History of football in Clydebank facts for kids

The town of Clydebank in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, has been a home for many football teams since 1888. Several of these teams have even shared the name "Clydebank F.C." but they were all different clubs. Let's explore the exciting history of football in Clydebank!

The Early Days of Clydebank Football

Football in the 1800s

The first big football team in Clydebank was called Yoker. They started in 1876. Soon after, Dalmuir Thistle began playing in 1878. Sadly, neither of these teams continued into the 1900s.

The oldest football club still playing today is Yoker Athletic. They were formed in 1886 and play their home games at Holm Park in Clydebank.

The first team to actually be named after the town was Clydebank, started in 1888. They played at Hamilton Park and even joined the Scottish Cup a few times. This club stopped playing in 1895. But a new Clydebank team was formed in 1899. This second team also played at Hamilton Park, but only for one season.

Other teams also played in Clydebank during the 1890s. In 1890, a junior team called Clydebank Athletic became a senior club. They won one game in the Scottish Cup before stopping after a few seasons. In 1895, another junior club, Clydebank United, took over from Dalmuir Thistle and played as a senior club for a year.

Football in the 1900s

New Beginnings and Junior Success

In 1900, a team called Duntocher F.C. moved to Clydebank from a nearby village. They changed their name to Clydebank Juniors. This club had started in 1899. They played their home games at Kilbowie Park in Clydebank.

The original Clydebank F.C. (from 1888) stopped playing by 1902. Then, a new club, also named Clydebank, was formed in 1914. They quickly joined the Scottish Football League in Division Two. They played at Clydeholm. This team finished second in Division Two twice, in 1923 and 1925. They left the league and stopped playing in 1931. The very next year, Yoker Athletic won the Scottish Junior Cup!

Between 1930 and 1950, Clydebank Juniors won many Junior Football awards. This included five Central League titles and the important 1942 Scottish Junior Cup. Their home ground, Kilbowie Park, was rebuilt in 1939. People sometimes called it "New Kilbowie."

Mergers and New Clubs

In 1964, the owners of East Stirlingshire F.C., Jack and Charlie Steedman, tried to combine their team with Clydebank Juniors. The new team was called East Stirlingshire Clydebank F.C.. They took East Stirlingshire's spot in Division Two and played at New Kilbowie. Fans of both clubs did not like this idea. The merger only lasted one season because East Stirlingshire shareholders won court cases against it. East Stirlingshire went back to being its own club and moved back to Falkirk.

During that single season, E.S. Clydebank set a record for attendance at Kilbowie Park. About 14,900 fans watched a Scottish Cup game against Hibernian in February 1965.

After the merger failed, the Steedman brothers formed a brand new club called Clydebank F.C. in 1965. They joined the Scottish League in 1966.

Rise to the Top Division

Clydebank won the Second Division in 1976 and moved up a league. The next season, they finished second in the First Division. This meant they were promoted to the top league in Scottish football for the first time! They were the first club to play in all three Scottish League divisions after the league was reorganized in 1975. They finished last in their first season in the top league and were moved down.

They finished second in Division One again in 1985. But once more, they finished last in the top league. A league reorganization saved them from being moved down that time. However, they finished second to last in 1987 and were sent back to the First Division. In 1990, while still in the First Division, they reached the Scottish Cup semi-final.

Challenges and Relocation

New Kilbowie Park was sold by the Steedmans in 1996. A new stadium in Clydebank was promised but never built. Clydebank then spent six years playing their "home" games at other stadiums. First, they played at Boghead Park in Dumbarton, then at Cappielow Park in Greenock. This caused their fan support to drop.

The Steedman family sold the club to Dr. John Hall, a businessman. The money from selling Kilbowie Park was used to set up football schools in America.

There were attempts to move the club to other towns, including Galashiels and Carlisle. During this time, the club had to operate from a tiny portable cabin. At the end of the 1999–2000 season, Clydebank was moved down from the First Division. They had won only one game all season and earned just 10 points.

Football in the 2000s

A New Club Emerges

In 2002, a club called Airdrieonians stopped playing. A group tried to create a new club in Airdrie to take their place. This plan didn't work. So, the new club decided to buy Clydebank's few remaining assets. They outbid the United Clydebank Supporters (UCS) group. The club was then moved to Airdrie and renamed Airdrie United. They took Clydebank's spot in the Second Division for the 2002–03 season.

Members of the UCS group met during the 2002–03 season to form a new club. Airdrie United Ltd agreed to give the name and symbols of Clydebank F.C. to the UCS. A place to play matches in Clydebank was found. They agreed to share Glenhead Park in Duntocher with Drumchapel Amateurs.

This new club, the fifth to be named Clydebank F.C., joined the West Region of the Scottish Junior Football Association in 2003–04. They won their league and were promoted from Central League Division Two. In 2006–07, the club was promoted to Super League Division One.

Sharing Holm Park

In June 2008, Clydebank and Drumchapel decided to stop sharing their ground. The Bankies (Clydebank's nickname) moved across town to share Holm Park with Yoker Athletic. Clydebank reached the 2008–09 Scottish Junior Cup final but lost 2–1 to Auchinleck Talbot.

In 2010-11, both Holm Park clubs were promoted. Yoker won the Central League Second Division, and Clydebank finished second in the West Super League First Division. Yoker was promoted again the next season. Clydebank was moved down to join Yoker in the Super First league at the end of 2015. The two clubs went in different directions again in 2016-17, with Clydebank being promoted and Yoker being moved down.

Clydebank left Holm Park for one season in 2018–19 to share Lochburn Park with Maryhill F.C. in Maryhill, Glasgow. They returned the next season. In June 2020, Clydebank decided not to keep their SJFA membership. This happened after all SJFA West Region teams moved to the new West of Scotland League.

List of Clydebank Football Clubs

• Yoker Athletic F.C. (1886–present) - named for a part of Glasgow, but they play in Clydebank.
• Clydebank F.C. (1888–95)
• Clydebank (1899-1902)
• Clydebank F.C. (1914–1931)
• Clydebank Juniors F.C. (1899–1964) - started in Duntocher as Duntocher F.C., then moved and changed its name in 1900.
• East Stirlingshire Clydebank F.C. (1964–65) - a short-lived merger of Clydebank Juniors F.C. and East Stirlingshire F.C.. It moved to Falkirk and was renamed in 1965.
• Clydebank F.C. (1965–2002) - bought by Airdrie United and moved to Airdrie in 2002.
• Clydebank F.C. (2003–present)