Dalry Thistle’s new manager Chris Wilson says he is excited to get started at the club and steer them through their maiden voyage in the West of Scotland Football League (WoSFL).

Thistle pulled out of the debut season of the WoSFL last year due to COVID-19 restrictions but will be looking to make an impact after over year out of competitive football in the conferences this season.

The club announced last month that they were looking for a new manager to fill the vacant hotseat following the departure of Gavin Friels.

It did not take too long to find their new gaffer however as Wilson joined from the Under 20’s set up at fellow WoSFL side Beith last week.

Wilson said: “I finished my playing career at Kilwinning Rangers 12 years ago and then stumbled into coaching by accident at a local boys club in Barrhead.

“I managed them all the way through to the Under 21’s winning Scottish Cup’s and West of Scotland Cups, the lot really.

“I then went to coach at Giffnock, and I was there for three years before I was then approached to be the Under 20’s development manager at Beith last year.

“We never really got off the ground with the lockdowns, but we were back in this year to get going with the Under 20’s but the opportunity appeared at Dalry and here we are.”

Wilson steps up to the role of first team manager for the first time, with only a few weeks to prepare ahead of the July 17 restart.

As well as organising a full pre-season schedule, Wilson also needs to add in several signings to the squad with a number of players departing the club.

But Wilson says he is relishing the opportunity to make Dalry Thistle a competitive side, adding: “I am excited and looking forward to getting stuck in however I am not under any illusion about the size of the task the previous manager has left.

“The majority if not all of the playing squad are leaving which gives us five weeks to build a team ahead of the restart. It is a huge task, but it is something we relish and we will have a team on the park that will be competitive.”