Kilbirnie Ladeside F.C.
Kilbirnie Ladeside Football Club are a Scottish football club, from Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire. Based at Valefield Park, they currently play in the West of Scotland Football League. Their main rivals are Beith Juniors. The club nickname, The Blasties, derives from a Robert Burns poem, The Inventory, written in 1786.[1]
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| Full name | Kilbirnie Ladeside Football Club | |
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| Nickname(s) | The Blasties | |
| Founded | 1901 | |
| Ground | Valefield Park Kirkland Road Kilbirnie | |
| Capacity | 1,000 | |
| Manager | Martin Ferry | |
| League | West of Scotland League Premier Division (withdrawn) | |
| 2019–20 | SJFA West Premiership, 8th of 16 | |
| Website | Club website | |
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West of Scotland League
In 2020, Kilbirnie moved from the SJFA, to join the pyramid system in Scottish football as one of the inaugural members of the West of Scotland Football League.[2]
On 10 October 2020, the club announced they would not be participating in the inaugural season of the West of Scotland League due to concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, citing the inability of fans to be able to attend games as a huge issue for the club.[3][4][5]
Valefield Park
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| Location | Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire, Scotland |
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| Coordinates | 55°44′43″N 4°40′58″W |
| Capacity | 1,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Tenants | |
| Kilbirnie Ladeside | |
Valefield Park is home to Kilbirnie Ladeside. The average attendance is around two hundred (varying for cup games).
History
The Blasties (the nickname of Kilbirnie Ladeside) original home of Ladeside Park on Mill Road was partly built on by the army during World War II and the club relocated to Valefield, the home of Glengarnock Vale, another local side. Vale did not re-appear after the war and Valefield Park became Ladeside's permanent ground.
Structure
Although the ground is small it can comfortably hold up to six hundred spectators. On the north-west side there are two main stands which were both constructed at the start of the new millennium. The ground has around four main turnstiles, two of which are located on Kirkland Road. There is a small snack bar offering a wide range of hot and cold food and a licensed bar located on the south east corner welcoming both home and away support.
Current squad
As of 28 September 2020[6]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Martin Ferry |
| Assistant manager | Des Roache |
| Coach | Steve Aitchison |
| Physio | Scott Wilson |
| Scout | James Ferry |
| Club photographer | Kaitlin McTaggart |
Honours
- Winners: 1951–52, 1976–77
- Runners-up: 1986–87
Other honours
- West of Scotland Cup winners: 2007–08
- Scottish Junior League winners: 1903–04
- Ayrshire League champions: 1975–76
- Western League champions: 1947–48, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1967–68
- Ayrshire Cup: 1912–13, 1923–24, 1947–48, 1949–50, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1986–87
- Western/Ayrshire League Cup winners: 1923–24, 1931–32, 1938–39, 1988–89, 1994–95, 2009–10
- Ardagh Glass Cup Winners 2009, 2016.
Notable former players
- George Stevenson, Motherwell and Scotland.[7]
- Ernie McGarr, Aberdeen and Scotland.[8]
References
- The Inventory, robertburns.org
- Pirie, Mark (4 May 2020). "West of Scotland League unveil full division list ahead of non-league overhaul". Daily Record. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- "Club Statement regarding recent News - Latest News - Kilbirnie Ladeside FC". www.kilbirnieladesidefc.co.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- "Club Ballot Results – West of Scotland Football League". Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- Pirie, Mark (10 October 2020). "BREAKING: West of Scotland League chaos as 14 clubs pull out ahead of kick off". Daily Record. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- "Squad | Kilbirnie Ladeside FC". www.kilbirnieladesidefc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- True Steelmen - George Stevenson motherwell-mad.co.uk
- Dark Blue Dons - Ernie McGarr Archived 1 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine afc.co.uk, 13 February 2007, Retrieved 24 June 2011