Mick Kennedy & Si Ferry in dreamland as play-off win sparks wild pitch invasion as East Kilbride plot rise through SPFL
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
MICK KENNEDY insists East Kilbride are going to have a massive party before they even start plotting a rapid rise through the SPFL.
Ambitious Kilby finally made it out of the Lowland League at the fourth attempt after seeing off Bonnyrigg in the goal-less battle in Midlothian.
2
East Kilbride pitch invasion after play-off final win
2
They'll be in the SPFL next season
The damage was done in the pyramid final first leg with Kennedy's side travelling to the outskirts of Edinburgh with a 3-1 lead.
And just 12 months after they blew the chance to earn promotion in a devastating extra-time loss to Stranraer, Kennedy was thrilled his players finally made history.
He said: 'I don't think there is a ceiling at the club to be fair.
"I think the aspiration for the club needs to be that it'll probably have a five-year target to try and get to the Championship.
'I think that's what we need to set ourselves, we need some kind of target, some kind of plan.
'We need something to put in front of us and it's down to myself and the club to work towards that.
'But before that there'll be a massive party
'It's been a long journey for the club. The owners have invested a lot of money and they've worked hard to get to this position, it felt like it was never going to come.
'So I'm sure there'll be a party at East Kilbride.'
A dry, bumpy surface at New Dundas Park meant this game was always going to be a battle and that's the way it worked out.
Thousands of Celtic fans takeover Trongate for title party as they climb traffic lights & set off pyro
Kilby ditched the silky football and rolled up the sleeves to match Bonnyrigg's aggression.
Rose keeper Paddy Martin kept his side in the game in the first half with two stunning saves to keep out Joao Balde and Reagan Mimnuagh drives.
Jamie Hamilton had the ball in the net after the break but his effort was ruled out for offside.
The sound of referee Euan Anderson's full-time whistle sparked a pitch invasion from the travelling fans as Kilby finally realised their dream of making it into the fourth tier.
How they rated
Bonnyrigg: Martin 7, Mailer 5 (Lennon 55, 4), Martynuik 6, Young 6, Murphy 6 (Porteous 67, 4), Arnott 6, McGachie 6, Currie 6, Somerville 5 (Ferrie 77, 3), Ross, 6 Connolly 6
Subs not used: McNeil, Leslie, Laing, Barnes
Booked: Young, Somervillie, Arnott
East Kilbride: Truesdale 6, Hamilton 6, Fagan 6, Leitch 6, Flanagan 6, Balde 6, Elliott 6, Robertson 7, Mimnaugh 6, McGregor 6, Spence 6
Subs not used: Connelly, D Ferguson, S Ferguson, McKinley, Livingstone, Craik, McShane
Booked: Spence, Flanagan
Referee: Euan Anderson 7
Attendance 2,170
Rose boss Jonny Stewart, who inherited a team in March that had been hit with a six-point penalty due to the slope on the pitch, said: 'I can't fault their effort and I can't fault their effort since I came in.
'The boys have been brilliant, they've given me absolutely everything.
'We've just felt a little bit short over the two legs and credit to East Kilbride, they were a good side.
'We would have finished eighth if it was not for the points deduction but we can't use that as an excuse.'
