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Montrose
Montrose FC crest.svg
Full name Montrose Football Club
Nickname(s) The Gable Endies
Links Park Dynamo
The Mo
Founded 13 October 1879; 145 years ago (13 October 1879)
Ground Links Park, Montrose
Ground Capacity 4,936
Chairman John Crawford
Manager Stewart Petrie
League Scottish League Two
2015–16 Scottish League Two, 8th

Montrose Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football team. They are based in the town of Montrose, Angus. The club started in 1879. They are part of the Scottish Professional Football League. Currently, they play in Scottish League Two, which is the third level of football in Scotland.

Montrose FC: A Look at Its History

How Montrose Football Began

The first Montrose Football Club was created on February 25, 1871. Young men in the area wanted to organize football games. The type of football played then was more like rugby, not the modern game. They played friendly matches against other local teams. This first club later closed down.

On September 8, 1877, a new football club was formed. At their yearly meeting on October 13, 1879, they decided to follow the rules of Association Football (soccer). Their first official soccer match was on November 8, 1879, against Arbroath Wanderers. Montrose lost 4–0 because they were still learning the new rules. Montrose is the 18th oldest soccer team still playing in Scotland.

The club first played on the Links. They later moved to the first Links Park, then to the current Links Park in 1887.

Early Successes and Challenges

Montrose played in the Scottish Cup for the first time in 1887. They won 7–5 against Broughty. By 1890, Montrose had one of Scotland's stronger teams. They had beaten Aberdeen and played against 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. Keillor played one more time for Scotland while at Montrose. He scored a goal in a 3–2 win against Ireland. Another Montrose player, George Bowman, also played in that match. Bowman and Keillor are still the only players to be picked for Scotland while playing for Montrose.

George Bowman also led Montrose to their first trophy, the Forfarshire Cup. They won 5–3 against Dundee East End in the 1892 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 in the new Third Division. In 1923–24, they finished fourth. However, the next season, 1924–25, they finished last. The Third Division was later closed due to money problems for many clubs. 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, with the team often finishing near the bottom. But Montrose reached the quarter-finals of the 1929–30 Scottish Cup. They played against Rangers, who eventually won the cup. A great moment was in the 1938–39 Scottish Cup. Montrose surprisingly beat the cup holders, East Fife, 2–1.

The Post-War Years

After World War II, Montrose played in the new Division C. This league included smaller clubs and reserve teams from bigger clubs. In the 1947–48 Scottish Cup, Montrose played Celtic in the quarter-finals. They lost 4–0. When the Second Division restarted in 1955–56, Montrose joined it again.

Golden Age of Montrose Football

Montrose FC League Performance
Chart showing Montrose's league positions each year.

The club's best period was in the mid-1970s. Under player-manager Alex Stuart, Montrose reached third place in the old First Division. They were also a strong cup team. They reached the semi-finals of the 1975–76 Scottish League Cup and the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup in 1972–73 and 1975–76. These are still their best results in those cups.

In the 1974–75 Scottish Cup, Montrose had their biggest win in modern times. They beat Vale of Leithen 12–0. This game was played at Links Park. In the 1975–76 Scottish Cup quarter-final, Montrose was very close to beating Hearts. They were winning 8,000 fans at Links Park, but Hearts scored a late goal. This sent the match to a replay.

Montrose won their first league championship in 1984–85. They won the old Second Division. But they were moved down a league in 1987. This was because many teams in the higher league were full-time, and Montrose was a part-time club.

The 1990s and Beyond

In 1991, Montrose won promotion to Division One. They finished second behind Stirling Albion. However, they were moved down again after just one season in the higher league.

For most of their recent history, Montrose has played 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. But they finished last in the higher league in 1995–96.

In the 2003–04 League Cup, Montrose played against Hibernian, a top-tier team. They lost 9–0.

Links Park, the club's home ground, was updated before the 2007–08 season. A new artificial pitch was installed. New food facilities and changing rooms were also added. The team's performance improved, and they finished third in the league. This meant they went into the playoffs for the Second Division. They drew 1–1 in the first game but lost 3–0 in the second. So, they stayed in the Third Division.

The 2008–09 season was difficult. The manager, Jim Weir, was fired. Several new managers took over. The team struggled but managed to improve towards the end of the season.

The 2009–10 season started badly. Montrose did not win any league matches 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, manager Steven Tweed left. Ray Farningham and Stuart Garden took over. In the 2012–13 season, Montrose played Rangers four times. This was because Rangers had financial problems and were placed in the Third Division. Montrose drew two games against Rangers. Their home games attracted over 4,500 fans. One game, a 4–2 loss to Rangers, was 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. They had to play against Highland Football League champions Brora Rangers in a playoff. Montrose won 3–2 over two games. Two late goals by Marvin Andrews and Gary Wood saved the club from dropping out of the professional league.

The Stewart Petrie Era

Stewart Petrie became manager in December 2016. The team was at the bottom of League Two. Petrie greatly improved the team's performance. They finished fourth and qualified for the League One playoffs. They lost to Peterhead.

The 2017–18 season was much happier. Montrose won the League Two championship. They finished one point ahead of Peterhead. This ended Montrose's 22 seasons in Scotland's fourth tier.

