Montrose F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Montrose Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Gable Endies Links Park Dynamo The Mo |
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| Founded | 13 October 1879 | ||
| Ground | Links Park, Montrose | ||
| Capacity | 4,936 | ||
| Chairman | John Crawford | ||
| Manager | Stewart Petrie | ||
| League | Scottish League Two | ||
| 2015–16 | Scottish League Two, 8th | ||
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Montrose Football Club, often called "The Gable Endies," is a Scottish football team. They are based in the town of Montrose, Angus. The club started way back in 1879. They play in the Scottish Professional Football League and are currently in Scottish League One. This is the third level of football in Scotland.
Contents
The Club's Story
How Montrose FC Started
The first Montrose Football Club began on February 25, 1871. Young men in the area wanted to play the "national game of football." Back then, football was more like rugby than the game we know today. They played friendly matches against other local teams. This first club later stopped playing.
A new football club was formed on September 8, 1877. Then, on October 13, 1879, the club decided to follow the rules of Association Football (what we call soccer). They played their first game under these new rules on October 18, 1879.
Their first official match against another team was on November 8, 1879. They played against Arbroath Wanderers. Montrose lost 4–0 because they were still learning the new rules. Montrose FC is one of the oldest football teams in Scotland still playing today!
Montrose first played on an area called the Links. They later moved to the first Links Park. In 1887, they moved to their current home, Links Park.
Montrose played their first Scottish Cup game in 1887. They won 5–7 against Broughty. By 1890, Montrose had a strong team in Scotland. They had beaten Aberdeen and played against many teams from the west of Scotland.
In 1891, Alex 'Sandy' Keillor became the first Montrose player to play for the Scotland national team. He played in a win against Wales. He played one more game for Scotland while at Montrose, scoring a goal against Ireland. Another Montrose player, George Bowman, also played in that game. To this day, Bowman and Keillor are the only players to play for Scotland while playing for Montrose.
George Bowman also led Montrose to win their first trophy. This was the Forfarshire Cup in 1892. They beat Dundee East End 5–3 in the final.
In 1921, Montrose won the Scottish Qualifying Cup. They beat Nithsdale Wanderers 2–1 in a replay of the final.
Montrose joined the Scottish Football League in 1923. They were part of the new Third Division. In their first season (1923–24), they finished in a good fourth place. However, the next season, Montrose finished last. The Third Division was later stopped because many clubs had money problems. Montrose is one of only two teams from that 1925–26 Third Division who are still playing in the SPFL today.
The club rejoined the Second Division in 1929–30. The 1930s were tough for the team. They often finished near the bottom of the league. But Montrose did reach the quarter-finals of the 1929–30 Scottish Cup. They played against Rangers, who went on to win the cup. A big moment was in the 1938–39 Scottish Cup. Montrose surprisingly beat the cup holders, East Fife, 2–1.
After the War
After World War II, Montrose played in a new league called Division C. This league had local clubs and some reserve teams. In the 1947–48 Scottish Cup, Montrose played against Celtic in the quarter-finals. They lost 4–0. When the Second Division started again in 1955–56, Montrose rejoined that league.
The Golden Years
The club's best time was in the mid-1970s. Under player-manager Alex Stuart, Montrose reached third place in the old First Division. They were also a strong team in cup competitions. They reached the semi-final of the 1975–76 Scottish League Cup. They also made it to the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup in 1972–73 and 1975–76. These are still their best results in those cups.
In 1974–75, Montrose had their biggest win in modern times. They beat Vale of Leithen 12–0. This game was played at Links Park because of a fire at Vale of Leithen's ground. In the 1975–76 Scottish Cup quarter-final, Montrose was very close to beating Hearts. They were 90 seconds away from winning in front of over 8,000 fans. But Hearts scored a late goal, sending the game to a replay. If Montrose had won, they might have played in a European competition!
Montrose won their first league championship in 1984–85. They won the old Second Division. But they were relegated in 1987. This was because most teams in the higher league were full-time, and Montrose was a part-time club.
The 1990s
In 1991, Montrose won promotion to Division One. They finished second behind Stirling Albion. But they were relegated again after just one season in the higher league.
Montrose spent most of the 1990s in the Third Division. At the end of the 1994–95 season, they were promoted to the Second Division. They finished second behind Forfar Athletic. However, they finished last in the Second Division in 1995–96.
