The latter six months of 2016 proved every bit as dramatic with a veritable array of unexpected player and managerial moves taking place.

There was a scaled-down return to the glory days for Rob Roy whose Central Sectional League Cup triumph marked their first trophy win in 43 years.

But it’s arguable if anything summed up the twists and turns of Junior football better than the path taken by Kilbirnie Ladeside manager Stevie Swift who steered the Blasties to a memorable Ardagh Glass Cup victory over Auchinleck Talbot.

Yet less than a month later he felt compelled to resign his Valefield post following a string of poor league results .

And he was not the only one experiencing highs and lows as you can see for yourself…

JULY: Comings and goings peak with Maryhill rocked by the departures of three key players from their promotion winning side, Grant Hay (to Arthurlie), Paul Callander (Petershill) and Willie Wells (Cumnock).

There’s a mass exodus at Blantyre Vics where skipper Terry Hewitt, Andy Sinclair and Graham Watson join Thorniewood United while another playing handful, Craig Smith, Brian McLaughlin, Lee McShane, Mark Thomson and Wasso Ferguson move to ambitious Glasgow Perthshire.

Mark McLennan, Stevie Higgins and back-up shotstopper Ryan Ward leave Pollok who snap up Mark Daly (Petershill), Gary McCann (Irvine Meadow) and a new assistant manager in ex-Blantyre boss Murdie McKinnon but are thwarted in their attempts to land the Ayrshire club’s goalscoring midfielder Shaun Fraser who elects to sign for Rob Roy.

Goalkeepers make the news as Shettleston’s signing of Shotts Bon Accord No.1 Gary Whyte heralds the departure of Bryn Halliwell to Gartcairn while Beith receive a timely pre-season boost as Stephen Grindley goes back on his decision to retire from football and signs back on at Bellsdale Park.

Being left with only seven of last season’s Rossvale playing squad forces manager Brian McGinty to raid his former club Bellshill Athletic for six newcomers and this throwing out a net approach is emulated at Cambuslang Rangers where Paul McColl lands six of Tower Hearts’ best inclusive of much sought after pair Allesandro Savarese and Dale Simion.

Irvine Meadow’s new management team of Gareth Turner and Michael Wardrope fix up an entire new team inclusive of McLennan (Pollok) and Ryan Begley (Greenock).

But they fail to persuade striker Paul Maxwell to re-sign as he opts to join Possill Y.M as a player/coach and Maxi’s decision also disappoints newly promoted Cumnock boss John McKeown whose seven new signings are headed up by the capture of Queen of the South stopper Stephen McKenna.

Yoker gaffer Steven Reilly astutely fixes up promising young striker Ryan Hynes (Queen's Park) but loses out on Shettleston stopper Ryan Frances who returns for a second stint at Vale of Clyde

Auchinleck’s attempts to strengthen their central defence brings Danny Boyle (Rob Roy), Grant Drummond (Airdrie), Neil McPherson (Darvel ) and ex-Rangers signing Ross Harvey

to Beechwood Park and yet another centreback, Brian McQueen (Clyde) moves to local team St Roch's.

AUGUST: Kilbirnie Ladeside sign Liam Gormley on his release by Lowland League club East Kilbride while another ex-Senior striker Ryan Nisbet(Ayr United) joins Troon to replace Sean McKenna after he moves to Wishaw.

Pre-season friendly matches get underway and St Roch's midfielder John Sweeney scores in a 3-2 victory over his former club Pollok while Petershill run out 4-1 winners against Rob Roy

Cruciate ligament damage forces Renfrew midfielder Chris Cameron to call time on his playing career while another long-term injury victim Ross Hepburn returns to playing action with Rossvale ironically against Renfrew.

John Queen appoints George Shaw as his new No.2 at Cumbernauld United, Auchinleck land Morton midfielder Dylan Stevenson while Lanark United lift the first silverware of the season with a 4-1 Clydesdale Cup Final win over Forth Wanderers.

Competitive action resumes and both Auchinleck Talbot and Beith get through their William Hill Scottish Cup preliminary contests against South of Scotland League opponents while Pollok full back Tam Hanlon commands all the Junior headlines as three stunning strikes in a 5-1 rout of Neilston is aired on Soccer A.M. and proclaimed as “the greatest hat trick ever scored”.

Pollok qualify for the Central League Cup semi- finals, but are beaten 2-0 by Rob Roy who now have a final date against Shettleston 4-1 winners over Wishaw in the other half of the draw.

Down in Ayrshire, Kilbirnie beat Cumnock 2-1 in the penultimate Ardagh Glass Cup stage and will face Auchinleck after Tommy Sloan’s men triumphed by the same scoreline against Beith.

There’s a mixed bag of results as “ bread and butter” league campaigns kick off with reigning Super Premier champions Auchinleck hammering Arthurlie 4-0, Rob Roy emerge 3-2 winners over Largs Thistle ,Pollok lose out1-0 down at Glenafton and Petershill top score in the Super First Division stakes with a 6-0 crushing of Maryhill.

SEPTEMBER: Beith and Auchinleck are drawn together in the big Scottish Cup and the Mighty are 3-0 winners in a replay following a 2-2 first game stalemate.

John Queen resigns as manager of Cumbernauld United who undertake a lengthy interview process but end up offering the post to interim gaffer Shaw after he oversees back to back wins over Irvine Vics and Rutherglen Glencairn.

All is not well at Newlandsfield where a simmering row in the aftermath of the semi-final defeat by Rob Roy sees Carlo Monti made available for transfer sparking signing interest from Cumnock, Auchinleck, Kilbirnie and Kilwinning Rangers.

East Kilbride free Smart Osadolar joins Rossvale, Auchinleck release Drummond at his own request and Lanark United transfer list star turn Alan McCrum.

