bluedragon

To add to SFHA’s post….. In the 19th century and early 20th century “junior” was a generic term to describe the wide range of adult local football played beneath the national leagues and cups throughout the British Isles and not just in Scotland. Over time the term fell out of use in England and elsewhere and in Northern Ireland I believe it became the colloquial name used for amateur football. In Scotland the term stuck due to it becoming a formal term describing a specific grade of the game with the naming of the Scottish Junior Football Association. However, the name “Scottish Junior Football Association” was not the first choice of title but the only one that used the word "junior" for the new association in 1880. The SJFA name was eventually agreed with the Scottish Football Association that thought it clearly differentiated the two associations and which was superior. After the early demise of the first SJFA local Junior Football Associations started to spring up all over the country and the creation of the second SJFA in 1886 was instigated by these associations wanting an umbrella association. So back to the original question! I would say clubs that were established before either version of the SJFA was formed can describe themselves as “junior” clubs from their establishment.

Two more! “#10 W Mahon Airdrie” is Willie Mahon who was playing at left back for Whifflet Rob Roy at the time of this match. He played for Scottish Sea Cadets against their English counterparts and immediately afterwards was part of the Great Britain side that went on a tour of the Netherlands. In the 1946-47 season Whifflet Rob Roy played 45 games (winning 37, drawing 6 & losing 2) winning four trophies including the Scottish Amateur Cup (Junior Section) when on 7 June 1947 they defeated Dundee Ashdale in the final. Willie Mahon was invited for trials with Queen’s Park but he was back playing for Whifflet Rob Roy at the start of the 1947-48 season. He appears to have moved to Drumpelier, that played in the same league, later in that season. I lost track of him after that. “#3 L Muir Glasgow” is Leslie Muir who joined Kirkintilloch Rob Roy from Mearns Amateurs in October 1949 after a successful trial game. During the season he still played representative matches for the ATC. He was retained for the 1950-51 season but released at the end. In the following season he was playing for Dunoon Athletic. For the 1952-53 season he joined Neilston but was freed in December 1952. I can find nothing after that.

The Newtongrange player came from Kirkliston and had been demobbed from National Service at the start of the 1949-50 season when he started playing (and scoring!) regularly.

1946 – “#9 R Kinghorn West Lothian” is Robert Kinghorn from 1756 Squadron (3rd West Lothian) ATC. He could possibly be the Robert Kinghorn who played for Newtongrange for seven seasons (1948-49 to 1954-55). Both were goal scorers.

Eastern Athletic was formed in February 1879 and ran until 1886. They played at Carntyne Park (1879-1885) and then moved to Dalmarnock Park (1885-86). Their last season in the Scottish Cup was 1884-1885. It is possible that their absence from the Scottish Cup in 1885-86 could be related to the change in their home ground. Clubs needed an enclosed ground and perhaps Dalmarnock Park did not meet requirements. They certainly played on after they ceased entering the Scottish Cup and the latest I found was when they played Southern Athletic at Dalmarnock Park on 17 April 1886. There was a short-lived Eastern Athletic (1875-76) but nothing to say one way or another if the two clubs were linked. I tried to find both Eastern Athletic and Cambridge playing on the same day but couldn’t. The nearest I found was: 31 October 1885 Eastern Athletic played Lenzie 3 October 1885 Cambridge lost 0-6 to St Andrews (Glasgow) in the Second Round of the Scottish Cup. It is possible that Cambridge was formed to solely to play in the Scottish Cup in the 1885-86 season and simply disbanded after they were eliminated.

Here is another similar match. Portsmouth and Clyde won the FA and Scottish Cups respectively in the 1938-39 season. A friendly between the two cup holders had been planned for the following season but the outbreak of War meant it was 16 October 1946 before the clubs met at Portsmouth with the home side winning 3-1. The reciprocal match in Glasgow could not be arranged until 5 October 1949 when Portsmouth won again, this time it was 3-0.

Thank you for the information. I have had another look at this. I have also found that they were cousins. I think that the Willie Westwater who played for Morton was born in 1925 and the Willie Westwater in the Kilsyth Rangers tribute was born around 1933. I am therefore sure you are correct that Alan's father only played as a Junior and I have mistakenly given some of the other Willie Westwater's football career to him. I will now try and sort this out.

