For captain Bryan Maley, the 7–2 victory over Castlemilk FA at Nethercraigs also reflected the journey the club has been on from difficult early days through to becoming a settled, successful side within the GDSFC
Bryan says the contrast between the early Steins setup and the current squad is difficult to put into words.
When we first joined the Steins set up we literally had nothing, no kits, no tracksuits, no balls and hardly any players, so the difference is night and day.”inside
The captain believes togetherness inside the dressing room became one of the biggest reasons behind the club’s run to the trophy.
“I think it’s been the togetherness in the squad. We’ve had difficult moments during games and tough tests along the way.”
“Everyone has worked hard for each other and trusted the group. That mentality has been massive for us.”
When asked about standout players across the cup run, Bryan instead pointed towards the contribution of the full squad both on and off the pitch.
“I think I would do a disservice to some of the boys by singling anyone out, everyone has contributed throughout the season so it’s honestly been a team effort from everyone.”
“Some boys have produced on the pitch but there’s also boys pushing standards every week in training.”
Despite the pressure surrounding finals football, Bryan described the mood inside the dressing room before Friday night as positive and focused.
“The mood has been really positive. Everyone is obviously buzzing to be playing in a final as these are the games you want to be involved in.”
Lifting the Brothers in Arms Trophy now gives the squad a reward Bryan believes reflects the work put in across the journey of the club.
“It would be a great achievement”
“Steins as a club is very successful so to add another trophy to the cabinet and contribute to that collection would be a special moment.”
After the final whistle, Bryan admitted the achievement hit differently once the celebrations settled and conversations turned back towards the people who had been there from the beginning.
“Yeah, definitely.”
“Those early days with Steins were huge for me, a lot of hard work, a lot of learning, and plenty of setbacks along the way.”
“That’s what probably made Friday night feel even more rewarding, being back at the pub and talking to some of the lads that have been there from the start makes you appreciate it more because you know everything that’s gone into getting there.”
For Bryan, the final itself also summed up the mentality that has developed within the squad over time.
“I think the lads proved that resilience was probably our biggest strength.”
“Trailing behind twice but managing to go on to win comfortably, the group always had belief.”
“Different players stepped up at different times, and we stayed together.”
“Winning it showed the character we’ve got as a team as much as the quality.”
One word repeatedly came through in Bryan Maley’s answers — resilience. From difficult early years with very little around the squad to recovering from going behind twice in a cup final, Steins Thistle Sunday’s story sounds built around persistence as much as football ability.
A lot of Sunday teams start with lads simply wanting a game together.
For Steins Thistle Sunday, Friday night looked like the reward for the ones who stayed long enough to help build something bigger.
Footy Focus season 25/26 
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