All’s well that ends well…
Promotion clinched after topsy-turvy season
Football is full of ups and downs and that proved to be the case as we take a look back at Cambuslang Rangers’ campaign.
Having just been promoted as champions, manager Paul McColl was aiming for more than just staying in the Super First – and he duly delivered
The Lang put a disappointing summer behind them by winning all four of their Sectional League Cup group games. Three defeats in pre-season and coach George Fotheringham leaving after disagreements with the staff was hardly ideal preparation.
But they progressed past the quarter-final of the cup before suffering a 5-1 loss to Clydebank in the last four.
Meanwhile, the club made a stunning start to life in their new division. They were flying high with four wins from four before a draw with Kello and a heavy 4-0 defeat to Darvel brought them crashing back down to earth.
However, the next two wins over eventual promoted sides Irvine and Renfrew signalled their intent that there was a title chase afoot.
Lang supporters won’t look back on the Junior Cup adventure with much pleasure as they crashed out in the second round. But they started a good run in the West of Scotland Cup by beating Muirkirk.
Troon ended Camby’s 2017 on a sour note in November – it turned out to be the last competitive game for McColl’s men who were fourth in the league table.
There was a bizarre start to the New Year after a 4-2 win over Larkhall Thistle. Their next fixture with Largs was abandoned at halftime becuase of fighting.
Players and coaching staff of both sides clashed before the ref called a halt to proceedings – a decision McColl blasted as “ridiculous”.
Three more league wins had Camby sitting comfortably in the top four before the eyes of the country were on the club for all the wrong reasons.
Manager McColl was badly injured in February after a gunman fired shots through his car window on Borgie Crescent.
Scotland’s media descended on Cambuslang as he recovered in hospital, taking time away from the dugout for over a month.
Assistant managers Billy Campbell, Jimmy Kerr and John McKeown took charge of the team who agreed to postpone their next fixture with Kello after the shooting.
A staggering 15-0 annihilation of Newmains in the cup, a battling 2-2 draw with league leaders Petershill and a hammering of Maryhill kept The Lang’s spirits up as we entered April. But a 2-0 defeat away to Irvine triggered a poor run which consisted of just one win in eight.
They lost crucial clashes to all but Renfrew in the top seven and Pollok beat them 4-0 in the Central cup. A 3-1 derby day collapse to Glencairn forced the management team, who had welcomed McColl back the week before, to hand the captain’s armband to striker John Gemmell.
Despite a bad start to the skipper’s reign, a spirited squad rallied in the final four games of the season. They didn’t concede a goal and eventually secured their third promotion in a row with a 2-0 victory over Darvel.
As if that wasn’t enough for Camby faithful, the club proved they could mix it with the top dogs by beating Pollok before going out the WOS Cup with a depleated side to Hurlford.