Pumpherston F.C.
Pumpherston Juniors Football Club are a Scottish junior team Junior football club based in Pumpherston, near Livingston, West Lothian. Their home ground is Recreation Park, with one of the largest pitches in Scottish football. Club colours are gold and black.
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| Full name | Pumpherston Juniors Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Pumphy or Ston | ||
| Founded | 1896 (Re-formed 1990) | ||
| Ground | Recreation Park Drumshoreland Place Pumpherston | ||
| Capacity | 1,000 | ||
| Chairman | Billy Rogers | ||
| Manager | Craig Martin | ||
| League | SJFA East Region Lothian League | ||
| 2019–20 | SJFA East Super League South (season abandoned) | ||
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The original Pumpherston club was formed in 1896.
A club by the name of Pumpherston Rob Roy were probably the first Junior club in the village, existing for a few years in the early 1900s before Pumpherston Rangers joined the Linlithgowshire Junior League for the 1911–12 season.
Success followed for the next three seasons with two East of Scotland Junior League titles, two Renton cup wins, two Leith Burgh Cup wins and a Dalmeny Cup. World War I intervened but they won the Renton Cup again in 1919 when football resumed. However, at the end of 1927–28 season with league re-organisation and the amount of West Lothian clubs dwindling, they decided to turn amateur and leave the Juniors.
It was 26 years later than Pumpherston Juniors joined the Edinburgh & District League for season 1954–55. Their first success came in 1957 when they defeated Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic at Albyn Park to win the Thornton Shield and the following season they shocked Junior football by going all the way to the Scottish Junior Cup final under the leadership of captain Vince Halpin. On the way to the Final they defeated West Calder United, Dalkeith Thistle, Tranent, Thornton Hibs, and Parkhead. The Semi-Final against Baillieston in front of 10,000 at Brockville Park was drawn, but they won the replay at Celtic Park the following week to send them to Hampden Park, where they lost 2–0 to Shotts Bon Accord in front of 33,000.[1]
They were a solid mid-table club but in 1962–63 they narrowly lost the West Section title to Sauchie who went on to win the play-off against Newtongrange Star, the same season they lost Brown Cup Final to Dunbar United. The following year also saw a third-place finish. They came from nowhere in 1969–70 to win the West Section, edging out Linlithgow Rose and Bo'ness United, but lost the Championship play-off to Mid/East Section winners Arniston Rangers.
The early 1970s saw erratic form, 1971–72 saw them finish third, the following season they were 15th and bottom, and the season after that, with the leagues re-organised into A and B Divisions they missed out on promotion by a single goal. They also had a run to the 5th round of the Scottish Junior Cup before being eliminated by Glasgow Perthshire.
However that was their last sniff of success as the financial situation at the club was deteriorating and midway through season 1976–77 they folded. The club was re-formed and joined the East Region in 1990–91, once again bringing Junior football back to Recreation Park.
Honours
Pumpherston Rangers
- East of Scotland Junior League Champions: 1913–14, 1914–15
- Renton Cup: 1912–13, 1913–14, 1918–19
- Leith Burghs Cup: 1912–13, 1913–14
- Lumley Cup: 1912–13
- Dalmeny Cup: 1913–14
- St.Michaels Cup Runners-up: 1924–25
- Linlithgowshire County Cup Eunners-up: 1926–27
Pumpherston Juniors
- Scottish Junior Cup Finalists: 1957–58
- East Junior League West Division Champions: 1969–70
- Thornton Shield Winners: 1956–57
- Lothians Second Division Runners-up: 2003–04
- East Region South Division Runners-up: 2012–13
- RL Rae Cup Runners-up: 1960–61
- St.Michaels Cup Runners-up: 1960–61
- Brown Cup Runners-up: 1962–63
References
- McGlone, David; McLure, Bill (1987). The Juniors - 100 Years. A Centenary History of Scottish Junior Football. Mainstream. p. 102. ISBN 1-85158-060-3.