Lang under-21 gaffer has youth team hope
MARK PIRIE
Cambuslang Rangers’under-21 manager William McElholm believes their young prospects can pioneer a first-team pathway at the club.
McElholm says the squad should be proud to be “flying high” less than a year after playing their first game.
With the help of coaches Jim McGennis, Ryan Mackay, Neil McLaughlin and Thomas Graham, the club are currently in the quarter-final of the West of Scotland Cup, the semi-final of the League Cup, still have a chance to win the league, and should have been playing a Scottish Cup semi-final last weekend.
He believes the under-21’s have what it takes to make the jump to the firstteam - and hopes the current crop are the first of many.
The boss said: “Up until 10 months ago this wasn’t a thing; we didn’t have a ball, we didn’t have cones.
“We went around and the community and local businesses backed us so we managed to get around £4000-£5000 to get us started; the community really rallied round us and we appreciate that.
“It shows you the support that is there for the club.
“The good thing for us as well is that around 90 per cent of the boys are from Cambuslang, so it’s local boys doing well for their local team.
“It’s been a great season for us, but we are shut down when we should be playing in the semi-final of the Scottish,
“It’s disappointing but it doesn’t take away from what the group have achieved already from where we were.”
The club started the season with 3035 players and this team gives thema chance to rpogress to the Juniors.
McElholm added: “I’m hoping that it does create a pathway through to the first team.
“There are some of our boys who could have made the jump, but we asked when we started to keep this group together for the season.
“We wanted to give them the chance to stay together, but to the credit of the management team and the committee they have respected that.
“Given the position they are in, it could have been easy for the manager to take three or four of our best players, but full credit to the likes of David [Kerr, chairman] and the committee for giving us this opportunity for the year.”
McElholm said: “A big thing for us is to keep moving the local boys forward.
“We want to keep the Cambuslang boys in Cambuslang and give them a chance in a semi-pro squad.”