Rutherglen Glencairn will gain massive financial boost from Scottish FA membership

Rutherglen Glencairn secretary Peter Ferguson says Scottish FA membership is financially massive for the club, and is the culmination of three years’ hard work.

And Ferguson has urged people in the town to back the West of Scotland League First Division club as they bid to climb up the Scottish football pyramid.

Glencairn announced on Wednesday that they had been granted full admission to the Scottish FA, meaning they will compete in the Scottish Cup for the first time in their 126-year history.

Ferguson says this gives Glencairn a chance to compete with the likes of Auchinleck Talbot and Darvel, as they eventually bid to reach the Lowland League.

“Financially it’s huge for us,” said Ferguson.

“You get an annual payment from the SFA for just holding your licence and appearance money in the Scottish Cup goes up in quite a dramatic scale in every round you go through.

“Even if you lose in the first preliminary round, you still get a substantial payment for them.

“There’s also TV money if you’re selected; we’ve seen Clydebank, Auchinleck and Darvel all getting live television matches, and raking in the money from it.

“For a club the size the size of us, who don’t have a big support compared to these teams, and we don’t have a big committee, so it’s a huge achievement for us.

“It’s really important if you want to compete with them and potentially look at coming up through the divisions into the Lowland League and things like that.

“We need this sort of financial support, and the support of the people of Rutherglen. We need them to come and watch us.”

For Ferguson this has been a personal crusade, as he fought to persuade others at the club that applying for membership was a good idea.

“Just under three years ago I started on