Bellshill Athletic boosted by ‘phenomenal’ community support after fire

The clubs were in a state of shock when the fire - which caused extensive damage to the building - was discovered early on Easter Sunday morning.

But initial despair has been replaced by hope and club secretary Brian Closs says the support from the local community has been phenomenal.

Fan and former boys’ team coach David Brown quickly set up a Gofundme page which, within a couple of days, had raised close to £6,000 and others have also rallied round.

“We’ve had local businesses getting in touch offering us their services, we’ve had somebody offer us a full CCTV service, we’ve had plasterers, electricians, joiners,” said Brian.

“The response has been uplifting and has tempered the shock a wee bit.

“It’s the whole community because I think a lot of people see what we’re trying to do when we’ve set up the community academy to offer the pathway from mini-kickers through now to senior football, which is the grade we’re moving into.”

It’s been a difficult time for Athletic since the early 2000s when, funded by businessman Stephen McGhee and managed by Tommy Coyne, they were one of the West’s leading junior clubs.

During that period they reached the top flight and got to two West of Scotland Cup finals.

But after plans for a new home at New Brandon Park fell through, they plunged down the leagues as the very existence of the club came under threat.

Rendered homeless, they were forced to play at the Sir Matt Busby Complex and then, in exile, in Glasgow at Vale of Clyde’s Fullarton Park before finally returning to Bellshill, and Rockburn, in 2015.

Brian admitted: “We’re trying to re-establish the team as what it was when I first went up.

“My dad’s a past president, my papa’s a past president so that’s what I’ve been brought up at Bellshill Athletic.

“When you think of the meeting we had before the club came back to Bellshill, there was doubt as to whether we could sustain the club any longer.

“That’s almost five seasons now completed at home and we’re starting to establish ourselves again. We’re progressing through the Quality Mark with the SFA and we want to make the pathway work not just for the kids but for the community as well.

“We want to be able to offer things to the community, the way that Bellshill used to.”

Brian believes that the move from the juniors into the new West of Scotland League can also give the club a major boost.

He said: “Before we could offer a pathway through the juniors with the prospect of potentially going into the seniors, maybe being picked up by a senior team, now we’re actually part of that senior set-up.

“You’re now able to offer a kid who’s maybe 18 and been cast aside by one of the academy set-ups a progress back in. If they’re good enough they come into your under-20s in the Development League with the potential to play in the senior team. Where it goes from then, who knows. It’s up to the player then.”

“That’s why it’s very disappointing when something like this [fire] happens because it’s taken us a long time.

“A lot of neighbours had a lot of issues with us. We still have issues with one or two but the majority now see the work that we’re doing.”