Clydebank
Formed 1965. Re-formed as Airdrie United 2002.
Elected to Scottish Division Two 1966. Replaced by Airdrie United in 2002
Kit History
1965-1967 f
1967-1968 f
1968-1969 f
1969-1970 f
1970-1971 f
1971-1972 f
1972-1974 a f
1974-1975 a f
1975-1977 a f
1977-1978 b d e f
1979-1983 b e g h
1983-1984 g
1985-1986 d e
1986-1987 e
1987-1989 b
1989-1990 a e
1990-1991 e
1991-1992 e
1992-1993 e
1993-1995 e
1996-1997 e
1999-2000? e
2000-Aug2001 c e
Sept 2001 e
2001-2002 e
Background
In 1964 the owners of East
Stirlingshire FC, the Steedman brothers, negotiated a merger
with Clydebank Junior FC (formed in 1899) and moved the club from its
Falkirk base to Clydebank's Kilbowie ground. This club played as ES
Clydebank during 1964-65 but at the end of the season a legal challenge
forced a return to Falkirk and they resumed playing as East Stirlingshire
FC. The Steedman brothers chose to remain with Clydebank and established
them as a senior club. After a season competing in the Combined Reserve
League, the new Clydebank FC was elected to the Scottish Second Division.
The club enjoyed some success: promotions in 1976 and 1977 took them briefly into the Premier Division for one season. They returned to the top level in 1985 following another reorganisation and spent two seasons competing against the top clubs before being relegated. In 1990 they reached the semi-final of the Scottish FA Cup. Their most famous player, Davie Cooper began his career at Clydebank, went on to play for Rangers and Motherwell and became a regular in the Scotland side during the 1980s. Cooper returned to Clydebank in 1993 as a player and assistant coach but in March 1995, at the age of 39, he died of a brain haemorrhage, a tragedy that shook Scottish football.
Kilbowie became one of the first all-seated stadiums in the UK, albeit because wooden benches were installed on the terraces. In 1996 the Steedmans sold the ground for development an event that marked the beginning of terminal decline. The Bankies spent six years playing their home games at Dumbarton's Boghead and later Morton's Cappielow Park while their support dwindled. Owing to a supporters' boycott, a mere 29 people watched them play their first match in Greenock in August 1999. Various schemes were hatched to relocate the club to Galashiels, Carlisle and even Dublin but these came to nothing.
In 2002 Airdrieonians were declared bankrupt and resigned from the Scottish League. A new club, Airdrie United was formed but their attempt to gain election to the league was rebuffed. Airdrie's owners immediately turned their attention to homeless Clydebank, now in administration and on the verge of extinction. With the support of the Scottish League management committee, Airdrie United bought out Clydebank, moved the club to Airdrie and took over their place in the Scottish Second Division (third tier). Technically Airdrie United are the continuation of Clydebank but most commentators and fans regard this as the moment when Clydebank ceased to exist.
Considerable bitterness was aroused by these machinations but a group of supporters formed the United Clydebank Supporters' trust (UCS) and succesfully reformed Clydebank as a junior club having raised a six-figure sum in a matter of a few days. They joined the Central District League of the Scottish Junior FA and have rapidly established themeslves as on the of the strongest sides competing at this level.
Sources
- (a) Official Clydebank JFC website
- (b) jumpers4goalposts
- (c) BBC Sport
- (d) e-bay
- (e) SNSpix
- (f) Alick Milne
- (g) Ralph Pomeroy
- (h) Alasdair Thorburn
Photograph courtesy of Fitba Daft