Southern Athletic F.C.

Association football club in Glasgow City, Scotland, UK

Football club

Southern Athletic

Full name

Southern Athletic Football Club

Nickname(s)

the Athletics^[1]

Founded

1884

Dissolved

1894

Ground

Moray Park

Hon. secretary

John Christie Jr.

Match secretary

James Kirkland, Hugh A. Mackay

Home colours

Southern Athletic Football Club was a 19th-century football club based in Strathbungo, in Glasgow.

History

Southern Athletic F.C. was founded in 1884 out of a cricket club^[2] and had 35 members by the end of its first season,^[3] when it joined the Scottish Football Association.^[4]

Its first Scottish Cup entry was in 1885–86, and it lost to Cambridge, but protested about the non-registration of several Cambridge players, and the Scottish FA ordered a replay to take place at Moray Park.^[5] It was to no avail as Cambridge won the second tie as well.^[6]

It set the scene for the club's record in competitive football. In 9 Scottish Cup entries, until its final entry in 1893–94, Southern Athletic never won a tie. Its one appearance in the second round, in 1887–88, was down to the luck of the draw, and getting a bye in the first round; in the second, the Athletic lost 9–1 at Cowlairs, despite the "excellent goalkeeper [Fotheringham, also a star batsman], who saved many a well-directed shot".^[7] Indeed, the club scratched from 4 of its final 5 entries.

The club did however win one match in the Glasgow Cup, a competition the club only entered from 1887–88 to 1889–90; in 1888–89 it won 3–2 at Temperance Athletic in the first round.^[8] In the second it lost 8–0 at Clyde.^[9] Its last appearance in the competition was its heaviest competitive defeat, 12–0 at Cambuslang.^[10] The club also entered the Govan Jubilee Cup from 1887–88 to 1890–91, again losing in the first round in each.^[11]

The Athletics' last Scottish Cup tie was a 6–1 defeat at home to Royal Albert in the first qualifying round in 1891–92.^[12] The last recorded matches for the club are from the 1892–93 season;^[13] it did enter the Cup for the following year but scratched to the Black Watch.^[14]

Colours

The club originally ore one-inch hooped navy blue and white jerseys with blue knickers.^[15] In 1890 it changed the colour of the hoops and shorts from navy to black.^[16]

Grounds

The club's ground was at Moray Park, 3 minutes' walk from Strathbungo railway station.^[17]

External links

Scottish Cup matches

References

^ "Southern Athletics v Cowlairs". Glasgow Herald: 9. 26 September 1887.
^ "Kilwinning". Irvine Express: 5. 15 May 1885.
^ McDowall, John (1885). Scottish Association Annual 1885–86. Glasgow: H. Nisbet. p. 58.
^ "Football". Rutherglen Reformer: 3. 28 August 1885.
^ Scottish FA Minutes 1884–87. Glasgow: Scottish Football Association. 20 September 1885. p. 119.
^ "Matches played on Saturday". Glasgow Herald: 10. 28 September 1885.
^ "Southern Athletics v Cowlairs". Glasgow Herald: 9. 26 September 1887.
^ "Glasgow Cup". Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
^ "South matches". Aberdeen Journal: 4. 8 October 1888.
^ "Cambuslang v Southern Athletic". Rutherglen Reformer: 7. 27 September 1889.
^ "Govan Competitions". Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
^ "Royal Albert v Southern Athletic". Rutherglen Reformer: 3. 11 September 1891.
^ "Kilsyth games". Glasgow Herald: 10. 19 September 1892.
^ M'Dowall, John (1894). Scottish Football Annual 1894–95. Glasgow: Hay Nisbet. p. 42.
^ McDowall, John (1885). Scottish Association Annual 1885–86. Glasgow: H. Nisbet. p. 58.
^ McDowall, John (1890). Scottish Football Annual 1890–91. Hay Nisbet. p. 92.
^ McDowall, John (1885). Scottish Association Annual 1885–86. Glasgow: H. Nisbet. p. 58.