Port Glasgow Athletic
Formed 1880. Wound up 1912.
Founder member of Scottish Division Two 1893. Resigned 1911.
Kit History
Broadfield
1880-1881
1880-1881 c
Port Glasgow Athletic
1881
Formerly Broadfield
1882-1885 b
1899-1902 a b
1906-1910 a b c
Background
Formed as Broadfield FC in 1880, the club was
originally based at Devol Farm, high on the hillside overlooking Port
Glasgow's bustling shipyards. A year later, they became Port Glasgow
Athletic and moved into Clune Park on Glasgow Road, adjacent to the ship yards. They played in the
Scottish Alliance in 1891-92 and 1892-93 when this competition was incorporated
as the new Scottish Second Division. Despite having seven points deducted
for infringing the rules, they finished a respectable 6th (out of 10)
in their first season and coninued to finish near the top of the table
until they were crowned as champions in 1902 and elected to Scottish
Division One. They also reached the semi-finals of the Scottish FA Cup
in 1899.
Sources vary concerning the team's colours. Norman Nichols describes them as white shirts and black knickers throughout their career in the SFL but Alick Milne has confirmed they registered their colours with the SFA (1882-85) as white and navy. The same colours were recorded by the SFL in 1909-10 so it appears that the photograph shown above may have been incorrectly colourised.
Athletic had to apply for re-election in 1903 but survived (this was before automatic promotion and relegation was introduced). In 1906, they reached the Scottish Cup semi-finals for the second time after knocking out Rangers and then were involved in a play-off with Kilmarnock to determine which would have to apply for re-election: Athletic won 6-0 (Killie were comfortably re-elected). In 1908 they again survived after finishing bottom but their luck ran out in 1910 when they again finished last. Facing severe financial difficulties, Port Glasgow did not seek re-election and were relegated.
After playing a single season in the Scottish Second Division, Port Glasgow Athletic resigned and were wound up in 1912, after a single season in the Scottish Football Union. Clune Park was then taken over by Port Glasgow Athletic Juniors.
Sources
- (a) Scottish Football League - Former Members IV (Norman Nichol 1994)
- (b) Alick Milne
- (c) Brian McColl's Scottish Football Club Directory