Swifty refuses to press panic button despite Kilbirnie taking just one point from their opening three league games or a parting of the ways with No.2 Mark Cameron while Beith’s reward for a 6-0 Scottish Cup rout against Strathspey Thistle is a winnable away tie with Glasgow B.S.C.

A fairly uneventful first batch of Scottish Junior Cup ties are marked by the shock exit of 2014 trophy winners Hurlford United at the hands of Lochee United while Kilwinning Rangers 1-0 victory over St Roch's is marred by a three red card incident that sparks a mini-outbreak of crowd trouble at the James McGrory Stadium .

Rob Roy's run of ten wins from ten games leaves the Rabs sitting atop the Super Premier pile, Kilsyth Rangers front the Super First Division while the respective District Leagues are led by Cambuslang Rangers, Port Glasgow and Ardrossan Winton Rovers.

OCTOBER: Rob Roy's long wait for silverware finally ends as a 4-2 penalty kick shoot-out victory over Shettleston lands the Central Sectional League Cup.

Free agent Kevin Bradley signs for Forth Wanderers, Bryan Slaven steps down as Largs Thistle boss and work commitments are cited as the reason for Jim Delaney relinquishing the team manager’s chair at Maryhill who waste no time in fixing up amateurs guru John Hughes as his replacement.

Pollok put midfielder Finlay Frye up for sale due to travelling difficulties and he is instantly snapped up by ambitious Kilwinning Rangers boss Chris Strain who also lands Monti in an audacious double-deal.

Kilbirnie Ladeside, without a win in five league starts, take the Ardagh Glass Cup honours as Eddie McTiernan nets the only goal in the final against Auchinleck Talbot.

However, Chris Malone’s disenchantment with being left out of his side’s starting line-up leads to him being transfer listed at his own request .

It’s a horror month for Arthurlie as opponents Kilwinning Rangers deal them a knockout blow in both the Scottish Junior Cup (after a replay) and West of Scotland Cup where another shock upset is last season’s beaten finalists Hurlford United’s defeat by Shettleston at Greenfield Park.

Beith win 1-0 at Glasgow B.S.C to earn a glamour tie against Morton and the Ayrshiremen alsobegin the defence of their Junior Cup crown with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Vale of Clyde .

And controversy reigns as whistler Michael McCart blunders by finishing a league game between Lesmahagow and Neilston fully nine minutes early with the Gow leading 3-1 and West Region beaks ordain a replay must take place despite Gow protests that the result should stand as the game was not abandoned.

NOVEMBER: Auchinleck Talbot legend Mark Campbell joins Troon in a coaching capacity and Stevie Swift appoints former player Michael Moore as his No.2 at Kilbirnie but resigns just two weeks later following a 3-0 reverse against league leaders Rob Roy who relinquish their unbeaten league record with a 2-0 defeat by Beith .

In what is possibly a sign of things to come, Ardrossan Winton Rovers play Ardeer Thistle in a Friday night league match under the Winton Park floodlights and there’s a devastating blow for Blantyre Vics as an electrical fire guts their pavilion area and causes a reputed £10,000 worth of damage .

Kilbirnie transfer list Stevie Meechan as well as Ardagh Cup Final hero McTernan and he rejoins his former club Arthurlie whose manager Stevie Kerrigan also strengthens the Dunterlie playing squad with the acquisition of seasoned striker John Gemmell from Hurlford United where he had been transfer listed after picking up his third red card of the season in a game against Glenafton .

Beith take a 6-0 beating from Morton but take comfort from progressing to the Junior Cup last 32 with a 9-0 hammering of Islavale, Shettleston lose 3-2 against Kilwinning Rangers, Petershill beat Carnoustie Panmure, Benburb run out 3-2 winners over Maybole but last season’s beaten finalists Pollok face the daunting prospect of a replay away to Auchinleck Talbot after the sides play out a 1-1 Newlandsfield draw.

Kilbirnie end speculation by installing former Linlithgow Rose boss Mark Bradley in their Valefield hotseat with Paul Ronald as his No.2.

DECEMBER: The Evening Times hosts the Scottish Junior Cup fourth-round draw which has trophy holders Beith awaiting the winners of Auchinleck v Pollok in the plum tie of the round.

In the eagerly-awaited replay jousts, Pollok tumble out after a 4-0 mauling by Auchinleck Talbot, East Kilbride Thistle win away to Culter and Blantyre Vics pull off a controversial penalty kicks victory over East Region big guns Bo’ness United

Rob Roy suffer a blow as top scorer Willie Sawyers tears a thigh muscle and is ruled out for six weeks while Cambuslang Rangers hitman Gormley makes it 14 goals in nine starts with a hat trick in his side’s 9-0 crushing of Benburb however he crucially fails to find target as the tabletopping Wee Gers succumb to a 1-0 defeat at home to nearest challengers St Roch's for whom John Sweeney is the matchwinner.

Super First Division frontrunners Kilsyth Rangers sign Ian Diack , Cumnock fix up their former player Josh Watt from Queens Park and Kilwinning Rangers snap up Kenny Hogg whose two goal debut appearance helps secure a 3-1 defeat of Beith.

Stevie Kerrigan stands down at Arthurlie and is replaced by his assistant Chris Mackie while Gartcairn ‘s parting of the ways with Gerry Bonham leads to speculation that former Irvine Meadow boss David Greig will be taking over as manager.

Rob Roy finish 2016 atop the West Region pile and there’s a sensational announcement from Clydebank that Budgie McGhie their manager of the past 14 seasons has tendered his resignation for personal reasons.

Davie Greig is unveiled as Gartcairn’s new team manager.