Partick F.C.
Partick Football Club was a football club based in the burgh of Partick (now part of the city of Glasgow), Scotland. The club was founded in 1875 and played their home games at Inchview on Dumbarton Road in the Whiteinch neighbourhood until they went defunct in 1885.[1]
| Full name | Partick Football Club |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1875 |
| Dissolved | 1885 |
| Ground | Inchview Whiteinch, Partick (1875–1885) |
History
In the early uptake of football in the west of Scotland, many clubs were formed in conjunction with the practice of cricket – the first-ever international football match had been played at Hamilton Crescent cricket ground in Partick in 1872. Partick F.C. were formed for enthusiasts of both sports on 23 March 1875,[2] and developed their basic grounds during that summer. The Scottish Football League would not be formed for some years, but Partick immediately applied for membership of the Scottish Football Association and entered the Scottish Cup from the 1875–76 season.
Through connections of players including William Kirkham, matches were organised between Partick and Lancashire teams Darwen and Blackburn Rovers – among the earliest cross-border fixtures – with the Scottish team winning most of them, some by large margins.[3] Although officially amateur, the English clubs enticed some of Partick's players south to play for them, including Jimmy Love and Fergie Suter, now recognised as the first professional footballers, and William Struthers (a guest player from Rangers) who became one of the first managers of Bolton Wanderers.[4]
Partick had little impact on the Scottish Cup, and found an emerging local rival in the form of Partick Thistle who also moved to Whiteinch (though a different ground) in 1880.[5] Partick won their first meeting that year at Inchview by a 5–1 scoreline,[6] but Thistle also began to compete in the Scottish Cup, won the next meetings 5–2 and 3–1,[7] continued that run the following year[8] and increased their popularity among locals after moving nearer to the heart of the burgh at Muir Park (close to Hamilton Crescent) in 1883.[9][10] That year, both clubs joined the newly formed Glasgow Football Association.[11]
In summer 1885, it was announced that Partick F.C. had gone defunct and Partick Thistle would be moving in as tenants at Inchview; they continued to play there until 1897 (although not stated as a merger or takeover at the time, effectively that is what occurred).[12]
The Partick F.C. colours of red, yellow and black[13] were too eventually adopted by Thistle around 1930, via the acquisition of a set of kits from the West of Scotland rugby club,[14] also originally from Partick and formed from a local cricket club in the 1870s.
References
- Ordnance Survey 25 inch Scotland, 1892-1905, Explore georeferenced maps (National Library of Scotland)
- The birth of Partick Football Club, Scottish Sport History, 25 October 2015
- The 1870s : Scottish Dominance, Before The 'D'...Association Football around the world, 1863-1937, 24 April 2013
- From Partick with Love - the story of Jimmy Love and Fergie Suter, the first professional footballers, Scottish Sport History, 4 September 2016
- Jordanvale Park, Partick Thistle - The Early Years
- 1880-81 On The Move, Partick Thistle - The Early Years
- 1881-82 Scottish Cup Excitement, Partick Thistle - The Early Years
- 1882-83 Local Domination, Partick Thistle - The Early Years
- 1883-84 Goodbye Whiteinch, Partick Thistle - The Early Years
- Muir Park, Partick Thistle - The Early Years
- Chapter XXV—Glasgow Association, History of the Queen's Park Football Club 1867 - 1917 (via Electric Scotland)
- 1884-85 Takeover, Partick Thistle - The Early Years
- Eminent Victorians (Scotland), Historical Football Kits
- Partick Thistle, Historical Football Kits