Last season saw Largs Colts 2002s competed in 11-a-side for the first time, they did themselves proud by clinching a fifth placed finish, only one point off fourth, and sealing their place in a cup final against KSC Barca.

Colts' coach, Campbell Coupar, spoke exclusively to Youth Football Scotland regarding the season just past, and the season ahead: “The team performed well in their first season at 11’s finishing fifth in the league and reaching their first cup final”, he said. “The high point was defeating the league winners Bonnyton 4-0 and the low point was probably the performances and results in the cup, especially in losing the cup final.”

It is not all about results for Coupar however: “A major plus was that a number of coaches called Largs Colts 2002 out as the best passing team they had played during the season. It was pleasing to see the team play some great passing football at times and to have this reputation.” he declared with pride.

He foresees a few teams putting up a strong challenge for next season’s title. “Valspar, AC Irvine and Galston I would expect to be very good. Kilmarnock Portland and Tass were the only teams we did not beat last year though I believe we are much better prepared this time around. The good thing is with a variety of strong teams it will test the boys and help them to develop individually and as a team.”

So far Colts have been very active on the transfer front, adding in Fraser Blair, Louis Bainbridge, Ben Robson and Lewis Cormack, all local lads from Larg. The manager revealed that all four boys are great friends and attend the same school, which is sure to help them settle into the club with ease.

Coupar also told us that his side have a busy pre-season schedule ahead: “Pre-season has been mixed, and in the early stages, difficult, given the number of boys still on holiday. We have another five pre-season games planned as well as a tournament to round things off, which will be great preparation for the season ahead.”, he said. “Fitness will also be a big focus over the next three weeks in readiness for the first competitive games.”

In terms of targets for the next campaign, the Colts gaffer was not expecting his side to jump to the top of the league just yet: “It is likely that the league will be very different this year with teams from the West league making it a much tougher and larger league.

A finish in the top five again would be positive progress and ideally winning a cup to get the first silverware. We would love to make the rounds of the Scottish Cup outside of our region and travel somewhere. Overall, being hard to beat and being recognised as a very good football side whilst being true to our philosophy would be an achievement.”

And lastly, what does the Largs manager value as one of the most important aims for the season ahead? “Fun”, he replied.

Best of luck to Largs Colts 2002s in the 2015/16 Central Ayrshire Youth League!

Lauren Sloan is the current captain of the senior Ladies side at Kilmarnock. The team have had a tough time in recent years, but under the management of David Howie, Sloan and her teammates are looking to mount a promotion push and get them back to where they belong, in the First Division.

Sloan has been at the club since 1999, after being knocked back by a boys club.

"I started when I was six because the boys club said I couldn't play, so it kind of spurred me on a little bit. I went through the ranks and just played. I went senior when I was 16," she told Youth Football Scotland.

Sloan makes her path to the first team sound simple, when it reality it was a very hard effort, requiring determination and desire. The youth teams now are seeing the benefits of the partnership with the professional side, with access to gym facilities and a physiotherapist as well as being able to train at Rugby Park. But before 2014, the standard of facilities was a lot poorer, which had its effects on the club's players.

"I liked playing so it was all enjoyment and it was quite close. But then they [other girls in the youth setup] slowly drop off as you get older, so I was the only one out my whole team that moved up to senior squad," Sloan said

"Now, through linking with Kilmarnock, it's amazing the amount of teams and the camaraderie you have with each team. It's getting so much bigger."

And Sloan also had some sound advice to give to girls who are thinking about taking up the sport.

"Work hard. Train hard. That's it. Work hard, train hard, you'll get there. Don't give up," she said.

"Don't let any boy say he'll beat you or he can run faster than you, because if you keep up with him you'll beat any girl on the pitch."

Sloan knows that it can be tough as a girl trying to make it in football: "It's tough because there's a lot of stereotypes in woman's football. I think before you move up to the seniors there's a lot of expectations and that's when they drop out."

If there was ever an example of why a young girl should continue into the senior ranks of their football club, look no further than Kilmarnock Ladies captain Lauren Sloan.

Originally founded as Stewarton Ladies, Kilmarnock Ladies are the oldest women’s club in Scottish history. They competed in the first ever Women’s FA Cup Final, losing to Southampton in 1971 and 1972. It was only in 1999 that the club became known as Kilmarnock and the partnership with Kilmarnock FC began.