I can only make an opening bid for the English non-league record using the records of the Birmingham & District League (today the West Midlands (Regional) League) that at its height was one of the strongest leagues below the Football League. It did, however, include reserve or "A" teams of local Football League clubs. Wolverhampton Wanderers "A" scored 158 goals in 46 league matches in the 1953-54 season. However, the record by a non-league club was the 153 goals from 34 games by Worcester City in the 1929-30 season. Nothing approaching Bo'ness Athletic's achievement this season.

I checked on Brian McColl's terrific league records and they confirm Raith Rovers holding the Scottish League record and for other leagues the highest is Jeanfield Swifts with 172 goals. Here are the details: Scottish League 1937-38 Raith Rovers Pld 34 W 27 D 5 L 2 GF 142 GA 54 Pts 59 Perthshire Junior League 1948-49 Jeanfield Swifts Pld 34 W 27 D 3 L 4 GF 172 GA 57 Pts 57 The English League record could be held by Peterborough United with 134 goals while in Division 4: 1960-61 Peterborough United Pld 46 W 28 D 10 L 8 GF 134 GA 65 Pts 66

Two more high scoring Junior footballers: ALEX HAIR The history of Strathclyde FC written in 1936 says that in the 1922-23 season Alex Hair scored 96 goals as they completed the Glasgow Junior Football League double, winning the league title and the league cup together with a local charity cup. Strathclyde also competed in the North-Eastern Cup, Glasgow Cup, Easter Junior Cup, Glasgow Charity Cup and the Glasgow Junior Consolation Cup. A dispute between the Scottish Junior Football Associations and the Glasgow Junior League meant Glasgow clubs could not enter the Scottish Junior Cup or West of Scotland Cup competitions. BOBBY CARROLL Bobby Carroll’s 75 goal haul in the 1958-59 season for Irvine Meadow may appear modest by the records set by Willie Gray, Alex Hair, Davie Cook and Tommy Duffy. However, Bobby was an outside right and not a centre forward. His performance that season earned him the Empire News Junior Player of the Year award. In paying tribute in the Daily Record following his death his friend and former Celtic team mate, Bertie Auld said: “he wasn't an out-and-out winger, though. He could be a bit of a goal-poacher as well and he wanted to be involved in everything.” Postscript The history of Largs Thistle says that in the 1957-58 season Davie Cook scored 7 further goals in pre-season games and 2 in an abandoned match.

That is some achievement! The record I am aware of was set by Tommy Duffy (Ardeer Thistle) who scored 97 goals in the 1959/60 Season. His record was shown in the Guinness Book of Records and from memory it was described as a record for “junior professional football” – lower case “j”. I am aware of two others who scored over 80 goals in Ayrshire Junior football: Davie Cook (Largs Thistle) 87 goals in 52 competitive matches in the 1957/58 Season Willie Gray (Kilwinning Rangers) 83 goals in one season in the 1920’s.

I have confused things. Sorry! POWBURN Going back to your map. The railway crosses east to west the road running south that becomes “Savile Ter.” I believe the football ground stood on the land between “Mentone Terr” and the building described as “Female Blind Asylum”. The railway was opened in 1884 and would have dug out the cutting from the land on which the ground stood when Hearts played Hibs there on 28 April 1878. MAYFIELD PARK, NEWINGTON The other ground was described as Mayfield Park, Newington. I think that is in the area marked on your map as “East Craigmillar Park”. Today I think it might be the land on the right off what is today East Suffolk Road and where it meets Crawfurd Road. I may have confused things further! Please let me know what you think and what you find out.

Yes, that is it. In the centre of the map “Mayfield Str” becomes “Craigmillar Park” after the road crosses the railway line. I believe the football ground was to the east of that road and between what is shown on the map as “Ventnor Terr.” and “Crawfurd Road”.

I think the ground described as Mayfield was on the west side of Newington Cemetery, i.e. the opposite side to Echo Bank. It was on the east side of Mayfield Road where the road now crosses the railway line. The land on which the ground stood was taken for the construction of the South Suburban Railway.

Morton will be up there as they have played at Cappielow since 1879.