Colville Park AFC to return next season after collapse

The plug was pulled last September as Colville – rocked by the summer departure of ace manager Michael Kennedy and nine of his players to Darvel Juniors – didn’t have enough players left to fulfil matches with the recruitment of Robert Paterson as the new boss proving unsuccessful.

Colville’s shock exit rocked the Scottish amateur football world as the team under Kennedy had won the Premier Division crown in each of his four seasons in charge and also landed the Scottish Amateur Cup in three of the previous four campaigns.

But, more than six months down the line, the Motherwell team are back and Kenny Henderson – assisted by Kevin McGroarty – will lead them back into action next season with a brand new squad.

Kenny (38), who managed Weir Recreation AFC last season, told the Times and Speaker: “It’s a great honour and privilege to be made Colville Park manager.

“It’s a club with fantastic history and to be able to be part of the rebuild is very special to me personally and something I’m very proud of and delighted to take on.

“This is the biggest job I’ve had in senior football.

“Most of my background is in youth development, a very successful career in youth bringing boys through, winning everything that there is to win.

“I won the league with Weir’s under-19s and I took Bonnyton Thistle 2002s for six years, we won the league three times, the League Cup and Scottish Cup and I also worked in with the SFA. I’m a fully ‘C’ licensed coach.

“Now I want to try and rebuild Colville Park from the ashes.”

Kenny and assistant Kevin (27) stepped into the breach earlier this year after Paul Proud – initially appointed as Kennedy’s replacement at Colville – quit just four weeks into the role due to work commitments.

Although nothing can be guaranteed due to the ongoing suspension of football due to the coronavirus crisis, Colville have friendlies provisionally pencilled in for this July.

And it is possible that their competitive matches will restart in the lower Division 1 league next season, part of a restructured two-league set-up adapted from the current three divisions.

Kenny said: “The most important thing is to build a squad that’s going to be competitive.

“Promotion would be a fantastic thing but I’m just looking at stability, get the players signed.

“We do believe, with the boys that we are bringing in, that we have the capabilities to certainly mount a challenge and hopefully get back to the Premier as quickly as we can.”