Blasties offer had Budgie in a flap... now he’s flying high
No.1 FOR JUNIORS
BUDGIE McGHIE got back on Junior football’s bandwagon at the weekend after agreeing to take over as Kilbirnie Ladeside’s new team boss.
Erstwhile gaffer Mark Bradley, whose six months at the helm culminated in the Ayrshire outfit avoiding relegation, left club officials in a state of flux last week when he revealed he would be departing the Valefield scene allegedly to take over as Linlithgow Rose manager for the second time in his career.
Highly regarded No.2 Paul Ronald’s decision to leave with Braddo sparked a meeting of the Blasties committee where it was unanimously decided to make an approach for the seasoned McGhie, out of the game since resigning as Clydebank boss in late December after 13-and-a-half years at the Bankies helm.
The 56-year-old revealed: “I was watching the Arthurlie v Pollok game last Wednesday night when a telephone call out of the blue asked whether I would be interested in taking the Kilbirnie job.
“I was totally taken aback and asked for a couple of days to think things over, but deep down I was i mmediately excited at the prospect of getting back into the game with a club of Kilbirnie’s history and great support base.
“Everything has happened so quick and I still haven’t put my backroom team in place, but that will have to go on the back burner as meeting up with the Kilbirnie players is now my number one priority.
“They played their final game of the season at the end of April and they deserve to know my plans f or the club going forward, so I’m in for a busy time trying to speak with them all over the next few days.”
His return to the Junior scene coincided with former club Clydebank’s 4-1 defeat of Shettleston clinching promotion back to the Super Premier Division, where they will inevitably lock horns with Kilbirnie next season.
Budgie insisted: “Those games will take care of themselves when next season comes around, but I will go on record to express my delight for everyone connected with the club and I’m sure they will prove a welcome addition to the top division.”
MEANWHILE, there’s word of yet another new managerial appointment coming out of Meadow Park, where it’s believed current Kello Rovers gaffer Ross Dickson is set to be officially unveiled as Irvine Meadow’s new team boss.
Twenty-eight-year-old Giffnock-based Dickson’s first season as a Junior manager saw him steer Kello to promotion from the Ayrshire District League, so it’s not altogether surprising to hear word of his impending departure has not gone down well, particularly as No.2 John Quinn is also Medda bound.
Dickson has wasted no time in running the rule over his new playing charges after being spotted at Lochburn Park taking in Medda’s 2-2 weekend draw with Maryhill and at their final league game of the season against Petershill last night.
First out of the blocks in terms of freeing up players for transfer are Arthurlie, whose manager Chris Mackie has revealed a willingness to listen to offers for strikers Gary Carroll and Gary Smith as well as midfielder Jordan Leyden.
Elsewhere, Girvan are on the verge of being crowned Super First Division champions following a 3-0 defeat of Maryhill at Hamilton Park last night.
Goals from David Cunningham, Stevie McCreadie and James Hilton enabled the Ayrshire outfit to move a point behind leaders Clydebank ahead of their final league match away to Yoker Athletic on Saturday.
The result was also a hammer blow to Maryhill’s hopes of avoiding the drop after defeat coincided with basement rivals Cumbernauld United eking out a 1-1 draw at home to Rutherglen Glencairn, for whom substitute Allesandro Savarese netted a late leveller to cancel out Scott Murphy’s first half score for Andy Frame’s men.
Cumbernauld now lead Maryhill by a solitary point ahead of both clubs playing their final league matches tomorrow night.
In other games, Lesmahagow avoided a relegation fate thanks to battling back from being 2-0 down at home to Neilston to salvage a share of the spoils with a 2-2 draw that sees Vale of Clyde drop out of the Central First Division.
In the top flight, a much depleted Auchinleck Talbot lost 2-0 at home to Kilwinning Rangers, for whom 16-year-old Peter Monan and Rikky Hanvey were on the scoresheet. LAST NIGHT’S RESULTS