| Full name | Star of Leven Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | the Juniors [1] | |
| Founded | 1873 | |
| Dissolved | 1882 | |
| Ground | Bridge Street | |
| Secretary | Alexander Campbell | |
Star of Leven Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Alexandria, in the Vale of Leven area of West Dunbartonshire.
The club was founded in 1873, in the wake of other clubs in the West Dunbartonshire area such as Vale of Leven F.C., Renton F.C., and Dumbarton F.C. [2] Unlike the more successful clubs in the area, the club did not have any backing from local factories, and remained wholly amateur. One of the club's earliest matches was a 1–0 win over Rangers F.C. [3]
At the start of the 1874–75 season, one of the club's players, 19 year old Robert Atherley, a shoemaker in Alexandria, died of a ruptured stomach, [4] after receiving a kick in a match against the Lily club of Renton. [5]
The club entered the Scottish Cup for the first time in 1874–75, losing to Glasgow club West End in the first round. With the success of the other clubs in the area, Star remained a minnow in the game, and only won one Cup tie in the first phase of its existence - against the 10th Dumbartonshire Rifle Volunteers F.C. in 1876–77. In 1877–78, the club walked off the pitch after a second goal was given against it in a repeat first round tie with the 10th D.R.V., [6] and in 1878–79, the club was drawn to play Renton, scratching rather than playing out a likely heavy defeat.
By 1879, the club was defunct; the club had lost players to other clubs in the area and never had enough playing members to form a reserve side. However, a number of teenage players, under the leadership of Johnny Forbes, had formed a juvenile club which they named Star of Leven Juniors, as the Star gave them spare footballs with which to play, and, as Star had entered the Scottish Cup for 1879–80 before its demise, they decided to submit a team. In the first round, the club was drawn to play Jamestown, and lost after a series of controversial refereeing decisions from Robert Paton, a Vale of Leven player. [7] The Star protested on the basis that Paton was a member of the Jamestown club, but the protest was dismissed [8] after Paton gave evidence that he was not a member. [9]
Jamestown reached the third round, by which time it was the only Levenside club remaining in the competition, Vale of Leven having lost to Dumbarton in the first round. Paton (as well as three other Vale players) was not Cup-tied so played for Jamestown in its third round win over Lennox. [10] This however meant that Lennox protested on the basis that the four Vale players were not bona fide members of the Jamestown club - and after the Scottish FA committee heard the evidence, it decided that Paton had indeed been a member of Jamestown before the first round, and so ineligible to referee the Jamestown-Star tie. [11] It therefore disqualified Jamestown and re-instated Star, who lost to Kirkintilloch Athletic (which was the 10th D.R.V. under a new name) in the second round. [12]
By the end of the 1879–80 season, Forbes had joined Vale of Leven, and the club struggled on for two more seasons. Star gained another win in the Scottish Cup by beating Kirkintilloch Athletic in the first round in 1880–81. The club was finally struck off the Scottish FA register in 1882. [13] A junior club of the same name started up soon after but only lasted for a brief period. [14]
The club's colours were red shirts, white shorts, and blue and white hose. [15]
The club generally played on an unenclosed public park [16] on Bridge Street. Star did play at least one match on a field provided by a Mr Turnbull of Bonhill Place. [17]
Vale of Leven Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Alexandria, in the Vale of Leven area of West Dunbartonshire. Nicknamed the Vale and formed in 1939, they play at Millburn Park. They play in the West of Scotland League Third Division, the ninth tier of Scottish football.
The 1875–76 Scottish Cup – officially the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup – was the third season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. The number of entrants nearly doubled from the previous season with 49 teams included in the first round draw. The competition began on 2 October 1875 and concluded with the final replay on 18 March 1876. This was the first season that teams would only change ends at half time, the tradition of changing ends after a goal had been scored came to an end. The cup was won for the third time by Queen's Park who defeated fellow Glasgow club 3rd Lanark RV 2–0 in the replayed final.
The 1876–77 Scottish Cup – officially the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup – was the fourth season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. Entries to the competition again increased with a total of 81 clubs involved in the first round draw. This resulted in an earlier start to the competition than in previous seasons with the first matches played on 23 September 1876. The cup was won for the first time by Dunbartonshire club Vale of Leven who defeated Rangers 3–2 in a twice-replayed final.
The 1878–79 Scottish Cup – officially the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup – was the sixth season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. Defending champions Vale of Leven met Rangers in the final but, after a 1–1 draw in the original match on 19 April 1879, the replay was scratched and Vale of Leven were awarded the cup. Rangers objected to a goal being disallowed in the original match and refused to play the replay.
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.
The 1880–81 Scottish Cup – officially the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup – was the eighth season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. Defending champions Queen's Park retained the cup and won the competition for the fifth time after they beat Dumbarton 3–1 in a replayed final which saw Dr John Smith score the first Scottish Cup final hat-trick on 9 April 1881.
The 1886–87 Scottish Cup was the 14th season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. Hibernian won the competition for the first time after they beat Dumbarton 2–1 in the final.
Vale of Leven Rovers Football Club was a Scottish association football club based in the town of Alexandria, Dunbartonshire.
The 1876–77 season was the fourth Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at a national level.
Alclutha Football Club was a football club based in Dumbarton, Scotland. From 1883 the club was called Dunbritton Football Club.
Vale of Leven Wanderers Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Alexandria, in the Vale of Leven area of West Dunbartonshire.
Lennox Football Club was a 19th-century football club based in Dumbarton, in Scotland.
Dumbarton Athletic Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Dumbarton, in Scotland.
Jamestown Football Club was an association football club based in the village of Jamestown, in the Vale of Leven area of West Dunbartonshire, which entered the Scottish Cup from 1878 to 1890.
Vale of Leven Hibernians Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Alexandria, in the Vale of Leven area of Dunbartonshire, which entered the Scottish Cup in the 1880s.
Renton Thistle Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Renton, in Dunbartonshire.
The 10th Dumbartonshire Rifle Volunteers Football Club, known as Kirkintilloch Athletic Football Club from 1879 until the club was wound up in 1882, was a 19th-century association football club based in Kirkintilloch in Dumbartonshire.
Kirkintilloch Athletic Football Club was a 19th-century association football club based in Kirkintilloch in Dumbartonshire.
Bonhill Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Bonhill, in Dunbartonshire.
Albion Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Dumbarton, in West Dunbartonshire.