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney face up to £13.4billion reality after Wrexham promotion
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney face up to £13.4billion reality after Wrexham promotion Wrexham have achieved huge success under Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, but now face a tough test in the Championship, where many clubs are well-backed Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds are facing up to the financial reality of the Championship (Image: PA ) Wrexham's Hollywood owners are facing a stark new financial reality as the club prepares to compete in the Championship next season. The new campaign will mark the first time in 43 years that the Red Dragons have played in the second tier after previously spending four seasons in the old Second Division between 1978 and 1982. A lot has changed since then, with plenty of money floating around thanks to lucrative TV deals and parachute payments on offer for newly-relegated Premier League sides. Many club owners are also very wealthy in their own right, with one part-owner boasting a net worth stretching to an astonishing £13.4billion. Wrexham's co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are hardly short of money themselves. The two A-listers have an estimated combined net worth of around £295m ($400m) thanks to their acting income and business investments. However, even their fortunes pale in comparison to the Championship's biggest hitters. As the North Wales outfit prepares for life in the second tier, WalesOnline looks at how Reynolds and McElhenney's wealth stacks up to that of their rival owners. QPR are often highlighted at the top end of the scale in terms of their owners' combined net worth, with their main shareholders being Ruben Gnanalingam, Richard Reilly and Amit Bhatia. Bhatia is the son in law and a representative of steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, who alone is said to be worth £13.4bn, according to Forbes. Article continues below Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna will be well-backed next season (Image: PA ) Not too far behind are American investment fund Gamechanger 20 Ltd, who own newly-relegated Ipswich, with reports valuing the firm at a staggering £10.8bn. Another well-backed side are Leicester, who also recently dropped out of the Premier League, with the Srivaddhanaprabha family worth approximately £2.7bn. Meanwhile, Bristol City owner Steve Lansdown holds a wealth of £2.3bn, and Stoke City custodian John Coates is said to have £2.2bn. At the bottom end of the table in terms of their net worth are Watford's Gino Pozzo (£93m), Millwall's James Berylson (£110m) and Hull City's Acun Ilicali (£147m). The combined net worth of Reynolds and McElhenney would therefore place Wrexham in a lower mid-table position in the Championship. However, they do have an ace up their sleeves in the form of the Allyn family from New York, who came on board as minority owners of the club in October. Eric Allyn and his daughter Kaleen have helped shore up Wrexham's financial position (Image: Geraint Lloyd ) Watch Welcome to Wrexham season 4 on Disney+ This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more from £4.99 Disney+ Get Disney+ here Product Description Welcome to Wrexham is back on Disney+ for a fourth season. Fans can watch the series with a £4.99 monthly plan, or get 12 months for the price of 10 by paying for a year upfront. For more than a century, the family were the owners of US medical device manufacturing company Welch Allyn Inc. That was until September 2015 when the firm was sold to Hill-Rom in a deal reported to be worth just under £1.5bn at current rates . The Allyns have since turned their focus to investing in private and public markets, and Wrexham have received several large cash injections since their arrival. It's hope their involvement will help Reynolds and McElhenney achieve their dream of taking the club into the Premier League. Deadpool star Reynolds restated that goal in the wake of Wrexham's promotion from League One, which was confirmed after a 3-0 home win over Charlton in April. Sign up to our newsletter! Wrexham is the Game is great new way to get top-class coverage Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'. But does it have a dedicated, quality source of information piped through to your inbox each week, free of ads but packed with informed opinion, analysis and even a little bit of fun each week? That's where Wrexham is the Game steps in... Available every Wednesday, it provides all the insights you need to be a top red. And for a limited time, a subscription to 'Wrexham is the Game' will cost fans just £15 for the first year. Sign up for Wrexham is the Game here Posting on social media, the Canadian wrote: "We've been with Wrexham for what seems like the blink of an eye, but so much has happened. "I remember the first press conference, we were asked what our goals were… and I think Rob jumped in with, 'The Premier League'. People laughed. They had every right to. It seemed insane… But we weren't kidding." Article continues below The co-owners have certainly taken steps to shore up Wrexham's financial position in recent times and prudently took out an insurance policy to cover the cost of promotion bonuses ahead of the 2024/25 season. However, climbing into the Championship will be the biggest challenge they have faced yet during their whirlwind journey.
