Mauchline F.C.

Former association football club in East Ayrshire, Scotland, UK

Football club

Mauchline

Full name

Mauchline Football Club

Nickname(s)

the Boxmakers^[1]

Founded

1873

Dissolved

1897

Ground

Connel Park, Mauchline

Secretary

William Murray, John Paton

League

Ayrshire Football League
(1891–1892)
South of Scotland Football League
(1892–1993)

Home colours

Mauchline Football Club was a senior football team based in the small town of Mauchline in East Ayrshire.

History

The club was founded in 1873. Its first match against another side was in February 1874, against Ayr Academy.^[2]

Mauchline was an original member of two ill-fated leagues who survived for just one season, The Ayrshire Football League for the 1891–92 season and the original South of Scotland Football League in 1892–93.^[3]

However, Mauchline were better known as a cup team, appearing in every Scottish Cup from 1875–76 to 1885–86, and often reaching the later rounds.

In 1877–78 they reached the quarter-finals only to lose 1–3 away to the eventual winners, Renton.^[4]

In the same season, the club won the Ayrshire Cup for the only time, beating Portland 4–2 in the final, played at Holm Quarry, the home ground for a number of other Kilmarnock sides. The match proved to be a test between the Portland's wider wing play and Mauchline's more compact forward line; Portland's opening goal was a Goldie header from a Sinclair corner, and the club went 2–1 up after Mauchline's back Wilson impeded his goalkeeper, but two goals in the last 20 minutes won the trophy for Mauchline.^[5] Portland had a measure of revenge in 1878–79 by winning the Burns Cup, an invitational tournament to raise funds for a statue to Robert Burns, coming from behind to beat Mauchline 2–1 in the final - the first time the Portland had beaten the Mauchline.^[6]

The senior club dissolved in 1897 but adopted junior status as Mauchline Thistle Football Club, which itself disbanded just seven years later.

A second Mauchline Football Club was founded in 1911 and existed until 1922 although all competitions were suspended throughout the First World War, 1914–1918.^[7]

Colours

The club played in blue and white hooped jerseys and hose, with white knickers.^[8]

Ground

The club's ground at Connel Park was a 3 minute walk from the Mauchline railway station.^[9] As late as 1886 the club did not have facilities on the ground, teams having to change at the Loudoun Hotel.^[10]

Notable players

Dr John Smith gained four of his ten Scottish caps whilst a Mauchline player, scoring three goals; he was the sole club representative to have been selected for international duty.^[11]
Hughie Wilson, played for the club until 1884^[12]
W. H. Campbell of Mauchline F.C. finished second in the Scottish long jump championship of 1888.^[13]

External links

Scottish Cup fixtures
Ayrshire Cup

References

^ "Ayr Charity Cup Tie". Irvine Express: 8. 27 February 1885.
^ "Kilwinning". Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald: 5. 7 February 1874.
^ http://scottish-football-historical-archive.com Archived 2009-12-22 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-01-05. Retrieved 2010-11-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Grand Football Match". Kilmarnock Standard: 2. 20 April 1878.
^ "Burns Cup Final Tie". Kilmarnock Standard: 3. 21 June 1879.
^ http://scottish-football-historical-archive.com Archived 2009-12-22 at the Wayback Machine
^ Dick, William (1879). Scottish Football Annual 1879–80. Glasgow: Dunlop & Foote. p. 73.
^ Livingstone, Robert (1881). Scottish Football Association Annual 1881–82. Gillespie Brothers. p. 106.
^ McDowall, John (1886). Scottish FA Annual 1886–87. Hay Nisbet. p. 49.
^ Scotland Football Records | Clubs played for | Mauchline, London Hearts Supporters Club. Retrieved 21 February 2022
^ John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^ Scottish Athletics 1883-1983, John W. Keddie (1982)