DOUGLASDALE JFC

In 1927 Douglasdale Juniors were formed with the newly signed players as listed below.  The Dale also received a helping hand with the demise of Muirkirk Athletic and the Glenbuck Cherrypickers, as the following report suggests:

At the annual general meeting of Muirkirk Athletic it was reported that there had been a deficit of £60 over the past two seasons, and it was decided to drop the team for 1927-28. This meant, of course, with the Cherries also not functioning, that there would be no Junior football in the district. As a result most of the local players were fixed up with other Clubs, quite a few joining the new combination at Douglas—Douglasdale

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At the same time as Douglasdale were founded an article in the newspaper was  announcing the arrival of the Prime Minister of the day Mr Stanley Baldwin for a garden fete to be held in the Douglas Castle policies, where 20,000 people were expected to pack the grounds.  

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This report is of a game against local rivals Douglas Water Thistle  in the early stage of their opening campaign in 1927

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The ‘Dale were off and running and had a good start to their Junior career, with a fine crop of players and a sound financial base. However as befalls most teams over a period of years the lean times came more often than the fat ones.
 

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The first few years of their existence provided much hope for the village as in 1931 they reached the Hozier Cup final and were prominent near the top of the Lanarkshire League

The main office bearers at this time were:

President Mr C Finlay, Vice President Mr D Burnside

Secretary Mr A Burt, Treasurer Mr W Sloan

Match Secretary Mr J Welsh
 

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Gibby Knox was obviously one of their key players and showing great committment by travelling from his then home in Paisley to play for the 'Dale.  Ex Douglas West goalkeeper Stannage was also prominent and McQuire was a prolific goal scorer netting 51 times in the 1930/31 season

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   Gibby Knox featured some 50 yrs after his footballing heyday.  Bill 'Binks' Walker is pictured bottom right in the 'Dale' photo behind Gibby

The famous five Knox brothers, Hugh, Alec, Tom, William and Peter from Glenbuck who were prolific 5-a side players taking on all comers and defeating them. They played together extremely successfully as a team in five-a-side tournaments. Their most successful season saw them win all but one of the 41 tournaments that they entered. The usual prize in these tournament was a barometer or a clock, and they amassed so many that they would often simply hand them to friends on the touchline as gifts rather than carry them home.

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'Dale win the Consolation Cup at Crabtree Park beating Carluke Rovers by three goals to nil

1932 was arguably the best footballing year in Douglasdale’s history as they topped the Lanarkshire League and had tremendous cup victories over St Rochs and Kello Rovers

Note the crowd of 2000 at the Kello Rovers game, surely a record for Crabtree Park

      ‘Dale top the table during the 1932/33 season

In 1933 George Scanlon Snr of Douglasdale FC was appointed President of the South Lanarkshire Junior FA

           Douglasdale FC pictured in 1934

Dickson; Wilson, Stannage; Graham, Bulloch and Drimnar;   Robertson, Davidson, Dalling, Menzies and McDougall

           An undated picture of the 'Dale in the '30's

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Although the ‘Dale had had shown early promise, particularly in the 1930’s, throughout their history they never reached the high standard of near neighbours Douglas Water Thistle, who were consistent in winning trophies and producing players who graduated to the senior ranks. 

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Juvenile teams Douglas Westonians and later Douglas West Rovers provided a number of players who would go on to play for the ‘Dale and they did manage to produce some fine players who inevitably were snapped up by the more successful Junior clubs or Senior teams. 
 

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Season 1936/37 saw a number of 'Dale players sign for senior clubs, among them John Smith - Man Utd and later Gillingham, Robert Cook - Portsmouth, J Leitch - Hibs.

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Maybe not all that surprising to folks familiar with the Douglas football scene. The Benburb selectors certainly paid a visit in the late 1920s/early 1930s but not to Douglas Water Thistle, instead setting their sights on local rivals Douglasdale Juniors. Amongst that first squad was a young defender from Coalburn by the name of Jock Shaw. Finding this a rich seam of talent,the Tinto club returned a few years later to recruit a young right back this time. Bobby Kelso would go on to win two Scottish Junior Cup Winners medals with the Bens in 1934 and 1936.

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        'Dale v Lanark 1937

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After the second world war the ‘Dale team were up among the top teams in Lanarkshire Junior League reaching the Hozier Cup final again in 1947 beating Lanark Utd in the semi-final

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Douglas was not immune to the occasional spot of crowd trouble and even pitch invasions as the following report shows

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                          DOUGLASDALE FC 1949

Top row left to right - Skip Smith, Joe McBride, Davy Haddow, Peter Smith, Hugh McIlvoy, Jimmy Smith, Jimmy Turnbull, ??

Bottom Row left to right - Archie McConnell, Matt Clougherty, Johnny McCabe, Jimmy Campbell, Jimmy' Rookie' Neilsen

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In season 1949/50 Douglasadale JFC won their first ever, and only honour in their entire history, when they captured the Hozier Cup, defeating Lanark Utd 2-1 in the final at Lesmahagow

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In Nov 1949 ‘Dale lost two players to Luton Town as can be seen in the article below

 

A Day out in Douglasdale

The second round draw of the Scottish Junior Cup in 1957/58 paired Benburb with Douglasdale Juniors and come Saturday 2nd November 1957, 1000 eager spectators packed into Crabtree Park for the visit of the Bens.
The Tinto side started with more aggression and it took 20 minutes before Douglasdale could muster an attack. But even then it was of little menace to the visiting defenders and Smith in the Benburb goal. As the game turned out the Bens keeper was only one of over a thousand witnesses who saw a spectacular and brilliant performance by his opposite number, Lowrie, in the Douglasdale goal. On another day Bens might've left for Govan with a barrowload of goals.
Syme, Bens' National Service outside-left was causing havoc in the home side's backline with his speed on the wing and the pacy McAlpine in the centre was another source of torment.
By half-time, the teams were goalless with Bens the team denied; principally by an outstanding goalkeeper but also some poor finishing on the part of the Tinto forwards.
The second half produced a great winning goal by McAlpine who squeezed his effort in via the underside of the bar to beat Lowrie and send the Bens contingent home happy. Bens played confidently throughout and their victory was more comfortable than the solitary goal suggested but they had to survive a Walker shot which went close in the final minutes before Douglasdale's hopes were finally extinguished.
DOUGLASDALE : Lowrie, Leiper, Grant, Samson, Murphy, Mitchell, King, McManus, Walker, White, Elliot.
BENBURB : Smith, Young, Cairns, McCormack, Nicolson, McKay, Drummond, McLean, McAlpine, Stevenson, Syme.

           

           

 The club nearly folded on several occasions in the late '50's and finally had to resign from the Lanarkshire league in 1961, never to be re-formed  

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