East Kilbride F.C.
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| Full name | East Kilbride Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Kilby or EK |
| Founded | May 2010 |
| Ground | K Park Training Academy, Calderglen Country Park, East Kilbride[1] |
| Capacity | 400 all-seated |
| Chairman | Mike Peden[1] |
| Manager | TBC |
| League | Lowland Football League |
| Website | Club home page |
East Kilbride Football Club is a new football club that is based in the 'new town' of East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, the largest town in Scotland. They were formed in May 2010 after the merger of Jackton Boys Club and Stewartfield F.C.[2] As yet they have no permanent home, using the facilities at the training base, K Park, until a site is found for the new stadium.[1] They will play in the inaugural season of the Lowland League,[3] although had previously been elected to the South of Scotland League at the end of the 2012–13 season.[4]
History
The club were launched officially by two former Old Firm players, John Hartson and John Brown, of Celtic and Rangers respectively.[5] The club was resurrected after folding in the 19th century, after being launched in 1871.
Two men, tycoon James Kean and Iain King, who is a sports journalist, spent many years in the hope that East Kilbride Thistle, the town's highest ranked football team, would become a senior sports team, so much so that they officially launched their youth development programme from under-21s right down to the under-5s. The dream never materialised and they had to admit defeat, and so their vision was to form a new club. John Hartson, the former Celtic striker, was appointed honorary president of the new club.[2][6] On 10 September 2010, the club held their inaugural fundraising dinner which was attended by around 250 people and raised about £9500.[7]
On 31 May 2013, East Kilbride were given a place in the South of Scotland Football League for the 2013-14 season.[4] On 17 June 2013, East Kilbride were elected to play in the newly formed Lowland League, without playing a game in the South of Scotland League.[3]
Set-Up
As of September 2012, East Kilbride has 30 teams (male, female and additional support needs) competing in age groups between 5-21 and over-21, with over 650 players.[1]
Future Developments
The club stated a few days after formation that they intend to build a state-of-the-art training facility next to Calderglen Country Park, which would be where the club will train and the youth development would take place. Work on this ambitious project began on 16 August 2010, and was completed on June 2011. It is known as K Park, and East Kilbride will play their matches at the facility until a site for a new stadium is found,[8] though in recent times the stadium could possibly become more of a reality.[9]
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "EKFC Announce Plans To Bring Senior Football To East Kilbride.". k-parktrainingacademy.co.uk. 20 September 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-20.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "John Hartson backs East Kilbride bid for big time". BBC Sport Website. 14 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Lowland League clubs confirmed by Scottish FA". bbc.co.uk. BBC Sport Website. 17 June 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "BEAUTIFUL SOUTH FOR EKFC!". Club Website. East Kilbride F.C. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
- ↑ "Old Firm stars herald new dawn for town". East Kilbride News. 19 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
- ↑ "EKFC 2003 Blue". Club Website. East Kilbride F.C. 15 August 2010. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
- ↑ http://www.eastkilbridemail.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1165&Itemid=1
- ↑ "K Park will be envy of SPL clubs". STV.TV. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-26.
- ↑ "Go-ahead for Extension to Calderglen Football Complex". k-parktrainingacademy.co.uk. 20 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-26.
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