Clydebank making a name for themselves in Scottish football

The demise of the previous league club playing out of the town and the buying out of their licence by Airdrie United is a well-documented and well-worn one, but a story also well worth telling is the one of the new Clydebank FC, who are making waves playing out of Holm Park as they have climbed the football pyramid all the way to the Lowland League, after winning the West of Scotland Premier Division by a huge margin last season.

Also, during that memorable campaign, Clydebank crashed back into mainstream consciousness as they pulled a plum Scottish Cup tie away to Premiership Hibernian, a reminder for their older followers of the days when the Bankies regularly rubbed shoulders with the big boys and held their own at the top level.

They succumbed to a 3-0 defeat in the end, but won plaudits from Hibs manager David Gray for the bravery of their football under manager Gordon Moffat.

He has taken that philosophy now into the fifth tier, where a storming start has his side four points clear at the top of the table at the halfway stage, and has their fans dreaming that the name of Clydebank may one day very soon be among those in the senior ranks of the Scottish game once again.

“You want to get the club back to where it belongs,” Moffat said.

“The club's got a bit of momentum. Hopefully, we keep pushing on and we’ll see where we end up."

This weekend though, it will be cup heroics that are back on the agenda for Moffat and his men, and while – with the greatest of respect – a tie away to Stranraer at Stair Park might not be quite as glamorous as a trip to Easter Road, a win would open the door to the possibility of another huge clash for Clydebank, both from a financial point of view and, in Moffat’s mind, for the development of his players.

“I think everybody is looking forward to it,” he said.

“It’s obviously a big game for the club. We know it’s going to be tough, but we’re excited by it.

“Over the last few years we’ve done reasonably well in the cups. It’s something that the boys enjoy, and the club enjoys. So, hopefully we can do the same again on Saturday.

“I think when you go somewhere like Easter Road and a manager like David Gray is complimenting your players and your team, it just proves to the players that on their day, they can compete.

“You know, obviously, Easter Road is a really hard place to go. But I thought the boys did themselves proud that day. And it gave them that belief that they can go and compete against teams at a higher level.

“It gives you a taste for it, playing in that stadium against players of that calibre. It gave us a lot of confidence. So, hopefully we can take that into the game against Stranraer too.”

And with players like former Dundee and Aberdeen midfielder Nicky Low in their ranks, why wouldn’t they believe they can compete with a League Two opponent?

“It’s great to have that experience, you need that,” Moffat said.

“Nicky has played at a high level. He’s got that quality. In games like this, you need players that can put their foot on the ball and calm things down a wee bit. And he can definitely do that.

“You watch him in training, he's different class. He helps the younger boys. He is a massive player for us. We’re very lucky to have him. He could easily be playing at a higher level, but it suits him and where he is in his life with his football academy and what have you to be here, and we’re very happy to have him.

“But it’s not just Nicky, we’ve got a few boys that have played senior football and have got that experience. So, hopefully that will stand us in good stead.”

If Clydebank do pull off a win against Stranraer this afternoon, it will only feed into the feelgood factor that has been building behind them in recent times, and Moffat hopes it will add to the sense of excitement in a town who seem to be warming to the notion of having a serious, proper football club to unite behind once more. Something appears to be stirring once again, he feels, in West Dunbartonshire.

“The fans have been brilliant,” he said.

“You know, home and away, the numbers they travel in is excellent. It definitely helps the boys on the park.

“I think the town are really getting behind the team again. If you think about where the club has come from, basically starting from scratch again, working their way through the leagues. I think the fan base is growing all the time.

“You see the numbers that come to the games now. It’s great for the players and great for the club. So, aye, there absolutely is momentum building.

“There is so much good stuff happening at the club, and the people behind the scenes are brilliant, so it’s an exciting time for everyone associated with Clydebank.

“I think there will definitely be a good number following us to Stranraer. I don't know exact numbers, but I know there’s a few buses going. And obviously a lot of people will travel by car and rail. So, I expect a good backing, but that’s because we are now so used to it. Even up at Jeanfield Swifts in the first round, the support was excellent. So, I’m sure they’ll turn out in their numbers again.

“There will probably be a few hundred fans with us, but honestly, that’s really just par for the course for us these days. We have a great travelling support and they come all over the place to watch us, while we’ve got 560 season ticket holders and have had four-figure crowds at home on several occasions.

“There aren’t a lot of clubs that can compete with those sorts of numbers, even right the way up to League One.

“So, yeah, I do really feel that the town are behind us, and we are really thankful for their backing.”

With that support behind them, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the name of Clydebank prominent once again in the fourth round draw on Sunday evening then, and maybe even next season, in the senior ranks again.

“I think for us, if we’re honest, the league is the priority,” Moffat said.

“We want to try and get out of this league. It’s a very tough league. There’s a lot of good teams in it. But aye, that’s our main aim.

“The Scottish Cup is a bit of a bonus. It’s great for the club, great for the fans, and we take it very seriously, but the league is definitely the bread and butter.

“But, in a one-off game in the cup, anything can happen. So, we’ll give it our best shot. You want to do well in every competition you play in. We've had a good run to here and last season too.

“We'll see where it takes us."

Moffat could well soon be taking Clydebank back to the big time.