Full name | Johnstone Athletic Football Club | |
---|---|---|
Founded | 1878 | |
Dissolved | 1884 | |
Ground | Mossbank Park | |
Johnstone Athletic Football Club was a football club based in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, in Scotland.
The club was one of three senior clubs in Johnstone formed in 1878, along with Johnstone F.C. and Johnstone Rovers. It quickly became the biggest side in the town, with 140 members, compared to Johnstone's 90 and the Rovers' 120, by 1880, [1] which also made it the biggest side in Renfrewshire.
It was the only club from the town to enter the first Renfrewshire Cup, in 1878–79, although the club lost in the first round to the 23rd R.R.V. by 2 goals to 0. [2]
The appetite for football in Johnstone was such that the clubs formed their own Johnstone association, which created a cup competition from 1878–79; the tie between the Athletics and Johnstone in September 1879, which ended 2–2, was attended by a crowd of 2,000, [3] as was the second replay (at Mossdale Park), won 1–0 by Johnstone. [4]
The Athletic was the first in the town to enter the Scottish Cup, doing so in 1879–80. Its first season in the competition was its most successful. After getting a walkover in the first round, the Athletic beat Cartvale 6–0 (plus one disputed) in the second round [5] and Kennishead 3–1 in the third. [6] In the fourth round (final 22) the Athletic lost 4–2 at home to Rob Roy of Callander. [7]
The Athletic entered the Scottish Cup for the next four years, but lost in the first round every time. Its record in the Renfrewshire Cup was little better. Only in 1883–84 did the club win more than one tie; in the first round the club walked off the pitch when 6–3 down to the Sir John Maxwell [8] and lost a replay 2–1 in extra time, but successfully protested that the Sir John had arrived 25 minutes late - despite being at home - and the Sir John was disqualified. [9] In the second the club beat Clippens in a "somewhat rough game" 4–0 [10] but, at 4–1 down to Thornliebank in the quarter-final, the Athletic walked off with 35 minutes to go and put in a protest regarding the weather, to no avail. [11]
With the growth of under-the-counter professionalism, Johnstone was too small a town to host three senior football sides; as early as 1881 the Johnstone chairman, Bailie Love, made tentative suggestions of combining the Johnstone and Athletic teams. [12] The Athletic was the first to dissolve; although it had started out as the largest side in the area, it was soon overtaken in members by Rovers and ability by Johnstone (who won the first three Johnstone & District Cups [13] ), and in terms of membership size also by the clubs from Paisley.
The club's last activity was hosting athletic games - which included a 4-a-side tournament, won by Olympic of Greenock - in July 1884. [14] It did not pay its subscription for the 1884–85 season and was removed from the Scottish Football Association roll. [15] The name was taken up by a Junior club in Dundee. [16]
The club originally played in navy blue jerseys and knickers, and navy blue and white stockings. [17] It adopted white knickers in 1883. [18]
The club played at Mossbank Park, 5 minutes' walk from the station.
The 1879–80 Scottish Cup – officially the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup – was the seventh season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. With 142 entrants, this season saw the largest number of teams to compete for the trophy since its inception. Three-time defending champions Vale of Leven lost their first match in the competition for four seasons when they were knocked out in the first round, losing 4–3 to rivals Dumbarton. Queen's Park regained the trophy as they won the competition for the fourth time after beating Thornliebank 3–0 in the final on 21 February 1880.
Thornliebank Football Club was a football club that existed between 1875 and 1907, based in Thornliebank, Renfrewshire, Scotland.
Airdrie Football Club was a Scottish association football club based in the town of Airdrie, Lanarkshire.
Pollokshields Athletic F.C. was a Scottish football team, based in the Pollokshields district of Glasgow.
Battlefield Football Club, often referred to as The Battlefield, was a 19th-century football club based in Langside, in Glasgow. The club took its name from the site of the Battle of Langside in 1568.
Cartvale Football Club was a shortlived football club from Busby, East Renfrewshire that existed from 1878 until 1890. The club regularly competed in the Scottish Cup and reached the semi-finals in 1882.
Kilbirnie Football Club was a football club from the village of Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, Scotland.
Drumpellier Football Club was a Scottish football team located in the town of Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Whitehill Football Club was a Scottish association football club based in Dennistoun, in Glasgow.
Yoker Football Club was an association football club based in the Scottish town of Yoker, now part of Glasgow.
Pollokshaws Football Club was a Scottish football team, based in Pollokshaws, now part of Glasgow.
Sir John Maxwell Football Club was a Scottish football team, based in Pollokshaws, now part of Glasgow.
Pollok Football Club was a Scottish football team, based in Pollokshaws, now part of Glasgow.
The Glasgow United Young Men's Christian Association Athletic Club was a 19th-century athletics club from Kelvinside in Glasgow, and whose football club entered the Scottish Cup in the 1880s.
Neilston Football Club was a Scottish football team, based in Neilston, in Renfrewshire, Scotland.
Strathblane Football Club was a Scottish football club located in Strathblane, Stirlingshire.
Johnstone Rovers Football Club was a football club based in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, in Scotland.
Johnstone Harp Football Club was a football club based in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, in Scotland.
The 1st Renfrewshire Rifle Volunteers Football Club was a 19th-century association football club based in Greenock, Scotland.
Woodvale Football Club was a football club based in Thornliebank, Renfrewshire, in Scotland.