List of Senior Clubs since 1862

[BMCCOLL]

I've created a page which lists as many senior clubs I've come across here http://geocities.com/br1anmccoll/. It lists all the Scottish Cup entrants and members of the many senior leagues I have info on. I've also listed a number of who played in the various county competitions, but cannot be as thorough as I would like as I have very little on these tournaments. I would be more than delighted if anybody can add or even correct me on anything in the List by either emailing me or else through the forum.

Cheers

[honestman]

From my own records of early Ayrshire Cup competitions I can add the following clubs plus at least one season that they appeared in that competition:

1877/78 - Largs Western, Dalry Rangers, Kilmaurs Floors, Kilmarnock Star, Vale of Irvine(Galston)
1878/79 - Crescent(Saltcoats), Vale of Ayr(Muirkirk), Busbiehead, Cumnock Bute, Common Rangers(Auchinleck), Galston Blue Bells, Overton(Kilmarnock ?), Kilbirnie Athletic
1879/80 - Ardnith(New Cumnock ?), Barkip, Ayr Robert Burns, Ochiltree, Bank(New Cumnock), Ayr Athole, Vale of Annick(Irvine ?), Troon, Afton Lads(New Cumnock), Irvine Rangers
1880/81 - Barleith, Waterside, Cameronians, Crosshouse, Vale of Cessnock, Irvine Athletic, Dreghorn Black Watch, Maybole Albert, Beith Burnside, Ardeer(Stevenston), Gatehead, Ardrossan Seafield
1881/82 - Irvine Eglinton, Arthurlie(Kilmarnock), Kilmarnock St. Crispen, Stevenston Dynamite, West Kilbride
1883/84 - Kilwinning Monkcastle
1885/86 - Trabboch, Ballochmyle, Muirkirk Heatherbell, Kilmarnock Britannia, Springside Athletic
1886/87 - Nibsters(Cumnock), Ardrossan Ensign, Overton Wanderers,
Irvine Thistle, Darnconner Britannia
1887/88 - 2nd Ayrshire Rifle Volunteers(Newmilns), Newmilns Rangers
1888/89 - Kilmarnock Rosebank
1889/90 - Skares, 1st Ayrshire Rifle Volunteers(Dalry)
1891/92 - 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers
1892/93 - Maybole Athletic

Will have another search later for more clubs.

[BMCCOLL]

Many thanks honestman . I've updated the site with your info. I meant to add the list of abbreviations for the different leagues, but forgot .

Suffice to say they are more or less self exlpanatory

SA = Scottish Alliance
SC = Scottish Combination etc

others
SL = both Scottish League and SPL
SRL = Scottish Reserve League
GWL = Glasgow & West of Scotland League
LL = Lanarkshire League
EA = Eastern Alliance
ICML = Inter City Midweek League
ICL = Inter City League
CRL = Combined Reserve League
RL = Renfrewshire League
PL = Provincial League
Perth = Perthshire League
ICo = Inter County League
SCoL = Scottish County League
NAL = North Ayrshire League
ACh = Ayrshire Championship
ARL = Ayrshire & Renfrewshire League

I am of course going to add a fuller list to the page in due course.

[Scottish]

That's certainly an impressive list and a page which should be bookmarked for future reference.

I'd take issue with the description of Kilmarnock having 'merged' with St Andrew's though. What happened was that as some clubs folded their better players migrated to those still in existence. Thus Killie picked up players from teams like St Andrew's and Hawthorn. So there wasn't a Kilmarnock (2), just the one club since 1869.

[BMCCOLL]

Thanks for the input, David. I had an idea they had absorbed players from these clubs but erred on the side of caution. The updated list will show this.
I've used the [1], [2], [3] tags for a number of clubs including Hibs and East Stirling primarily to be consistent with other mergers and reformations.
The Airdrie Utd/Clydebank issue is one of an individual point of view - everyone seems to have a different view on this!

[Scottish]

Yes, we could do without getting into Airdrieonians/Airdrie United/Clydebank again.

Three to add to the Ayrshire Cup list
Kilmarnock Academicals
Benquat Heatherbell
Burnfoothill Ramblers

Rankinston were, I believe, known as Rankinston Mountaineers
I have a record of Vale of Annick as from Stewarton rather than Irvine.

There was also a Kilmarnock Shewalton but whether they survived long enough to take part in the AC I don’t know.

On the origin of Kilmarnock Cricket & Football Club/Kilmarnock Athletic.