The 21st Century
In the 2003–04 League Cup, Montrose played against Hibernian. They lost 9–0.
After a tough start to the 2005–06 season, manager Henry Hall left the club. Former Montrose player Eddie Wolecki became the new manager in December 2005. In 2006, businessman Kenny Black invested in the club and joined the board. David Robertson became co-manager with Wolecki. Wolecki later left, and Robertson also left in early 2007 after poor results. Jim Weir then became manager.
Links Park got a big makeover before the 2007–08 season. A new artificial pitch was installed. New food facilities and changing rooms were also built. The team's performance improved. Montrose finished third in the league. They played in the Second Division playoffs but lost to Stranraer. This meant they stayed in the Third Division.
The 2008–09 season was difficult. Manager Jim Weir was fired. Several temporary managers took over. Steven Tweed eventually became player-manager. The team started to play better and almost made the playoffs.
The 2009–10 season started very badly. The team did not win any league games until January. However, they reached the fifth round of the 2009–10 Scottish Cup. They lost to Hibernian. The club finished last in the Third Division for the first time in eleven years.
In 2011, Steven Tweed stepped down as manager. Ray Farningham and Stuart Garden took over.
During the 2012–13 season, Montrose played against Rangers four times. This was because Rangers had financial problems and were placed in the Scottish Third Division. Montrose managed to draw both home and away games against Rangers. The home games brought in over 4,500 fans! One of Montrose's games against Rangers was even shown live on TV. This was the first time Montrose had a live televised match.
At the end of the 2014–15 season, Montrose finished last in League Two. But they stayed in the SPFL after winning a playoff against Highland Football League champions Brora Rangers. Two goals in the second half of the home game saved the club from dropping out of the league.
The Stewart Petrie Era
Stewart Petrie became manager in December 2016. The team was at the bottom of League Two. Petrie's arrival greatly improved the team's luck. They finished 4th and qualified for the League One playoffs. Montrose lost to Peterhead in the semi-final.
The 2017–18 season was much happier! Montrose won the League Two championship. They finished one point ahead of Peterhead. This win ended Montrose's 22 seasons in Scotland's fourth league.
After being promoted, Petrie continued to lead the club well in League One. They finished in the top four for four seasons in a row. This earned them spots in the Championship playoffs. Montrose also reached the round of 16 in the 2020–21 Scottish Cup. This was their best cup performance in over ten years. Their third-place finish in the 2021–22 League One season was their highest league finish since 1985–86.
In the 2023–24 season, three of Montrose's matches were shown live on TV. This included a 3–2 win over Queen of the South.
Team Rivalries
Montrose has a strong rivalry with their local team, Arbroath. Games between these two teams are always exciting! Montrose also has rivalries with other teams from Angus: Brechin City and Forfar Athletic. Matches involving any two of these teams are known as Angus derbies.
First-Team Players
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Club Leaders
Executive Team
- Chairman: John Crawford
- Vice-chairman: Michael Fotheringham
- Chief executive officer: Peter Stuart
- Club secretary: Brian Petrie
- Finance director: Iain Bridges
- Directors: Peter Davidson, Barry O'Neill, Andy Stirling
- Associate directors: Andrew Stephen, Tracy Park, Ross Thomson
- Honorary president: John F. Paton
- Honorary vice-president: Malcolm Watters
- Honorary treasurer: Tom Murray
Coaching Staff
- Manager: Stewart Petrie
- Assistant manager: Ross Campbell
- First-team coaches: Iain Campbell, Seán Dillon
- Goalkeeping coach: David Larter
- Club doctor: Gareth Strachan
- Chartered physiotherapist: Gemma Collier
- Sports scientist: Chris Simpson
- Sports therapist: Iain Cooper
- Kitmen: Robert Ogg, Neil McIntosh
Club Achievements
League Titles
- Scottish Football League Second Division (third level):
- Winners: 1984–85
- Second Place: 1990–91
- Scottish Football League Third Division / Scottish League Two (fourth level):
- Winners: 2017–18
- Second Place: 1994–95
- Northern League
- Winners: 1903–04
- Second Place: 1891–92
- Forfarshire County League (Carry Cup)
- Winners: 1894–95, 1910–11
- Second Place: 1897–98
Cup Wins
- Scottish Qualifying Cup:
- Winners: 1921
- Scottish Qualifying Cup Midlands:
- Winners: 1947
- Scottish Qualifying Cup South:
- Second Place: 1948
- Forfarshire Cup:
- Winners (10): 1891–92, 1921–22, 1926–27, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1951–52, 1961–62, 1972–73, 1991–92, 2001–02
- Second Place: 1902–03, 1903–04, 1907–08, 1912–13, 1929–30, 1935–36, 1954–55, 1986–87, 2002–03, 2007–08
- Forfarshire Charity Cup:
- Winners: 1892–93, 1894–95, 1896–97
- Second Place: 1888–89, 1889–90
Club Records
- Best league position: 3rd in First Division, 1975–76
- Best Scottish Cup performance: Quarter-finals, 1929–30, 1947–48, 1972–73, 1975–76
- Best League Cup performance: Semi-finals, 1975–76
- Record home attendance: 8,983 fans against Dundee, Scottish Cup Quarter-final, March 17, 1973.
