Latest news with #KeltyHearts
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Kelty Hearts v East Fife
Update: Date: 90' Title: Post Content: Corner,Kelty Hearts. Conceded by Andy Munro. Update: Date: 89' Title: Substitution Content: Substitution, East Fife. Trialist 14 replaces Nathan Austin. Update: Date: 85' Title: Post Content: Corner,Kelty Hearts. Conceded by Kieran Millar. Update: Date: 83' Title: Post Content: Foul by Robbie Cole (Kelty Hearts). Update: Date: 83' Title: Post Content: Reis Peggie (East Fife) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Update: Date: 80' Title: Post Content: Foul by Craig Johnston (Kelty Hearts). Update: Date: 80' Title: Post Content: Reis Peggie (East Fife) wins a free kick on the left wing. Update: Date: 78' Title: Post Content: Foul by Jack Brydon (Kelty Hearts). Update: Date: 78' Title: Post Content: Nathan Austin (East Fife) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Update: Date: 78' Title: Substitution Content: Substitution, Kelty Hearts. Joseph Teasdale replaces Innes Murray. Update: Date: 78' Title: Substitution Content: Substitution, Kelty Hearts. Trialist 22 replaces Lewis Moore. Update: Date: 77' Title: Goal! Content: Goal! Kelty Hearts 0, East Fife 1. Alan Trouten (East Fife) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Update: Date: 76' Title: Post Content: Attempt missed. Nathan Austin (East Fife) left footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Update: Date: 76' Title: Post Content: Corner,East Fife. Conceded by Lewis Carrol. Update: Date: 74' Title: Post Content: Attempt missed. Brian Easton (East Fife) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Update: Date: 73' Title: Post Content: Foul by Craig Johnston (Kelty Hearts). Update: Date: 73' Title: Post Content: Reis Peggie (East Fife) wins a free kick on the left wing. Update: Date: 71' Title: Post Content: Corner,Kelty Hearts. Conceded by Lewis Latona. Update: Date: 71' Title: Post Content: Attempt missed. Craig Johnston (Kelty Hearts) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Update: Date: 66' Title: Post Content: Lewis Carrol (Kelty Hearts) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Scottish Sun
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
The SPFL club that quietly bucked the trend to scale Scottish football's pyramid – and one that died trying
They've had to come up with creative ways of finding success POWER STRUGGLE The SPFL club that quietly bucked the trend to scale Scottish football's pyramid – and one that died trying Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IN the shadows of Scotland's football giants, smaller, community clubs are fighting an uphill battle for recognition, resources, and success. Behind the scenes, a fierce power struggle unfolds as these teams strive to punch above their weight, battling financial constraints and organisational challenges while dreaming of making their mark on the national stage. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 11 New Central Park, home of Kelty Hearts Football Club Credit: Kenny Ramsay - Commissioned by The Sun Glasgow This is the inside story of Kelty Hearts rise to SPFL stardom, and how they helped shift the landscape of lower league Scottish football. Kelty escaped non-league football after over a decade in the East of Scotland pyramid, and have found a way to thrive, when many thought they wouldn't. They made the jump from non-league into the SPFL in 2021, after they defeated Brechin City in the playoff final. But their meteoric rise didn't stop there, and just twelve months later, Kelty found themselves in League One, claiming the League Two title at their first attempt. 11 Despite only reaching the SPFL in 2021, Kelty Hearts have found plenty of success Credit: Andrew Barr 11 Just last season they defeated European hopefuls Hibs 1-0, in the Premier Sports Cup Credit: Andrew Barr 11 Kelty won the League Two title at the first attempt, but boss Tam O'Ware has his sights set on further success Credit: Michael Schofield And manager Tam O'Ware is determined his side haven't yet hit their ceiling, and the club have ambitions of continuing to battle against the odds, to further solidify their place in the football pyramid. He said: 'Since going into League One, the biggest challenge has been our budget. "We have the lowest budget in the league this year. So it then becomes about being creative with the recruitment side of things. "As a club, we want to play football play we have the ball, so we have to recruit players that are able to do that, within the budget that we have. 'When it comes to finances, we simply can't compete with some of the teams in the division. That's where our strategy in the transfer market has to give you something a bit different - so we have to be switched on and plan ahead. "Part of being a part-time side with a smaller budget is ultimately having a smaller squad. So you're relying on players more often than you'd like. Rangers transfer special including Metinho chase, Rothwell latest and Igamane fee "We've had to reduce the playing squad to keep the quality of player that we have within a smaller budget this year. "So we need to find the balance of when they push the players, when they look after them. "But it's also down to the the work put in behind the scenes, whether it's the secretary, the chairman of our volunteers, there's so many people within the community that chip in. "They don't get paid for that, but it's that community feeling around the club that's helped us succeed at a high level. In their first season in League One, Kelty secured an 8th place finish, narrowly avoiding the relegation playoffs. And after back to back sixth-place finishes, and continued participation in the third-tier, the clubs ambitions are clear - survival. 'Ultimately, the clubs vision is to stay in the division. It's a massive achievement considering where they were, and in the quality of division we're in, nobody is going to complain if we achieve that. 'With time, and with staying at this level, you can build on that experience of being in the SPFL, and there are more opportunities for further investment and resources for the squad to improve. Kelty have also started to make a name for themselves in the cup competitions. 