John Elder F.C. facts for kids
| Full name | John Elder Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1876 | |
| Dissolved | 1886 | |
| Ground | Fairfield Park | |
| Hon. Secretary | John W. Gibb, Thos. Pringle | |
| Match Secretary | Robert Love, John W. Gibb | |
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John Elder Football Club was a Scottish association football team. It was based in Govan, which is now part of Glasgow. The club was created for the workers of the John Elder & Co. shipbuilding company.
Contents
A Look Back: Club History
The John Elder Football Club started in 1876. Right away, they had enough players to make two full teams!
Playing in the Scottish Cup
John Elder joined the Scottish Football Association in 1877. This meant they could play in the 1877-78 Scottish Cup, a big competition. In their first cup run, they drew twice with Rovers. Because of the rules, both teams moved on to the next round. However, John Elder then lost 1–0 to Govan.
The team did even better in the next two seasons. They reached the third round of the Scottish Cup. In the 1878–79 Scottish Cup, they had their biggest win ever. They beat Blackfriars 7–0 away from home! They also beat Stonefield in the second round. Their secretary, Mr. Pringle, scored two goals in that game. But they lost 2–1 in the third round to Alexandra Athletic after a tough match.
More Cup Adventures
In the next season, John Elder got a free pass in the first round. Their opponents, Derby, had already stopped playing. In the second round, they seemed to beat Jordanhill. But Jordanhill complained to the football association. They said the field wasn't properly marked off. Also, spectators got in the way of the game many times. The referee agreed, saying about 300 fans were too close to the playing area.
So, they had to play the game again at Jordanhill's ground. John Elder fell behind but fought back to win 2–1. In the third round, the tables turned. John Elder scored first against South Western. But they only held the lead for a couple of minutes. They ended up losing 2–1 and were out of the cup.
The Club's Later Years
As football became more popular in Scotland, many new clubs started. John Elder, like other teams made for company workers, found it hard to keep up. In 1877, John Elder had 40 members, which was a lot for a Glasgow club. But by 1881, having 40 members made them one of the smallest teams.
The club entered the 1881–82 Scottish Cup. They got a free pass in the first round because Shawlands Athletic had stopped playing. But when they were set to play Clyde in the second round, John Elder decided not to play.
After that season, they didn't renew their membership with the Scottish FA. This meant they stopped playing in the top football leagues. The club continued to play lower-level games until at least 1886. It seems that when the John Elder & Co. company changed how it was run, the football club eventually stopped playing altogether.
Team Colours
The John Elder team wore cool uniforms! Their jerseys were navy blue and white with 1-inch wide hoops. They also had a badge on the chest. Their socks were also navy and white hoops, and they wore white shorts.
Home Ground
The club played their home games at Fairfield Park. This ground was also known as Dock Park. For one season, they shared the park with another team called Govan. But Govan later moved to a different ground called Moore Park in 1877.
