East of Scotland Junior Football - A Statistical History

[EastJunior]

Well it took 10 years, but the update to this book first published in 2006 will be available in the next week or so, now covering 1886 - 2016, it runs to 190 pages, A4 sized, same format as the previous edition.

Final cost still to be worked out but it will be roughly £10 inc postage. Will detail how to order once the copies are received.

[BMCCOLL]

Delighted to hear that, my old copy is battered through use!

[EastJunior]

OK here we go, delighted with the finished article, only 100 copies printed. Cost will be a £10, PayPal is preferred, via a friends/family gift, my address is graemejmcginty@gmail.com, remember to put your full address in the comments box so I know who its came from. I'm probably only going to do one or maybe two postal runs a week initially, although I'll do one Saturday morning for anyone placing an order before then. Cheers!

[gogsy1968]

I have a question you might be able to answer, what teams were in the Forth league in 1902-3 Season? I have a note of a game dated 15th nov Kelty Rangers 2-0 Pumpherston which one of the local papers stated was a Forth league match. Is this possible or more likely a mistake by the newspaper? I know Fife teams had competed in that league previously.

[EastJunior]

I never really discovered much about that league other than Linlithgow Rose winning the Forth League Cup in 1901-02 beating Inverkeithing Thistle 3-0 at Tynecastle. The other league members could have included Queensferry Hibs and Binnend Rangers.

The following season Linlithgow Rose joined the East of Scotland Junior League which included Bo'ness Our Boys, Broxburn Athletic, Leith Ivanhoe, Vale of Grange, Leven Thistle, Niddry Violet, and possible Lochgelly Rangers.

I'm not aware of Pumpherston having a Junior side at that time, Pumpherston Rob Roy first being mentioned as a Junior side in 1906.

[gogsy1968]

Thanks for the quick reply.
Ive got a note for 1901/2 season saying it was to include HMS Anson, HmS Caledonia, Binnend Rangers (Burntisland) , Queensferry Hibs, Queensferry Renton, Linlithgow Rose and Inverkeithing Thistle.
Only got one definate result 22nd Feb Binnend Rangers 0-5 Inv Thistle and one possible result 1st Feb Inv Thistle 8-2 HMS Anson.

Lochgelly Rangers were members of EOS league in 1902/3 season .
23rd Aug Boness Our Boys 4-2 Lochgelly Rangers
6th Sep Leven Th 3-0 Lochgelly Rangers
18th Oct Leith Ivanhoe 2-0 Lochgelly Rangers
11th Oct Linlithgow Rose 3-3 lochgelly Rangers
24th jan Lochgelly Rangers 6-2 Boness Our Boys
7th Feb Lochgelly Rangers ?_? Linlithgow Rose (result unknown but it was 5-0 at half time)
?? 14th Feb Armadale ? 0-2 lochgelly rangers
28th mar lochgelly Rangers v Leith Ivanhoe

[BMCCOLL]

One copy duly ordered, best wishes with the book!

Further to the Forth League Cup of 1901-02, wasn't this actually a decider for the League Championship rather than a separate cup competition?
And for 1902-03 I also have Inverkeithing Thistle and Glencraig Rangers as members so Fife clubs were still involved.

[EastJunior]

Thanks for the quick reply.
Ive got a note for 1901/2 season saying it was to include HMS Anson, HmS Caledonia, Binnend Rangers (Burntisland) , Queensferry Hibs, Queensferry Renton, Linlithgow Rose and Inverkeithing Thistle.
Only got one definate result 22nd Feb Binnend Rangers 0-5 Inv Thistle and one possible result 1st Feb Inv Thistle 8-2 HMS Anson.

Lochgelly Rangers were members of EOS league in 1902/3 season .
23rd Aug Boness Our Boys 4-2 Lochgelly Rangers
6th Sep Leven Th 3-0 Lochgelly Rangers
18th Oct Leith Ivanhoe 2-0 Lochgelly Rangers
11th Oct Linlithgow Rose 3-3 lochgelly Rangers
24th jan Lochgelly Rangers 6-2 Boness Our Boys
7th Feb Lochgelly Rangers ?_? Linlithgow Rose (result unknown but it was 5-0 at half time)
?? 14th Feb Armadale ? 0-2 lochgelly rangers
28th mar lochgelly Rangers v Leith Ivanhoe

Interesting, I'll add that info to update number 3, which may see the light of day in 20 years time! if you ever get anything approaching a league table, please let me know. Bo'ness Our Boys won it that season.

I did have a note to say Armadale Daisy were also members.

[EastJunior]

One copy duly ordered, best wishes with the book!

Further to the Forth League Cup of 1901-02, wasn't this actually a decider for the League Championship rather than a separate cup competition?
And for 1902-03 I also have Inverkeithing Thistle and Glencraig Rangers as members so Fife clubs were still involved.

Got the payment Brian, thanks.

It could have been Brian, but I doubt the papers of the time made that very clear. I'd be surprised they hired Tynecastle for a league decider rather than play it at another members ground, but it's possible.

One thing that did become fairly certain during research, Linlithgow Rose's claimed foundation date of 1889 is probably 1899, 10 years later. I think a typo has crept in at some point as there is no mention in the newspapers of Linlithgow Rose pre-1900.

[BMCCOLL]

I have one reference to Rose before 1899, they beat Victoria Swifts 3-2 in March 1898, probably as juveniles. A blank before that, though! It's possible the 1899 date refers to when they turned junior.

[EastJunior]

Just an update, all books paid for to date have been posted, I'll be away on holiday from Thursday so I'll be out of the loop for 10 days. If you want to purchase a copy before then please do so before Wednesday and I'll get them in the post before I disappear. Thanks.

[EastJunior]

Just bumping this again, still copies available.

[EastJunior]

Bump, an ideal Christmas gift

[EastJunior]

Still a few copies of the book available.

[gogsy1968]

I never really discovered much about that league other than Linlithgow Rose winning the Forth League Cup in 1901-02 beating Inverkeithing Thistle 3-0 at Tynecastle. The other league members could have included Queensferry Hibs and Binnend Rangers.

The following season Linlithgow Rose joined the East of Scotland Junior League which included Bo'ness Our Boys, Broxburn Athletic, Leith Ivanhoe, Vale of Grange, Leven Thistle, Niddry Violet, and possible Lochgelly Rangers.

I'm not aware of Pumpherston having a Junior side at that time, Pumpherston Rob Roy first being mentioned as a Junior side in 1906.

Just a small update on this, there was a Pumpherston juniors during 1902/3 season. They competed in the Scottish, East of Scotland, Linlithgowshire, Moffat cups and the Simpson Shield. They were unsuccessful with an application to join the EOS junior league but were accepted into the Forth league. A note in Scottish Referee periodical 1st August 1902 suggests they were juvenile club Pumpherston Rob Roy previously