Maryhill Harp F.C.

Last updated

Maryhill Harp
Full nameMaryhill Hibernians Football Club (1923–1939)
Maryhill Harp Football Club (1939–1967)
Nickname(s)The Hibs, Harp
Founded1923
Dissolved1967
GroundKelvinvale Park [1]
Glasgow
League Scottish Junior League 1923–1941
Central Junior League 1941–1967

Maryhill Harp Football Club were a Scottish football club based in the Maryhill area of Glasgow, who played in Scottish Junior Football Association competitions from 1923 until they went out of business in 1967. Before 1939, the club were known as Maryhill Hibernians. They won the Scottish Junior Cup once, in 1928.

Contents

History

Maryhill Hibernian were formed in 1923 and admitted to the Scottish Junior League (SJL), using Kelvinvale Park in Maryhill as their home ground. Their greatest season came in 1927–28 and coincided with the Intermediate dispute in the Junior game. With several more successful clubs such as Baillieston, Duntocher Hibs and Yoker Athletic defecting from the SJL to the Intermediates, plus no Intermediate representation in the Junior Cup, Hibernians won a league and cup double. Their 6–2 victory over Burnbank Athletic at Firhill remains the highest scoring Junior Cup final in the competition's history. Willie Gray, who scored four of the goals, was already Hibs first Scotland Junior internationalst, being capped against Ireland in March 1928. He and fellow scorer Joe Riley both joined Celtic the following season along with goalkeeper David Nicol. [2]

Hibs added a second SJL championship title in 1932–33 but the dispersed nature of the league, with clubs from towns such as Dunoon and Rothesay, and the ebbing away of local opposition to other leagues, was becoming financially untenable. After a few struggling years, the club submitted their resignation to the league in May 1939 and declared their intention to apply for membership of the Central League. The SJL however, refused to accept the resignation and the incumbent Hibs committee chose to close the club down in early June 1939. [2]

Immediately, a new club Maryhill Harp was founded by former Hibernians officials and by the end of June 1939, they had intimated their intention to apply for the Central League using Hibs' former Kelvinvale Park. At the Central League AGM however, the Harp application surprisingly failed at the first ballot and the club were obliged to re-apply to the SJL, who readmitted the club. Within months, the outbreak of World War II affected football activities dramatically. Wartime travel restrictions badly hampered the running of the SJL and by February 1940, the league announced it would close down. A small wartime league was constituted in March 1940 and this ran for a second year in 1940–41 before the SJL went into complete abeyance for the rest of the war. [2]

The club were finally admitted to the Central League in 1941–42. Their first season was a relatively successful one, winning their league section only to lose to Clydebank in the championship play-off. Latterly, Harp enjoyed moderate success, although they reached the final of the West of Scotland Cup in 1954–55, losing in a replay to Douglas Water Thistle. The end for the club was signalled in January 1967 when Glasgow Corporation compulsory purchased Kelvinvale Park for new housing. Harp played their final match on 7 June 1967 against Greenock Juniors losing 1–0. Although the area of the ground has been completely redeveloped, Kelvinvale was located around present day Kilmun Street / Ledgowan Place. [1] [2]

Hibs/Harp was generally run on a low cost basis and supplied players for wealthier Junior clubs and Senior teams. The club had a fruitful relationship with Celtic who loaned out many youth prospects and picked up the occasional player themselves. As well as the three aforementioned players from Hibernians' Junior Cup winning side, Celtic also signed Charlie Napier and Peter Scarff the following year with the latter winning one cap for the full Scotland team. In the Harp era, players exchanged between the two clubs included Hugh Long, Willie Miller, Duncan MacKay, Bertie Auld, Frank Haffey and Jimmy Quinn with all but Quinn becoming full Scotland internationalists. [2]

Honours

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hibernian F.C.</span> Association football club in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland

Hibernian Football Club, commonly known as Hibs, is a professional football club based in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland. The club plays in the Scottish Premiership, the top tier of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). The club was founded in 1875 by members of Edinburgh's Irish community, and named after the Roman word for Ireland. Nowadays, while the Irish heritage of Hibernian is still reflected in the name, colours and badge, support for the club is now based more on geography than ethnicity or religion. Their local rivals are Heart of Midlothian, with whom they contest the Edinburgh derby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larkhall Thistle F.C.</span> Association football club in Scotland

