| Full name | Vale of Leven Hibernians Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | the Hibs, Vale Hibs [1] | |
| Founded | 1881 | |
| Dissolved | 1889 | |
| Ground | Hill Street | |
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.
The club was founded in 1881 and was admitted as a member of the Scottish Football Association that September. [2] It first entered the Scottish Cup a year later, losing 7–1 to Jamestown. [3]
The club was struck from the register in 1883, but soon re-formed, and re-joined the Scottish FA in 1886. [4] The revived club would play Jamestown in the Scottish Cups of 1887–88 and 1888–89; both ties would prove to be acrimonious. In 1887, after Jamestown won 3–2, the Hibs protested against Jamestown's rough play, alleging that the Hibs "had been treated more like beasts than human beings", one player having a stomach wound 7 inches long. The Scottish Football Association ordered a re-play at the Hibs' ground; after it ended 2–2 [5] on 24 September, a 'proper' replay took place, also in Alexandria, which Jamestown won 3–1.
The Jamestown umpire, Daniel Turner, alleged that he had been attacked by two of the Hibs team that evening. [6] The following week, the two players, Michael Kilcoyne and Edward Redden, plus another club member, were put on trial; the defence was that Turner, who was "much the worse of liquor", had struck the first blow, and Kilcoyne struck him in self-defence after it seemed Turner was pressing the attack. The three were acquitted. [7] It was not the end of the matter; the next month the Scottish Football Association suspended two Hibernian players (Cannon and Connor) for a month, and the Hibs umpire M'Dowd for the season, on the basis that "the game...had more the appearance of a melee than a tie" and M'Dowd was "encouraging the players in ungentlemanly conduct". [8]
In 1888, Jamestown protested after losing 6–1, on the bizarre grounds that the team that has just beaten them was "not a club, and that they had not even eleven members". After the Hibs produced membership cards, the Scottish FA dismissed the protest as "the most absurd one that ever came before the Association", resulting in the Scottish FA admonishing Jamestown. [9]
The victory over Jamestown was the club's only Scottish Cup win; in the second round the club lost 3–1 at home to Methlan Park F.C. of Dumbarton. Methlan Park protested that the Vale Hibs' goal was a foot short of going over the line, and claimed a fourth goal which crossed the goal-line as the referee was signalling for time. [10] It was the club's last Cup entry.
In December 1888, the clubs met again at Alexandria in the Dumbartonshire Cup. The Vale Hibs had entered twice before, both times conceding 9 goals to Renton in the club's first matches, and, although the club equalized an early Park goal, the visitors scored six in the second half to win 8–1. [11] This seems to have been the final match for the club.
The club's colours were dark green shirts, navy knickers, and red stockings. [12] For 1886–87 the shirts were changed to white. [13]
The club originally played off Bridge Street, and moved to Hill Street on its reformation. [14] For the 1888–89 season, the club moved to a new ground, which was originally part of the old Vale of Leven F.C. ground at North Street Park, [15] and Vale of Leven Wanderers moved into Hill Street.
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.
Renton Football Club was a football club based in Renton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Formed in 1872, they were a prominent team in the early history of Scottish football, and were one of the teams that featured in the first ever Scottish Cup fixture. They won the competition twice, in 1885 and 1888, and were also runners-up three times. Their 6–1 win against Cambuslang in 1888 is the joint record win in a Scottish Cup final.
Patrick William Groves was a Scottish footballer who played as a forward for Hibernian, Celtic, West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and Scotland. He is known for being the first player to be transferred for more than £100.
The 1887–88 Scottish Cup was the 15th season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. Renton won the competition for the second time after they beat Cambuslang 6–1 in the final. The result set a new record as the largest margin of victory in a Scottish Cup Final - a record that was equalled by Celtic in 1972 but has never been bettered.
The 1881–82 season was the ninth Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at a national level.
The 1884–85 season was the 12th Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at a national level.
The 1885–86 season was the 13th Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at a national level.
The 1886–87 season was the 14th Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at a national level.
The 1887–88 season was the 15th Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at a national level.
The 1888–89 season was the 16th Scottish football season in which Dumbarton competed at a national level.
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.
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.
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.
Union Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Dumbarton, in West Dunbartonshire.
Yoker Football Club was an association football club based in the Scottish town of Yoker, now part of Glasgow.
