Clydesdale F.C. (1883) facts for kids
| Full name | Clydesdale Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1883 | |
| Dissolved | 1892 | |
| Ground | South Croft | |
| President | Harry McNeil | |
| Secretary | Matthew McIndoe | |
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Clydesdale Football Club was a football team from the 1800s. They were based in Rutherglen, Scotland. The club played for about nine years before it stopped existing in 1892.
Contents
Club History: The Early Years
Clydesdale Football Club started in 1883. Their first official game was in the Lanarkshire Cup in 1884. The club was special because its members were part of the Temperance Movement. This meant they chose not to drink alcohol. Sometimes, people called them Rutherglen Clydesdale to tell them apart from another club with a similar name in Glasgow.
Playing in the Scottish Cup
Clydesdale started playing in the Scottish Cup in the 1885–86 season. Their first game was a 4–2 loss at home to Tollcross. The club entered this big competition every year until 1891–92. However, they never managed to win a single match in the Scottish Cup.
Best Season: 1888–89
The club's most successful season was in 1888–89. They reached the second round of the Scottish Cup. This happened because they drew twice against their local rivals, Rutherglen. Back then, if two teams drew twice, both could move on to the next round.
In the second round, Clydesdale played against Uddingston. They were losing 4–0 at half-time and ended up losing the game.
That same season, they also made it to the semi-finals of the Lanarkshire Cup. They got there with a bit of luck, thanks to a bye and another team not showing up. In the semi-final, they played Royal Albert. Clydesdale scored first, which was a surprise! But Royal Albert came back and won 3–1. Clydesdale had some players injured, which made it harder for them.
Winning a Tournament
Clydesdale did win one trophy in the 1888–89 season. It was a special invitational tournament organized by the Lanarkshire Football Association. Many clubs pulled out, so it ended up being a small competition. Clydesdale stepped in at the last minute to play Carfin Shamrock. Against what everyone expected, Clydesdale won the final match 1–0!
Challenges and Club Closure
Clydesdale often struggled to get many fans to their games. People in Rutherglen often preferred to watch the town's other team or clubs from nearby Cambuslang. By the end of the 1890–91 season, the club was about £20 in debt.
The rival Rutherglen club suggested they merge and form a new team called Ruglonians. Clydesdale's committee agreed, but the club members voted against it. They felt Clydesdale was in a better financial state than Rutherglen, and a merger would just add to their debt.
Before the 1891–92 season, Clydesdale had to hold a raffle to pay off its debts. In the Scottish Cup that year, they drew 2–2 at home against Whitefield. But in the replay game, Clydesdale lost badly, either 6–0 or 7–0. They were missing four players, and their substitutes weren't very strong.
Clydesdale's last recorded Lanarkshire Cup match was a 10–0 defeat to Wishaw Thistle. Their goalkeeper, Gibson, was praised for trying his best despite so many goals. The club's very last official game was a 12–0 loss to Northern F.C. in the North-Eastern Cup in January 1892. They had entered this cup five times but never won a match.
The club was supposed to play Hamilton Harp in the Coatbridge Express Cup in March 1892. However, the match was postponed and never played. Hamilton Harp moved on to the next round, and Clydesdale Football Club stopped playing.
Team Colours
Over the years, Clydesdale Football Club wore different colours:
- At first, they played in navy shirts, white shorts, and red socks.
- From 1887 to 1891, they changed to cream shirts and white shorts.
- For their final season, they wore all navy.
Home Ground: South Croft
The club played its home games at a place called South Croft, also known as Southcroft, in Shawfield. By 1889, the ground even had a building with bathing facilities for the players.
The biggest crowd at South Croft was on December 29, 1888, when Clydesdale played Celtic in the North Eastern Cup. Celtic won that match 5–1. Southcroft later became the home ground for another team, Rutherglen Glencairn, for over a hundred years.
