Clydebank F.C.

Clydebank Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire. The current club, formed in 2003, is a member of the West of Scotland Football League.

For the club that played in the Scottish Football League between 1914 and 1931, see Clydebank F.C. (1914).

Clydebank
Full nameClydebank Football Club
Nickname(s)The Bankies
Founded2003 (present club)
GroundHolm Park, Clydebank
OwnerUnited Clydebank Supporters
ChairmanGrace McGibbon
ManagerGordon Moffat
LeagueWest of Scotland League Premier Division
2019–20SJFA West Premiership, 9th of 16
WebsiteClub website

The town has been represented by several previous incarnations in both senior and junior football. The current club can directly trace their development from Clydebank Juniors F.C., who were founded in 1899. After a short-lived merger with senior club East Stirlingshire during season 1964–65, they were reformed as a senior club in their own right in 1965 and went on to be members of the Scottish Football League from 1966 until 2002. Following chronic financial difficulties, the club were bought out by Airdrie United and relocated to play in Airdrie under the new identity. A year later, supporters of the former version of the club re-established its identity once more, at junior level. In April 2020 Clydebank was once again represented senior football, when the club joined the West of Scotland Football League at tier 6 of the Scottish football pyramid structure.

The 1965–2002 incarnation of Clydebank F.C. were the third club of that name to represent the town in senior football. The first club was formed in 1888 but never competed at a high level. Of more significance was the second Clydebank F.C., formed in 1914 and a Scottish Football League member from then until 1931. Although these clubs are not directly connected to the present entity in a business sense, they are discussed here, given their shared name and their relevance to the development of the town's footballing history and its community.

History of Clydebank clubs

Clydebank F.C. (1888–1895, 1899–1902)

The first senior club to represent the town was formed in 1888, playing home matches at Hamilton Park. They entered the Scottish Cup several times, making their last appearance in the competition proper in the 1893–94 competition. In addition they were members of the Scottish Federation (league) from 1891 to 1893.[1] This club folded in 1895, to be resurrected in 1899, with this second incarnation also based at Hamilton Park.[2] They retained their membership of the Scottish Football Association (SFA) until 1902, but were practically defunct by this stage.[3]

Clydebank Juniors F.C. (1899–1964)

The junior club were formed in the village of Duntocher (now considered part of Clydebank) in 1899, under the name of Duntocher F.C. This was as the result of a breakaway from another local junior club, Duntocher Hibernian.[3][4] They changed their name to Clydebank Juniors in 1900 on moving to the town itself. They were based at the original Kilbowie Park prior to the construction of an upgraded ground (often called "New Kilbowie") in 1939. Around about this time they were one of Scotland's leading junior sides, winning the Scottish Junior Cup in 1942 as well as numerous other honours.

The club continued in junior football until 1964 when they were controversially merged with senior club, East Stirlingshire, bringing Scottish League football back to the town for the first time in over thirty years.

Honours

Clydebank F.C. (1914–1931)
Main article: Clydebank F.C. (1914)

The first club to represent the town in league football., they were formed in 1914 and immediately elected to the Scottish Football League (SFL). After suffering from financial difficulties, they resigned from the SFL and disbanded in 1931. During their time in the league, they were runners-up in Division Two twice, in 1922-23 and 1924-25. Their home ground was Clydeholm.

East Stirlingshire Clydebank F.C. (1964–65)

In 1964 the Steedman brothers, Jack and Charlie, owners of East Stirlingshire F.C., controversially merged their club with Clydebank Juniors. The new club (whose name was usually abbreviated to E.S. Clydebank) inherited East Stirlingshire's place in Division Two, playing home matches at Kilbowie. After a year, a legal challenge by East Stirlingshire supporters led to them resuming their former identity back in Falkirk. The Steedmans elected to remain at Clydebank, establishing a new club at senior level.[6]

E.S. Clydebank's single season is generally considered by historians and statisticians as a contiguous part of East Stirlingshire's record, as the merged club was never elected to the SFA or League in its own right.

Clydebank F.C. (1965–2002)

The second Clydebank F.C. to play Scottish League football was formed in 1965 by the Steedman brothers, who were still convinced of the potential for senior football in the town despite the abortive merger. Although in many senses a resumption of Clydebank Juniors, albeit at a different level, they were technically a brand new club. Clydebank had to wait a year in the Combined Reserve League competing against Jordanhill Training College, Glasgow Corporation Transport, and the Third XI's of the Old Firm before being elected to the Scottish League in 1966.

