Kilwinning could have two teams in the West of Scotland Football League next season after a plan was hatched to resurrect a famous Junior name from the past.
A new club, Eglinton FC, want to join Kilwinning Rangers in the Scottish football pyramid and play their games out of Kilwinning sports club.
They have applied for WoSFL membership and will learn their fate next month when clubs vote at the league’s AGM.
Eglinton, who take their name from a former Kilwinning Junior side defunct since 1936, will be managed by current Kilwinning Rangers amateurs boss William Shearer who has spent the last year working on the project.
He expects to import his existing squad, already based at the sports club, to get Eglinton off and running should the plans get the green light.
William said: “It’s exciting times for everyone involved because this is something that hasn’t really been done before.
“The area is known for traditional teams like Kilwinning Rangers and Irvine Meadow but we’re completely new.
"We want to take advantage of that and that’s one of the reasons why we went with Eglinton for the name.
“They were a well-known team in their time so it’s nice to revive the name but we want to put our own twist on things.
“Although we’ll be based in Kilwinning we want to be a club that can attract people from both Irvine and Kilwinning.”
William insists the club already has the necessary infrastructure in place to make a go of it in the pyramid system.
He added: “There’s a great youth pathway in Kilwinning but not everyone will get the chance to make the step-up to Kilwinning Rangers.
“That’s where we hope we can come in and offer kids an opportunity.
“The facilities at the sports club mean we’ve got everything in place to move forward, barring a couple of modifications here and there.”
Eglinton will use the existing astroturf at KSC as their home ground which is a stone's throw from Buffs Park, home of Kilwinning Rangers.
They plan to play in Athletico Madrid-style colours and will be nicknamed 'The Jousters' - a nod to the famous Eglinton Tournament, a medieval-style joust that took place in 1839.
If successful they will start their pyramid journey in the bottom rung of the WoSFL.
Anyone who would like to get involved with the club in a committee, coaching or playing capacity, can contact William on 07850 137179.
Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter here
