Kirkintilloch Rob Roy manager Stewart Maxwell insists that it’s all about survival for his side this season as they look to maintain their Super League Premier Division status once again.

The Rabs found themselves in the middle of a relegation dogfight last year as they narrowly avoided the drop.

In the end Maxwell’s men finished the campaign in eighth spot, just two places above the relegation zone.

For some this may have been too close for comfort, but the Guy's Meadow gaffer says he’d happily do it all over again if it means his side stay in the top division.

He said: “I think this season is going to be the toughest Premier Division in years, so for us it’s just about surviving.

“We found ourselves in a relegation battle last season and to be honest, there was a few times where it looked like we were going to go down but in the end we finished eighth.

“Some people may be hoping we don’t go through that again this year, but if you were to offer me eighth spot again, I’d bite your hand off for it.”

Maxwell added: “Consolidation was the aim last season and it’ll be the aim again this year.

“At the moment this club just doesn’t have the resources to mount a title challenge or anything like that and we just have to accept that fact.

“For a club like ours, staying in the top league and mixing it with the big boys of junior football is an achievement in itself.”

Maxwell has retained much of the same side that kept the Rabs up last term and he’s hoping they will be able to do it again this time around.

He said: “We have one of the smallest budgets in the league so we don’t have the funds to bring in a whole new team each year.

“So that’s a big factor in why I’ve pretty much kept the same group of players as last season, however, we have added a few new faces and I’ll be looking to add a few more.

“So far I’ve signed two boys from Blantyre Vics to help improve the squad, I’ve brought in full back Paul Walker and centre half Kevin Green.

“I know these boys well they're both top drawer players and I’m confident they will make good additions to our team.

“I’m hoping that the familiarity in the squad mixed with the improvements I’ve made will be enough to keep us up.”

Maxwell also broke the news that Rob Roy will soon be returning to Kirkintilloch as a planned move to a new ground in the heart of the town picks up speed.

He said: “It looks like we will be moving into our new ground in about 18 months’ time, we recently got a lot of good news regarding the new park and things are starting to move fast on that front.

“The new ground is right in the centre of Kirkintilloch which is a big deal for the club, moving back to Kirkintilloch is so important.

“In my opinion, it’s important we get back there as soon as possible so we can recapture the club’s true identity.”