Larkhall Thistle Football Club is a football club from Larkhall, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Formed in 1878, "the Jags" are Scotland's oldest continuous Junior football club and currently compete in the West of Scotland League Third Division. The team plays in red and white stripes and its home ground since 1881 has been Gasworks Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maryhill F.C.</span> Association football club in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK

Maryhill Football Club are an association football team based in the Maryhill area of Glasgow, Scotland. The team is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association, now playing in the West of Scotland Football League Second Division in the 2022-23 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Anthony's F.C.</span> Association football club in Scotland

St Anthony's Football Club is a Scottish non-league football club based in Glasgow. Nicknamed the Ants, they play in green-and-white hooped kits and currently operate in the West of Scotland League Second Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blantyre Victoria F.C.</span> Association football club in Scotland

Blantyre Victoria Football Club, also known as Blantyre Vics, are a Scottish association football club based in the town of Blantyre, South Lanarkshire. Formed in 1889, they play at KG Stadium. They currently compete in the West of Scotland Football League First Division in the seventh tier of the Scottish football league system. Historically, they shared a healthy rivalry with Blantyre Celtic who played nearby at Craighead Park, until Celtic were dissolved in 1992. The team have been managed since June 2016 by former Alloa and Stirling Albion midfielder John Gibson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wishaw F.C.</span> Association football club in Scotland

Wishaw Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the town of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire. The club currently competes in the West of Scotland League Second Division.

William Esplin Ormond was a Scottish football player and manager. As a player, Ormond was well known as one of Hibernian's Famous Five forward line, winning three league championships in the late 1940s and early 1950s. After a successful spell managing St Johnstone he led Scotland to the 1974 World Cup finals. Scotland were unbeaten at that World Cup, but were eliminated on goal difference.

Robert Lowe McPhail was a Scottish professional footballer, who played for Airdrieonians, Rangers and represented Scotland.

Gordon Smith was a Scottish footballer. He is the only player to have won a Scottish league championship with three clubs: Hibernian, Heart of Midlothian, and Dundee. Smith also represented Scotland and the Scottish League XI.

Robert Auld was a Scottish football player and manager. He was a member of Celtic's Lisbon Lions, who won the 1967 European Cup Final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy McMenemy</span> Scottish footballer

James McMenamin, was a Scottish footballer who most notably played for Celtic from 1902 to 1920 and later served as assistant manager in the 1930s. He has been described by the club as "a true Celtic legend".

The Scottish Junior Football League (SJL) was a Scottish football competition that, through various incarnations, existed from 1892 to 1947.

Joseph Montgomery Harper is a Scottish former footballer, mainly remembered for his two spells with Aberdeen, during which he won the three main domestic trophies once each and became the club's record goalscorer with 206 goals in major competitions. He also played for Morton and Hibernian in Scotland, and for Huddersfield Town and Everton in England. He finished his career in the Highland League.

Joseph McBride was a Scottish footballer who played for clubs including Celtic, Hibernian, Motherwell and Dunfermline Athletic. He was a prolific striker and has the third highest tally of goals in the Scottish league since football resumed after the Second World War. McBride also represented both Scotland and the Scottish League.

Hugh Shaw was a Scottish football player and manager, most notably with Hibernian.

Duntocher Hibernian Football Club were a Scottish Junior football club from the village of Duntocher, West Dunbartonshire, who played in three spells over a period of 86 years. Based at Glenhead Park from 1929, the club colours were green with white sleeves.

The Summer Cup was a Scottish football competition open to teams in the top division, first of the wartime Southern League from 1940 to 1945 and then of the Scottish League from 1963 to 1965.

Cambuslang Hibernian F.C., also known as the Cambuslang Hibs, was a football club based in the town of Cambuslang, Scotland which was founded in 1884 and dissolved in 1908. They competed in regional competitions and the Scottish Cup during the 1880s, and after turning Junior, they won the Scottish Junior Cup in 1896.

Bridgeton Waverley Football Club was a Scottish football club based in Glasgow. Originally founded in 1904, they competed in the Junior grade from 1923 until folding in 1962.

William Hannah Miller was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre half for Hibernian.

References

  1. 1 2 OS National Grid Maps, 1944-1967, Explore georeferenced maps (National Library of Scotland)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Reilly, Brian (2008). The Maryhill Hibernians Story. Lulu.

Sources

Coordinates: 55°53′52″N4°17′46″W / 55.897756°N 4.296214°W / 55.897756; -4.296214

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.