Latest news with #WestofScotlandPremierDivision
Daily Record
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Rutherglen Glencairn boss target Lowland League spot with revamp on way
The Glens are a SFA licensed club and could be fast tracked to the fifth tier next term amid a shake up to the pyramid Rutherglen Glencairn co-boss Joe Pryce has targeted one of the Lowland League West promotion spots from this season's West of Scotland Premier Division. Pryce is building a squad able to compete in the top flight, with nine places up for grabs in the revamped West Division of the Lowland League in season 2026/27. The Lowland League will be split into East and West Divisions, with 16 teams in each, running alongside the Highland League. As an SFA Licenced club, Glencairn are virtually guaranteed a place in the new set-up, but Pryce wants to make sure. He said: 'It looks like there will be at least eight teams from the division moving into a new league, eight licenced clubs, and we're obviously one of them. 'There will be other clubs who are shooting for their licence this year. If you want to move into this next division, your goal is to finish in the top eight. 'I know there are some clubs who don't have a licence and might struggle to get one, because we know a prohibiting factor is finance, you need floodlights and things like that. 'But from our point of view, we've just got to aim to finish as high up in that division as we can, and we're certainly going to give it a right good go.' Pryce says his side will stick to what made they successful in their promotion-winning campaign last season and expects his side to be a force in the Premier Division. He added: 'Teams who are up against us will know they've been in a game, and you're going to have to play well if you want to beat us, that's for sure. We want to go up and play, we're not just going up there to make up the numbers. 'We can't just sit 10 men behind the ball and kick the way we're facing, we'll play the way we want them to play, and that footballers want to play.' Lowland clubs voted for reconstruction earlier this month, determining that relegation from the Lowland League won't take place this coming season. However, promotion will be opened up, with champions from each of the four tier-six leagues – West of Scotland Premier Division, South of Scotland, East of Scotland Premier, East Region Midlands League – promoted into their respective division, if they meet Lowland League entry criteria. This is Scottish FA Licence at bronze level, and meeting Financial Fair Play rules. At the moment, the West Division would be made up of Albion Rovers, Caledonian Braves, Clydebank, Cumbernauld Colts, Gretna 2008, two clubs from the South of Scotland League and nine from West of Scotland, plus Celtic 'B' as a 17th guest club. The West of Scotland and South of Scotland Leagues would be feeders for the Lowland West Division, while the East of Scotland Premier and Midlands Leagues would feed the East Division.
Daily Record
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Rutherglen Glencairn boss' 'upgrade' as he eyes summer signings
Joe Pryce reckons at least seven new faces will arrive for next season Rutherglen Glencairn co-boss Joe Pryce says he will be making an upgrade when he's able to announce 'at least seven' new faces for next season. Pryce and co-boss Billy Ogilvie have been working hard to rebuild their squad for next season in the West of Scotland Premier Division, having gained promotion last season. Pryce said: 'There's nothing we can officially do until people are out of contract on June 30. 'We're working hard behind the scenes, trying to get players in. 'We have two over the line at the moment, we're waiting on another three or four, and there are a few other boys who are coming in. 'It's all looking good at the moment, and if the players that we're after decide to come and join us, then we certainly know we're going to get an upgrade on the players that have moved on. 'The guys who have moved on were good players for us, did really well, but moving into the Premier League you've got to look to upgrade your squad, and be able to cope with that, which is what we're doing. 'In total, I would imagine there are going to be at least seven new players. Seven have moved on, so there will be at least seven coming in. 'If we start the league a couple down then so be it, I'm not fussed about having 20 players to start the campaign. We'll pick it up as we go from there. We're not going to rush in and sign players just for numbers, every player who comes in is going to need to be able to cope in the Premier Division, and contribute.' Glencairn have been drawn at home to Easterhouse in the Strathclyde Demolition Cup second round, while Pryce tries to secure summer friendlies. 'Four or five' friendlies are scheduled, although the dates have yet to be firmed up, with a possible switch of teams on July 5 and 12. But they will travel to Glenrothes on July 19 to mark the 50th anniversary of the sides meeting in the 1975 Scottish Junior Cup final, with any player who featured on the day welcome to attend.