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Craig Bellamy issues new Wales demand as Belgium accused of 'lack of respect'
Wales fought back from three goals down to level the scores in their World Cup qualifier in Belgium. only for Kevin De Bruyne, the former Manchester City star, to score a winner in a seven-goal thriller Craig Bellamy patted his brave Wales players on the back and gave them a boot up the backside at the same time after a night of high drama in Brussels. And Sorba Thomas slammed Belgium over a "lack of respect" after the Welsh fought from three goals down, only to let Kevin De Bruyne blast home the winner in a seven-goal thriller. The Welsh looked dead and buried after half and hour, trailing 3-0 to an inspired Belgium. But a Harry Wilson penalty on the stroke of half-time was the springboard for an incredible comeback that saw them draw level at 3-3 before De Bruyne broke their hearts in the closing minutes. Bellamy hailed his side for their spirited response but reproached them for a half-hour horror show. 'I have to be honest, since September I've really felt proud to be their coach,' he said. 'But we didn't cope with the momentum in the first half when their pen went against us. We suffered for a period but then we got a penalty and that gave us belief. 'Second half we showed what we can do. The players have to understand how good they are. To come to a top-eight team and to play that way will give us so much. But I don't like the defeat and I don't feel 'oh unlucky Wales.' We need to win these games.' Thomas, who recently sealed a move to Championship side Stoke City after leaving League One Huddersfield, accused the Belgians and insisted Wales "won in our own heads" despite the late heartbreak. "I don't think they showed us the respect we deserved,' said Thomas. 'I think they thought the game was done, but we showed our Welsh fire. We run through brick walls for each other. Even though we lost, I feel like we won in our own heads. Bellamy had not suffered defeat since being appointed Wales head coach last July, going nine games unbeaten. So to be 3-0 down within 30 minutes must have come as one hell of a shock. De Bruyne earned Belgium a penalty early on when his shot hit Brennan Johnson's arm. It looked a very harsh call by the referee but VAR had a long look and agreed with the decision. Ex-Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku, who won Serie A with Napoli this term, made no mistake from the spot. The lead was doubled less than five minutes later when Belgium captain Youri Tielemans was teed up by Leandro Trossard and fired into the top corner. It went from bad to worse for Wales when Manchester City 's Jeremy Doku, in electric form all night, made it 3-0, though Wales keeper Karl Darlow perhaps should have done better with his left-footed shot. The Dragons looked outfought, outclassed, and out of ideas. But they gave themselves a glimmer of hope in stoppage time. Thomas's corner was aimed towards Chris Mepham, who was clattered by Belgium keeper Matz Sels. Wales were awarded a penalty which Wilson slotted home with his left foot. That glimmer turned into a real opportunity six minutes after the break when Sorba Thomas coolly finished for his first goal for his country. All of a sudden the comeback was most definitely on. And Thomas turned provider for a dramatic equaliser, his header being nodded home by Johnson as Belgium fans looked on in disbelief. As Wales pressed hard for a winner, Belgium broke quickly and Lukaku thought he'd won it but, after another lengthy VAR check, it was deemed the ball had earlier gone out of play right under the nose of a hugely animated Bellamy. De Bruyne did win it late on, though, expertly volleying home at the back post from a Tielemans cross, with the Wales players on their knees. Wales captain Ben Davies said the De Bruyne winner was a real sickener. 'Getting back as close as we did is probably why the result is as painful as it is,' he said. 'We knew we could do a lot better. You could see in the second half, we managed to nick a goal before half-time and it gave us something to hang on to and we pushed them close. 'We have plenty more games we just have to focus on ourselves and hopefully results go our way.'
ITV News
9 hours ago
- ITV News
Wigan Warriors legend Billy Boston to be first rugby league player knighted
For the first time in rugby league's 130 year history one of its greatest players will be knighted. Wigan Warriors legend Billy Boston will become the first person from his sport to be presented with a knighthood at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The 90-year-old, who was born in Wales, played on the wing at Wigan for 15 years after making the switch from rugby union to rugby league in 1953. He went on to score a record 478 tries in 487 games for the club winning the Challenge Cup three times as well as the Championship. Boston also had an impressive record for Great Britain scoring 24 tries in 31 test matches and in 1954 became the first non-white player selected to tour Australia and New Zealand. In 2000, he was given the freedom of Wigan and has three statues, in Wigan, Wales and at Wembley Stadium. Boston was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth and now after a campaign led by his local Makerfield MP Josh Simons, he will be made a knight of the realm by King Charles. Wigan Warriors owner Mike Danson told the club's website: 'One of the biggest thrills in my ownership of Wigan Rugby League Club has been enjoying the company of Billy Boston. Without doubt Billy was a player who was – and still is – the biggest crowd favourite in Rugby League. 'He is my mum Jean's favourite player – they are of the same age! She remains in awe of the great man and his Rugby League legacy. 'I am therefore thrilled that at long last, Billy will be appointed as Rugby League's first Knight! A richly deserved honour which means this most humble of men, rightly receives at last, fitting recognition for his extraordinary efforts. Many congratulations to Billy, his wife Joan and the family on this magnificent achievement.'