The relationship has helped the club according to first team manager David Howie, who said: "Basically we’ve kind of pulled it together, it’s a more professional club. Pushing through with Kilmarnock also helps us with sponsorship and benefits.

"The girls get to play on the Rugby Park stadium, training there twice a week, using the physio facilities and gym facilities that we get."

This incentive is one that will appeal to anyone who wants to get involved. Getting treated as a professional will certainly tempt young girls to think of a future in football. Howie agreed, saying: “From a youth point of view we’re trying to take it and consolidate and carry that forward in the next couple of years, and become where we are in the Senior Ladies game, hopefully with all the girls staying with the club. To that point, it should strengthen the club, and keep us on a firm base for a number of years to come."

Kilmarnock Ladies have teams at under-13, under-15 and under-17 level, and Howie is confident that their development is progressing well.

"[The under-13s] have been put into a Performance League but it was essentially a Development Team. They were all very young girls, 10-11 years of age. They were going up against the best in the country, Glasgow City, Celtic, Rangers, which are strong, strong teams. Although we’re a large club from the South West, it was a Development Team that was stuck in a Performance League," Howie said.

"This year in the first half of the season they’ve been battered and bruised, but they girls are still smiling. They still come to football and love it."

The under-15’s have been performing fantastically and are on track to defend their League Cup title, with a final against Hamilton coming up.

"That team will do excellent. They are the strongest team in this league. I’m very confident that they will win their league. They’re undefeated in this season so far, going from strength to strength," Howie said.

The under-17’s have also had success previously, winning their regional league last year. They have also progressed to the last-16 of the Scottish Cup.

"This year they’re sitting about third in their league. It’s a strong squad but they are competing with the best, so we’ve consolidated there." 

The future is looking bright for Kilmarnock Ladies and it is certainly a great time to get involved!

Click here for Crosshouse BC 2006's interview video.

"Progressive." The word that coach Craig Paterson used when asked to describe Crosshouse. 

"We look to ourselves as a kind of school of excellence outside of the pro-youth set up. We're always looking to produce the best players and the best teams that we possibly can and we've got a pretty good record of doing that."

It is hard to disagree with Paterson. They boast Scottish Cup winners in the club from just last season, with older teams making it into various semi-finals. They are the elite team in Ayrshire, playing in the Glasgow leagues, with many players going into pro-youth with Kilmarnock, Ayr or the Old Firm teams. 

Ryan Frew, fellow coach, attributed the rise in quality to the effort of the players. He said: "The boys individually, talent-wise, are progressing. They're taking to the training, everyone's engaged to it. As a whole, they're absolutely fantastic. The growth level has been brilliant.

"We don't lose many games and we expect to be the same again this season. Everything is just now building towards 11-a-side which will happen in a couple of years."

Crosshouse are another side that have started to use the Scottish FA’s Quality Mark award scheme which has benefitted the club hugely.

"I believe we're on the second mark now, we're quite highly engaged with it. We've recently introduced a few extra girl’s teams as well that has allowed us to get to that level so it's something we're highly involved in as much as we can," Frew said.

"We've got very successful teams that are competing very well. I know it's non-competitive but when I say competing, they're playing a fantastic style of football that myself and other coaches have developed into them so obviously, the kind of word of mouth gets about that we're a good football team and players in Ayrshire are wanting to come to us and are attracted to us, so we're very fortunate."

The coaches also believe they are seeing benefits off the pitch. Because the Quality Mark is a certified approval of the club, it makes parents a lot more willing to get involved with the club instead of just taking a back seat role.

"We get the parents involved. We have social nights with the parents so it brings everyone together as a club so it's very, very close club and it makes a big difference to the boy’s maturity," said Paterson. 

"We're asking their parents how they're behaving if there’s any particular child that goes a couple at weeks at misbehaving at home, showing a lack of respect to their parents then we'll suspend them for the weekend's game," Frew told us. It is an interesting approach for the club to take but it is one that will undoubtedly have an impact on the nearby community and the boys’ maturity levels on and off the pitch.

Frew added: “I teach them through that, that it's very, very important to respect everyone around about you and have that discipline. We're very big on that.” The tone of discipline has clearly been set, and this culture around the club is one that is sure to see them progress.

Good luck to Craig and Jack and all their teams for the 2015/16 season!