Ambitious Rob Roy aiming to bring back the glory days to Kirkintilloch

Manager Jimmy Lindsay has spoken of his ambitions and hopes for the future.

Rabs have already made two abortive attempts to move from their Adamslie Park home after selling the surrounding land to developers.

Now club bosses have their sights set on a plot of land near the town’s Southbank Marina and the gaffer insists that, if successful, it will offer far more than just football.

He told the Herald: “There have been disappointments before I arrived at the club, but I’m confident that this can be a success as long as we get the support of the community - that’s going to be one of the main factors. The council has already been fantastic.

“This will not just be a football project and the name will make that clear. We’re thinking of something along the lines of the Rob Roy Sports Academy or Community Hub, although it’s up for discussion.

“There will be basketball, hockey, tennis, multi-purpose sports pitches, rooms for local groups to use - anything the community wants.

“Before we go to the planning stage we’ll be asking people what they want and incorporating ideas into the plans.

“From after-school clubs for kids, to computer skills courses for pensioners, we want to provide something for everybody.”

The plans are still at an early stage, but Lindsay says the club needs to make them work - even if it costs points in the league and goals on the park.

He explained: “It might be the case that we’ll have to move out of Adamslie and play all of our games away from home while the new stadium is being built.

“But if that’s what needs to happen then so be it. For years the position has been ‘why bother doing something when we’re about to move anyway’.”

He added: “It’s a catch-22 situation. If we are pushing on with the development then the team could suffer on the pitch, but our priority at the moment has to lie with the stadium.

“We’re doing this at a time when the Olympics have brought plenty of funding to sport and the Commonwealth Games, in Glasgow, is just around the corner - there really couldn’t be a better time.”

And, while the days of tens of thousands of fans flocking to Junior cup ties may be over for good, Lindsay thinks that the new ground will attract new fans and sponsorship to the club.

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