League clash stirs bitter memories

Rutherglen Glencairn face Petershill this weekend for the first time in four years.

Former Glens boss Willie Patterson will return to his old stomping ground as co-manager in search of another win to add to their unbeaten start to the league campaign.

Since their relegation from the Super League Premier last year The Peasy have won two and drawn one of their first three league games.

The last time both teams were in the same division was back in season 2010/11 in what was current manager Willie Harvey’s first year in charge and the club’s only ever season in the Super Premier League.

It was a controversial time too as former Glencairn managers Scott Smith and Patterson had just left the club to join Saturday’s opponents.

The Reformer’s Glencairn correspondent Peter Ferguson explained:“They took just about the entire playing staff and backroom staff with them, leaving whoever the new manager would be to throw together a squad at the last minute to play in the top league of junior football.

“It was an impossible task for any manager to keep Glencairn in that league that season but one of the highlights came early in the season as Glens defeated Petershill 2-0, with all their ex-Glens players in the team.

“Ultimately, though, Glencairn ended up relegated and Petershill survived the drop through the play-offs and we have been in separate leagues since then until now.”

Scott Smith is no longer at the club and only goalkeeper Steven McNeil and striker Stephen McGladrigan remain with Petershill as ex-Glens men.

Glencairn will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing performance against Cumbernauld in their last fixture.

Petershill won the last meeting between the two clubs 2-1 at Petershill Park in 2012/13 in a cup game.