Glens joy at step up
Club join SPFL pyramid in new tier six
Senior football back in the Burgh after more than 30 years
Rutherglen is set to welcome senior football back to the town for the first time in over 30 years as Glencairn join the new tier six West of Scotland League.
The Glens will leave behind their junior roots to join the SPFL pyramid after the WOSL confirmed their entry into a 20-team division from next season. The new division below the Lowland League will include all of last season’s West Region Premiership, three Championship sides, and Bonnyton Thistle. The proposal was agreed after the initial plan for a conference system was rejected by the SFA. The Burgh has been without a senior club since Clyde left Shawfield in April 1986.
Boss Willie Harvey admits there had been fears they would drop out of the new era after finishing the season in the relegation spots, with the campaign axed due to lockdown.
“We’re over the moon at the decision,” Harvey said.
“We want to be at the top table but there was a concern that they would all of a sudden put us out.
“There were real concerns that we would be relegated even though we still had a lot of games to play.
“We don’t think that would have been fair but I know there is a lot of teams who won’t be happy that they have missed out.
“Sometimes you have got to be selfish and look after yourselves and we were ready to fight our corner if it came to that, but we feel like the right decision has been made.”
Harvey hoped this would be the beginning of a bright new era for the club – and set his sights on the SPFL.
He went on: “It’s strange for is to no longer consider ourselves a junior club, but we are now senior and part of the pyramid.
“For us we have a plan about how we can move the club forward. “There are teams at the very top of the division, Pollok, [Auchinleck] Talbot; they are they very top teams and will be expecting to move up into the Lowland League right away. For us, we are looking more longer term and we have a few seasons to work out how we can get to the top tier.
“We have a plan for the next five years and hope to encourage more supporters to come back. We won’t be silly but we want to make sure we are doing the right things. “Hopefully in five years we are up there challenging. The new system gives you that chance.
“We have a great backbone of this club and long term we want to climb into the pyramid.”