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Daily Record
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Shotts boss says 'having a go' worked well as they avoided Premier League drop
John McKeown's side were on a good run of form at the end of the season Shotts boss John McKeown reckons having a go in games worked well for them, and hopes his side continue that form into next season's West of Scotland Premier League. The Hannah Park side ended with 11 points from a possible 18 in their last six games, as they comfortably evaded the bottom three – though Clydebank winning their Lowland League play-off saved four teams from going down. Now that the dust has settled on their first season in the top flight, McKeown reckons they could have done things differently. 'We know what to expect, but you have to find your feet,' said McKeown. 'As a coaching and management team, I think we were a wee bit negative in the first half of the season. 'In the second half, we had a wee bit more of a go, and ended up doing quite well. In our last six games we won three, drew two and lost one, and that's good going in this league. 'Fair play to the boys, they deserve all the credit they're going to get, and hopefully they continue that form into next season.' Shotts watched Clydebank's play-off in sponsor's pub The Two Chimneys in Uddingston, and the Bankies' promotion to the Lowland League means McKeown can plan ahead. He said: 'I had two lists, and now I can concentrate on the Premier League one, rather than the Championship. 'That gives us a better chance to plan, going forward. 'This is our second season in the Premier League and I think that's for the first time in 30 years, or something like that. 'By hook or by crook, we've stayed there, so fair play to the boys. 'We have a team spirit that I don't think many clubs have, and I think that's what has kept us up.' Having lost Airdrie neighbours Gartcairn to relegation last season, due to a 15-point deduction, one particular fixture stands out to McKeown, who said: 'Glencairn are my local team, I was born in Rutherglen, so that's another wee derby.' Last week the club announced that a number of players have signed up again for the new season Taylor Evans, Josh Gracie and Paul Byrne have joined Ally Small, Rico De Marco and Jack Gordon in committing to the 2025/26 campaign. A number of players have also departed. Leaving the club are Andrew Duffy, Chris Meikle, Danny Burns and goalkeeper Sandy Thomson. Meanwhile, after getting a bye in the first round, Shotts were drawn against Irvine Victoria in round two of the WoSFL Cup. The date is to be arranged.
Daily Record
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Shotts boss' relief as Clydebank win means top-flight safety
Shotts were one of four teams that faced the drop, had Bankies not reached the Lowland League Shotts boss John McKeown admitted relief after their West of Scotland Premier League status was secured on Sunday, as Clydebank reached the Lowland League. The Bankies' 2-0 win over Musselburgh Athletic, 3-1 on aggregate, meant that only three teams dropped down from each of the top three leagues, rather than four, had they fallen short. Shotts ended the season in 13th place, five points above Benburb, who were one of three teams dropping into the First Division. As it is, Shotts now face a derby against McKeown's local team, Rutherglen Glencairn, in their second season in the top flight. A delighted McKeown said: 'We hired Bankies TV and we're absolutely over the moon. 'We need to build on this. We're a wee bit fortunate to stay in the league due to Gartcairn's circumstances [15-point deduction] , so we're not naive enough to ignore that. 'I felt we started the league really poorly but went from strength to strength, and had we had five more games we'd have been more than safe. 'But we need to make sure that we're good to go at the end of July.' McKeown added: 'We should be nowhere near the Premier League, in terms of resources and budget, so these boys deserve all the credit. 'We have a team spirit that I don't think many clubs have, and it has kept us up.'
