Lok forgotten man Colin hopes for a happy New Year
FAST becoming Newlandsfield’s forgotten man is playmaker Colin Williamson who will be “celebrating” seven months on the sidelines at Hogmanay.
The 31-year-old is the player nobody mentions when Pollok supporters salivate over the engine room dominance of Bryan Young, Ross Brash, Ryan McGregor and Liam Rowan.
Yet it’s fair to say that over the last few seasons, Williamson was a near ever present as Tony McInally steered Lok and was regarded as one of his gaffer’s favoured picks most Saturdays.
He remembers his last appearance well – albeit not fondly – in the 2-1 Central League Cup semi-final defeat by Petershill at the end of May, not least because he has not kicked a ball in anger since after being laid up with a debilitating groin injury.
He said: “I had felt a few uncomfortable twinges leading up to the Petershill game but believed it was just the result of a long, hard season and I was confident that a good rest over the summer months would have me right as rain again.
“Unfortunately I was way off the mark and in agony during pre-season training and unable to do anything other than light workouts on my own.
“It was so frustrating. I have never experienced a longer injury spell than a couple of weeks throughout my entire career.
“And my frame of mind hardly improved when the new season got underway and I was unable to make any contribution whatsoever.
“Tony rang the changes during the close season with a high turnover of players, many of them midfielders, and it’s hard not to think your days are numbered when quality signings like Youngy and Cheesy [Brash] arrive on the scene and more so when you cannot offer any competition for the jerseys.
“I have never shirked from going along to our training sessions and do my best to keep in touch with the other guys.
“But the injury which could be Gilmore’s Groin according to physio John Lorimer is simply not responding to treatment and rest.”
Williamson’s fall from grace is a stark reminder about how cruel football can be and he’s far from alone in that. However the Strathaven based ace is determined to fight for his future at the famous Southside club even if his fitness battle leaves him out of pocket.
He expects to find out the full extent of his groin injury and whether it requires surgery later today following an MRI scan and examination by a Ross Hall specialist whose costs are being met by Williamson himself.
Last night the former Shotts Bon Accord and Cumnock signing said: “There’s nothing for it but to act now considering that a year is the current waiting time for having these same procedures carried out on the NHS so going private appears to be the only way to hurry things on.
“Hopefully the scan will reveal what has been causing so much discomfort and will allow the problem to be addressed either by surgery or treatment to get me back training alongside my team mates as soon as possible.
“Football is a game where you are quickly forgotten when out of people’s sight.
“But I am not ready to be consigned to the scrap heap just yet and my dream Christmas present would be an opportunity to stake a claim for a place in the team.”