| Full name | Alclutha Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1872 | |
| Dissolved | 1888 | |
| Ground | Barloan Toll, Dumbarton | |
| Hon. Secretary | Alex. Kennedy Jr | |
Alclutha Football Club was a football club based in Dumbarton, Scotland. From 1883 the club was called Dunbritton Football Club. [1]
The name Alclutha derives from the Scots Gaelic name for the town, [2] and means "rock of the Clyde". Dunbritton is an old form of Dumbarton, meaning "Britons' fort".
Dunbartonshire was a hotbed of the game in the early years of organised football in Scotland, with the county's three leading clubs of the era, Dumbarton, Renton and Vale of Leven all forming in 1872, emerging out of shinty clubs in local factories who were turned to the association game by the influence of Queen's Park F.C. [3]
Alclutha was formed in the same year, but did not have the same factory backing. It was therefore always in the shadow of the other Dunbartonshire clubs. Although it entered the Scottish Cup consistently from 1875–76 to 1887–88, it only won one of its 12 matches in the competition.
The club's first match in the competition was arguably the club's best performance. Drawn at home to Renton, the lighter Alclutha side dominated the first half, despite kicking into the wind, and only conceded a winner in the 85th minute, after a stray pass from one of the backs allowed the heavier Renton forwards to force the ball home. [4]
The club was competitive in the 1870s, with goalkeeper Fraser being chosen for the Dunbartonshire representative side in 1876, despite both Renton and Vale of Leven having been Scottish Cup finalists. [5] However the club's lack of backing ensured it could never develop into a permanently strong club. Its best player, James McAulay, was poached by Dumbarton in 1878 after he had impressed playing as a back in the 6–0 Cup defeat by Vale of Leven. [6]
After eight consecutive first round defeats in the Cup, the club's change of name to Dunbritton brought an instant change of luck. In the 1883–84 tournament, the club was drawn to play Vale of Leven Wanderers F.C. at Alexandria, and obtained a draw; [7] even better, the club won the replay 4–0, for its only ever competitive victory.
However, after losing to Jamestown F.C. in the second round by 7–1, the club barely played. It entered the Scottish Cup for the next three seasons but withdrew every time; the Dumbartonshire Cup competition started in 1884–85 and the club entered for the first two seasons, but again withdrew before playing a match. [8]
The club's final match appears to have been a 10–2 Scottish Cup defeat at Dumbarton in 1887, [9] and the club was struck from the Scottish FA register in 1888. [10] The Alclutha name was revived for an exhibition match between former players at Dumbarton's Boghead Park in 1893. [11]
The club originally wore dark blue shirts with white knickerbockers/shorts [12] and red hose. [13] In 1878 the club changed to all navy blue, [14] and in 1881 re-adopted white knickers, but retained the navy stockings. [15] This remained the club's outfit until its demise.
The club played on a pitch near Barloan Toll in Dumbarton until 1880. [16] After then it moved to Woodyard Park. [17]
Vale of Leven Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Alexandria, in the Vale of Leven area of West Dunbartonshire. Nicknamed the Vale and formed in 1939, they play at Millburn Park. They play in the West of Scotland League Third Division, the ninth tier of Scottish football.
Renton Football Club was a football club based in Renton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Formed in 1872, they were a prominent team in the early history of Scottish football, and were one of the teams that featured in the first ever Scottish Cup fixture. They won the competition twice, in 1885 and 1888, and were also runners-up three times. Their 6–1 win against Cambuslang in 1888 is the joint record win in a Scottish Cup final.
The 1876–77 Scottish Cup – officially the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup – was the fourth season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. Entries to the competition again increased with a total of 81 clubs involved in the first round draw. This resulted in an earlier start to the competition than in previous seasons with the first matches played on 23 September 1876. The cup was won for the first time by Dunbartonshire club Vale of Leven who defeated Rangers 3–2 in a twice-replayed final.
The 1878–79 Scottish Cup – officially the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup – was the sixth season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. Defending champions Vale of Leven met Rangers in the final but, after a 1–1 draw in the original match on 19 April 1879, the replay was scratched and Vale of Leven were awarded the cup. Rangers objected to a goal being disallowed in the original match and refused to play the replay.
The 1883 Scottish Cup Final was the 10th final of the Scottish Cup and the final of the 1882–83 Scottish Cup, the most prestigious knockout football competition in Scotland. The original match - which ended in a 2–2 draw - was played at Hampden Park in Crosshill on 31 March 1883 and was watched by a crowd of 15,000 spectators. For the first time in the competition's history, the final was contested by two teams from outside Glasgow - Dumbarton, who had never won the cup before, and three-time winners Vale of Leven.
The 1877–78 season was the fifth Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at a national level.
The 1887–88 season was the 15th Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at a national level.
Star of Leven Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Alexandria, in the Vale of Leven area of West Dunbartonshire.
Helensburgh F.C. was a nineteenth-century association football club from Helensburgh in Dunbartonshire, Scotland.
Vale of Leven Wanderers Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Alexandria, in the Vale of Leven area of West Dunbartonshire.
Lennox Football Club was a 19th-century football club based in Dumbarton, in Scotland.
Dumbarton Athletic Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Dumbarton, in Scotland.
Jamestown Football Club was an association football club based in the village of Jamestown, in the Vale of Leven area of West Dunbartonshire, which entered the Scottish Cup from 1878 to 1890.
Vale of Leven Hibernians Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Alexandria, in the Vale of Leven area of Dunbartonshire, which entered the Scottish Cup in the 1880s.
Renton Thistle Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Renton, in Dunbartonshire.
Lenzie Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Lenzie, in Dunbartonshire.
Kilmaronock Thistle Football Club was an association football club based in the village of Gartocharn, in Dunbartonshire.
Union Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Dumbarton, in West Dunbartonshire.
Methlan Park Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Dumbarton, in West Dunbartonshire.
Rock Football Club, usually referred to as Dumbarton Rock, was an association football club based in the town of Dumbarton, in West Dunbartonshire.
