Arthurlie's Pan Football Club was effectively saved from closure in May when Frances McGoldrick and Caroline Morrison stepped in to run it.

A Barrhead football club for disabled people has been taken over by two headstrong mums of players who "wouldn't allow it" to be shut down.

Arthurlie's Pan Football Club was formed at the start of the year, and was effectively saved from closure in May when Frances McGoldrick and Caroline Morrison stepped in to run it after its organisers left.

Frances, 48, says finding the team earlier this year was an "absolutely amazing opportunity" for her son Ciaran, 17, who has Marfan syndrome. Ciaran had been unable play football since he was around 14 due to his condition.

The mum, who now manages the club alongside Caroline, told Glasgow Live: "It was a big decision for Ciaran not to play any more, so when we found this opportunity, it was absolutely fantastic.

"A lot of the parents were relieved that we were going to keep the club going. I wasn't going to allow it [to be shut down].

"We were started in January by four coaches, but for whatever reason they left and I decided, because my son played for it, that we would keep it going."

The Pan club welcomes players over 16 who have a range of disabilities and levels of ability, including neurodiverse individuals, those with Down's syndrome, loss of hearing, and any other disability that would prevent them from playing in a standard team.

And Frances' husband Michael McGoldrick, who is on the committee for the Arthurlie First Team, is now the Pan club's head coach.

The club has allowed Ciaran and its other disabled players the chance to connect with each other and play the sport they love competitively - even coming in second place in the Scottish PAN Disability football league this year.

Arthurlie Pan FC has three teams based off of ability level, though sadly one team had to pull out of the league due to lack of players. They played 30 games this season, coming overall runner-up in the league.

And while the club is "fantastic" for those unable to play in standard teams, the mums admit that taking on the challenge of running it themselves has been "stressful".

Caroline, who is currently going through treatment for breast cancer, said that "running the team is worthwhile - but more stressful than our full-time jobs!".

And Frances added: "I've never ran a team before, so I've found it very, very stressful. We didn't have a clue, so we're learning on a daily basis- it's kind of taking over our lives!"

But the mums said that it's worth it to see their children and other disabled players connect with each other and make friendships "they wouldn't normally make".

Frances said: "Because they're all at the same level and they all have different conditions, there's nobody better than the other, so it's absolutely fabulous.

"The friendships that these boys - and we take girls as well - have made have been absolutely great. They've made friendships that they wouldn't normally make.

"When these people go to school, they're slightly different from other people. But when they come into the team, they come in as one and it's somewhere they can go to forget about their troubles for a couple hours a week.

"So it's good for their mental health and their morale as well."

After a successful first season, the club is going on to play a few friendly games over winter and are now looking for more players aged 16 or over who are eligible. They are also aiming to secure charitable status next year.

You can find out more about joining Arthurlie Pan FC here.