Greater Glasgow Premier AFL football team Tarbert AFC has found itself in the unusual position of benefitting from the resignation of Lochgilphead Red Star from the Scottish Premier AFA for the current season.
Tarbert AFC secretary Bruce McNab said about 10-12 players from the Red Star squad have signed for Tarbert since the Lochgilphead club resigned from their league last month, with Scottish Premier AFA secretary George Dingwall citing Red Star’s problem with “the availability” of players.
“Unfortunately, we have profited from Red Star’s demise because 10 or 12 of their players have signed for us,” said Bruce.
“(Red Star’s resignation) was the last thing we wanted to see. We don’t like to see it. Colin Weir did a brilliant job.
“There are a lot of smashing young players have come and trained hard and embedded in; it has boosted our numbers.”
On Saturday (October 21) Tarbert will travel to Vale of Leven for a league game. Bruce said last weekend’s game against Bearsden was cancelled because Bearsden could not raise a team.
The Tarbert secretary said he was confident the club can go on to have a successful season.
“We struggled at the start (of the season) after two years away,” said Bruce.
“I think we are going to hold our own.
“The (Red Star) boys have come in and we have embraced them.
“Hopefully we can get a really good season to establish ourselves.”
Scottish Premier AFA secretary George Dingwall confirmed last month that Lochgilphead Red Star had resigned from the league for the current season and hope to return for the 2024-25 campaign.
Mr Dingwall said Red Star would have to re-apply to return to the league.
The Scottish Premier AFA secretary said the reason for Lochgilphead’s resignation was a problem with “the availability” of players.
Red Star had been looking for a new manager after the resignation of long-serving clubman Colin Weir.
Colin guided Red Star to second place in the 2022-23 Scottish AFL, missing out on the league by a single point, and reached its league cup final, the Jimmy Marshall Cup.
Red Star had just recently started the inaugural season of the newly created Scottish Premier AFA after the merging of their former league the Scottish AFL and the Central Scottish AFL.