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Rutherglen Glencairn
Glencairn FC crest
Full name Rutherglen Glencairn Football Club
Nickname(s) The Glens
Founded 1896; 129 years ago (1896)
Ground The Hamish B Allan Stadium
(New Southcroft Park)
Rutherglen
Ground Capacity 1,500
Manager Joe Pryce & Billy Ogilvie

Rutherglen Glencairn Football Club is a Scottish football team from Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, near Glasgow. They are often called The Glens. The club started in 1896 and plays its games at The Hamish B Allan Stadium.

The Glens currently play in the league. They have won several important trophies. These include the SJFA West Region Championship in 2018–19 and the Stagecoach Central District League Division One in 2008–09. They also won the West Region Super League Division One title twice. Winning this title in 2009–10 allowed them to play in the top West Region Super Premier League for the first time.

The team is currently managed by Joe Pryce and Billy Ogilvie, who work together as Co-Managers. Willie Harvey is the General Manager.

Club History and Achievements

Glencairn FC League Positions
This chart shows Glencairn's league positions from 2003 to 2017.

Rutherglen Glencairn F.C. was formed in 1895 in Rutherglen. Their first game was on August 15, 1896, against the Ibrox XI team, which was Rangers' junior team. The Glens won that first match 1–0. Soon after, they joined the Glasgow Junior League and won it in 1899–1900.

The club had a huge year in 1901–02. They won the Scottish Junior Cup, the Glasgow League Championship, and the Glasgow Exhibition Championship. The team that won the Scottish Junior Cup for the first time beat Maryhill 1–0. This team included future Scotland international players like Jimmy McMenemy and Alec Bennett.

The Glens won the Scottish Junior Cup again in 1918–19, beating St Anthony's 1–0. Their third win came in 1926–27 when they defeated their local rivals, Cambuslang Rangers, 2–1. The last time they won the Scottish Junior Cup was in 1938–39, beating another local rival, Shawfield, 2–1.

More recently, Glencairn has moved up through the junior leagues. They were champions of the West of Scotland League Central District First Division in 2009. They also won the West of Scotland Super League First Division in 2010.

In 2020, the club decided to leave the old Junior setup. They planned to join a new league that connects to the Lowland Football League. This is part of the bigger pyramid system below the professional leagues in Scotland.

Team Badge (Crest)

The current Glencairn team badge, or crest, is inspired by the official symbol of Rutherglen town. It shows the club's initials with a football in the middle. On each side, there are guardian angels watching over it. The town's motto, 'Ex Fumo Fama' , is also on the crest. This motto means 'Fame From Smoke'.

Home Stadium

Glencairn 2023 1
A view of the stadium from the north-east side.
Glencairn 2023 2
A view of the stadium from the south-west side.

The club plays its home games at the Hamish B. Allan Stadium in Rutherglen. Their original stadium, Southcroft Park, was knocked down in 2007. This was to make way for a new part of the M74 motorway extension into central Glasgow. The old ground had been there for 110 years and was the oldest Junior football ground in Scotland when it closed. The very last game played there was a 1–0 win against Dunipace in October 2006.

The new stadium is on the other side of the motorway from where the old one used to be. It officially opened in July 2008 with a friendly match. Glencairn played against Clyde, whose old home stadium was also very close to the original Southcroft Park.

In August 2009, the club signed a deal with Clyde Gateway, a local company. They sponsored the new stadium for two years, and it was renamed the Clyde Gateway Stadium. This deal was extended for another two seasons in 2012. In 2014, a new sponsor, Celsius Cooling Ltd, renamed the ground The Celsius Stadium. Then, in August 2020, the stadium was renamed 'The Hamish B Allan Stadium'. This was to honor a loyal supporter and committee member.

In 2012, Rutherglen Glencairn talked with Clyde about possibly sharing the stadium. Even though the changing rooms are modern, other parts of the stadium would need upgrades to meet league rules. Clyde later decided not to share the stadium.

Current Team Players

Updated 19 July 2023
No. Position Player
Scotland GK Scott Law
Scotland GK James Scott
Scotland DF Alan Dunsmore
Scotland DF Anthony Maguire
Scotland DF Kyle Chrystal
Scotland DF Leon Boomer
Scotland DF Dom McLaughlin
Scotland DF Lewis Blane
Scotland DF Liam Coyne
Scotland DF Dom McLaughlin
Scotland DF Matthew Meechan
Scotland DF Ronan Shiels
No. Position Player
Scotland MF Austin Sime
Scotland MF Dylan Collins
Scotland MF Allan Woodhouse
Scotland MF Ronan Fitzpatrick
Scotland MF Sean McGuire
Scotland MF Jay McKay
Scotland MF Matthew Gear
Scotland MF Martin McBride
Scotland MF Marc Risi
Scotland MF Ross Smith
Scotland FW Paul Brennan
Scotland FW Dylan Henry
Scotland FW Ryan McManus
Scotland FW Bradley Wilkie

Club Leadership

Club Officials

President Elizabeth Allan
Vice-president Andy Handlin
Club secretary Peter Ferguson

Management Team

Here are the people who manage Rutherglen Glencairn for the 2023-24 season:

General Manager Willie Harvey
Co-Manager Joe Pryce
Co-Manager Billy Ogilvie
Coach Tam Miller
Goalkeeping coach Stevie Hutchison
Sports Therapist Leah Giudici

Past Managers

2023-Current Joe Pryce
2010-2023 Willie Harvey

Club Trophies and Awards

Broadwood 2023 3
Action from the 2023 Scottish Junior Cup final.

Scottish Junior Cup

  • Winners: 1901–02, 1918–19, 1926–27, 1938–39
  • Runners-up: 1966–67, 1974–75, 2022–23

West of Scotland Super League First Division

  • Winners: 2009–10, 2018–19

Other Awards

  • West of Scotland League Central District First Division winners: 2008–09
  • Glasgow Junior League winners: 1898–99, 1901–02, 1918–19, 1921–22
  • Central League champions: 1933–34, 1942–43, 1966–67
  • Central League B Division winners: 1974–75
  • Glasgow Junior Cup winners: 1899–1900, 1923–24, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1942–43
  • Glasgow Dryburgh Cup winners: 1939–40
  • Central Junior League Cup winners: 1998–99
  • Central Sectional League Cup 1991–92, 2007–08

Youth Development Program

Willie Harvey became the new manager before the 2010–11 season. He started under-21 and under-19 teams to help young players grow. Alex McArthur manages these youth teams. The under-21 team plays in the West of Scotland Under 21 League Division One. The under-19 team plays in the Cumbernauld & Kilsyth District League.

Willie Harvey believes that developing young talent is very important. He said, "Every now and again you find a real gem. We want to be the side that clubs are trying to poach players from but at the same time we will have first dibs on the best players coming through." This means they want to find and train great young players.

The 2012–13 season was amazing for the young Glens. Managers Andy McFadyen and Alex McArthur, along with coach George Fortheringham, led the under-21 team to win three trophies! This was a historic moment for the club. They won the West of Scotland Premier League in the very last game of the season. They also won the League Cup by beating Goldenhill 4–1. Finally, they won the West of Scotland Cup final in a penalty shootout.

Famous Former Players

Many talented players have played for Rutherglen Glencairn before moving on to bigger clubs or playing for their national teams. Here are some of them:

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