11 Kelty are a community-based side who recently ascended the pyramid from the East of Scotland League system 11 Boss Tam O'Ware says the combined effort from volunteers, staff, players, and board members has resulted in the club reaching the heights it has Despite a continued focus on remaining in League One, New Central Park has seen two major cup shocks in the past few seasons. The Maroon Machine famously saw off Callum Davidson's double-winning St Johnstone side in the 21/22 Scottish Cup 4th Round. And just last season, they defeated David Gray's Hibs 1-0 in the Group Stages of the 24/25 Premier Sports Cup. And those victories have had a huge impact on the club off the pitch. He added: 'The focus for us is always the league. But those cup competitions are so important as it's extra funding for the club. "There's nothing better than going a run in one of the cups. 'Anything can happen, they are huge for the clubs financial state, and that will be the same at a lot of other clubs. 'Hibs are a massive club for one of the biggest clubs in Scotland and again, there hasn't been many big games here - other than St Johnstone prior to that. "The fans turned out in numbers and it was an incredible feeling. 'It was a great day for the club and again, we want an experience more of those days here. "If you look at our results over the last two seasons, we've always started well and then fallen away. "This season we were top of the league at the turn of the year. We changed management, it obviously didn't go to plan and then again, for whatever reason, we found ourselves just four points off the relegation playoff place with four to play." However, some clubs have been unable to fight the various challenges facing them, and have suffered a variety of consequences as a result. Clyde, and Hamilton Academical will both play their football away from home this season, with newly relegated Lowland League side, with Dumbarton, and Inverness Caledonian Thistle also plunging into administration in the past year. And just this summer, Scottish football lost Glasgow-based Broomhill, with the club dissolving following their relegation from the Lowland League. 11 Inverness fell into administration last season, but have since found a buyer for the club 11 Broomhill had been ground-sharing with League Two side Dumbarton, a club who themselves plunged into administration last season Credit: SNS 11 But after relegation, Broomhill announced the club would be dissolving Credit: SNS Zander Diamond's side had been ground-sharing with League Two side, Dumbarton, and were on the wrong end of an incredibly tight relegation scrap, which went down to the final day. Now, Zander has taken up a position at fellow Lowland League side, Cumbernauld Colts, a club with huge ambitions on improving on an inconsistent 24/25 campaign - under a new regime. After their relegation, higher-ups released a statement calling time on their time as a club, and Zander is determined to carry his experiences with Broomhill into the next chapter of his career. He said: "It's incredibly challenging. Juggling Broomhill with my my other job, it was just constant because any spare half-an-hour at lunchtime or interval, I was on my phone, and then back to teaching, coaching, and then when I was home from work, I was back on the phone again. 11 Former Aberdeen captain, Zander Diamond, was in charge of Broomhill last season, and has now taken up a coaching position under John Doyle at Cumbernauld Colts 11 Diamond opened up on his time at Broomhill during a difficult year "So my wife and my kids probably didn't seen me for the best part three or four months in the initial phase because I was so determined to get it right. "It was a lot of kind of a challenging evenings where you kind of look at it and you go, you know, but you wake up the next day and you go again, you keep going again. "It was off the field stuff that was incredibly difficult. It almost became all consuming because as a manager, especially at a smaller club, you're always thinking about how can we get better? How can we get better players? "The reality is, we don't have money to spend on players, we've got to move budgets around, trial players and get a squad together somehow. "We were right in at the deep end as well. The fixtures came out and our first three games were Broxburn, East of Scotland Champions, home to Celtic, who have got a fantastic youth system, and then the champions East Kilbride at home - a real baptism of fire. "As a staff we had to sort of just agree to get a team on the park - and it was a real tough start for us. I learned a lot from Broomhill, because there were so many obstacles. "The Dumbarton share wasn't ideal, but it had to happen for the club. They were fairly local, but we definitely suffered some of the consequences of playing there. "Every time it was rain, showers or hail, you just knew the game was going to be off. It made things difficult because, how do you put a run of games together? "We couldn't really get any run of momentum or form, and what can you really do about it? So if you had a great game, and the next game in the middle of the week was off, it just kind of kills that positive mentality. "You always learn from every experience, whether that's good or bad, and there was a lot of challenges we faced, but positives to take away from it. Now at Broadwood, Colts are hard at work assembling their side for the 24/25 season, and while taking a backseat from the manager's role, Zander is optimistic of a positive first season with the club - and is busy planning for the season ahead. He added: "You can see early signs, and they are positive. There's a good camaraderie around the team. "We're going to need that, because it'll be a season where we're going to need to stick together. And that's the biggest message that we're probably putting over to players. "Nobody's going to give us a chance again, because we finished 14th last season. "It's a decent league and I think we've got players that are capable, are competing. "We've brought back quality players, and we'll give them every bit of information, the structure and training information, and the tools that they need. "And again, it's just about these players taking on both players. learning, asking questions, I think that's the beauty of it. "It's an exciting season ahead." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Scottish Sun
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Ex-Celtic star makes surprise career change as he launches his own YouTube golf channel