Daily Record
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Rutherglen Glencairn will cope with top flight test, says boss
Joe Pryce's side have been promoted to the West of Scotland Premier Division and he insists they can make an impact Rutherglen Glencairn co-boss Joe Pryce says his side aren't just going to make up the numbers in the West of Scotland Premier Division. The Glens co-boss says players don't want to operate with 10 men behind the ball and can showcase their talents in the top flight. He said: 'It's the Premier Division and we're going in against teams like Johnstone Burgh, who won the Scottish Cup on Sunday, Auchinleck, Cumnock, Pollok – the big hitters just keep coming and first and foremost we've got to make sure we can compete. 'But we want to do more than compete, we want to go in and play in the Premier Division and not just make up the numbers. 'We don't just want to go and have 10 men behind the ball, kicking it the way we're facing, footballers don't want to play that way, they want to showcase their talents. 'We won't build that way, we're going to go in and play the way we want. We know we're going to have to defend, and properly, but we still want to go up and play. We'll be a success, or we'll fail, but we'll do it our way.' Pryce has started looking ahead to next season and is on the verge of signing three defenders, though won't name them at this stage. However, Roan Fitzpatrick, Jack McIlveen and Allan Woodhouse have departed the club. Pryce said: We've spoken to quite a few, but it's that difficult part where players are just leaving clubs, want to see what else is there for them. 'We've been concentrating on our own players, making sure the ones we want to stay are tied up, but we have certainly been active in speaking to players. 'We know our targets, we know what we're looking for, and we're just waiting on players getting back to us. 'We've managed to get two centre-backs tied up at the minute, ready for next season, and we're speaking to another one. 'We lost Roan and Woody out the midfield, who are moving on, and Jack McIlveen has moved on to St Roch's as well. 'We were disappointed to lose those three, because we wanted to take them with us, but they've made their choice, that's up to them and we wish them all the best. They were a big part of what we achieved this year.' Pryce added: 'There are a couple of players that we've still to speak to, in terms of our own group, who won't be here next season, but it's quite slow and difficult. 'The financial landscape of the Premier League is way above First Division, so that's something we're adjusting to. But we are where we are, we're certainly not going to put the club in any trouble, trying to pay wages that we can't afford. 'We see other what clubs have done, and the perilous state they find themselves in, but that won't happen at Glencairn.'
Belfast Telegraph
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Ex-Northern Ireland and Rangers hero scores winning penalty in Scottish Junior final: ‘It was put on my shoulders'
The man who scored 20 goals for his country was a second half substitute in the Scottish non-league final. The Fermanagh man made his mark on the match, however, scoring the winning spot kick in a dramatic shootout at the Broadwood Stadium. Lafferty said: 'It's brilliant for myself to score a winning goal, to win the penalty shoot-out. For all that to be put on my shoulders was massive for me. 'And I knew how much it meant to the club. The first thing the club said to me was 'we need to win the Scottish Junior Cup in the two years you're here', and we've done it.' We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Tranent held the advantage at half time thanks to a Harry Girdwood header only for Lafferty's Johnstone Burgh to level through Ciaran Diver with 16 minutes left on the clock. The game would go to penalties, with Lafferty scoring the decisive kick in a 4-2 shootout win. The 37 year-old joined the West of Scotland Premier Division side in 2023 after he was released by Linfield. Lafferty had previously played for Burnley, Rangers, Sion, Palermo, Norwich City, Hearts, Sarpsborg, Sunderland, Reggina, Kilmarnock and Anorthosis Famagusta.
Belfast Telegraph
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Former Northern Ireland and Rangers hero scores winning penalty in Scottish Junior Cup Final
The man who scored 20 goals for his country was a second half substitute in the Scottish non-league final. The Fermanagh man made his mark on the match, however, scoring the winning spot kick in a dramatic shootout at the Broadwood Stadium. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Tranent held the advantage at half time thanks to a Harry Girdwood header only for Lafferty's Johnstone Burgh to level through Ciaran Diver with 16 minutes left on the clock. The game would go to penalties, with Lafferty scoring the decisive kick in a 4-2 shootout win. The 37 year-old joined the West of Scotland Premier Division side in 2023 after he was released by Linfield. Lafferty had previously played for Burnley, Rangers, Sion, Palermo, Norwich City, Hearts, Sarpsborg, Sunderland, Reggina, Kilmarnock and Anorthosis Famagusta.