The original KFC in 1868/69 was partially formed by Kilmarnock Cricket Club (founded 1852) and for a time football, rugby and cricket were all played under the banner of KFC. The rugby players walked out in December 1873 when a decision was taken “to play no other than Association rules” according to the minute book. In 1876 the cricketers tried to up the rent for the football players in order to play cricket rent-free. KFC were having none of it and stopped playing games at the cricketers ground Holm Quarry. The cricketers set up their own team. Killie protested to the SFA about the KC&FC name which led to it being changed to Kilmarnock Athletic.

[BMCCOLL]

Were the Rankinston of the 1880s not different from the Mountaineers of the 20th century?

[Scottish]

There's a reference to them as one of the entrants in the late 1870s/early 1880s in the 1992 Ayrshire Cup Final match programme.

[BMCCOLL]

There is a reference to the Mountaineers being beaten by Auchinleck Talbot in the 1912 Mauchline District Cup. Is it possible they turned junior after appearing in the Scottish cup in 1882-83?

Also two other queries.
1] Avondale was the name of two clubs in the 1880s. The one from Lanarkshire may have come from Strathaven, and according to the Footballdata.info site, the Stirlingshire one was based in Campsie. True?

2] Are Volunteer Athletic and Newton Stewart one and the same. John Byrne's Scottish Cup book has them based in the town but this wasn't picked up by Malcolm Pagan's excellent book.

Many thanks for all the input!

[Gunboat Briggs]

I see you have Clarkston down as a Glasgow club, but as they were founder members of the Lanarkshire FA and were regularly paired with Lanarkshire sides in the Scottish Cup I've always guessed they were from the Clarkston area of Airdrie rather than from the south side of Glasgow, although that's purely an assumption of mine.

BTW, John Weir's research on pre-league clubs gives them as being founded in 1877 (SFH No 50).

[BMCCOLL]

Dead right about Clarkston - see Billy Pierce's article on them in SFH 35.

[Scottish]

Looks even more impressive now

Regarding re-election here are a few more scraps of information.

In 1965 a special meeting was held to discuss admitting Clydebank after the "de-merging" of ES Clydebank. Voting was 19 in favour, 18 against. As a two-thirds majority was needed, Clydebank failed to gain admission

In 1966 Stirling Albion put forward a number of proposals. They wanted a new club added to the 2nd division to be followed by three clubs relegated and one promoted to form divisions of 16 & 22 and a Spring Cup to replace the Summer Cup.

Only the first suggestion was accepted. Voting was Clydebank 30, Gala Fairydean 6, Hawick Royal Albert 1

There doesn't appear to have been any consideration of a replacement for Third Lanark in 1967 though the SFL were aware there was a problem. Thirds were included in the draw for the League Cup with the proviso that should they fail to re-appear Stranraer (highest placed of the 'bottom' LC section) would take their place. (28/5/67).

It was reported to the SFL on 26/6/67 that Thirds were in liquidation

Gretna were also unsuccessful applicants in 2000. I believe Gala Fairydean failed yet again that year as well. There were three other unsuccessful bids (can't recall who). Peterhead were elected unanimously on the first ballot. Elgin received 16 of the 23 votes cast in the second ballot.

Other contenders in 2002 were Gala Fairydean, Cove Rangers, Edinburgh City, Huntly & Preston Athletic

[BMCCOLL]

I've edited the entry for the Wishaw clubs. It would appear that Wishaw Thistle [1], Wishaw United, Wishaw Amateurs and Wishaw Thistle [2] may be the same club. I've based this upon the fact that the present Wishaw Juniors (formed 1885) entered the seniors in 1888, returning to the Juniors in 1919. As the relevant clubs of the time seemed to run concurrently, I've assumed they are all name changes, but I may be wrong!

The entry now reads:

Wishaw [2], location Wishaw, formed 1885, entered Cup 1888 - 1920
as Wishaw Thistle {1] 1885-1900
as Wishaw United 1900-1903
as Wishaw Amateurs 1903-1906
as Wishaw Thistle [2] 1906-1919


Newcastleton changed their name to Hearts of Liddesdale before 1924 (The Juniors, 1986)

[Gunboat Briggs]

You've forgotten to put Stranraer Athletic in!

[BMCCOLL]

You've forgotten to put Stranraer Athletic in!

I was reviewing the additional clubs from the 1990s - I had actually began compiling this list around 1988 before more pressing matters such as marriage, children and work interfered !!! - and somehow omitted them. Thanks for pointing it out as I would never have thought of them being AWOL!

An additional listing of clubs by their location has been added

http://geocities.com/br1anmccoll/location.htm