Today we’re joined by John Boyce from The Clyde FC Podcast, to give us his take on his beloved Bully Wee.
How would you assess your club's 22/23 season so far?
Off field:
Leaving our home ground of Broadwood and setting up in Hamilton was the biggest change for us this season. Whilst great memories were made at Broadwood, a real positive is that we have worked on building a much better matchday experience than our previous landlords could provide. Our matchday "Fanzone" has gone down a treat with home and away fans. Who doesn't want a £3 pint or a Chicken Tikka, Rice and Naan for a fiver?!
On field:
Preseason began with no less than 12 new signings in a full squad overhaul from the 2021/22 season, with manager Danny Lennon promising a fresh footballing philosophy to deal with the abundance of full-time League 1 juggernauts - the fanbase were relatively pleased with signings such as Jordan Allan, the returning Ray Grant and his brother Peter.
A poor League Cup campaign (1 win in 4 games) led to the opening day of the league… In what was described by fans as our "best away performance in a decade" - a stunning display of counter attacking football in a 4-1 win at QOS. Matchday 2 saw us throw away an early two-goal lead to a depleted Peterhead side - with matchday 3 a demolition of Kelty Hearts.
Sitting pretty in 2nd spot, playing excellent counter attacking football and having the league’s top scorer in Ross Cunningham? Safe to say the fanbase and club were feeling surprisingly optimistic about the season ahead after matchday 3.
Fast forward almost three months however and it was 11 defeats on the bounce in League 1, the gaffer Danny Lennon gone and the squad leaking goals from individual errors - it's evident the squad is devoid of confidence.
We've brought back experienced manager Jim Duffy for his second spell in charge of the club. Jim led us to the League 2 play-offs in 2014. He seems to be the safe choice to steady the ship and with great galvanising performances against Dunfermline and Falkirk, picking up a point in each game and ending our 11 match losing streak - it's a great start. League 1 survival must be the goal for the season moving forward.
Main Man: Favourite current player and why?
Jordan Allan - A positive in a poor first half of the season for Clyde. Nine league goals so far this season and League 1 top scorer, Jordan works hard for the team up top. Hasn't had a decent run of games in the starting line up this season due to formational changes. Jim Duffy has started him twice and he's scored four in two games.
What is your earliest memory supporting your club?
Living less than a mile away from Broadwood my dad took me down to see the local team, after getting a parent and child coupon from the local newspaper. A 0-0 draw against Raith Rovers in the old "First Division" - I was all in!
Explain the nickname
There's a question I get asked anytime Clyde are mentioned! Whilst not confirmed, my favourite explanation of the name is derived from the old Victorian phrase of 'bully' which means first-rate or high standard. Clyde were considered first rate but were a small club and that led to them being referred to as the 'Bully Wee Clyde.
Almost Famous – What is your club best known for?
Beating Celtic in the Scottish Cup in Jan 2006. Nobody gave us a chance and all the media arrived to document a high-profile debut, guaranteed to be a routine thumping of the "wee team". I still don't know who they were making a fuss about… Roy Who?
Greatest Gaffer: Your favourite/most loved boss watching your team?
There's been plenty of managers at Clyde but the most recent does stand out. Danny Lennon came in when we were towards the bottom of League 2 and immediately sorted the club out.
Implementing an attractive passing philosophy, he quickly won fans over. On 18 May, 2019 he led our club to play-off final victory and promotion to League 1 - ending our nine-year exile in Scotland’s bottom tier. Danny always made time to chat to every Clyde fan and has a genuine love of the club. A true gent and it's unfortunate that the recent run of form stopped him stepping into the dugout for his 200th game in charge, during his 5 year spell at Clyde.
Can you tell us one interesting fact about your club which other fans may not know?
Clyde are unbeaten in European competition! We played our first ever competitive games in Europe, in the short lived Franco-Scottish Friendship Cup. Clyde were drawn with RC Lens of France, winning 4-0 in France and beating them 2-1 at Shawfield, maintaining a 100% European record! The competition was scrapped after 2 years due to poor attendances.
Who would make your ultimate all-time 5-a-side team?
- 1. Bryn Halliwell
- 2. Mark McLaughlin
- 3. Jack Ross
- 4. Craig Bryson
- 5. Paddy Keogh
What is your all-time favourite match?
Clyde 2-0 Annan - 2018/19 League 1 Play-off final.
After 9 years in the bottom division, finally seeing my team promoted was special. Big crowd, last-minute winner and a pitch invasion to celebrate promotion! Doesn't get better than that.
What should visiting fans make sure they see/do when visiting your club/town?
I can update this once we're in our new stadium, in our traditional home within the East End of Glasgow… For now when we're ground sharing at Hamilton… Come to our matchday Fanzone before the game! Full of TVs to watch the early kick-offs - you can have a beer for £3 and a weekly menu of good food for £5!
What makes your club special to YOU?
Being the local team growing up I enjoyed going down to Broadwood every week, falling in love with not only Clyde - but football in general. We may not have the biggest fanbase but we certainly have some of the most passionate fans in Scotland. Supporting Clyde (and any lower league club) makes you really appreciate every single win and allows for a special relationship between players and fans.
You can follow Clyde’s progress every week in our SPFL Lower League Round Up - watch the latest edition now!
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