Barry: I’d finish career at Kilby
Hundred game man Russell reflects on his highs wearing EK jersey
Barry Russell insists he wants to spend the rest of his career at East Kilbride after racking up 100 appearances for the club.
In a special interview with the News to mark his milestone, the Kilby skipper looked back on a century of appearances in blue and gold, THAT match against Celtic and he also discussed his hopes for the future.
Russell, who is set to become a father for the second time with partner Emma, said: “I’m happy at East Kilbride, it’s my home town, it’s five minutes up the road from my house for training.
“Hopefully I do spend the rest of my time at EK and I reach 200 games when we are in the big leagues.
“That’s the reason why I signed here [to get promoted].”
The 28-year-old made his 102nd appearance in Saturday’s 6-0 thrashing of Vale of Leithen and capped it off with the final goal of the game as EK stayed seven points clear at the top of the table and nine clear of big rivals Spartans, who have four games in hand.
Kilby have just five games remaining, all away from home, and Russell added:“It’s going to be tough, but if we want to go up we need to win all our games to give us the best chance.
“The good thing is we are not at home. That’s where we’ve lost games this season.
“So I think everyone is happy to be away and hopefully Spartans drop some points.”
You walk into the room and there it is. You can’t miss it. BROWN. 8. A framed shirt from Celtic skipper Scott Brown takes pride of place.
It’s a memento from a momentous game in the history of East Kilbride Football Club and a daily reminder to Barry Russell that he has graced the same park as his hero.
“That’s the first thing I see when I get up for work in the morning and it always puts a smile on my face,” reveals Russell, a plumbing and heating engineer, as he admires the four foot wide frame in his West Mains home.
“It took a bit of work to get it in my living room but it was that big it was the only place it would fit, so I had to be patient for Emma (his partner) to allow it to be up on the wall.
“I have to thank Graeme Robertson at East Kilbride YM as it was him who did the work for it.
“And now it’s there every time people come over to the house.”
The Kilby captain marked 100 appearances for his home town team earlier this month when he featured in a 4-1 win over Whitehill Welfare and it’s no surprise to discover the match with Celtic, albeit a 2-0 defeat, in the last 16 of the Scottish Cup two years ago ranks as the pinnacle.
“It still doesn’t seem real – and that’s been two years now,” he said.
“People still talk to me about it in the streets, asking how was it to play against Celtic for your home town? It’s something I don’t think people around here will ever stop talking about.
“I would have thought you were on drugs or something if you told me a couple of years ago I’d play against Celtic and captain the team they were playing.
“It’s definitely the highlight of my career. I’m a Celtic fan and everyone dreams of playing against their boyhood heroes.
“I thought my biggest game would have been at Ibrox when I was at Albion Rovers and we drew with Rangers, but the Celtic game has blown that out the water.
“The full town was buzzing before and after the game and it was just a brilliant experience.
“We never embarrassed ourselves. A 2-0 defeat is still a defeat but, against the champions of Scotland, we’ll take that all day.”
After the match he walked up to ‘Broony’ and secured the prized shirt that now adorns the Russell residence.
“It’s all I was thinking about towards the end of the game, trying to get the top,” he explains.
“I must have asked the referee two or three times how long was left and took it upon myself to move into midfield so I was next to him when the whistle went.
“It’s a moment I will never forgot as I have always looked at Scott Brown as a role model and a leader – he has everything.”
Beating Ajax’ s world record for wins was amazing–forth em to come over and recognise it was unbelievable. To win 30 games in a row was incredible.
Since making his debut in a 2-1 win over BSC Glasgow in August 2015, Russell has been a figurehead for the club and his outspoken demeanour has earned him as many fans as it has critics.
The 28-year-old defender has led the club to great heights as not only did they play Celtic in his first season, they only went and eclipsed a world record held by the mighty Ajax – which the Dutch giants recognised with a delivery of beers – and won the Lowland League in his second campaign.
There’s also two Lowland League Cup trophies, a South Challenge Cup, an East of Scotland Qualifying Cup and East of Scotland Cup to show for his efforts.
“Clinching the league last year was another big highlight because not many people win a title,” said the former Albion Rovers star.
“Look at Bryan Prunty, he won his first one last season at Arbroath and he’s had a 20-year career.
“People wait a long time to do that and I did it in my second year here.
“That was the big one because everyone thought East Stirling were going to stroll it.
“And beating Ajax’s world record for wins was amazing – for them to come over and recognise it was unbelievable. I know it’s only the Lowland League, but to win 30 games in a row was incredible.
“It wasn’t as good as the Celtic game for me, but it is right up there.”
There have been plenty of lows along the way, too.
Russell arrived alongside Sean Winter from Stranraer in June 2015 as the biggest signings the Lowland League had seen at the time.
Their move was intended to help Kilby secure promotion, but now 102 games later Russell still finds himself playing in the Lowland League and with plenty emotional scars to show for it.
Edinburgh City cruised to the title in his first season and went on to earn promotion to League Two. While East Kilbride eased to the league themselves the following season, a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Cowdenbeath in the playoffs ensured Russell had to endure a third campaign in Scotland’s fifth tier.
Kilby now hold a seven-point lead at the top of the table this season, but know Spartans can pip them if they win all their remaining games.
Russell said: “The Cowdenbeath game always plays on my mind. We played them three times last season – once in the cup and then in the playoffs – and they never beat us over 90 minutes.
“It just came down to a penalty shootout and that was a sickener.
“I thought it would have taken us a season or two to get up. After 100 games, I would have thought we’d be there by now but it’s not happened.
“I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be Cowdenbeath in the play-offs again this year and what a season it would be to get my 100th appearance and go up to League Two.
“But we need to worry about getting there first, take it a game at a time and see what happens.”
Last season has only made Russell more determined for success and he insists he wants to play out the rest of his career in blue and gold.
He added: “I’m happy at East Kilbride, it’s my home town, it’s five minutes up the road for training and I’ve got two of my pals here in Sean [Winter] and Malky [Craig Malcolm].
“Hopefully I do spend the rest of my time at EK and I reach 200 games when we are in the big leagues. That’s the reason why I signed here.
“I don’t see the point of coming here and leaving before we are there. I think that would be a wasted three years.
“To leave and then see EK get promoted, I’d feel like I really missed out on something, so I’m not leaving.
“We’ve got a strong squad that can compete in those leagues and we’ve got a gaffer in Billy Stark who is experienced enough to take us there.”