Clydebank Juniors F.C.

Clydebank Juniors F.C. was a Junior Football club based in the Scottish town of Clydebank. Formed in 1899 as Duntocher F.C., in the neighbouring village of Duntocher, they played their home games at Kilbowie Park in Clydebank.

Clydebank Juniors

Full name	Clydebank Juniors Football Club
Founded	1899 (as Duntocher F.C.)
Dissolved	1964 (merged with East Stirlingshire F.C.)
Ground	Kilbowie Park, Clydebank (1900–1939) New Kilbowie Park, Clydebank (1939–1964)

In 1964 the club was merged with Falkirk-based club, East Stirlingshire F.C. After one year the merger was overturned and a new Clydebank football team formed.

History

Clydebank Juniors were formed in the village of Duntocher in 1899, under the name of Duntocher F.C, as the result of a breakaway from another local junior club, Duntocher Hibernian.^[1][2] They changed their name to Clydebank Juniors in 1900 on moving to the town itself. They were based at the original Kilbowie Park prior to the construction of an upgraded ground (often called "New Kilbowie") in 1939. Between 1930 and 1950 Clydebank Juniors won a number of Junior Football prizes, including five Central League titles, one Intermediate League, two West Of Scotland Junior Cups and, most notably, the 1942 Scottish Junior Cup. The club's ground was rebuilt on the same site in 1939, and whilst retaining its original name was often referred to as "New Kilbowie".

Merger

In 1964 the Steedman brothers, Jack and Charlie, owners of East Stirlingshire F.C., controversially merged their club with Clydebank Juniors.^[3][4] The new club, whose name was usually abbreviated to E.S. Clydebank, inherited East Stirlingshire's place in Division Two, playing home matches at Kilbowie. After a year, a legal challenge by East Stirlingshire supporters led to them resuming their former identity back in Falkirk. E.S. Clydebank's single season is generally considered by historians and statisticians as a contiguous part of East Stirlingshire's record, as the merged club was never elected to the SFA or League in its own right.

Aftermath

The Steedmans elected to remain at Clydebank, establishing a new club at senior level, named Clydebank F.C.

Honours

• Scottish Junior Cup:
  • Winners: 1941–42
• West of Scotland Cup: 1929–30, 1949–50
• Intermediate League: 1929–30
• Central League: 1934–35, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1944–45, 1949–50
• Glasgow Dryburgh Cup: 1929–30, 1932–33, 1934–35
• Pompey Cup: 1951–52, 1960–61
• Evening Times Trophy: 1934–35, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1944–45, 1949–50

See also

• Category:Clydebank Juniors F.C. players
• History of football in Clydebank

References

1. Heaney, John (September 1983). Bankies-All. Scottish Football Historian. pp. 6–7.
2. Where Gallagher Was Found, Scottish Junior Histories (page 21), Evening Times, 1933, via Scottish Football Historical Archive
3. "Demise of the Bankies". 1 July 2002. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
4. Comes, When Saturday (3 August 2006). When Saturday Comes: The Half Decent Football Book. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-0-14-192703-9.