The man behind a newly formed Clydebank football team designed for players in their mid-30s admits the lure of the beautiful game was "an itch he just had to scratch".

Kevin Gallagher revealed driving past a match being played at a Clydebank school convinced him he had to pull the boots on for the first time in six years and get involved in competitive action.

Now Kevin, who has just turned 36, has started up an over-35s football team to take part in the Central Region 35s league, an amateur Friday night league that has grown considerably over the past few years.

Speaking to the Post, Kevin – who played Saturday morning football with Clydebank team UCS until his first child arrived – explained it was an idea borne out of a desire of former teammates wanting to play together again.

He said: “We just missed it. We had been talking about doing a 35s team for a wee while and nobody was wanting to take responsibility.

“I was driving past Clydebank High one Saturday morning and there was a game on, and I was looking at some of the guys, and I thought, ‘I could still be playing’, and on the very same day I saw the tweet from the league.”

The Football Central 35s set-up is one that has gone from strength-to-strength over the past few years.

It started in August 2015 with one league that consisted of eight teams.

Now, seven years later, the 2023 season has 77 competing across two age categories.

The association has added an over-40s league which features nine teams and now has 68 over-35s sides across five divisions.

Games are played on a Friday night every two weeks from March to November, with many using it as a chance to keep fit and stay involved in football.

“I said from the get go, if we can get 20 players who’ll definitely be committed, then I’m happy to start it and see how it goes,” Kevin added.

Kevin and his Clydebank over-35s squad plan to play at Mountblow when the season starts with the hope they may even get on to Holm Park when the Bankies under-20s season finishes in mid-May.

And he insists this first season is just a case of finding their feet.

He continued: “I think we have a really good core of the team, there is probably about seven or eight guys, boys who have played football before and they are all decent players.”

“This season will just be to get into it and see how things go, we’re not expecting lots but I think we have a decent enough team to compete.”

The team have played two friendlies so far, a 7-3 win over Ferguslie Star AFC in their very first game as a club and a 3-7 defeat to Fernhill, meaning they have scored ten and conceded ten, much to Kevin’s amusement.

“I kind of getting the feeling, from the two friendlies we have played, I think everybody kind of realises it is more about having a bit of fun at this age.

“You still want to win and everything else but I don’t think it’s going to be as feisty as before.”

Kevin will be handing over the management reins to some former teammate on match-days when he is playing.

Austin O'Donnell - who is 28-years-old meaning he is too young to play - Gary Connolly and Joey Muir will be pulling the strings from the sidelines as the Bankies 35 sides navigate their first season into the unknown.

“At least I’ve got somebody to blame if it goes wrong,” Kevin added.

Kevin and Clydebank will start with a home game against Budhill Utd on March 3.