Bo'ness
Formed 1882
Founder member of the reformed Scottish Division Two 1921. Expelled 1933
Kit History
1884-1895 (a,b,c)
1895-1897 (c)
1919-1925 (c)
1925-1926 (c)
1927-1933 (c)
Background
Bo’ness are one of several clubs from West Lothian to have lost their membership of the Scottish League. Formed in 1882, they joined the Eastern Alliance in 1891 but not all the fixtures in this league were completed and the competition was wound up at the end of the season. Bo’ness did not re-enter league competition until 1901 when they joined the Central Combination.
At the end of the First World War the Scottish Second Division was not reinstated as its members expected. Instead, most of them joined the rival Central League in 1920. This proved so succesful (not least because members were able to poach leading players from Scottish League clubs by offering higher wages) that in 1921 the Combination was incorporated as the new Scottish Second Division, Bo’ness among them. The club regularly finished in the top half of the table and were champions in 1927, winning promotion to the Scottish First Division but they were relegated the following season.
For the next four seasons they finished in respectable mid-table positions apart from 1931, when they wound up in last place. Disaster then struck: with the club facing serious financial problems, they were unable to provide match fee guarantees to visiting clubs. With 14 fixtures played, Bo’ness were expelled from the league in 1933 and their results declared void.
After a season in the Scottish Alliance (1933-34), Bo’ness joined the Edinburgh & District League, followed by the Scottish Football Combination and finally the East of Scotland League (they were not members of any league in 1937-38).
In 1945 the club was wound up and merged with Bo’ness Cadora JFC to form Bo’ness United, who competed as a junior club. They are now one of the strongest junior sides in Scotland.
Sources
- (a) The Scottish League Former Members (Norman Nichol 1992)
- (b) Brian McColl
- (c) Alick Milne