Cumnock boss Tony McInally praises the work done by the club’s past and present committees to help them get their Scottish Football Association (SFA) licence.

The club announced at the start of the month that after several years of hard work that they have met all the criteria to obtain their SFA licence.

This means that if the Nock win the West of Scotland Football League Premier Division and they can navigate the play-offs, they will be allowed to play in the Lowland League.

It also comes with the bonus of qualifying to play in the senior Scottish Cup every season.

Speaking to the Chronicle, McInally said:“The club took the decision many years ago to invest in the stadium and the facilities while other clubs were spending it on their squads.

“We have got our licence so we can now reinvest some of our sponsorships and other money into putting a competitive team on the pitch.

“Other clubs are going to have to sacrifice that in order to do the things Cumnock did several years ago.

“It was great foresight from the previous committee and now the current committee and management team are reaping the rewards.”

One of the requirements of the SFA licence was for the management team to have contracts similar to the players. McInally says he was delighted to commit his long term future to the club as he signed a three and a half year deal to stay on at Townhead Park.

He said: “The club wanted me to sign a long term deal and under the licensing rules I had to sign a contract anyway as that is one of the criteria.

“I was only too happy to sign, the ambition of the club is there for everyone to see.”

The club will hope they get to show this ambition soon enough in their debut season in the West of Scotland Football League this coming season.

McInally added: “We have got 38 league games plus cup competitions so it is going to be quite a hectic time and we will need a decent size squad to compete”