WISHAW HSFP have quit the Lanarkshire League, ending their 50-year affiliation with the local amateur football association.

The club are set to play in the Central Scottish AFL from next season after having their application accepted by the league’s governing body.

And Wishaw HSFP officials are hoping that the lure of “a better standard of league” will attract some of the area’s top players to the club.

Gavin Torrance, of Wishaw HSFP, said this week: “It is something that we thought about five or six years ago but we didn’t feel we had the quality of team to go at the time.

“But we reckon we have now and we are a lot more financially stable today than we were a few years ago.

“It will be a good challenge and the boys are well up for it.”

Of the decision he continued: “Basically, there are far too many teams in Wishaw and the players get a bit fed up playing in the Lanarkshire Lleague.

“In a four- or four-mile radius, you are talking about 10 teams all trying to compete for the best players.”

The Wishaw club have benefited from money raised through their annual speaker evenings that have been held at Dalziel Park over the last few seasons.

Radio Clyde DJ, Peter Martin, former Motherwell striker John Gahagan and former referee Willie Young have all spoken at the events, which have each attracted audiences of more than 300.

Torrance said: “That has been a big fundraiser for us and some of that money has also been donated to the cancer research unit at Strathclyde Hospital.

“We also have benefited from being sponsored by the Imperial Bar.”

Torrance claims the club are under no illusions as to the size of the task that awaits them in the Central League.

However, he feels that they can more than hold their own.

He said: “The only downfall is there will be a wee bit more travelling but it is a far better league and if we can attract some new players then we can do well.

“We have already had a few approaches from other players looking to join up for next season but cannot go into that too much.

“Those players have been told to leave it until the end of the season because you cannot sign players just now.”

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