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HE swapped the training ground for the dugout at the start of this year when he landed his first management gig in Scottish football. But now this Celtic hero has switched sports altogether after admitting that being a football gaffer just wasn't for him. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 2 He uploaded his first video this week 2 He's aiming to become a scratch golfer Former Celtic, Aberdeen and Dundee United star Charlie Mulgrew has had a rollercoaster year to date so far. From taking over as manager of Kelty Hearts back in January to leaving the club in April - Mulgrew is now beginning yet another chapter of his sporting career. But he's no longer trying to make it in the whirlwind business of football management. Instead, the 39-year-old has followed in the footsteps of his Open Goal pals by entering the digital world in an exciting new career. He hasn't launched his own podcast, though, as he's deviated away from the sport he played professionally for over 20 years. Mulgrew is now a YouTuber after launching his own golf channel Mulgrew Pitch To Par. The 44-cap Scotland international has been teasing the channel for a number of weeks on his new Instagram page with the same name. But last night he made it official by posting his first video with his old Blackburn team-mate Bradley Dack. Mulgrew and Dack took on a nine-hole scramble at Lenzie golf club and shared stories from their careers in football while they walked around the course. The Scot revealed at the start of the video that he plays off a handicap of 14.8 and he revealed last month he's hoping to become a scratch golfer while conducting his various interviews. Celtic legend came out of retirement to play in England's 11th tier - but left the stadium without boxers or socks In his first Instagram post for the page, he wrote: "Attempting to get my handicap from 15 to scratch while having a laugh and chatting to ex team mates and managers plus people within the sports industry. "Need some serious help with my golf game so if there advice out there I'm all ears." He's already teased another former Scotland star as one of his next guests. Ex-Hamilton Accies, Wigan Athletic and Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur is going to appear in the channel too as Mulgrew posted a short clip of them both during a round. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
BBC News
22-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Thomson uncertain about future in Ibrox youth role
Former Scotland midfielder Kevin Thomson has revealed he has not had "much dialogue" with Rangers about his future despite his contract as under-18s coach ending next 40-year-old, who spent three years with the club as a player, returned to Ibrox in his current role in February but has not yet been offered a new told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound it would be "brilliant" to stay on now that Russell Martin has been appointed head coach and the American consortium's takeover has been completed."I went back in the second week in February," he said. "We finished up the third in May."Obviously in that time there's been a takeover, a new manager. My contract's finished on 30 June."As of yet, I've not really had much dialogue with the club. I'm just waiting to see what's what."Because of the uncertainty, former Kelty Hearts manager Thomson is open to other opportunities."Moving forward, if there's an opportunity there, then brilliant," he added. "If there's not, then you know what I'm like, I just bash on and keep grafting away."
Scottish Sun
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Rangers hero Kevin Thomson opens up on possibility of Ibrox role after US takeover as contract ticks down
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RANGERS hero Kevin Thomson has shared an update on his uncertain future with the club. A Gers player for three years back in the late 2000s and an ex-Scotland international, he's now into a career in coaching. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 3 Ex-Ger Kevin Thomson has opened up on his potential Ibrox future Credit: Les Gallagher 3 The former Kelty Hearts manager has been coaching in the club's academy Credit: Michael Schofield 3 He joined the under 18s - for a second time - earlier this year Credit: Kenny Ramsay He had a short but successful title-winning spell as Kelty Hearts manager as well as two spells working with the academy at Ibrox. He returned the the under-18s earlier this year in a shake up of the development phase at the club. But with the club going through a period of massive change, Thomson still isn't sure what the immediate future holds. Speaking on BBC Sportsound, he said: "I went back in the second week in February. We finished up the third in May. "Obviously in that time there's been a takeover, a new manager. "My contract's finished on June 30. As of yet I've not really had much dialogue with the club. "I'm just waiting to see what's what. Moving forward, if there's an opportunity there then brilliant. "If there's not, then you know what I'm like, I just bash on and keep grafting away." The San Francisco 49ers Enterprises buyout was confirmed a little under a month ago, with new gaffer Russell Martin unveiled the following week. Matt Gill came in as assistant while Issame Charai - who stuck around as coach after Philippe Clement was sacked - departed. Russell Martin's to-do list in first week as Rangers boss PLUS Lawrence Shankland and Greg Taylor latest Chief executive Patrick Stewart said: 'I want to place on record the sincere thanks of both the club and I to Issame for his work over the past six months. 'Through the managerial transition in February and beyond, he handled himself superbly and was a real asset to Barry and his staff during their period in charge of the team. 'As the men's first-team moves forth into this new era under Russell, it has been agreed between the club and Issame for him to move on. 'For whatever comes next for him, I want to wish him the very best of luck. He will always be welcome back at Ibrox.' Barry Ferguson's interim team leaned heavily on former players who knew the club - Allan McGregor, Billy Dodds and Neil McCann. With the new manager's coaching staff lacking numbers thus far and Thomson awaiting discussions, he could continue on with the youngsters or find himself in the dugout alongside Martin... or of course end up elsewhere. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
