Goalkeeper David McGurn has had a busy season between the sticks for First Division Raith Rovers however, being busy is nothing new to the 31-year-old.
Not only does he cross the country three times a week to train and play football for the Kirkcaldy side, he is a lecturer in Sports Coaching and Fitness at Cardonald College in the outskirts of Glasgow, he passes his shot-stopping skills on via a Goalkeeping School for youngsters and along with wife, Alana, they have not long ago become the proud parents of baby girl Amy.
McGurn said: “You could say I am quite a busy guy and have my hands full. Our baby has given us even more on our plate but I would not have it any other way.”
McGurn’s journey to senior footballer, League winner, lecturer, coach and proud dad began in a football sense, just over 10 years ago when he left Hillwood Boys Club for Morton.
He said: “I was playing Under-21 football with Hillwood, who are based in Pollok in Glasgow, when I got the chance to go to Greenock. I had played at Under-18 level for Queen’s Park when John McCormack was in charge of Queen’s Park and he took me down to Morton when he was the Manager there in November, 2001.
“Hillwood have a really good set-up and a good reputation with kids in there from Under 7 age group upwards but it was great to get the chance to go senior.”
McGurn never featured in the Morton first team for McCormack however, his replacement, Jim McInally, gave him a start as he explained: “I got a game against Berwick Rangers in the Second Division at Cappielow in October, 2004 and it went well as we won 2-0.
“We won the Second Division title in season 2006/07 but I spent a good bit of that season on the bench.”
McGurn added: “Looking back, it was an interesting time to be at Morton as we made it to the First Division and stayed there. They have a really strong fan base and looking back, I wish I had played more often in front of them.
“There was always strong competition for a starting role at the club with Craig Coyle, Paul Mathers and Lee Robinson all there looking to get the number one jersey along with me.”
As well as working as a full-time professional, McGurn was also developing an alternative career away from football as he explained: “I had been to university before becoming a full-timer at Morton. It was a bit strange to become a full-time professional footballer at the age of 21 but I am glad that I did it.
“I used to spend my days off lecturing at Cardonald and I enjoyed that. At the end of the season where we stayed in the First Division, a permanent position came up at the college and I had a decision to make about what career route I wanted to take.”
Making a decision became easier when he found out that a then Second Division Raith Rovers were wanting new part-time goalkeepers to join them with McGurn saying: “I made the decision to combine playing football with work and went part-time to join Raith. I joined them at the same time as Gary O’Connor did and we battled it out to be the first choice goalkeeper. He was a very experienced goalie and a great guy to work with and whilst we were rivals for a starting position, I have to say that Gary kept me entertained for the two years he was alongside me at Stark’s Park.”
The first season in Fife was a great success as Rovers won the Second Division Championship with the title clinched at Hampden against Queen’s Park on the second last Saturday with a 1-0 success.
McGurn said: “It was great to win the title at the National Stadium with Graham Weir grabbing the goal quite early on. We had a lot of fans through in Glasgow that day who kept us up-to-date with events as our closest rivals Ayr United played Alloa.
“We had been involved in a long, long race with Brechin and then Ayr for the title. Ayr beat us 1-0 at home with nine games to go and looked like they would be favourites to go up automatically but we then went on a run of eight consecutive wins which took us over the line with a game to spare.”
McGurn was back in the First Division and delighted to be so as he explained: “I had one year in the First Division with Morton so it was great to be back. It is even better that Raith have stayed there for two years and we are determined to make it three in a row.
“Playing in the First Division is great because it is a very good standard. If you are not playing in the SPL, it is the best place to be. You want to play at the top level which is the SPL and we just missed out on that last season.
“It was a great season and we were in the top two for most of the season before losing out to Dunfermline just a couple of weeks before the end.”
A recast Rovers squad this season has not reached the same heights with McGurn saying: “This season has been a bit more of a struggle but we have shown real battling qualities and I reckon we are good enough to avoid relegation. We have been away from home to the top two in the First Division in the last two weeks and came back from a goal behind in both games to draw.
“We did it at Dundee and then did it at Ross County and that shows the fighting spirit that we have.”
That spirit will be tested this weekend by the visit of a Hamilton Academical side still smarting from their 1-0 defeat from Falkirk in last Sunday’s Ramsdens Cup Final with McGurn saying: “It will be a tough game but hopefully, we can beat them. We have both played well against each other this season but we really need the three points.”
After Saturday’s game is out of the way, McGurn will be back to the day job next week as he said: “The course I take in Sports Coaching and Fitness is for people who want to work in the fitness business as either a development officer, fitness instructor or personal trainer.
“The youngest on the course is aged 16 and the oldest is 42 but most of the people are 19 or 20. On a Monday night, I take a goalkeeping course at the Glasgow Green facility for about 15 kids aged from 6 upwards and then I train two nights a week as well with the Rovers.”
McGurn finished by saying: “It is good to be busy and it will be good to help Rovers stay in the First Division.”
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