Colville Park AFC: Crisis hit Scottish Amateur Cup holders withdrawn from league

Colville Park players celebrate after beating Eastfield 2-0 in this May's Scottish Amateur Cup final at Hampden Park (Pic by Ian McFadyen)

The plug has been pulled for the 2019-2020 campaign amid a player shortage crisis but bosses remain hopeful that the Motherwell team can be back in the competitive ranks for season 2020-2021.

The crisis was fuelled by manager Michael Kennedy’s departure for Darvel Juniors this summer, after a trophy laden four-year spell which included winning the Scottish Amateur Cup in three of the last four seasons.

Kennedy also landed the Premier Division crown in each of his four seasons in charge and also won the M and M Trophy and League Cup.

But nine Colville players joined Kennedy at Darvel and the Motherwell outfit’s recruitment of Robert Paterson as the new manager proved unsuccessful as he only lasted two months after arriving in May.

Colville only played two competitive matches this season under another new gaffer – John Heeps – but both of these ended in defeat.

Not enough players have been turning up at training to make the club – founded in 1968 – competitive in this season’s Premier Division.

Colville Park AFC match secretary Andy Williamson (73) a former Colville Park AFC player and manager who has been associated with the club since 1970, told the Motherwell Times: "We have been struggling to field a team. Although we have 24 players, we haven't been getting them to turn up to training regularly.

"The new players weren't a patch on what we have had in recent seasons.

"But we could live with that if they were coming in to train in significant numbers.

"We were set to play Wishaw at home recently and we only had nine players.

"We forfeited the game and were fined £150.

"We kept it going for another week or so but then lost a league cup tie heavily so decided to fold for the season.

"We have kept our membership alive. But we have asked for relief of competitive fixtures.

"If we do come back next year then we will be relegated into the first division.

"We need an effective manager, someone with the commitment to keep the thing alive and motivate players.

"Michael Kennedy had phenomenal success with us. I think he'll do well at junior level."