Clydebank spent three seasons in the Premier Division, becoming the first club to play in all three Scottish League divisions after league reconstruction in 1975; the last season they were in the top flight was in 1987. Clydebank also reached the Scottish Cup semi-final in 1990 while playing in the First Division.

In the early 1990s, they were sponsored by the local pop group Wet Wet Wet.[7][8]

They were also the first (and last) senior club of the Scottish international Davie Cooper, who went on to play for Rangers and Motherwell. Cooper was still a Clydebank player when he died in March 1995, aged 39, after suffering a brain haemorrhage. He was due to retire at the end of that season and become the club's first-team coach.

Former Bankie Gary Teale who went on to play for Ayr United and, Derby County has played for Scotland. Other famous names to have played for the club at some point in their careers include Republic of Ireland international strikers Tommy Coyne and Owen Coyle, Bobby Williamson, Jim Fallon, Gerry McCabe, Jim Gallacher, Ken Eadie, England international defender Terry Butcher, and Partick Thistle cult hero Chic Charnley.

New Kilbowie was notable in this era as one of the first all-seater stadiums in British football, largely due to the installation of wooden benches on the terracing.

The club's fortunes began to decline after New Kilbowie was sold by the Steedmans in 1996 and a promised new stadium in the town failed to materialise.[8] Clydebank spent six years playing "home" games at first Boghead Park, Dumbarton, followed by Cappielow Park, Greenock,[9] with the inevitable decline in support.[8] During their time at Boghead Park, the Steedman family sold the club to Dr John Hall, a Bermuda-based businessman.[10] The proceeds from Kilbowie Park were used to set up schools for the sport in America.

When the combined efforts of United Clydebank Supporters (UCS), the Football Association of Ireland, the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish Football League brought about the rejection of a move to Dublin,[11] the owners made a number of attempts to relocate the club as a franchise to a number of alternative towns — including Galashiels[9] and Carlisle.[8] During this period, the club were reduced to operating from a single cramped portable cabin.

At the end of the 1999–2000 season, Clydebank were relegated from the First Division after winning just one game all season achieving only 10 points.

The club's SFL and SFA identity finally disappeared in 2002. After the liquidation of Airdrieonians, a consortium led by Jim Ballantyne put forward a bid to fill the vacancy in the SFL and build a new club in Airdrie from scratch. That bid was unsuccessful, but the new club then turned their attention to buying out Clydebank's few assets from their administrators. Having outbid UCS for them, the club was moved to Airdrie as Airdrie United and under that title took their place in the Second Division for the 2002–03 season.[12]

Honours

Present Clydebank F.C. (2003–)

During the 2002–03 season, the remaining Clydebank supporters were left without a team to follow as the transformation into Airdrie United happened too close to the beginning of the season to make alternative plans. In the following months, members of the UCS supporters' group met with the purpose of creating a new Clydebank F.C.. Airdrie United Ltd agreed to voluntarily transfer their unwanted ownership of the name and insignia of Clydebank F.C. to UCS, and a venue for matches in the Clydebank area was secured following an agreement to ground share with Drumchapel Amateurs at Glenhead Park, Duntocher.[13] For the 2002–03 season, Clydebank FC was the name used by the club's supporters team in the Scottish Supporters League.

The UCS group re-established Clydebank Football Club in 2003–04, entering the West Region structure of the Scottish Junior Football Association. The club won the league and gained promotion from Central League Division Two that season playing in front of up to 1,000 fans. In 2004–05 Clydebank finished third in Division One, missing out on a second successive promotion by one point on the last day of the season.

2005–06 saw record crowds since the rebirth of the club, with up to 1,600 watching Clydebank come within penalty kicks of reaching the last four of the Scottish Junior Cup – beaten after two 1–1 draws against Tayport. In 2006–07 the club were promoted to Super League Division One.

In June 2008, Clydebank and Drumchapel agreed to terminate their groundsharing agreement, with the Bankies moving across the town to share Holm Park with Yoker Athletic. Many ground improvements have already taken place at the long time established Junior ground.

2008–09 proved to be the most successful Clydebank season since reformation in 2003. A successful run to the final of the 2008–09 Scottish Junior Cup saw Clydebank defeat Petershill and Pollok, before falling at the final hurdle by two goals to one against Auchinleck Talbot. Around 3,700 Clydebank fans travelled to Rugby Park for the final, contributing to the total crowd of 8,122.[14]

In 2011, the club won promotion to the West Super League Premier Division.[9] In 2015, they were relegated to the Super League Division One. In 2017, the club won promotion back to the Super League Premier Division, where they remained until leaving Junior football.

