LARGS Thistle will enter the senior West of Scotland Football League for the first time with a new look hospitality cabin at Barrfields Park.

With the club entering the professional grade for the first time, works have been taking place at the old ground to spruce it up in its 90th year.

President David Blackwood is urging fans to get involved and join the committee as Thistle looks to make an impact and gain an SFA licence in future seasons which would allow entry to the senior Scottish Cup and money-spinning ties against teams from the game's biggest leagues.

David said: "We have doubled the size of the Thistle cabin and we are putting in double glazing through Cumbrae Windows.

"It will provide an area for the fans to come and enjoy a drink after the game and the extra room in the cabin means the players and opposing players can also come in and enjoy the hospitality."

A team of volunteers have also painted the barriers at Barrfields to get it ready for the new season, which is expected to kick off in October.

David said: "It has been a nightmare with no football because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but we have been hard at work at Barrfields getting the new cabin ready. We think the fans will be impressed when it opens.

"We have made some cracking signings on the pitch thanks to manager Stuart Davidson's hard work and we are working hard on improving the infrastructure to support that. The ultimate goal would be to get an SFA licence which would allow us to take part in the senior Scottish Cup. It won't be this season, but that is the long term goal. There are some big obstacles to overcome to achieve that, for example we would need floodlights.

"We are also looking at having disabled access to the ground near to the Barrfields stand/shed area. Floodlights is going to be the big one though, but we will approach this once we get the ground fully prepped.

"We also have a new under-20s development squad starting up this year which we hope will provide a conveyor belt of talent into the first team. We also have all the community club teams of different age groups, so we are working really hard to get the whole town involved.

"People on the committee are required to help us though. At the moment we only have six active members so we really need more volunteers behind the scenes.

"It is going to be a really tough financial position as all the businesses have been hit by the pandemic but we will be encouraging shops and businesses to take a board, which is only £300 for the season, and £120 for each season thereafter. 

"I think people will be desperate to get back to football - and hopefully we can bring plenty of them here. We have made some great signings, including a multiple Scottish Cup winner and league champion in Keir Milliken. We are trying to push the boat out but we need the support of the public and we need more locals helping out on the committee."

The club also missed out on its money spinning sportsman's dinner at Nardini's in April, but with the new league, a season of 30 games and new cups to enter, including a South of Scotland/East of Scotland Cup where Largs could meet the likes of Berwick Rangers for the first time in their history, things are looking bright.

David added: "With a senior licence in future years, Largs could meet Rangers, Celtic or any of the other top teams if we progress in the Scottish Cup. That's an exciting prospect for everyone connected to the club."

Other sides who left the juniors, such as Largs Thistle's 2010 cup final opponents Linlithgow Rose, faced against Falkirk last season in the senior Scottish Cup.

* If you want to join the Largs Thistle committee, contact David Blackwood on 07711 764530.