East Kilbride Thistle F.C.

East Kilbride Thistle

Full name	East Kilbride Thistle Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Jags
Founded	1968
Ground	Showpark, East Kilbride
Capacity	2,300
Director	Peter Kelsall
Manager	Aaron Connolly
League	West of Scotland League Fourth Division
2023–24	West of Scotland League Fourth Division, 7th of 16
Website	http://www.ekthistlefc.com/
Home colours Away colours

East Kilbride Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club, based in the town of East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire near Glasgow. Nicknamed The Jags, they were formed in 1968 and play at the Showpark, situated in the Village area of the town. Currently playing in the West of Scotland League Fourth Division. They wear all black; their change strips are all red, or white tops with red or black shorts.

History

Original club

There was a club with the same name that existed in the 1920s. The team won the Second Division of the Scottish Junior League and the Lanarkshire Consolation Cup in 1922–23. ^{[1] [2]}

The original club disbanded so that Clyde could move to the town in to the early 1960s. After the move fell through, the junior team was reformed. ^[3]

After Thistle disbanded, Strathclyde Juniors who were homeless applied to SJFA for permission to use ground for season 1965–66. ^[4]

Modern club

The first trophy to be won was the West of Scotland Junior Cup in 1974. Cambuslang Rangers were beaten 3–1 in the final. The team reached the final again two years later, but lost to Arthurlie in a replay. ^[5]

The biggest success was the Scottish Junior Cup win in May 1983, with victory over Bo'ness United at Ibrox Stadium. The final result was 2–0 to Thistle, with goals from skipper Joe Reilly and Kenny Gordon. ^{[6] [7]}

Thistle's previous manager was former St Johnstone and Hamilton Academical striker John Brogan, who took charge along with Martin Clark on a co-manager basis in November 1999. Clark left to coach Celtic's youth players in 2002, but Brogan remained in sole charge and won the Sectional League Cup at Partick Thistle's Firhill Stadium, Glasgow in 2002 with a 2–0 win over Bellshill Athletic, thanks to goals from Martin McVey and Stephen Brogan.

Brogan later returned the club to Firhill for another Sectional League Cup Final in 2005 but were unfortunate to lose to Neilston 4–3 on penalties, after a 0–0 draw. However it wasn't all bad news when the club won promotion to Super League Division One, from Central District League Division One, with a 3–0 win over Clydebank in the last game of the season on 1 May 2006.

John Brogan left the club in June 2008, and was replaced by former players Colin Mitchell and Ian Penman, as manager and assistant manager respectively. In 2008 Thistle also launched their own youth development structure, which sees coaching an teams from under 4s up to under 21s for both boys and girls.

In November 2010, Mitchell and Penman were replaced as team management by Jimmy Kerr and Tony Gallagher. In 2012 following relegation back to the Central District First Division, most of the playing staff, along with the management team left the club. After a season of turmoil on and off the pitch which resulted in relegation to the Central District Second Division, Thistle regrouped and started looking forwards to the future, the appointment of Alan Wardlaw as manager in late 2013 led to a change in fortunes for the club and they managed to win a few games, including a home league win for the first time in over 2 years. The team are managed from the end of the 2014–15 season by Billy Campbell. ^[8]

Aaron Connolly was appointed caretaker manager following the departure of Garry O'Hanlon. ^[9]

Players & Current Squad

See also: Category:East Kilbride Thistle F.C. players

On 16 April 1972, Christie and Meechan played for Scotland Juniors against England in a 2–2 draw at Saracen Park (home of Ashfield), whilst playing for East Kilbride ^[10]

Willie Pettigrew was another player capped at Junior level with Scotland. He would go on to gain full international honours with Scotland later in his career. ^[11]

