Blackburn United F.C.

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Blackburn United
Full nameBlackburn United Football Club
Nickname(s)The Burnie
Founded1978
GroundPurdie Worldwide Community Stadium
(New Murrayfield Park)
Ash Grove
Blackburn
Capacity1,500
PresidentIan McGinty
ManagerAndrew Meechan
League East of Scotland League First Division
2023–24 East of Scotland League First Division, 10th of 15
Website Club website

Blackburn United Football Club are a Scottish football club from the town of Blackburn, West Lothian. The team plays at Tier 6 of the Scottish Football Pyramid in the East of Scotland League First Division having moved from the junior leagues in 2018. [1] Blackburn United became full members of the Scottish Football Association in June 2019.

Contents

History

Formed in 1978, the club joined the junior grade of football two years later before taking the step up into Senior football in 2018. United play their home matches at the purpose-built Purdie Worldwide Community Stadium (New Murrayfield Park), which has room for 1,100 spectators, in the centre of the town. The whole facility that is the Purdie Worldwide Community Stadium complex boasts a six-dressing room pavilion and associated amenities, an enclosed and floodlit 3G main Stadium pitch and three further 11-a-side pitches.

The club was one of many to move from junior football to the East of Scotland Football League in 2018. [1]

Community Club

The Club forms the pinnacle of the Blackburn United Community Sports Club, a fully accredited SFA Community Club and Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation which, in addition to adult semi-professional football, caters for under age football at all ages from under-9 to under-20 as well as ladies, girls and additional needs football and a variety of other sporting activities. For younger age groups there is a soccer school with its own dedicated coaches.

Current squad

As of 14 November 2020 [2]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
— GK Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Craig Saunders
— GK Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Gavin King
— DF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Martin Lawrie
— DF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO James Mildren
— DF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Finlay Anderson
— DF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Kyle McClung
— DF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO John Drummond
— DF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Lewis Alexander
— MF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Stuart MacLeod
— MF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO David Howe
— MF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Michael Browne(captain)
No.Pos.NationPlayer
— MF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Kieran Swanson
— MF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Dominic Kane
— MF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Marc Smith(on loan from Livingston)
— MF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Justin Watson(on loan from Livingston)
— MF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Richie Hutton
— MF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Marley Redfern(on loan from Hamilton Academical)
— MF Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Calum McDowall
— FW Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Danny Campbell
— FW Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Laurie Devine
— FW Flag of Scotland.svg  SCO Jordan Devine

Club staff

Board of directors

RoleNationalityName
President Flag of Scotland.svg Ian McGinty
Vice-president Flag of Scotland.svg James Johnstone
Secretary Flag of Scotland.svg David Jones
Treasurer Flag of Scotland.svg Angela Campbell
Coach Development Officer Flag of Scotland.svg Brian Smillie

Coaching staff

RoleNationalityName
Manager Flag of Scotland.svg Andrew Meechan
Assistant manager Flag of Scotland.svg David Gibson
Physio Flag of Scotland.svg Lee Reid

Source

Managerial history

NameNationalityYears
Alex 'Kitty' Dunnigan Flag of Scotland.svg 1984-1986 [3]
Dick Hodgson Flag of Scotland.svg 1986 [4]
Jim Henderson Flag of Scotland.svg 1986-1989 [5]
Mark Campbell Flag of Scotland.svg 2005-2022 [6]
Jamie McCormick Flag of Scotland.svg 2022-2024 [6]
Andrew Meechan Flag of Scotland.svg 2024- [7]

c Caretaker manager

Club records

Appearances

The club's record appearance holder until March 2014 was Craig Spence who, after signing from Airdrieonians at the beginning of the 1998–99 season, made 375 appearances and scored 20 goals before retiring in August 2012. [8] On 15 March 2014, fellow Airdrie man Alan Brown, signed as a teenager at the beginning of the 1997–98 season and who had three spells at the club, surpassed Spence's record when making his 376th appearance for the club, scoring his 68th goal in the process. Alan went onto make a total of 409 appearances, scoring 69 goals, before leaving the club at the end of the 2014/15 season. [8]

Goals

The club's record goalscorer is Andy McQuillan who, at the beginning of season 2019–20, had netted 173 goals in 235 starts and 24 substitute appearances. [8]

Notable former players

The following players have either played for Blackburn United before going onto forge careers at a higher level or have played for one of the club's predecessors before similarly going onto play at a higher level;

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References

  1. 1 2 McLauchlin, Brian (7 June 2018). "East of Scotland League vote signals exodus of 25 junior clubs". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  2. ↑ "Squad – Blackburn United Football Club" . Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  3. ↑ "Celebrating 30 years of Blackburn Utd".
  4. ↑ "Vol 26 No 6 Programme v Glenrothes".
  5. ↑ "37 The Bear facts tigers may appeal DAILY RECORD Thursday February 16 1989 Mighty Milne has run out of time".
  6. 1 2 "Blackburn United boss reflects on amazing 27-year spell with club as he retires".
  7. ↑ "After a thorough interview process, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Andrew Meechan as manager". 22 June 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Historical club website

55°52′24″N3°37′09″W / 55.873368°N 3.619214°W / 55.873368; -3.619214

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