will be competitive and said: “We have only got three or four players from last season coming to training.
“But we have been working really hard behind the scenes.
“We are going to be giving guys a chance to prove themselves at this level.”
Jags have pre-season friendlies against Broomlands AFC from Irvine, St Anthony’s, Maryhill, Shettleston and South of Scotland League side Mid Annandale.
Meanwhile, there is a major shake-up in Junior Football’s West Region with league reconstruction taking place at the end of the 2017-18 campaign.
Clubs voted by a 49 to 12 majority to have four divisions of 16 teams and three-month advance fixture lists in the biggest change at this level for 15 years.
The format will take effect from the start of the 2018-19 term. The divisions will be renamed Premiership, Championship, League One and League Two.
The top three in the Central District First Division will be automatically promoted to the Championship with the fourth-placed team involved in a play-off with a Super First outfit. Jags will be a League One club if they manage to avoid relegation.