Alclutha F.C. facts for kids
| Full name | Alclutha Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1872 | |
| Dissolved | 1888 | |
| Ground | Barloan Toll, Dumbarton | |
| Hon. Secretary | Alex. Kennedy Jr | |
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Alclutha Football Club was a football team from Dumbarton, Scotland. It was started in 1872. From 1883, the club changed its name to Dunbritton Football Club.
The name Alclutha comes from the Scots Gaelic language. It means "rock of the Clyde," which refers to the town of Dumbarton. Dunbritton is an older way to say Dumbarton, meaning "Britons' fort."
Contents
Club History
Early Football in Scotland
The area of Dunbartonshire was very important for football when the sport first became organized in Scotland. Three major clubs from the county, Dumbarton, Renton, and Vale of Leven, all started in 1872. These teams grew from factory clubs that played a different sport called shinty. They switched to football because of the influence of Queen's Park F.C..
Alclutha Football Club also formed in 1872. However, it did not have the same strong support from factories as the other big clubs. Because of this, Alclutha was always less famous than the other teams in Dunbartonshire.
Scottish Cup Challenges
Alclutha entered the Scottish Cup competition every year from 1875–76 to 1887–88. Despite playing many matches, they only managed to win one game out of 12 in the competition.
Their first match in the Scottish Cup was against Renton. Even though Alclutha was a lighter team, they played very well in the first half. They only lost the game 1–0 in the 85th minute.
In the 1870s, Alclutha was a competitive team. Their goalkeeper, Fraser, was even chosen to play for the Dunbartonshire representative team in 1876. This was a big achievement, especially since Renton and Vale of Leven were much stronger clubs.
However, Alclutha's lack of strong support meant they could not become a top team for long. Their best player, James McAulay, left to join Dumbarton in 1878. He had impressed them while playing against Vale of Leven.
Name Change and Only Victory
After losing eight Scottish Cup first-round games in a row, the club changed its name to Dunbritton. This change seemed to bring them some good luck. In the 1883–84 tournament, Dunbritton played against Vale of Leven Wanderers F.C. in Alexandria. They managed to get a draw in the first game. Even better, they won the replay match 4–0. This was the club's only victory in a competitive game.
Decline and End
After their big win, Dunbritton lost to Jamestown F.C. by a score of 7–1 in the second round. After this, the club played very few matches. They entered the Scottish Cup for the next three seasons but pulled out of the competition every time without playing. The Dumbartonshire Cup competition started in 1884–85. Dunbritton entered for the first two seasons but again withdrew before playing any games.
The club's last match seems to have been a Scottish Cup game in 1887, where they lost 10–2 to Dumbarton. The club was officially removed from the Scottish FA register in 1888. The Alclutha name was used again in 1893 for a special exhibition match between former players at Dumbarton's Boghead Park.
Team Colours
The club first wore dark blue shirts with white shorts and red socks. In 1878, they changed to an all-navy blue kit. In 1881, they started wearing white shorts again but kept their navy blue socks. This was the team's uniform until the club stopped playing.
Home Ground
The Alclutha Football Club played its games on a field near Barloan Toll in Dumbarton until 1880. After that, they moved to a new ground called Woodyard Park.
