Article Forgotten: Scotland’s Former Football League Clubs By Robin Holmes

I’ve always had a thing with wanting to know more about Vale of Leven. They were a real thorn in our side in the early years.
 
What's the script with the Clydebank/East Stirlingshire name changes in 1964 and 1965?
The Steedman brothers took control of East Stirlingshire and merged with Clydebank Juniors called themselves ES Clydebank and moved to Kilbowie park playing in the Scottish League in East Stirlingshire's place. After legal challeges by ES shareholders ES moved back to Falkirk the following season. Even then there were dodgy dealings in Scottish Football.
 
What's the script with the Clydebank/East Stirlingshire name changes in 1964 and 1965?
There’s a great chapter on this in Simon Inglis book “ Soccer In The Dock”, a terrific book , now out of print but easily available, by the Villa ( and Archibald Leitch ) fan who writes about stadia.
 
I’ve always had a thing with wanting to know more about Vale of Leven. They were a real thorn in our side in the early years.
My grandfather was on the committee in the 1950s, a real respectable gent, modest, mannerly, so I’ve always had a soft spot for them.
 
Interesting that County and Caley were elected in 1994 and have gone on to great things. Just 6 years later Elgin and Peterheid joined the league but have done very little ever since.
 
Were they anything to with the river leven as in Dumbarton way?
Yes mate from Alexandria and they are still going as a Junior Club and were formed in 1872. I see they are in one of the new pyramid style leagues along with Drumchapel United my local team.
 
Yes mate from Alexandria and they are still going as a Junior Club and were formed in 1872. I see they are in one of the new pyramid style leagues along with Drumchapel United my local team.
Ah so they are still playing! I drive over the leven on commutes and it always reminds me of Rangers and the early cup finals.
 
Yes they play at Milburn Park just next to the Leven. When I walk past the park I take a peek in and look at the pitch and small terracing and just for a minute imagine it in it's heyday playing in the top flight and welcoming The Rangers like true gentlemen not like today's corrupt cabal who are ruining our game.
 
Yes they play at Milburn Park just next to the Leven. When I walk past the park I take a peek in and look at the pitch and small terracing and just for a minute imagine it in it's heyday playing in the top flight and welcoming The Rangers like true gentlemen not like today's corrupt cabal who are ruining our game.

 
Season 2020/21 will have only 1 division of 12 teams.

Rangers
Selik
Northern
Thistle
Linthouse
Dundee Wanderers
Clackmannan
Dundee Hibernian
Ayr Parkhouse
St Bernard's
Clydebank
Third Lanark

Each team will play each other 3 times before the league splits into top 6 and bottom 6.

In the event of league not being completed, Selik will be declared champions.
 
Gretna are remarkable. Played in every league and folded. All in a very short period of time.
 
I'm sure there was a series of books around 25 years ago on the same subject, maybe was called Scotland Disunited.

There was a photo of my Great Grandfather in the one that covered Bathgate. It turned out that his nickname back in then was "Darkie".
 
Ah so they are still playing! I drive over the leven on commutes and it always reminds me of Rangers and the early cup finals.

Vale of Leven still going. Played last season in West Div 2 of the juniors. Milburn is in serious need of investment. The shed is an absolute hovel and the terracing needs investment. Doubt it'll ever happen given how little interest there is in the team locally. It wouldn't take a huge amount of money to make a big difference to Milburn. Rebuild the covered terracing, new changing and food facilities and a couple of toilets for spectators. Maybe make it a wee bit more accessible for disabled fans. There's not enough fans for a function suite right now but with time and effort you could potentially make it work and bring in some extra funds to the club. I went to school with the current manager (Brian Brown). His old man Jimmy Brown was manager of Dumbarton for a period in the 90s.

Occasionally take a wander down if I've nothing else to do on a Saturday afternoon. I'd like to see them have closer ties with Dumbarton, particularly with this new pyramid division. Clubs at that level have an important role to play in keeping football affordable for families and for older fans. Folk who might be priced out of a higher level of football should still be able to follow a local team on a Saturday afternoon.
 
I'm working my way through the book, a bit of a slog. The book is well researched, but getting a fairly detailed season by season history of each team gets a bit tedious.(Third Lanark get almost 100 pages). Some could dowith more about the circumstances of their demise. It could also do with some photos and it should have been edited better, too many obvious errors and bits that have been cut and pasted. Good value though.
 
For me, it's more of a reference book to dip into from time to time - or perhaps check out a chapter - the big long histories of some clubs are bit superfluous.

But overall - brilliant.
 
I found another little article about Bathgate FC in case any West Lothian Bears are interested.

There does not seem to be any relationship between Bathgate FC (folded in 1932) and junior side Bathgate Thistle (formed 1937). Thistle play at Creamery Park which used to host some Rangers reserve games in the 1990s.

Bathgate - Then and Now

16 January 2016 ·

Mill Park – the home of Bathgate F.C. from 1903 to 1932
Earliest record of an organised football match in Bathgate was reported by the West Lothian Courier in April 1879 – “A match took place on the ground of the Bathgate Club between Clarkson and the home team when victory fell to the strangers by four goals to none”
Several clubs were formed in the following decade including – The Volunteers, Durhamtown Rangers, Bathgate Athletic, West Lothian Thistle and Bathgate Rovers. Bathgate Rovers was the most successful defeating Falkirk in the 1891/92 Scottish Cup.
The problem of too many clubs chasing too few resources forced most of them out of business. In July 1893, in an attempt to pool resources in the town, a public meeting was called and a new club called Bathgate Football Club was formed. The club colours were maroon and the club took over Old Boghead Park from the recently defunct cricket club.
In 1903, the club leased ground at Russell Row (now bottom end of Waverley Street) from Daniel Stewart’s Hospital (purchased Balbardie estate in 1861). The following year a limited liability company was formed with a share capital of 500 £1 shares.
The club was invited to join the Central League - the most senior outside the Scottish League and then in 1921 most of the clubs from the Central League were invited to form a new Scottish League Second Division. Bathgate joined neighbours Armadale, Broxburn and Bo'ness in this new league.
In February 1922, Bathgate defeated First Division Falkirk 1-0 in the Scottish Cup. The attendance record for the Mill Park was set at this match – 10,000.
In January 1923 in the Scottish Cup, Bathgate drew 1-1 with Queen’s Park at Hampden in front of a crowd of over 60,000. (Bathgate lost the replay 0-2 the following week)
In 1932, Bathgate Town Council acquired the ground for housebuilding – the last match played at the Mill Park was against the Civil Service Strollers on Saturday 16th April 1932 – Bathgate won 2-1 and won the Edinburgh and District League title. Bathgate Football Club was disbanded – the stand went to Stenhousemuir and Marmion Road occupies most of the original pitch area.

Sources: Bathgate Book Various 2001
Bathgate Thistle Junior Football Club
– a history Ian Anderson 1993
West Lothian’s Scottish Cup History Gus Martin 2015
 

I was always under the impression that Broxburn was a fairly small but relatively staunch place. There must have been a fairly substantial immigrant enclave if they formed both a Broxburn Harps and a Shamrock.

I presume that it was on account of the shale oil industry?
 
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