Current Squad Season 2023-2024

Dawid Sauermann

Liam McLaughlin

Adam Edgar

Andrew Mooney

Ryan Anderson

Dean Fitzpatrick

Matthew Connelly

Kieran Bell

Iain Stewart

Ryan Anderson

Ally McDonald

Mark Steele

Michael Blues

Ryan McDade

Ross Kennedy

Ryan Campbell

Luke Jackson

Ben Alston

David Gray

Campbell Tough

James Scott

Simon Millar

Mitchell Rooney

Jack McQuade

Jay Convery

Dino Mollinari

Zak Moynes

Honours

• Scottish Junior Cup
  • Winners: 1982–83
  • Semi-finals: 1972–73 ^[5]
  • Quarter-finals: 1971–72, 1977–78, 1980-81 ^[5]

League

SJFA West Region ^{[note 1]}

• Central District First Division
  • Runners-up: 2005–06
• Central District Second Division
  • Promotion: 2016–17

SJFA Central Region ^{[note 2]}

• Central League Division A
  • Winners: 1974–75, 1975–76, 1979–80, 1981–82 ^{[5] [12]}
  • Runners-up: 1972–73, 1973–74, 1980–81 ^{[5] [12]}
• Central League Division B ^{[note 3]}
  • Winners: 1992–93 ^[12]
  • Runners-up: 1977–78 ^{[5] [12]}
  • Promotion: 1971–72 ^{[5] [12]}
• Central League Division C ^{[note 4]}
  • Runners-up: 1998–99, 2000–01 ^[12]
  • Promotion: 1969–70 ^[12]

Cup

• West of Scotland Cup
  • Winners: 1973–74 ^{[5] [13]}
  • Runners-up: 1975–76 ^{[5] [13]}
• Evening Times Trophy (Central League):
  • Winners: 1974–75, 1975–76, 1981–82 ^{[5] [12]}
  • Runners-up: 1979–80
• Evening Times Cup Winners Cup
  • Winners: 1982–83 ^[12]
• Central Sectional League Cup
  • Winners: 1974–75, 1982–83, 2002–03 ^[12]
• Central Drybrough Cup
  • Runners-up: 1972–73 ^[5]
• Red Hackle Trophy
  • Winners: 1974–75 ^[5]
• Whitebread Trophy
  • Winners: 1974–75 ^[5]
• Erskine Hospital Cup
  • Runner-ups: 1971–72 ^[5]
• Langs Trophy
  • Runners-up: 1978–79 ^[5]

Other

• Tommy McGrane Cup
  • Winners: 2009, 2015, 2016, 2017

Notes

1. The SJFA West Region was one of the three major reformed regional league systems after the merger of Ayrshire and Central Region Junior Leagues between 2002 and 2019.
2. The Central district region was one of the six major reformed regional league systems after the merger of the Central and Lanarkshire Junior Leagues between 1968 and 2002.
3. Later known as Central League First Division.
4. Later known as Central League Second Division.

^[5]

References

1. "Scottish Junior League". SFHA. 24 October 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
2. "Lanarkshire Junior Cup Competitions". SFHA. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
3. McColl, Brian (2 August 2009). "Saturday 29th August 1970". SFAQs. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
4. "Strathclyde Juniors". SFAQs. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
5. "The 1970s – Thistle Come of Age And Top The Junior Ranks". EKTFC. 1 July 2008. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
6. "EK target pitch battle after off-field upturn". Evening Times . 17 October 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
7. "East Kilbride Thistle at 50: Junior Cup hero Joe Reilly remembers day town went crazy for the Jags". Daily Record . Glasgow. 6 January 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
8. Thomson, Paul (9 April 2015). "New boss Billy Campbell targets league title next season". Daily Record . Glasgow. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
9. Thomson, Paul (28 September 2022). "New boss Billy Campbell targets league title next season". Daily Record . Glasgow. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
10. "Re: Scottish Junior Internationals 1937 and 1938". SFAQs. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
11. "Scottish Cup football: Juniors' chance to come of age in the Cup". The Scotsman . 26 September 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
12. "Central Region Junior League". SFHA. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
13. "West of Scotland Cup". SFHA. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
    "Inter-Regional Junior Cup Competitions". SFHA. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2021.

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