A Brief History…
Steadfast Boys’ Club (or Stedfast) were founded in East Kilbride in 1969 to facilitate a growing desire of young boys to play football from the Boys Brigade Association of East Kilbride. The Stedfast Association, to this day, is widely associated with the Boys Brigade, to develop and promote diverse ways for young persons to further their learning and understanding of varied aspects of life, practical pursuits and of course, sports. Back in 1969 founding members, Ronnie Balloch, Jimmy Hunter, Jimmy Blyth and Willie Hendry, had never heard of, 3G, 4G, Hybrid Grass, Fun fours, super sevens, PVG, PPO, Breathable fabric, Under Armour, Blades, Astro Trainers, Coerver or game related drills !
However, within 12 months of the clubs formation , it was quickly established that there appeared to be a feeling that this boys’ club was exclusive to Boys Brigade members. Therefore, from initial formation, the boys football club was quickly change to East Kilbride Youth Club. The club and badge remain to this day.
Two decades of ups and down followed for the boys’ club. Custodians, coaches and players came and went, then, some came back again. The club has produced many success stories, from individuals to wonderful team achievements. Robert McKinnon (Motherwell, Hartlepool, Hearts and Scotland Internationalist), Craig Bryson (Kilmarnock and Derby County), David Proctor (Inverness Caley Thistle and Dundee Utd), and many others have made their way into the professional or semi-professional ranks of Scottish football. The current Aberdeen assistant manager and now part of the coaching team for Scotlands national team, Tony Docherty, was part of an excellent EKYC team developed by Mr John McSherry and Denny Byrne.
These decades were marshalled by men like the aforementioned founding members, also Harry McIntosh, George Hodge, Robert McKinnon snr, Arthur Murray, Danny Lowe, Robert Conway, Gerry Docherty, Frank Bredin, Jimmy Reynolds, John Campbell, Mike O’Hare, Freddie Fraser, Bill Lee, Jim Jackson, Tam Nesbitt, John McSherry, Robert Savage, Alex Lawrence to name but a few and obviously our current club President, Denny Byrne. Like all families these custodians had their ups and downs, challenges and disagreements, triumphs and celebrations, but all had the same goals and willingness to provide a platform for their children to perform, learn, improve, thrive, laugh, cry, scream, shout, sing and enjoy their football. We thank them all for the opportunity to continue and be part of the history of this club.
Through the decades the club has had many success stories like league winners, cup winners, double winners and treble winners. There has been individual achievement like Tony and Luke McPake being the first EKYC players and brothers, selected to the play for the SYFA boys national squad.
In 1993, the club was at its most vulnerable. EKYC were down to one team. The under 17 team, managed and coach by the late Robin Blackwood, on completion of their season, would be the last team in the club’s existence. With light persuasion from Dom McCluskey, Denny Byrne sought out help from George McCracken, Alex Lawrence and Bobby Savage to start an under 11 team. This was the first block in the rebuilding of this football club and within 10 years the club had developed into a ten team organisation. Denny, George, Alex and Bobby drove the club forward, all on their own time and most of the time having to do everything the hard way. No Sheikh Mansour ever materialised.
Former players often return with their own children, to begin the journey into the football rollercoaster of emotion. Often these players from the past become coaches of the present, and find the same if not greater rewards for time spent in the yellow and blue.
Like all families, EKYC have suffered heartbreak and the club mourns the loss of Brian Potts, Susan Costello, Robin Blackwood and others through the years whom were instrumental in the running of the club. We are all very grateful for their selfless devotion.
East Kilbride Youth Club continue to support local causes, like EK Hospice and Sanderson High School as well as supporting young sports people in their pursuit of success.
Today, EKYC is a Quality Mark Club and has around 200 boys and girls in 10 teams, aged from 5 to 16 years old. The highest numbers forming our early years age groups. These kids are part of the fun fours and development fives formats playing on smaller pitches, with smaller goals, with and without goalkeepers and encourages inclusive participation and lots of ball time. This is the strong foundation for moving both the club and Scottish football forward and giving kids a pathway to develop and grow into successful young footballers moving towards seven and eleven aside football. However, at EKYC there is a pathway for young kids in their formative years to progress onto teenage years and onto becoming young adults in amateur football.
In 2013, EKYC formed a partnership with East Kilbride’s oldest football institutions, East Kilbride Young Men (EKYM). Together with EK Girls this has grown to be become EK Utd, with each organisation retaining their own identity. From this unique merger, EKYC can develop and encourage boys and girls to participate in football from 4 years old. There is a pathway for boys and girls to play football for as long as their hunger and desire remains. Through this unique amalgamation the natural progression into EKYM and amateur football, does not end there. EKYM has the “Auld Crocks” team and Mr Denny Byrne has been a huge influence on the creation of a Walking Football team, aptly named the “Gerihat-tricks”, within East Kilbride. With drive and unwavering commitment, this club now has the structure in place to have four generations of the same family playing football for the same club.
FUN FOURS * DEVELOPMENT * YOUTH FOOTBALL * AMATEUR FOOTBALL * AULD CROCKS * COACHING * GERI HAT-TRICKS
A plethora of fathers, mothers, aunts and uncles are now finding the desire and commitment to drive on their own kid’s teams. This has made, what is now a very comprehensive project, of running a football team, desirable and rewarding. The club now has around 30 officials registered with the SYFA and their respective leagues. All with coaching qualifications and PVG registered. Most of these coaches are now first aid trained to assist the official first aiders of each team. Preparation and attention to detail to give kids the best opportunity and safest environment to perform in, is at the very heart of the clubs ethos.
For around 10 years now the club has an annual “Sports Dinner”, which has seen many sports personalities attend and contribute to raising funds for both the club and charity. Events like these, together with “Race Nights” and Social nights are and will continue to be integral to building a strong community for the community.
Moving towards our 50th year, we look to grow and develop a strong relationship with EKYM and EK Girls to help serve the community of East Kilbride and beyond. Together with the “elder statesmen”, the club has people with great determination to drive the club forward like, John Costello, Alan Foster, Mark McCreadie, Ian McPake, Graeme Jackson, Mark Howarth, Adam Cuthbertson, Stewart Dunlop, plus many more parents and volunteers who have caught the “YC Bug”.
MON THE YC !
EKYC 