Spartans reflect on long journey to SPFL - from first brick to last kick from boot of Blair Henderson

A casual swish of a boot was all it took for Blair Henderson to activate a plan 15 years in the making - at least.

The Spartans striker was calmness personified when he struck the 15th minute penalty to put his side 2-1 ahead on aggregate in Saturday’s Pyramid play-off shootout against Albion Rovers at Cliftonhill.

The visitors rarely looked like losing this lead thereafter and will take their place in League Two next season to become Edinburgh’s fourth team in the SPFL.

Chairman Craig Graham described the step up as the realisation of a long-held dream. “Go right back to when we were at City Park, and we were saying if we want into the league then City Park is not going to work,” he said. “We are going to have to build a decent stadium." That was the literal first brick, he added.

Spartans' chairman Craig Graham celebrates with the players after the play-off victory over Albion Rovers that sealed promotion to the SPFL. (Photo by Sammy Turner / SNS Group)

Ainslie Park was opened in 2008. "Since then you are just adding players, coaching staff, supporters, committee members and volunteers," said Graham. “It is difficult to put into words, you end up not sure who to say thank you to. Everyone has contributed.”

There are countless people who have put their shoulder to their wheel at the club with such strong ties to their north Edinburgh community and an admirable commitment to social enterprise.

But when it came down to it, results needed to be achieved on the football pitch for Spartans' stated ambitions to be fully met. The constitution was altered to allow a share issue thereby paving the way for new investment and an increased playing budget.

Manager Dougie Samuel has steered an admirable course between remaining true to the club’s ideals and ‘having a go’, as it's termed.

The recruitment of Henderson, Saturday’s match winner, was very much part of this upping the ante strategy. What an acquisition he has proved since agreeing to drop down to the Lowland League after scoring a barrel load of goals for Edinburgh City.

There was a significant burden of responsibility on his shoulders. He has responded by scoring in three of Spartans’ four play-off games. The nonchalant way he scored from the spot, sending Albion Rovers 'keeper Jack Leighfield the wrong way, did not convey how much lay on the line. The Rennie Welch employee took it like he was accountancy’s answer to Zinedine Zidane.

“I might not have shown I was nervous, but I was,” he said. “It was a massive game for the club. I have felt that pressure over the last four weeks but we got there.”

Henderson will be back at his desk this morning. “I have a new trainee starting so I have to be in, unfortunately. Otherwise I would have taken it off but I can’t.” He had plans to celebrate appropriately, nevertheless.

“We've had a long season,” he added. “We started pre-season on 20 June or something. That is basically a year we have been at it. To go all the way in the Lowland League and win so many games and then still have to win four games, I think it needs looked at. It is weighted towards the League 42 club.”

Not sufficiently weighted for Albion Rovers, sadly, who took the plunge through the trapdoor after 104 years of unbroken Scottish League history.