| Full name | Largs Athletic Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | the Athletic | |
| Founded | 1880 | |
| Dissolved | 1883 | |
| Ground | Glebe Park | |
| Secretary | Alex E. Barbour | |
Largs Athletic Football Club was a football club which existed in the early 1880s, in the town of Largs, Ayrshire, Scotland.
The first club in the town, Largs Western, had the problem that Largs was not on a railway, so travel was difficult; it scratched from its two entries in the Ayrshire Cup in 1877–78 and 1878–79. [1]
Consequently, senior football in Largs took time to settle, and Largs Athletic was the first attempt at one. The club was founded in November 1880, after a scratch match between married and single men caught the attention. [2] It was also not particularly active, due to the travel difficulties, and in 1880–81 only played 9 times, winning 7 and losing 2. [3] The club's most notable win that season was an unexpected 3–2 home win over St Mirren; the club finished the year with a positive balance of £4. [4]
The club joined the Scottish Football Association in June 1881 [5] and entered the 1881–82 Scottish Cup. Owing to some confusion at the Scottish FA, Largs Athletic was drawn to face Kilmarnock in the first round, but another club, simply called Largs, was also drawn to face Girvan. There was however no such club as Largs; unfortunately for the Athletic, it could not switch ties to play the smaller Girvan, and was beaten 6–0 at Kilmarnock. It also lost in its Ayrshire Cup debut, 5–2 at Beith Thistle.
1882–83 was the club's last season, as it was unable to secure its ground for the following campaign. [6] It once more lost in the first round of the Scottish Cup - 7–0 at Annbank [7] - but rode its luck in the Ayrshire to reach the semi-final; it had one bye, one walkover after Rankinston "lost its train", [8] and one win, over West Kilbride. West Kilbride protested about Largs having "imported" players "from Glasgow, Rothesay &c" [9] but as there was no evidence West Kilbride lost both its appeal and its deposit. [10] In the semi-final Athletic's luck ran out, losing 10–0 to Lugar Boswell.
The club wore scarlet jerseys and hose, and white knickers. [11]
The club's ground was Glebe Park in Brisbane Road. [12] The club had had great difficulty in securing it as its ground, and after its first season had to pay a rent that "would put a Land Leaguer into hysterics". [13]
Ayrshire is a historic county and registration county, in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. The lieutenancy area of Ayrshire and Arran covers the entirety of the historic county as well as the island of Arran, formerly part of the historic county of Buteshire. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Renfrewshire and Lanarkshire to the north-east, Dumfriesshire to the south-east, and Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire to the south. Like many other counties of Scotland, it currently has no administrative function, instead being sub-divided into the council areas of East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire. It has a population of approximately 366,800.
The Ayrshire Coast Line is one of the lines within the Strathclyde suburban rail network in Scotland. It has 26 stations and connects the Ayrshire coast to Glasgow. There are three branches, to Largs, Ardrossan Harbour and Ayr, all running into the high level at Glasgow Central.
Ardrossan is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. The town has a population of 10,670 and forms part of a conurbation with Saltcoats and Stevenston known as the 'Three Towns'. Ardrossan is located on the east shore of the Firth of Clyde.
Stagecoach West Scotland is an operating region of Stagecoach UK Bus, comprising Western Buses Ltd based in Ayr, Scotland.
Largs Thistle Football Club are a Scottish football club, based in the town of Largs, North Ayrshire. Nicknamed The Theesel, they were formed in 1889 and play at Barrfields Park. Currently playing in the West of Scotland League Premier Division, they wear gold and black strips. Their main rivals are Beith Juniors and Kilbirnie Ladeside.
The Largs Branch is a railway line in Scotland, serving communities on the north Ayrshire Coast, as well as the deep water ocean terminal at Hunterston. It branches from the Glasgow to Ayr line at Kilwinning.
Mauchline Football Club was a senior football team based in the small town of Mauchline in East Ayrshire.
The Ayrshire Cup was an annual association football regional competition in Scotland. The cup competition was a knockout tournament between football clubs in the historic county of Ayrshire. The Ayrshire Cup was first held in 1877–78, the trophy being a solid silver vase, 30 inches high, and valued at £100, designed by Messrs John Cameron & Son. The first winners were Mauchline.
Lanemark Football Club was based in the town of New Cumnock, and was one of a number of football clubs formed in the late nineteenth century in and around the Ayrshire coalfield.
The 1881–82 Scottish Cup – officially the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup – was the ninth season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. A total of 147 teams entered the competition, five more than the previous record set in 1879–80. For the second season in a row, defending champions Queen's Park played Dumbarton in the final. After the original match finished in a 2–2 draw on 18 March 1882, Queen's Park won the trophy for a sixth time with a 4–1 win in the replay 1 April 1882.
Coylton Coila Football Club was a Scottish association football club based in the village of Coylton, Ayrshire.
The West of Scotland Football League (WoSFL) is a senior football league based in the west of Scotland. The league sits at levels 6–10 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Lowland Football League.
Kilmarnock Athletic Football Club was an association football club from Ayrshire in Scotland.
Dean Football Club, sometimes referred to as Kilmarnock Dean, was an association football club from Kilmarnock in Ayrshire.
Catrine Football Club was a Scottish association football club based in the village of Catrine, Ayrshire.
Paisley Athletic Football Club was a Scottish football team located in the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire.
Beith Thistle F.C. was an association football club from the town of Beith in Ayrshire.
Rankinston Football Club was an association football club from the village of Rankinston, Ayrshire.
