Abercorn F.C. facts for kids
| Full name | Abercorn Football Club | |
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| Founded | 1877 | |
| Dissolved | 1920 | |
| Ground | East Park, Paisley (1877–1879) Blackstoun Park, Paisley (1879–1889) Underwood Park, Paisley (1889–1899) Old Ralston Park, Paisley (1899–1909) New Ralston Park, Paisley (1909–1920) |
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Abercorn Football Club was a football team from Paisley, Scotland. They were part of the Scottish Football League from 1890 to 1915. The club stopped playing in 1920.
Abercorn was one of the first teams to join the Scottish Football League. But over time, they found it hard to compete with their local rivals, St Mirren. While in the league, Abercorn played at different home grounds. These included Underwood Park, Old Ralston Park, and New Ralston Park. Their team colours were blue and white stripes.
Contents
The Story of Abercorn Football Club
How Abercorn FC Started
Abercorn F.C. began on November 10, 1877. It started with about 200 members. This was just a few months after St Mirren was formed in the same town. Abercorn played their first game in December against the 79th Highland Reserve Volunteers. The match ended in a 1–1 draw. Robert Fulton, the club's president, scored their first goal.
Joining the Renfrewshire County Football Association
In June 1878, a meeting took place in Paisley. Representatives from many local football clubs attended. These clubs included Abercorn, Arthurlie, and St Mirren. At this meeting, they decided to form the Renfrewshire County Football Association. A year later, they bought a special cup for competitions. Abercorn went on to win this Renfrewshire County Cup five times!
Reaching the Scottish Cup Semi-Finals
In 1887, Abercorn made it to the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup for the first time. This is a very important competition in Scottish football. However, they lost to Cambuslang with a score of 10–1. This was one of the biggest defeats ever in a semi-final. But Abercorn showed great skill by reaching the semi-finals again in the next two seasons.
Becoming a Founder Member of the Scottish Football League
In 1890, Abercorn became one of the founding members of the Scottish Football League. Other famous teams like Celtic, Rangers, and Heart of Midlothian also joined. In the first season, Abercorn finished seventh out of ten teams. They even finished above their rivals, St Mirren, who were eighth.
Moving Between Divisions
This early success did not last long. In 1893, a new league was created called the Scottish Football League Division Two. Abercorn, along with Clyde, moved down to this new division.
In the 1895–96 season, Abercorn won Division Two. This meant they were promoted back to Division One. But in the next season, they finished last in Division One. So, they were relegated back to Division Two.
Later Successes and Challenges
Abercorn won the Division Two championship again in 1908–09. However, they were not promoted to Division One that time. They also finished second in 1911–12 but still didn't get promoted.
The following season, the club won the Scottish Qualifying Cup. During this competition, Abercorn had their biggest crowd ever. About 7,000 fans came to watch their semi-final match against Nithsdale Wanderers.
The End of Abercorn FC
Abercorn left the Scottish Football League in 1915. This happened when Division Two stopped for a while. They then played in the Western League from 1915 to 1920.
Losing Their Home Ground
In 1920, Abercorn's lease for their New Ralston Park ground ended. The local town council decided to end it. They said it was to build an ice rink, which actually happened four years later. Many people believed that St Mirren had used their influence to cause problems for their rival, Abercorn.
The Last Game
Without a home ground in Paisley, Abercorn faced a big problem. Even though they weren't in a league, they played one last game in the 1920–21 season. It was a Scottish Cup match against Vale of Leven. About 2,000 fans watched this final game. Abercorn lost 8–2.
Abercorn officially remained a member of the Scottish Football Association until March 29, 1922. They were removed because they couldn't get their own home ground. Even though the club was effectively gone in 1920, people in the town still held an annual Abercorn Football Club dinner until 1939.
Where Abercorn Played: Their Home Grounds
Abercorn played their home matches at several different places over the years.
- They started at East Park, located at Seedhill Road and Mill Street.
- In 1879, they moved to Blackstoun Park on Well Street.
- By 1889, they moved a short distance (about 200 yards) to Underwood Park. They stayed there for ten years.
- In 1899, they moved to Old Ralston Park in East Lane. This ground was about 700 yards from their first home at East Park.
- Finally, in 1909, the club moved to New Ralston Park. This new ground was right next to Old Ralston Park.
Abercorn's Team Colours
Abercorn's team colours changed a few times throughout their history:
- 1877–1881: Royal blue and white striped shirts, with white shorts.
- 1881–1883: Navy blue shirts, with white shorts.
- 1883–1908: White shirts, with navy blue shorts.
- 1908–1916: Royal blue and white striped shirts, with royal blue shorts.
- 1916–1920: Royal blue and white striped shirts, with white shorts.
Honours and Achievements
Abercorn Football Club won several titles and cups during its time:
- Scottish Division Two
- Champions: 1895–96, 1908–09
- Scottish Qualifying Cup
- Winners: 1912–13
- Renfrewshire Cup
- Winners: 1885–86, 1886–87, 1888–89, 1889–90
- Renfrewshire Victoria Cup
- Winners: 1911–12
- Paisley Charity Cup
- Winners: 1885–86, 1888–89, 1891–92, 1894–95, 1904–05, 1908–09, 1912–13
- Paisley Burgh Cup
- Winners: 1891
See also
In Spanish: Abercorn Football Club para niños
