By BSC Glasgow

BSC Glasgow Women Accepted into SWF Championship

BSC Glasgow is delighted to announce that our women’s team have been accepted into the newly formed SWF Championship for the upcoming 2020 season.

The formation of the Championship comes after a significant consultation period, in which BSC actively participated and contributed. 2020 sees the separation of the performance pathway and recreational arm of the game, ensuring the relevant structures are in place for the ongoing growth and development of the women’s game here in Scotland.

Entry into this competitive league, just a year after the women’s team was formed,  demonstrates our ambition for the team to ultimately compete at the very top of women’s football in Scotland.

Fixtures are due to be released later this week, with our opening match scheduled for 9th February; the same weekend our men’s team meet Hibernian or Dundee United in their monumental Scottish Cup fifth round tie.

It’s all happening at BSC!

By BSC Glasgow

BSC Glasgow FC Partner with Football Nation

BSC Glasgow are delighted to announce that BSC Glasgow FC’s Men’s First Team are partnering with Football Nation to launch a Club Store and, for 2020/21, a new kit partnership with Joma.

Managing Director of Football Nation Steven Dow said: “We’re always keen to work with new clubs. Our kit and retail offerings work well for clubs of all sizes.”

“It’s important for us that what we produce for any of our clubs looks fantastic. There will be a range of great leisurewear and accessories that will certainly impress supporters when they see it.”

On how it feels to be the first company to officially strike a deal with BSC Glasgow to expand their merchandise: “We’re delighted. It’s always great to work with a new club and BSC Glasgow FC fans can expect a great range of merchandise to help them support the team.”

Club Communications Manager Michael Park said: “Working with a company like Football Nation is a real no-brainer for us. We’ve known about the amazing work they do with clubs of our size for a couple of years and we’re delighted to get this done and be able to launch our new Club Store ahead of the Scottish Cup Fifth Round.”

You can shop the range and order your BSC Glasgow kit in time for the Fifth Round here.

By Martin Fleming

Scottish Cup Preview – East Kilbride (A)

It’s finally here! The Fourth Round of the William Hill Scottish Cup and we make the trip to K-Park for what – you might argue – is the most important game of our short history.

Out of all the potential ties BSC Glasgow could’ve drawn in this round, fate would have it that there is to be a Lowland League battle for a place in the last sixteen.

This all-important fixture came our way after a pair of matches over Lochee United allowed us the chance to shock Scottish football by producing a miraculous comeback against East Fife in the Third Round, although we don’t really like to talk about that…

…cough…

East Kilbride found their way into this round thanks to a comfortable 3-1 win over fellow Lowland League outfit Gretna 2008 in the Second Round followed by a 4-0 victory over Highland League side Formartine United.

In recent weeks, both sides have had the added luxury of an extra week of rest due to the weather postponing a handful of Lowland League fixtures last weekend. BSC’s last league outing saw only our second defeat of the season as Bonnyrigg Rose grabbed a last minute winner. East Kilbride however will be more pleased with their first game of 2020, having demolished Cumbernauld Colts 7-0.

Our recent history with East Kilbride has been a bit of a mixed bag. Last season saw the eventual title winners win by a three-goal margin at the Indodrill. It wasn’t until we travelled to K-Park, on the day they were to be presented with the trophy that we took a measure of revenge with a 2-1 victory handing them their only home defeat of the season. Back in October, it was a point apiece at the Indodrill thanks to goals from Thomas Orr and Graeme Holmes.

This is one of the most important games of the season for either team and with a both forward lines are the ones to watch. Thomas Orr, Thomas Collins, Ruari Paton and Craig Malcolm, will ask questions of both defences and come Sunday, both teams will do anything to see their name in the draw of the last sixteen of the Scottish Cup. 

This one is too close to call, but one thing’s for sure, we are ready.

LET’S DO THIS!

By Martin Fleming

Lowland League Preview: Civil Service Strollers (A)

We’re back on the road this weekend as we travel to Christie Gillies Park to play Civil Service Strollers hoping to put the disappointment of last weekend’s result against Bonnyrigg Rose behind us.

It was only our second defeat of the league campaign last Friday – despite coming back from 2-0 down, a last minute corner allowed Bonnyrigg Rose to take the three points. We’ll need to get back to winning ways this weekend to keep the confidence high ahead of our Scottish Cup Fourth Round tie with East Kilbride the following weekend.

Gary Jardine’s Strollers host us with an air of confidence after they were victorious in the North Edinburgh derby last weekend.  A lone goal from trialist Archie Rue gave CSS a huge win and climb back into fifth place, six points behind BSC.

Back in November, goals from Robbie McNab, Declan Hughes, Thomas Orr and Thomas Collins secured a 4-1 win against Civil Service Strollers at home… so let’s hope for a bit more of that despite Christie Gillies Park being a really tough place to go.

