Lenzie F.C.

Lenzie Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Lenzie, in Dunbartonshire.

Lenzie
Full nameLenzie Football Club
Founded1874
Dissolved1891
GroundLenzie Football Field

History

The club was founded in 1874.[1] Its earliest reported match was from the 1875–76 season; a 4–0 win over the "Alert" club (possibly a misprint for Albert) in January, with a hat-trick for Kirkland.[2]

Lenzie entered the Scottish Cup every season from 1876–77 until 1883–84, but with a pronounced lack of success. The club only ever won two Cup ties; the first against Ailsa in 1877–78,[3] and the second by 3–0 at home to Thistle Athletic of Milngavie[4] in 1878–79, with the visitors disputing one of the goals.[5][6]

Nevertheless, in 1879, the club took part in a demonstration game at the Ulster Cricket Ground against a scratch team of local players in one of the earliest competitive football matches held in Northern Ireland.[7] The club also played a friendly against Cliftonville the same year, and returned to play the same team in 1881.[8]

In 1880–81, the club reached the third round, thanks to the luck of the draw; twice the club was awarded byes. In the third round, Campsie Central beat the club 6–1.

The club existed "in name only" from 1883 to 1885, albeit retaining membership of the Scottish Football Association, and there still being "some funds to the credit of the club", which sparked an attempt was made to revive the side in 1885.[9] The revived club entered the 1885–86 Scottish Cup, drawing 1–1 with Bonhill in the first round,[10] but losing 6–0 in the replay.[11] The club also entered the Dumbartonshire Cup for the only time but withdrew when drawn to face Dumbarton Athletic.[12]

In the 1886–87 Scottish Cup, the withdrawal of first round opponents Dunbritton put the club into the second round, but a 13–0 defeat at home to Vale of Leven[13] persuaded the club to turn Junior, and the club continued on a low-key level until the 1890–91 season.[14]

Colours

The club's colours were white shirts and knickerbockers, and navy blue hose.[15]

Ground

The club played at a ground simply known as the Lenzie Football Field,[16] which may have been the field marked out with a pavilion on contemporary maps to the south-east of the village, by Cult Burn.[17] In 1888 the club opened a new ground at Middlemuir Park.[18]

References
  1. "Lenzie Football Club". Bridge of Allan Gazette: 4. 7 May 1885.
  2. "Lenzie v Alert". Glasgow Herald: 5. 31 January 1875.
  3. "Association Cup ties". North British Daily Mail: 6. 1 October 1877.
  4. The North British Daily Mail gives the opponent as being Milngavie, but the Glasgow Herald and the Scotsman both name the visitors as being the Thistle club, and the SFA Yearbooks gives the name as Milngavie Thistle.
  5. "Lenzie v Milngavie". North British Daily Mail: 3. 30 September 1878.
  6. "Lenzie v Thistle Athletics Milngavie". Glasgow Herald: 5. 30 September 1878.
  7. Garnham, Neal (1999), The Origins and Development of Football in Ireland, Ulster Historical Foundation, ISBN 0-901905-93-3
  8. "Football (Irish Association Rules)". Belfast News-Letter: 3. 7 April 1881.
  9. "Lenzie Football Club". Stirling Observer: 3. 7 May 1885.
  10. "Scottish Cup ties". Bridge of Allan Gazette: 3. 19 September 1885.
  11. "Scottish Cup ties". Bridge of Allan Gazette: 2. 26 September 1885.
  12. "Dumbartonshire Cup". Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  13. "Lenzie v Vale of Leven". Lennox Advertiser: 6. 9 October 1886.
  14. "Lenzie v South-Western". Glasgow Herald: 12. 17 November 1890.
  15. "Club Directory". Scottish Football Historical Results Archive. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  16. "Club Directory". Scottish Football Historical Results Archive. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  17. "Dumbartonshire Sheet XXXIII.SW". National Archive. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  18. "Lenzie Juniors v Myrtlebank (Glasgow)". Glasgow Herald: 9. 17 September 1888.
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