- Biggest victory: 18-2 against Dundee Hibernian, May 11, 1895
- Heaviest defeat: 13–0 against Aberdeen 'A', March 17, 1951
- Most games played: 500, Les Barr
- Most goals scored: 165, Bobby Livingstone
- Most capped player (played for their country while at Montrose): Alex Keillor, 2 caps for Scotland
- Record transfer fee paid (most money paid for a player): £25,000 to Elgin City for Kane Hester, May 2023
- Record transfer fee received (most money received for a player): £50,000 from Hibernian for Gary Murray, December 1980
Famous Players
Players Who Played for Their Country
The players listed below have played for their national teams. Bold means the player is still playing international football.
| Player | Country | Caps whilst at Montrose | Total Caps | World Cup squads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Taylor-Sinclair |  Antigua and Barbuda |
0 | 6 | - |
| Martin Boyle |  Australia |
0 | 19 | 1 (2022) |
| John McDonald | Australia |
0 | 1 | - |
| Jimmy Rooney | Australia |
0 | 57 | 1 (1974) |
| Kangana Ndiwa |  DR Congo |
0 | 2 | - |
| Billy Hogg |  England |
0 | 3 | - |
| Jesse Curran |  Philippines |
0 | 3 | - |
| Cammy Bell |  Scotland |
0 | 1 | - |
| George Bowman | Scotland |
1 | 1 | - |
| Jimmy Campbell | Scotland |
0 | 1 | - |
| Ned Doig | Scotland |
0 | 5 | - |
| Craig Forsyth | Scotland |
0 | 4 | - |
| Ian Gardiner | Scotland |
0 | 1 | - |
| John Gilmour | Scotland |
0 | 1 | - |
| Alex Keillor | Scotland |
2 | 6 | - |
| Andy Love | Scotland |
0 | 3 | - |
| Wilf Low | Scotland |
0 | 5 | - |
| Allan McClory | Scotland |
0 | 3 | - |
| David Robertson | Scotland |
0 | 3 | - |
| Doug Rougvie | Scotland |
0 | 1 | - |
| Benny Yorston | Scotland |
0 | 1 | - |
| Marvin Andrews |  Trinidad and Tobago |
0 | 104 | 1 (2006) |
In November 2022, former Montrose player Martin Boyle was chosen for the Australia squad at the 2022 World Cup. He is one of only three former Montrose players to be part of a World Cup squad. The others are Jimmy Rooney (Australia, 1974 World Cup) and Marvin Andrews (Trinidad and Tobago, 2006 World Cup). Sadly, Boyle and Andrews got injured before their World Cups. So, Jimmy Rooney is the only former Montrose player to actually play in a World Cup game.
Other Notable Players
Bold means the player is still actively playing with the club. Italics mean they are in the Montrose Hall of Fame.
- Les Barr
Ivo den Bieman- Dennis D'Arcy
- Hugh Davidson
Seán Dillon- Harry Johnston
- Bobby Livingstone
- Colin McGlashan
- Chic McLelland
- Gary Murray
- John Sheran
- Ian Stewart
- Alex Stuart
- Graham Webster
See also
In Spanish: Montrose Football Club para niños
