Super League 1st Division

Sat 22nd October, New Clyde Gateway Stadium, Rutherglen, KO 2pm

RUTHERGLEN GLENCAIRN v GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 

League leaders Glenafton return to league business after a fine 2-1 win over Premier side Clydebank in the West of Scotland Cup at Holm Park on Saturday.  A looping header  Gareth Armstrong, his 14th goal in 14 appearances, and a stunning strike from Paul McKenzie overturned a close range header from Stevie Dymock for the hosts.  To add to the feel good factor the club announced that Paul Murphy’s one month loan from Stranraer has been extended for another month.

Rutherglen too claimed a Premier scalp in the West of Scotland cup and arguably trumped the Glens’ performance with a 1-0 win away at Adamslie Park over a high-flying Rob Roy team with former Afton lads Kevin McBride and David Gormley in their ranks. A late sweet strike from 22-year-old striker Brett Agnew expelling the potential penalty shoot-out.  The Glasgow side faced a tough trip to Fife in the Emirates Scottish Junior Cup 1st round and narrowly lost out by the only goal of the game to East Premier league leaders Oakley United.

Rutherglen comfortably won the Super League 1st Division in 2009/10 finishing  21 points above 7th placed Glenafton and indeed did the double over the New Cumnock side, 3-2 at the Gateway and 1-0 at Loch Park. Major changes to the management and playing staff in the close season was not the best preparation for their first season in the top flight of the West Region and the other Glens were left isolated in bottom place with an unlucky 13 points.

The return to the Super 1st saw relegated Rutherglen open their league campaign with a promising 3-1 victory at promoted Thorniewood. However a four game losing streak, to Ardrossan (h), Lanark (a), Kilsyth (h) and East Kilbride (h) yielded no points. More recently back to back wins at Cumbernauld and Shotts bring with a more balance looked to the league record of Pl7 W3 Do L4 F14 A15 Pts9.

Former Afton Lad

Andy Ward was signed in the close season of 2008/09 from East Kilbride Thistle by Gordon Dalziel. He made 10 starts and 11 appearances from the bench in a season that ended with the Glens being relegated after losing the play-off to Lanark. A no-nonsense dependable defender Andy joined Rob Roy in their first season in the Premier Division with fellow former Afton Lads Steven McGregor, Craig Feroz and Chris Zok and joined Rutherglen in the close season.

Killie and Glens Cup Winners – Tom Brown and John Bagan

Glenafton are rightly proud of the fact that after winning a Scottish Junior Cup medal with the Glens in the 1-0 win over Tayport in 1993 at Firhill, Tom Brown went on to win a senior Scottish Cup winners medal with Kilmarnock in the 1-0 triumph over Falkirk in 1997 at Ibrox.

Rutherglen share this Killie connection. Right half John Bagan won a Scottish Junior Cup winners medal in the Glens 1-0 win over St. Anthonys in 1919 at Hampden Park and returned to the same ground the following year with Kilmarnock to beat Albion Rovers in the Scottish Cup Final in front of 95,000 spectators. Prior to joining Rutherglen Glencairn John won a Scottish Juvenile Cup winners medal with Mosshill United in 1918 and many commentators believe he holds a unique record in Scottish football of winning Juvenile, Junior and Senior Scottish Cup winner medals in consecutive seasons. Sadly, injury put paid to John’s career at Kilmarnock and in 1922 he moved to Beith. Tragically he passed away in 1925, aged 27 years old in his home town of Rutherglen.

Richard Cairns and Gordon Allison ‘Killie ’til I die’ (2011)

Kilmarnock FC Scottish Cup Winners 1920

John Bagan, front row far right. Also in the Killie team that day was New Cumnock born Tom Hamilton (2nd back row, third from left) . Tom, had played for local Juvenile side Afton Lily and Junior side Cronberry Eglinton before the move in 1913 to Killie. In February 1921, Tom joined Preston North end for a fee of £4,600, a contender for a world record transfer fee at the time.