By Martin Fleming

Match Preview: Berwick Rangers (A)

Once again, we’re scheduled to make the beautiful journey to England this weekend (weather permitting) to take on Berwick Rangers at Shielfield Park after our midweek fixture was postponed a couple of weeks ago.

Hopefully the BSC men won’t have celebrated too hard after our monumental victory over East Fife last weekend in the Scottish Cup. Did we mention that? We came behind from 3-1 for Thomas Orr to score in the last minute and secure our first ever fourth round place? No? Kept that quiet, eh?

Well, before the biggest win of our history, we defeated Civil Service Strollers 4-1 in the league so confidence should be running high. We currently sit in fourth place but still hold that crucial game in hand over third placed Bonnyrigg Rose and league leaders Kelty Hearts plus three games in hand over second East Stirlingshire so everything is still to play for.

Berwick Rangers haven’t exactly got off to the start they would have hoped for in their inaugural Lowland League campaign. Currently sitting uncomfortably in a twelfth place spot only two points shy of the bottom four, any points they can grab is important to the English side securing a mid-table finish.

While we were in Scottish Cup action, the Black and Gold suffered a 3-1 defeat to East Stirlingshire. Their last victory was over Vale of Leithen two weeks ago. BSC Glasgow will go into the game as slight favourites but Berwick could easily grab something, especially when any points gained are so crucial to their campaign. 

By Martin Fleming

Scottish Cup Preview: East Fife (A)

We travel to Methil tomorrow to take on League One’s East Fife in the Third Round of the William Hill Scottish Cup. Could we cause an upset? You never know.

Last year we held Forfar Athletic in the Third Round until the 75th minute but a goal from John Baird and an 85th minute goal from Lewis Moore sealed the win for The Loons.

Thanks to our second place in the Lowland League last season, we were able to skip the first round of the Scottish Cup and go right into the Second Round where we faced Dundee East Region Junior side, Lochee United.

A 1-1 draw at Thomson Park set up a replay at the Indodrill which allowed Dave McKay and Jamie Hamilton to find the back of the net and secure a Third Round place for only the second time in BSC Glasgow’s history.

Last year, our opponents made it to the fifth round after defeating then-League 2 side Berwick Rangers 2-1 and then Championship side Greenock Morton 2-1 before being put out by Partick Thistle in a tight 1-0 victory. The Methilites side currently sit third in League One after a great start to the season.

Could BSC Glasgow hold another League One side till the 75th minute or could an upset be on the cards? Find out Saturday at the Locality Hub Bayview Stadium!

By Martin Fleming

South Challenge Cup – Preston Athletic (H)

It’s South Challenge Cup action at the Indodrill as we welcome Preston Athletic in the Fourth Round.

After defeating Bo’ness United in the Second and then Gala Fairydean Rovers 3-1 in the Third Round, we can’t help but looking ahead at the possibility of advancing against East of Scotland League side Preston Athletic on Friday night. 

With a long midweek away trip to Berwick in store next week, Stephen Swift may be looking to rotate the squad and it will be interesting to see which XI takes the field tomorrow night. 

Our opponents currently sit 4th in the 1st Division Conference B of the East of Scotland League having started with six wins and four losses. With their last league game postponed, the rest may have benefitted them coming into this one. They suffered a 2-1 defeat to Leith Athletic in their last outing. 

With fellow Lowland League teams lying in wait in the next round, both sides will be keen to lay down a marker as we approach the midpoint of the season. 

By Martin Fleming

Lowland League Preview: Gretna (H)

Another week, another home game at the Indodrill but we are finally back to Lowland League action after three weeks of cup ties as we host Gretna 2008. 

The traveling side sit in a lowly 14th position having gathered just five points from their opening ten games. Despite that, Chris Humphrey’s men may come with a glimmer of hope that they could cause an upset, coming off their first win of the season. The 2-0 victory over dead bottom Vale of Leithen last weekend saw goals from Ryan Rogers and Kevin Connelly as well as a straight red card for Dean Makunike so they will be without him this weekend.

BSC Glasgow will be eager to get back to winning ways in the league after three weekends away. Although confidence will be high with places secured in the South Challenge and Scottish Cup, we also currently sit fourth with two games in hand over third place East Stirlingshire. Winning these games in hand is crucial if we want to take the fight to Kelty Hearts and Bonnyrigg Rose. 

For the starting eleven, it could be anyone’s guess as some players could be rested after two weekends in the Scottish Cup. However, Tom Orr could be back in the line-up after his suspension in last week’s replay. 

Last season, Gretna proved a banana skin in the away fixture to Raydale as we could only walk away with a point; however the home fixture saw a comfortable 3-0 victory. So let’s hope for another one of them, eh?