Wylde: Promotion with Syngenta my biggest achievement in football to date

The Dyes agonisingly missed out on the East of Scotland Football League first division conference X title on Saturday, despite winning 7-0 against bottom club Pumpherston.

Whitburn pipped them to top spot with a spectacular 12-0 victory over Fauldhouse to overtake them on the final day.

“That is the disappointing thing for us today,” he explained after the match. “At the end of the day Whitburn scored more goals than us and they deserved to go on and win the league for that reason.

“I heard that they played for most of their game against ten men but none of that matters to be honest, it is done now.

“We scored seven goals but we could have scored another seven, it just didn’t happen for us.

“I am just delighted the club is going up, that is the most important thing.

“Of course winning the title would have been great but it was just a bonus in the grand scheme of things.

“The end of the season was brilliant and it was really exciting, to be a part of it was brilliant and the players will have learned so much from it.

“I couldn’t ask any more of them from what they have given me this season and over the past few weeks.”

The ex-Shire boss, who had an extensive playing career with the likes of Kilmarnock and Queen of the South added that leading the side to promotion topped all of the moments he had as a player.

He said: “I’ve won a couple of promotions as a player but never as a manager so it is a great day for me, genuinely, this is one of the best days I’ve had in football.

“Even at this level of football to go up a league in front of a big crowd like that full of people that really care about the club is special.

“I’m really delighted for our director of football Steven Allison and this day is for him. He had a dream to start a football team that would be successful and today is the start of that journey.

“For the first year of a club at this level, we have to be proud of what we have done and that goes for everyone, from our side down to the youth system which is brilliant.

“I was gobsmacked to see the turnout today and it shows the pull the club has if we continue to do well.

“We have a town of our own to build from and one day the long-term goal is of course to be a Grangemouth team based in Grangemouth.

““It is the biggest achievement I’ve ever had in football. I’ve won leagues as a player but this for me is the best day of them all.”