On The Road: Dad's Army keep the home fires burning as battling Blantyre Vics wait for the cavalry

The prima shone connected Blantyre astatine the weekend, adjacent if the stars of aged reposed successful the shadiness and the effect was hardly warming for those who toiled disconnected the transportation for the nine they love.

There is past astatine the KG Stadium. The Vics were formed successful 1890 and person won 40 large trophies including 3 Scottish Junior Cups. A photograph of a Vics squad of 1957 has Billy McNeill lasting successful the backmost row.

‘There are not galore Junior teams who tin accidental a European Cup-winning skipper and a European Cup-winning manager person played for them,’ says Jack McGilvray, referencing some the Lisbon Lion and his manager, Jock Stein.

The Vics are unsocial successful this respect but they stock overmuch with the remainder of the Junior world. This is simply a nine that survives connected the hard enactment of fans and the kindness of sponsors. Both categories are regularly encompassed successful the 1 person.

McGilvray, wide manager, points retired that Joe Jordan, the aboriginal Scotland star, besides played for the Vics. ‘I deliberation helium was the youngest goalscorer ever here,’ helium says. ‘Jimmy Johnstone was crossed the roadworthy with Blantyre Celtic. They are gone present but that rivalry was great.’

He adds: ‘We person ever been here. It’s an old-fashioned ground. It’s a good balancing enactment betwixt spending connected players and the ground. Cash is the occupation astatine each levels successful football.’

McGilvray addresses portion of that situation by putting connected the overalls. At 67, helium has retired arsenic a creator and decorator but fishes retired the brushes for KG Stadium.

‘I person painted this crushed astatine slightest 5 times successful the past 20 years,’ helium says. ‘It takes maine astir of the summertime but it’s conscionable portion of being astatine the club. We person a bully committee and they each enactment hard.

‘We are suffering a spot this season,’ helium says of beingness successful the archetypal part of the West of Scotland league wherever Vics are 2nd bottom. A points deduction for an medication mistake and the departure of manager John Gibson — and subsequently players — person besides made matters much difficult.

But the Vics conflict on. The nine is present successful concern with a assemblage nine and that could spot improvements to the crushed and an infusion of caller blood.

‘We are arrogant of the past but we are conscionable custodians of the nine and we person to support it going,’ says McGilvray. ‘We are a spot of a Dad’s Army but we person younger ones coming successful who volition assistance america spell forward.’

One of the aged defender sits successful the clubhouse, reflecting connected a household past with the Vics. Ian Borland, 72, says: ‘My begetter was progressive with the Vics and I person been present antheral and boy.’

He had a flirtation with Hibernian aft watching them arsenic a lad erstwhile a Vics crippled was postponed but helium came backmost to Blantyre to assistance retired erstwhile the societal nine ‘got into a spot of bother’. That contented has been resolved but Borland works on.

He smiles and says ruefully: ‘Once you get into a committee it is precise hard to get retired of it.’

He adds: ‘There is simply a consciousness of work that keeps you here. I americium down present 3 times a week astatine least, cleaning the dressing rooms oregon the ground. There are clubs with fiscal clout down them but we don’t rather person that.

‘We ain our crushed truthful that makes america plus affluent but currency poor. We person plans to renovate the crushed done the assemblage task with the boys’ club.’

A erstwhile Rolls-Royce engineer, Borland has a peculiar representation of the glory days. In 1982, erstwhile the Vics won the Scottish Junior Cup astatine Ibrox, beating Baillieston 1-0, Borland was connected a walking vacation connected the Scottish islands.

‘I was connected an land that observed the Sabbath,’ helium says. ‘When I asked the landlady if it was each close to ticker the football, she said: “Oh, no”.  It was evidently the days earlier mobile phones truthful I had to telephone location that nighttime to get the result.’

One of the aged defender mans the gross up of their crippled against Thorniewood. George Fulston takes the entranceway wealth successful the shadiness of the Saturday sun.

In his 80th year, helium has had a afloat beingness successful concern and football. Indeed, helium has had a afloat day. ‘I person a forklift business,’ helium says. ‘I physique them and we person 1 going up to Oban harbour connected Monday.

‘It had a wee physics responsibility and it was bothering maine overnight truthful I got up this greeting astatine 5 and went to hole it. Once that was done, I went home, had a ablution and came up here.’

His forklift steadfast is connected the beforehand of the Vics jersey and the household taxi steadfast is connected the back. ‘I person a wee gathering concern too,’ says Fulston. ‘I was erstwhile retired digging roads and each of that.’

He had spells connected the committee of Hamilton Academical and Falkirk, but 8 years agone helium came backmost to the Vics. ‘I lived successful a location implicit there,’ helium says, pointing implicit a stand.

One of the stands is dedicated to his mother, Jean. ‘There are a fewer families who person a agelong contented with the Vics,’ helium adds. ‘My parent would assistance lavation the jerseys successful a gathering implicit there. You would enactment them done the wringer and starch them.’ The tract is present occupied by the basal bearing her name.

Fulston admits helium is considering status but lone of the ‘semi’ assortment arsenic helium inactive has ideas for his businesses and the Vics. He has transformed containers into stands and would similar to spot a concern nine built for hospitality and meetings.

‘The different time the crushed hosted the schoolhouse cupful finals,’ helium says. ‘It was truthful bully to spot truthful galore youngsters successful the ground. It would beryllium large if that continues. We are conscionable carrying connected past here.’

Kenny Gormley stands nether the motion that carries his name. He puts the KG successful KG Stadium.

‘I came present aft the past Scottish Junior Cup last win,’ helium says. ‘I started sponsoring the nine soon aft that and joined the committee a mates of years later.’

At 62, helium was a young businessman erstwhile helium started putting wealth into the club. He has ne'er stopped. His bureau proviso concern is conscionable up the roadworthy and Gormley is simply a changeless supporter, not conscionable financially.

‘I came present to Blantyre arsenic a nine-year-old from Easterhouse,’ helium says. ‘So this is precise overmuch location for maine now. I emotion the club. It is simply a hobby but an important one. I person met truthful galore radical and had bully times. We person won a fewer titles and won promotion, truthful that is ever thing to celebrate.’

The interrogation is over. The players are acceptable to play. McGilvray counts the raffle money, Fulston leaves the turnstile and Borland attends to matchday issues.

Gorman — sponsor, instrumentality and businessman — strides to the pitch, emblem successful hand. He is the regular linesman.

The young cavalry whitethorn beryllium coming to assistance retired but Dad’s Army inactive holds the fort astatine KG Stadium.