History
At the club's AGM in May 2025, it was unanimously agreed that the history of Neilston Victoria FC (1897-1940) should always have been part of the history of Neilston Juniors FC (known as Neilston FC from 2020)
The year of formation on the club badge has been changed to show the correct year of formation as 1897.
Neilston Victoria were formed in 1897 as a juvenile club who ground shared Broadlie Park with the village's SFA senior side at that time, Neilston FC. We initially played in an all light blue kit.
In 1899 the land at Broadlie Park was needed for a new goods yard to be built next to the proposed Neilston railway station. Neilston Victoria Secretary John Kirk Junior secured a lease on the Crofthead Mill recreation ground at Brig O'Lea and we opened the new ground with a match against Springhill from Barrhead on the 14th October 1899.
In 1901 Neilston Victoria left juvenile football and joined the Scottish Junior Football Association and played in the Western Junior League. Our kit was black and white hoops with black shorts and socks.
In 1903 we won our first trophy, beating Levern Victoria 2-1 at Summerlea Park, Thornliebank in the Glasgow South-Side Junior Cup Final.
A new pavilion was built at Brig O'Lea in 1904 which would eventually be replaced by the current one in December 1964.
The club had to leave Brig O'Lea for two seasons in 1912 when the Crofthead Mill wanted the park for cricket and a football team called Alexander's XI. We relocated to a new ground at Kirktonfield where we won our first league championship title, winning the Scottish Junior League in season 1912/13. By this time the club was wearing red shirts with white shorts and red socks.
In 1914 the club were singled out in the newspapers, along with Port Glasgow Athletic, for the high number of players who were enlisting during the First World War. However the club stopped playing in April 1940 when the Second World War was showing no signs of ending.
On Monday 4th June 1945 a public meeting was held in the old wooden clubhouse at Brig O’Lea to bring back junior football at Brig O'Lea. The following men were responsible for getting the club back playing - President J Dunlop, Vice President T Young, Secretary W Neil, Treasurer J Muir, Minute Secretary R Miller and the General Committee of J Docherty, A Little, J McCartney, J Smith and H Toner. The club changed its name to Neilston Juniors and joined the Western League (North) to play with predominantly Ayrshire clubs.
Just two years after resuming playing, the club finished the 1946/47 season as the Western League Champions and also won the Western League Cup and Renfrewshire Cup.
Renfrew District Council took over ownership of Brig O’Lea Stadium in the early 1960s and built a new clubhouse and installed floodlights for season 1964/65. The new look stadium was opened on Monday 21st December 1964 when Neilston Juniors played Greenock Morton under the new floodlights.
The first competitive junior match under floodlights took place at Brig O'Lea Stadium on the 17th February 1965 when Neilston Juniors defeated Kilwinning Rangers 4-3 in a Western League (North) fixture. STV's Scotsport cameras showed highlights on television later that evening along with highlights of the Inter Milan v Rangers European Cup quarter final.
In 1968 we left the Western League to join the Central League and in our first season we finished runners-up to Petershill in the "B" Division. In season 1970–71 we were "C" Division Champions.
On 6th October 1998 we won our first major trophy in 51 years by defeating Baillieston 5–0 at Fir Park, Motherwell in the Beatons Sectional League Cup Final.
Season 2002–03 saw Neilston Juniors come close to being crowned the first ever champions of the newly created West Super League Premier Division but we missed out on goal difference to Pollok.
We recorded our highest ever victory on 9th November 2002 when we defeated Kinloss away 15-1 in the Scottish Junior Cup 2nd round. Season 2005/06 was our most successful for 50 years as we finished champions of the Stagecoach Super League First Division and won the Carlsberg Sectional League Cup against East Kilbride Thistle 4–3 on penalties after a 0–0 draw at Firhill Stadium on 4th October 2005 to give the club a well deserved double.
We won our 5th league title in season 2013/14 when we won the Central District First Division Championship.
In 2020 we left the West Region of the SJFA and moved to the newly formed West of Scotland Football League as part of the Scottish FA league pyramid system with members voting to drop the "Juniors" part of the club's name. [2]
The club returned to SJFA membership in season 2024/25 and competed in the Scottish Junior Cup for the first time since season 2019/20.
We won our 6th league title in our history when we won the West of Scotland Football League 2nd Division Championship in season 2024/25.
Notable players
Tommy Adams - won the Scottish Cup and the League Cup with East Fife
Stevie Aitken - manager of Stranraer and Dumbarton
Willie Bell - capped for Scotland and manager of Birmingham City
Dixie Deans - won the Scottish 1st Division, the Scottish Cup, the League Cup and the Drybrough Cup with Celtic. Capped for Scotland
Danny Diver - manager of East Stirlingshire
John Fulton - won the Victory Cup with St Mirren
George Fyfe - won the English United League Cup with Watford
George Hunter - won the Scottish Cup with Celtic
Jimmy Lawson - won the Scottish Cup with Dundee
James Leslie - scored the 1st ever goal at Roker Park, Sunderland
Tom McArthur - won the English 2nd Division with Leicester City
Bob McKay - won the Scottish Cup with Morton, the English 1st Division with Newcastle United, capped for Scotland and Dundee United manager.
John McLeod - won the English 1st Division with Manchester City and the English 3rd Division with Millwall
Hammy McMeechan - won the Dockerty Cup, the Ampol Cup, the Victoria State League Championship all in Australia and capped for Australia
Tommy McMillan - won the Scottish Cup and Drybrough cup with Aberdeen, capped for Scotland u23's and manager of Inverness Thistle
Jim Pearson - capped for Australia
John Smith - won the English 2nd Division with Middlesbrough and capped for Scotland
Bobby Templeton - 11 years as Hibernian manager
Bob Thyne - capped for Scotland
Peter Weir - won the Scottish Premier League, the Scottish Cup, the League Cup, the European Cup Winners' Cup, the European Super Cup and capped for Scotland
Ian Young - won the Scottish 1st Division, the Scottish Cup and the League Cup with Celtic and capped for Scotland u23's
