Port Glasgow Athletic F.C. facts for kids

Port Glasgow Athletic was a football club from Port Glasgow, Scotland. The club started in 1878 and was first called Broadfield. They changed their name to Port Glasgow Athletic in 1881. They played in the Scottish Football League from 1893 to 1911. Their home ground was Clune Park.

Club History

The club first played at Devol Farm in Port Glasgow. Later, they moved to a new ground called Clune Park, located on Glasgow Road in the town.

Port Glasgow Athletic played one season in the Scottish Football Alliance in 1891–92. The next year, 1892–93, they mostly played cup games and friendly matches.

Joining the Scottish League

They rejoined the Scottish Alliance for the 1893–94 season. However, before the season began, the Scottish Alliance became part of the Scottish Football League. It was renamed as the Scottish Football League Division Two.

In their first season in the Scottish League, the club had seven points taken away. This was because they broke some rules. For a short time, this meant they had minus two points, putting them at the very bottom of the division!

Reaching the Top Division

After winning Division Two in 1901–02, Port Glasgow Athletic moved up to Division One. This was the top level of Scottish football.

Even though they often played as an amateur club (meaning players were not paid), they managed to stay in Division One for eight years. This was a big achievement for them.

Cup Success and Key Players

The club did well in the Scottish Cup, reaching the semi-finals twice. This happened in 1898–99 and again in 1905–06. In the 1905–06 season, they even beat Rangers, a very famous team, in the quarter-finals! They also often played in the Glasgow Cup.

One of their most famous players was Gladstone Hamilton. He was the only player from Port Glasgow Athletic to play for the Scotland national team. He played on the left wing when Scotland beat Ireland 1–0 in the 1906 British Home Championship. His two brothers also played for Scotland, but they played for a different club called Queen's Park. Gladstone later moved to England to play for Brentford.

End of the Club

Port Glasgow Athletic was moved down to Division Two in 1909–10. They finished eighth in the 1910–11 Division Two table.

The club had money problems and decided not to try and rejoin the Scottish League. After leaving the league, they joined the Scottish Football Union. However, they stopped playing as a senior team partway through that season. Many of their amateur players then joined Port Glasgow Athletic Juniors. This junior club might have started as the main club's third team back in the 1890s.

The Nickname "The Undertakers"

The club was sometimes called "The Undertakers." The reason for this nickname is not completely clear. One idea is that a local funeral director helped start the club. A more likely reason is that they were known as "The Undertakers" because they wore black and white uniforms.

Honours

• Scottish Football League
  • Division Two champions: 1901–02

• Scottish Qualifying Cup
  • Winners: 1897–98

• Renfrewshire Cup
  • Winners: 1884–85, 1894–95, 1895–96, 1899–1900, 1908–09

See also

In Spanish: Port Glasgow Athletic Football Club para niños

• Category:Port Glasgow Athletic F.C. players