Colin Boyd insists the West of Scotland Football League will prove worth the wait for EVERYONE.
The Kilwinning Rangers chairman was as disappointed as anyone when the inaugural campaign was declared null and void last week.
He was one of the biggest champions of giving the season a go back in October as coronavirus cast uncertainty over the non-league ranks.
Not only that – his own club were nicely poised for a title run-in when a second national lockdown brought the game to a grinding halt in January.
But rather then dwell on the frustrations of a cut-short season, Boyd is fully focused on ensuring that next season gets off to a flyer – for all 67 clubs in the WoSFL and possibly more.
He’s well placed to influence the direction Scotland’s newest league takes having been elected vice-chair of the new WoSFL management committee at the start of March.
But he reckons clubs of all sizes have helped create a pathway for progress by being proactive throughout the pandemic as they adjust to life in the senior ranks.
“There’s been a lot of great work going on at clubs across the leagues in recent months,” said Boyd.
“Here in Ayrshire, you’ve got the Premier clubs like Irvine Meadow, ourselves, Cumnock and Darvel making great progress in terms of working towards earning an SFA club licence, installing floodlights and improving facilities.
“You’ve also got teams such as Ardrossan and Girvan who have been really busy making improvements of their own and doing a great job.
“Going forward, the aim is to get most Premier clubs working towards getting that licence.
“We need that long term to ensure we don’t cause a block in the pyramid pathway.
“We’re a new league but it wouldn’t be a good look if we were producing league winner after league winner and not able to take our play off place because clubs can’t meet the criteria.”
But Boyd is keen to point out that it’s not just all about improving the professionalism of top flight clubs.
He added: “A big thing for the league next season is going to be working with clubs to help them achieve a bronze SFA Quality Mark which is a kind of recognition for well run clubs.
“A lot of our old Junior clubs don’t have that yet and it’s something we are keen to introduce across the board.”
Boyd also insists there’s plenty of room for ambitious clubs at other levels to join the set-up.
Five applications have already been lodged including one from Harmony Row Youth Club, one of Scotland’s most revered community clubs.
Boyd believes no club should be denied the chance to realise their ambitions and wouldn’t be against seeing an extra division tagged on to the WoSFL in years to come to accommodate teams.
“There is criteria clubs have to meet to enter at tier nine which all our member clubs currently meet, he added. “But we could possibly look at a Tier 10 which would allow a bit more room for manoeuvre albeit it would be promotion tied unless teams could demonstrate that they could make the improvements required to step up.
“People might look at teams and say they’ve no fans, but I’ve been to Kilwinning Rangers games when there’s been to 25 folk there and youth games where there has been 300.”
Boyd will certainly be hoping to attract more than two dozen supporters back to revamped Buffs Park when it is safe to do so.
Kilwinning have made major improvements to the ground over the last year in a bid to make it one of the best in non-league football.
The ultimate aim is to have a fully enclosed ground with seats for at least 330 spectators.
A community hub that will house local businesses and a Youth Zone is also part of the project.
Boyd believes the work being done at clubs across the West could soon see a change in the landscape of Scottish football.
He added: “League Two clubs will be looking over their shoulders at teams in our league. You only need to look at how far the likes of Cove Rangers have come in three years.
“It’s an exciting time for clubs at our level.”
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