The club has today received notification from the West of Scotland Football League of its plans for starting season 2020/21 with no promotion or relegation from the Tier 7 Conferences. We understand that we are currently in unprecedented times but the uncertainty and lack of leadership around the league has had a detrimental affect for clubs of all sizes, none more-so than ourselves, who have lost a manager and half a squad due to this uncertainty.

However we feel that it is in the clubs best interests that in order to be ready for the challenges in Season 2021/22 it is important that we give our new management team the opportunity to gain valuable experience in a league setting where they can rebuild the squad, therefore we today are reaffirming our position that we will be playing in the West of Scotland Football league this coming season despite being hugely disappointed in the fact there is to be no promotion or relegation.

Hopefully this can prove to be a turning point for the clubs and the league itself, and we can put the numerous fiascos behind us and work together to make this fledgling league a success going forward.

Mon The Ants!

The club are delighted to announce that former player and coach of the club Danny Taylor has been appointed as First Team manager with immediate effect following the resignation of John Kelly yesterday. Danny will be assisted by another former Ants player, and ex Thorniewood coach Mark McCuish, who’s late father  Alco also assisted the club back in the early 80s. The club had to move quickly to install a new management team with the start of the season only a couple of weeks away. We are all delighted here at McKenna Park and we will have a statement from the new management team in due course.

Mon The Ants!

Outgoing Ants manager John Kelly spoke to the Media team late last night and would like to put out the following statement –

Firstly I want to thank the committee for the opportunity to take the managers job at the Ants. This is a great club with great people at it, but i felt it was time for me to step down. I wish the club all the best for the future. To all the players who have pulled on that famous green and white hooped Jersey thank you for your efforts and commitment it was my privilege to coach each and every one of you. To my back room staff of Alan Colin Tiger Mic Ronnie and young David thank you for your efforts over last 3 years and I appreciate everything you done for myself and for the club. Thank you to all the sponsors who have came on board over the last few seasons your contribution has been very much appreciated. Hopefully the club can go and make there Mark on the new WOSFL and get the reward the club truly deserves

John Kelly

Thanks once again John for all your efforts over the past three seasons. Don’t be a stranger! Once an Ants Man always an Ants man

Fans are the lifeblood of our clubs, whether, like us, you have a small attending fan base, or like Celtic or Rangers 50/600000 at games every week.

We understand that we are in a pandemic and that public health must come first, however when you can go to a pub or a cinema to watch a game of football socially distanced indoors yet can’t go to the actual game, socially distanced and outdoors, it seems a little bit strange to us. We have in place one way systems, sanitisation stations, can do test and protect registers for everyone coming to the game and can provide as much protection as these indoor settings can, then why can’t a limited number of fans attend?

We fully back the #letfansin campaign and have added our signatures to the petition put to the UK Parliament.

Please sign the petition here

St Anthony’s FC and Erskine YFC are excited to announce our partnership to develop and grow a player pathway from grassroots to senior football within WOSFL. Our collective aim is to leverage our resources to provide youth players a route into semi-professional game.

Both clubs are thrilled that players from Erskine YFC will be provided the opportunity as part of our pathway to establish St Anthony’s U20s.
Erskine YFC are a well-established youth football club having been founded in 1975. Erskine YFC have players enjoying football from fun 4’s up to U19s with over 300+ registered players.

St Anthony’s founded in 1902 are based in Cardonald, Glasgow. Nicknamed ‘the Ants’ playing at McKenna park. St Anthony’s are joining WOSFL, a feeder to the Lowland league as part of the new Scottish football league pyramid structure.

St Anthony’s FC are committed to the future development of next generation football talent and will work with Erskine YFC to assist with the ongoing development of grassroots football.

Our goal is to provide a pathway into senior football and to ensure we continue to develop talent by providing a supportive football environment for all players.

Exciting times ahead for both St Anthony’s FC and Erskine YFC with our player pathway partnership which will provide further opportunities for both clubs.

We have also submitted an application to join the Lowlands Development League for the forthcoming season

St Anthony’s FC has reached one of its most difficult and important decisions in its 118 year old history as a Junior club. We have now officially applied for membership of the new West of Scotland Football League. This move will allow us to take our place in the Scottish Football Pyramid.

We take this opportunity in the knowledge that we can keep our SJFA membership and compete next year in one of the most prestigious trophies in Scottish Football, The Scottish Junior Cup.

Having made our decision, We can now look forward to a new chapter in the clubs history with excitement and anticipation of what lies ahead for St Anthony’s as a senior club, proud of its junior history and its remaining membership of the SJFA, Reaching club licensing will be a priority, which would allow us to compete in another famous old trophy, The Scottish Cup.

Thank You
MON THE ANTS

The club are saddened to announce the passing of long serving Ants committee man Joe Reilly, who passed away earlier this afternoon aged 92. Joe was a popular member of the committee and an absolute gentleman with a great sense of humour and he will be sadly missed at McKenna Park.

Rest in Peace Joe.

February is the international campaign month of ‘Football v Homophobia’ (FvH) and we here at Saint Anthony’s are supporting the initiative.

FvH is a campaign uniting football in opposing homophobia and prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTI) people in football.Year round, FvH Scotland enables people to take action against prejudice and discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression in football, and to celebrate and welcome diversity in the game. This culminates in an international show of support in February to raise awareness of theissue and to join together in making a visible stand against prejudice and for inclusion.

Saint Anthony’s are pleased to be supporting the campaign this season as part of the FvH grassroots initiative. Ants Head of Digital and Social Media Martin McKenna said: “We are delighted to sign up for Football v Homophobia Scotland’s month of action. It is sad that in this day and age a persons sexual orientation or gender identity should require a month of action to make them feel included and welcome in football. The club has a constitution which is clear that we are a club welcome to all regardless of religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, race or origin and are proudly non sectarian and non political. When we saw FVH Scotland were launching this campaign we were delighted to get in touch and pledge our support and we have designated our match on the 15th of February v Ardeer Thistle to highlight the campaign, but will be active through the full month and beyond in supporting FVH”

Recent Outsport research found that almost 88% of Scottish respondents considered homophobia in sport to be a current problem. Almost ⅓ of Scotland’s LGBTI respondents have refrained from a certain sport because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The sport which respondents most often refrained from was football (41%), a particularly high figure in comparison to other EU countries.

Attitudes in Football are changing, but we all need to make sure that the language we use and the way we behave reflects this change. At The Ants we believe we can make a real difference to the culture of football, and we’d like your support. We know that change starts with education and The Ants recognises its has a role to play in leading the way on raising awareness of homophobia and LGBTI discrimination within the club and its community.

Saint Anthony’s FC  believes in a game where LGBTI people can be seen and heard, and valued for their contribution to football. The Ants will work to create a safe and inclusive football environment where people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions are welcome.

The Ants will be designating a game in support of the Football v Homophobia campaign this February in our match v Ardeer Thistle on Saturday the 15th of the month at McKenna Park  This is an opportunity for our supporters and friends to also get behind the campaign and show everyone that The Ants is no place for hate or bigotry.

At our #FvH2020 designated game The Ants will be making a pledge to improve our club by using the rainbow matchball to show our support and having our team photographed holding up pledge cards. We will be putting up posters in our changing rooms and toilet facilities stating that they are inclusive of all and will be contacting local LGBTI groups, pubs and clubs inviting them along to the game to show they are more than welcome at McKenna Park.

Find out more about the Football v Homophobia campaign and action you can personally take in February, here:

fvhscotland.org Twitter: @fvhscot | Facebook: www.facebook.com/FvHScot