KILWINNING Sports Club has teamed up with the Buffs in a bid to discover the football stars of tomorrow.

The community club has joined forces with Kilwinning Rangers to stregthen its position as the premier football training facility in the town, in the hope that some youngsters will come through the ranks and eventually join the Buffs first team.

Colin Hunter, Sports Development Officer at the club said: “We are working in conjunction and partnership with Kilwinning Rangers and our joint ethos is One Town, One Club and that is something we at Kilwinning Sports Club very much promote and subscribe to.

“We are hoping that kids will come through the club and see the pathway to eventually playing for Kilwinning Rangers.

“Obviously not everyone is going to make the first team, but just having ties to them from a young age will be a great thing for our young players.

“There’s an ongoing strong relationship with the Buffs already and this will only strengthen that.”

Buffs boss Colin Boyd says the sports facility, which is recognised by Sportscotland, the Scottish FA and KA Leisure, is “fundamental to his own club’s infrastructure and a key component in our present and future success.”

He said: “The sports club is hugely important to Kilwinning Rangers. “We have been trying for some time to establish good links with them.

“It is all about one club, one town, one team and Kilwinning Sports Club is fundamental to that.”

Just last week Colin from KSC and Buffs manager Chris Strain teamed up to take their joint message to local schools in the town They marked ‘Blue and White day’ - the colours of both clubs. Colin said: “We went to the Blacklands and spoke to the kids there about what they can achieve if they come to Kilwinning Sports Club and the feedback and excitement was great.

Abbey Primary School also supported us and they came to the club and tied their visit in with their Health Week and their Sports Relief stuff.

“They had named Kilwinning Sports Club as their chosen charity so we got a fantastic response from that and the kids really got a lot out of their day at the club.”

The partnership with The Buffs is the latest move by Sports Club bosses to transform the fortunes of the club, after it was revealed in January it was facing a cash crisis.

Staff and trustees at the club have worked tirelessly for the last three months to make sure the club stayed open for the community.

Colin added: “While we still have some more work to do, we are in a much stronger position than we have been in for a while.”