The team were managed from their return to the Junior grade in 2003 until December 2016 by former Clydebank player Billy McGhie. Following McGhie's thirteen-year tenure, the club appointed former St Johnstone player Kieran McAnespie as their new manager in January 2017.[15][16]

Due to ground improvements taking place at Holm Park, Clydebank agreed a short-term groundshare with Maryhill F.C. at Lochburn Park in Maryhill, Glasgow, for the 2018–19 season.[17] In the 2019–20 season they returned to the newly refurbished Holm Park for the foreseeable future.[18]

The pitch at Holm Park during a Clydebank match

In June 2020, Clydebank opted not to retain their SJFA membership after all SJFA West Region teams moved to the newly formed West of Scotland League.[19]

Current squad
As of 21 October 2020[20]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  SCO Jamie Donnelly
2 DF  SCO Michael Bailey
3 DF  SCO Andy Paterson
4 DF  SCO Matt Niven
5 DF  SCO Jamie Darroch (vice-captain)
6 MF  SCO Frazer Johnstone
7 MF  SCO Cammy McClair
8 MF  SCO Joe Slattery
9 FW  SCO Ciaran Mulcahy
10 FW  SCO Nicky Little (captain)
11 MF  SCO Liam McGonigle
No. Pos. Nation Player
12 DF  SCO Paul Byrne
14 MF  SCO Conor Lynass
16 MF  SCO Chris Black
17 DF  SCO Ben Cameron
18 MF  SCO Gary McMenamin
19 MF  SCO Craig Holmes
20 GK  SCO Jamie Stevenson
21 DF  SCO Matthew McLean
27 FW  SCO Ross McPherson
— MF  SCO Lee Gallacher

Management team
Role Name
Manager Gordon Moffat
Assistant Manager Gary McMenamin
First Team Coach Drew Marshall
First Team Coach Kirk Forbes
Goalkeeping Coach Scott Morrison
Sports Therapist Ross Harvie
Kitman Stevie McAneney

Honours

Notable players

The present club launched a Clydebank Hall of Fame in 2008. The first eight former players to be inducted were all from the 1965–2002 incarnation of Clydebank.[21][22]

2008:
2009:
2010:
2011:
2012:
2013:
2014:
2015:
  • Martin McInnes
  • Joe Dickson
2017:
2018:

See also

Notes
  1. "CLYDEBANK [1]". Geocities. Archived from the original on 6 August 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  2. "CLYDEBANK [2]". Geocities. Archived from the original on 6 August 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  3. Heaney, John (September 1983). Bankies-All. Scottish Football Historian. pp. 6–7.
  4. The current Clydebank F.C. initially played in Duntocher at Glenhead Park, which was previously Duntocher Hibs' ground.
  5. History Archived 30 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine Clydebank FC; Retrieved 8 October 2006
  6. Crampsey, pp.170–171
  7. Getting shirty... the best and worst kit sponsors The Independent
  8. Entry to the highest bidder Archived 21 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine When Saturday Comes, September 2002
  9. Dons and Bankies stand up against the franchises Archived 8 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine FourFourTwo, 10 August 2011
  10. Clydebank's legal battle to go to Dublin The Independent, 23 February 1998
  11. Breaking the bankies Archived 19 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine When Saturday Comes, June 1999
  12. "Airdrie buy Bankies". BBC Sport. 9 July 2002. Retrieved 19 March 2009.
  13. "Clydebank FC - A History". ClydebankFC.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 July 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  14. "Auchinleck defy spirited Bankies to claim eighth Junior Cup final triumph". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. 31 May 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  15. McNab, Ken (2 January 2017). "Budgie McGhie reveals reason behind decision to quit Clydebank after 14 years as rumour mill cranks up over his successor". Evening Times. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  16. Wilson, Fraser (19 January 2017). "Clydebank appoint ex-St Johnstone ace Kieran McAnespie as new manager". Daily Record. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  17. Brockett, David (28 June 2018). "Bankies to groundshare at Maryhill". Clydebank F.C. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  18. Clydebank v Yoker – Supporter Information, Clydebank FC, 12 July 2019
  19. "Bankies opt not to retain SJFA membership as Moffat starts making plans". Clydebank Post. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  20. "2020–21 Clydebank FC squad". Clydebank FC. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  21. "Hall of Fame". Official website. Clydebank FC. Archived from the original on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2009.
  22. Hall of Fame, Clydebank FC, retrieved 20 May 2020

References

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