After promotion, 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. They lost to Kilmarnock 3–1. Their third-place finish in the 2021–22 League One season was the club's highest in the Scottish football league system since 1985–86.

During the 2023–24 season, three of Montrose's matches were shown live on TV. This included a 3–2 win against Queen of the South.

Club Rivalries

Montrose has a strong rivalry with nearby team Arbroath. Matches between them are usually very exciting. Montrose also has local rivalries with other Angus teams like Brechin City and Forfar Athletic. Games between any of these teams are called Angus derbies.

First-Team Squad

No. Position Player
1 Scotland GK Cammy Gill
2 Scotland DF Ryan Williamson
3 Scotland DF Andrew Steeves (captain)
4 Scotland DF Aidan Quinn
5 Scotland DF Kerr Waddell
6 Scotland MF Terry Masson
7 Scotland MF Graham Webster
8 Scotland MF Fraser Donaldson
9 Scotland FW Ewan Loudon
10 Scotland FW Craig Wighton
11 Scotland FW Blair Lyons
No. Position Player
12 Scotland DF Kieran Freeman
14 Republic of Ireland DF Seán Dillon
16 Scotland MF Rio Bradford
17 Scotland MF Ali Shrive
18 Scotland DF Craig Smith
20 Scotland MF Keir Bertie
21 Scotland GK Aaron Clark
22 Scotland MF Craig Brown
23 Brazil MF Matheus Machado
24 Scotland MF Ross Clark

Players on Loan

No. Position Player
Scotland GK Ross Matthews (on loan at Brechin City)

Club Officials

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

Cup Wins

  • Scottish Qualifying Cup:
    • Winners: 1921
  • Scottish Qualifying Cup Midlands:
    • Winners: 1947
  • Scottish Qualifying Cup South:
    • Runners-up: 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
    • Runners-up: 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
    • Runners-up: 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 vs Dundee, Scottish Cup Quarter-final, March 17, 1973.
  • Biggest victory: 18–2 vs Dundee Hibernian, Forfar County League, May 11, 1895
  • Heaviest defeat: 13–0 vs Aberdeen 'A', Scottish Division C, March 17, 1951
  • Most appearances: 500, Les Barr
  • Most goals: 165, Bobby Livingstone
  • Most goals in a single season: 33, Brian Third, 1972–73
  • Most capped player: Alex Keillor, 2 caps for Scotland
  • Record transfer fee paid: £25,000 to Elgin City for Kane Hester, May 2023
  • Record transfer fee received: £50,000 from Hibernian for Gary Murray, December 1980

Notable Players

Players Who Played for Their Country

Bold means the player is still playing international football.

Player Country Caps while at Montrose World Cup squads
Aaron Taylor-Sinclair Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda 0 -
Martin Boyle Australia Australia 0 1 (2022)
John McDonald Australia Australia 0 -
Jimmy Rooney Australia Australia 0 1 (1974)
Kangana Ndiwa Democratic Republic of the Congo DR Congo 0 -
Billy Hogg England England 0 -
Jesse Curran Philippines Philippines 0 -
Cammy Bell Scotland Scotland 0 -
George Bowman Scotland Scotland 1 -
Jimmy Campbell Scotland Scotland 0 -
Ned Doig Scotland Scotland 0 -
Craig Forsyth Scotland Scotland 0 -
Ian Gardiner Scotland Scotland 0 -
John Gilmour Scotland Scotland 0 -
Alex Keillor Scotland Scotland 2 -
Andy Love Scotland Scotland 0 -
Wilf Low Scotland Scotland 0 -
Allan McClory Scotland Scotland 0 -
David Robertson Scotland Scotland 0 -
Doug Rougvie Scotland Scotland 0 -
Benny Yorston Scotland Scotland 0 -
Marvin Andrews Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago 0 1 (2006)

In November 2022, former Montrose player Martin Boyle was part of the Australia squad for the 2022 World Cup. He is one of only three former Montrose players to be in a World Cup squad. The others are Jimmy Rooney (for Australia in 1974) and Marvin Andrews (for Trinidad and Tobago in 2006). Unfortunately, Boyle and Andrews were injured before their World Cups. So, Rooney is the only former Montrose player who actually played in a World Cup match.

Other Important Players

Bold means the player is still actively playing with the club. Those in italics are in the Montrose Hall of Fame.

  • Scotland Martin Allan
  • Scotland Les Barr
  • Netherlands Ivo den Bieman
  • Scotland Dennis D'Arcy
  • Scotland Hugh Davidson
  • Republic of Ireland Seán Dillon
  • Scotland Neil Forbes
  • Scotland Harry Johnston
  • Scotland Jimmy Kemp
  • Scotland Steve King
  • Scotland David Larter
  • Scotland Bobby Livingstone
  • Scotland Innes MacDonald
  • Scotland Terry Masson
  • Scotland Colin Maver
  • Scotland Colin McGlashan
  • Scotland Chic McLelland
  • Scotland Bruce Morrison
  • Scotland Willie Nicoll
  • Scotland Gary Murray
  • Scotland John Sheran
  • Scotland Andrew Steeves
  • Scotland Ian Stewart
  • Scotland Alex Stuart
  • Scotland Brian Third
  • Scotland Paul Watson
  • Scotland Graham Webster

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Montrose Football Club para niños

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