Glasgow Corporation Transport Football Club was a football club based in Glasgow, Scotland.
| Full name | Glasgow Corporation Transport Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1923 | |
| Dissolved | 1974 | |
| Ground | Helenvale Park | |
|
| ||
History
editThe club was the works side[clarification needed] for Glasgow Corporation Transport, the corporation which provided public transport in the city. The idea of having a club to represent the transport workers, whose depots had their own amateur league, seems to have been coincident with the idea of building an athletics venue for the workers; the club was founded the year before the ground was opened.
In 1930, the club joined the Scottish Football Association as an associate member, which entitled it to enter the Scottish Cup.[1] It did so in 1930–31, losing in its first tie to Glasgow University F.C.[2] The club did however win the Scottish Amateur Cup in 1931–32 and the West of Scotland Amateur Cup in 1935–36.[3]
In 1966, the club became a full senior member. It joined the Combined Reserve Football League in 1967[4] and once again entered the Scottish Cup. The club's major success came when they qualified for the competition proper in 1970-71. The club received a bye in the first round and was drawn to play at Brechin City in the second, travelling to Brechin (as was usual for away matches) on a Glasgow Corporation bus.[5] The club lost 4–1, two of the City goals coming from the penalty spot.[6]
At the end of the season, the corporation handed the Helenvale ground over to Glasgow City Council; without its own ground, the club lost its senior status, and was wound up within a few years.[7] By this time few of the players were Corporation employees.[8]
The club was notable as the opposition for the final match Alex Ferguson played for Rangers in 1969, Ferguson having been demoted to the third XI after the 1969 Scottish Cup Final.[9]
Colours
editThe club played in royal blue shirts until 1931,[10] when it changed to green shirts, white shorts, and orange socks, which matched the corporation's livery colours.[11]
Grounds
editThe club's home ground was Helenvale Park in Parkhead, converted from a series of bowling greens[12] into an athletics track and football pitch, within a few dozen yards of Celtic Park. The ground's opening match was a friendly between Rangers and Partick Thistle, ceremonially kicked off by the Duke of York, later to become King George VI.[13] The ground was used by Scottish Athletics for the national championships on several occasions.[14]
References
edit- ^ "S.F.A. Meeting". Lothian Courier: 8. 22 August 1930.
- ^ Mathers, Stewart. "Season 1930-31". The Beautiful Dribbling Game. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ "West of Scotland Amateur Cup". Scottish Amateur Football Association. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ "Scottish Combined Reserve League". Scottish Football Archive. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ Campbell, George (1991). Scottish Non-League Football Histories Vol. 2. Renfrew: SNLR. p. 38.
- ^ "Arguments for and against seeding in the Scottish Cup". Glasgow Herald: 4. 21 December 1970.
- ^ "Club Directory". Scottish Football Historical Results Archive. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ Campbell, George (1991). Scottish Non-League Football Histories Vol. 2. Renfrew: SNLR. p. 38.
- ^ "O'Neill's star rising after reviving the spirit of '69". Independent: 33. 27 May 2001.
- ^ "Club Directory". Scottish Football Historical Results Archive. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ Campbell, George (1991). Scottish Non-League Football Histories Vol. 2. Renfrew: SNLR. p. 38.
- ^ Project Glasgow. "The remains of Helenvale Park, Parkhead". Facebook. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ "1924 – Rangers 1-6". Partick Thistle History. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ "Helenvale". Scottish Distance Running. Retrieved 12 November 2022.