KILWINNING Rangers gaffer Chris Strain believes that the timely entrance into the new West of Scotland League amid the coronavirus shutdown could be the real catapult for the club to reach professional football.

The Buffs boss has made no secret over his seven years at the club that he believes the Junior club could make its way into the SFA pyramid.

And with all 63 West region teams now accepted into the WOSFL for next season, this could be the perfect chance for the top junior side.

The new set-up will allow junior sides the chance to progress into the Lowland League.

Gaffer Strain is fresh from signing a new three-year contract with the club.

And he wants to continue to build on the steady success he’s had since joining as a player/manager in 2013.

He said: “It’s seven years since I took over so a lot of the work in the early days was to get us to where we are now and the season just passed.

“I’ve always had a plan between Colin Stewart and myself, when we took over, that Kilwinning could be a football club that goes into the professional ranks.

“I think the club can see that’s a realistic ambition and for me it’s about getting a plan in place for the next three years.

“Things won’t happen overnight for us when we go into the West of Scotland League. We are ambitious and we want to go forward but there will be a timescale.

“We don’t just want to go boom and bust straight away. Steady growth is what we want and three years allows me time to build the next phase for the club.”

The junior football season was called to a halt last week. The Buffs were top of the Premiership by 12 points, but Auchinleck had nine games in hand.