Gerry Bonham is new Thorniewood United gaffer

The Viewpark junior outfit this week chose 31-year-old Gerry Bonham – sacked by Gartcairn before Christmas – from 12 applicants as the man to replace Andy Frame who quit last month.

Bonham said: “I was over the moon to get the call from Thorniewood saying I’d got the job.

“It means the world to me.

“It’s an amazing feeling to be back involved in football again at such a high level.

“Thorniewood are such a big established club.

“It’s exciting times and I hope to hit the ground running. I’m really really happy.

“I’m still fairly young but I have been involved in junior football for 10 years.”

Although Thorniewood are down in ninth place in McBookie.com Central Division 1, numerous postponements this season mean that they still have 16 league matches to play this season and plenty of time to improve their fortunes.

Bonham, who will be assisted at Robertson Park by his ex-Gartcairn colleague Stuart Easton, added: “There is a lot to play for. We still have a chance of getting another 48 points. We need to walk before we can run, but I hope that I can get the team up the table a bit.

“Stuart and I work well together. I trust him and he trusts me.”

Bonham, a former centre half, lists Newmains United, Blantyre Vics and Lesmahagow Juniors among the clubs he played for.

Sadly, he had to quit football in 2015 after suffering two cruciate injuries in just three years.

Bonham, who works as a joiner in his day job, said he owed a lot to his former Lesmahagow gaffer Robert Irving for keeping him involved in junior football.

In recent weeks, Bonham has been assisting Robert Sneddon at local rivals Bellshill Athletic.

But he felt he couldn’t turn down the chance to once more be a gaffer in his own right.