THE invincibles of Bayside Girls 13s are set to rub shoulders with some of Scotland’s finest sports stars after being shortlisted for a national award.

London 2012 Olympic champion Katherine Grainger, Sir Chris Hoy and ex-national team boss Alex McLeish are among the star-studded names the talented West Fife squad will mix with at the inaugural Nordoff Robbins Scotland (NRS) Scottish Sporting Awards.

The event, which takes place on March 10 in Edinburgh, will celebrate and reward the outstanding achievements of the nation’s exceptional sporting starts from across disabled, professional and amateur sport.

Some of the names shortlisted for 10 gongs, including lifetime achievement, outstanding contribution to sport and the sporting breakthrough award, include Grainger, Hoy, Katie Archibald and Eve Muirhead, as well as Dunfermline-born footballer Caroline Weir.

Bayside enjoyed a sensational 2016, winning the treble of the Scottish Cup, League Cup and league without losing a game, and have been shortlisted for Team Performance of the Year.

They will go up against the Glasgow Warriors rugby union team, who reached the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup; East Kilbride FC, who won 27 games in a row to beat the record set by Dutch giants Ajax; and Partick Thistle amputees, who introduced amputee football to Scotland for the first time.

Bayside’s thrilled coach Stuart Allan said: “The girls are really proud and they’re getting the recognition they deserve. We’re in esteemed company and it’s a bit surreal, but we’re looking forward to it.”

Most of Bayside’s squad left the club at the end of their historic year to take up a new challenge at 11-a-side with Hearts and Stuart – who himself has taken a back seat from coaching – says they are settling in to their new surroundings well.

His daughter, Carys, is one of those who joined the Jambos and he continued: “They are enjoying the challenge. They’re still in pre-season but they’ve performed very well. They’re playing with different girls and against different teams so they’re outside their comfort zone, which will really help their development. Their coaches are targeting going back to Toryglen (Scottish Cup final) which ties in nicely with the girls’ thinking, so it’s a good fit.

“It will be good to get everyone together. It will probably be the last such time we’ll be together as Bayside but the fact they’re carrying on together is great for me.”