Pollok FC are delighted to announce that we will be fielding an under-20s team in next season’s West of Scotland Football Development League, in partnership with Pollok United.

This represents a reestablishment of our long-standing relationship with the academy that reached its peak in 2018, when the then Pollok United U19s won the Cumberland and Kilsyth league title at Newlandsfield. That team had previously been captained by Mouhamed “Sena” Niang, who made nineteen appearances for Pollok’s first team before moving to Partick Thistle.

The current Pollok United 2006 team will form the basis of this squad, coached by John Shelvin, Stephen Donnelly and Ross Murray. The core of this squad has been together for a number of years, with coach Stephen being with them for over fourteen years. They will be recruiting players from the 2006-2008 age range over the summer to put together a squad that is able to sustain itself beyond just this season, while providing a clear pathway to the Pollok first team for local youngsters.

Pollok have previously fielded U20s sides in the 21-22 and 23-24 seasons, with players such as Kamil Krol, Adam Cummings and Thomas Starrs making the step up to the first team.

We are looking forward to kicking off the 2025/26 season as Pollok U20s. Our aim is to provide players with a clear pathway to ultimately represent the Pollok first team. The goal is to build a sustainable, long-term partnership between Pollok United and Pollok FC, that will last for years to come.

John Shevlin, Head Coach, Pollok FC Development Squad

I am delighted that Pollok will once again have an U20 team, and even more delighted that it is coming from Pollok United. As someone who previously coached at the academy, I have always been keen on there a clear link between us, and being able to offer a pathway for local youngsters to work their way up to our first team is crucial in establishing ourselves as a club at the heart of our community. Linking up with the academy, will also allow us to establish a sustainable U20 set-up that will evolve year on year, in a way we have not been able to do previously. The Pollok 06s were a regular fixture at Newlandsfield once upon a time, and it will be great to welcome them back into the fold as our under-20s team.

Paul Regan, President, Pollok FC

Follow the new U20s team on Twitter, and keep your eyes peeled over the coming weeks for more news on this partnership.