| Full name | Rankinston F.C. | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | the Mountaineers | |
| Founded | 1876 | |
| Dissolved | 1883 | |
| Ground | Littlemills | |
| Match Secretary | Hugh Reynolds, Irvin Clifford | |
Rankinston Football Club was an association football club from the village of Rankinston, Ayrshire.
| Full name | Rankinston F.C. | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | the Mountaineers | |
| Founded | 1876 | |
| Dissolved | 1883 | |
| Ground | Littlemills | |
| Match Secretary | Hugh Reynolds, Irvin Clifford | |
Rankinston Football Club was an association football club from the village of Rankinston, Ayrshire.
The club was founded as Rankinston Mountaineers in 1876. Apart from a one-off reference in a friendly against Coylton Coila in 1880, [1] its last recorded match under its full name was against Mauchline in February 1878, [2] and the club was formally registered as Rankinston, although the media occasionally used the Rankinstone spelling.
It was never a large club; its highest membership, in its last season of 1882–83, was a mere 35. [3] It was also never very active, only playing 10 matches in its last season before turning senior, [4] and 9 in its first senior season.
Nevertheless, it was one of the inaugural entrants to the Ayrshire Cup in 1877–78, and it won through to the third round on three occasions, its best performance in 1879–80 seeing it only lose narrowly at Kilmarnock Athletic at that stage.
Perhaps encouraged by that the club turned senior and entered the 1880–81 Scottish Cup. It entered the national competition three times, and every time was drawn against Maybole in the first round. The first tie between the sides in 1880–81 was a brutal one, Maybole allegedly audibly deciding to play the man rather than the ball, only for Rankinston to retaliate to greater effect, reducing Maybole to 10 men, and winning 1–0, two further goals "disallowed by the referee from Maybole". [5] Maybole however protested successfully against the lack of ropes and the Mountaineers' rough play, and the Scottish FA ordered a replay with a neutral referee. [6] The replay took place at Springvale Park, the home of Ayr F.C., and Maybole scored a "decisive" 3–1 victory. [7] Rankinston had a change of approach in the aftermath - its thrilling 5–5 draw with Hurlford in the Ayrshire Cup later in October was "one of the best ever played in Rankinston" and "of a friendly nature all through". [8]
Its remaining Scottish Cup entries however were ignominious. In 1881–82 Maybole won 7–0 [9] and in 1882–83 Rankinston simply scratched. [10]
The club's last run in the Ayrshire Cup, in 1882–83, came to an unfortunate end; drawn at Largs Athletic in the quarter-final, the club's players missed the train, and the club had to scratch. [11] The club's formal end came when it was struck off the Scottish FA's roll in August 1883. [12] The name was revived for a Junior club in 1890. [13]
The club wore black and white jerseys and hose. [14]
The club's ground, Littlemills, was 2½ miles from Drongan railway station. [15]
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.
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.
Ayr Thistle Football Club was a Scottish football team from the town of Ayr.
Coylton Coila Football Club was a Scottish association football club based in the village of Coylton, Ayrshire.
Kilmarnock Athletic Football Club was an association football club from Ayrshire in Scotland.
Hurlford Football Club was a football club that existed from 1875 to 1924, from the village of Hurlford, Ayrshire, Scotland.
Maybole Football Club was a football club which existed from 1880 to 1891, in the town of Maybole, Ayrshire, Scotland.
Cumnock Football Club was an association football club from Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland.
Maybole Carrick Football Club was a football club which existed in the 1870s, from the town of Maybole, Ayrshire, Scotland.
Catrine Football Club was a Scottish association football club based in the village of Catrine, Ayrshire.
Pilgrims Football Club was a Scottish football club based in Govan, now in Glasgow, active in the 19th century.
Cartside Football Club was a football club based in Kilbarchan, near Johnstone, Renfrewshire, in Scotland.
Ayr Rovers Football Club was an association football club from Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland.
Ladywell F.C. was a football club from Maybole, Ayrshire, active in the 1870s.
Largs Athletic Football Club was a football club which existed in the early 1880s, in the town of Largs, Ayrshire, Scotland.
Beith Thistle F.C. was an association football club from the town of Beith in Ayrshire.
Darnconner Britannia F.C. was an association football club from the lost village of Darnconner, near Auchinleck in Ayrshire.