Jump to content

Parkgrove F.C.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Parkgrove
Full nameParkgrove Football Club
Founded1874
Dissolved1897
GroundKinning Park 1874-1876
Clifford Park 1876- 77
Trinidad Park 1877-1880

Parkgrove F.C. were a nineteenth-century Glasgow-based senior football club. They were based in Govan, Glasgow.[1]

History

[edit]

Originally the team played in red & blue colours (1874–79); but for the 1879–80 season they changed to a white shirt with thin black hoops.[1][2]

The club is notable for having two of the earliest known black footballers; Andrew Watson and Robert Walker. While at Parkgrove, Watson became the club's match secretary - making him also the first black administrator in association football.[3]

It was noted that Parkgrove played with a cosmopolitan team. Thomas Britten, a Welsh international football player, played for the club in 1878.[4] Another of its players, goalkeeper Tommy Marten, was noted as being from Japan although it was later established that he was half Chinese.[5]

The club made the fifth round of the Scottish Cup in 1879-80. They drew with South Western; but were beaten in the replay. South Western progressed to the Quarter-Finals but were beaten by Pollokshields Athletic.

Decline

[edit]

The club couldn't make a game with Dunfermline F.C. on New Year's Day 1880.[6] Many of the club's players moved to the new Pilgrims side for the 1880–81 season.[7]

It was noted that Parkgrove moved out of their Trinidad Park ground in 1880. A notice of the ground at the Broomloan estate states that Parkgrove recently moved - and that the ground was now for let.[8][9] Kinning Park, home of Rangers at the time Parkgrove played at Trinidad Park, was fairly near;[5] The Gers moved to the first Ibrox Park, directly adjacent to the Trinidad site, in 1887.

The Scottish Referee noted on 8 October 1894 that they were asked to contradict a rumour that the Parkgrove club were about to collapse. It noted that the secretary advised that the club was in healthy condition and was likely to survive for many days.[10]

The club was still extant late that same year, playing Rangers on 15 December 1894 in the Kirkwood Shield competition.[11] They were still playing in 1896 as they were in a Partick Thistle-sponsored tournament in season 1896–97;[12] however, by August 1897, Parkgrove was listed by the Scottish Referee as one of the many defunct clubs of Glasgow.[13]

Notable former players

[edit]
  • Andrew Watson, Scottish international football player; and the first black association football player.
  • Robert Walker, another black player to play association football alongside Watson at Parkgrove.
  • Thomas Britten, Welsh international player - who was noted as Parkgrove's leading striker.[5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos". Archived from the original on 27 October 2009.
  2. ^ "Eminent Victorians (Scotland)". Historical Football Kits.
  3. ^ Heffernan, Conor (19 April 2016). "Andrew Watson: the silent pioneer for black footballers". These Football Times.
  4. ^ "Parkgrove F.C., Glasgow - football club". eu-football.info.
  5. ^ a b c "Show Racism the Red Card - The world's earliest known black footballers". Show Racism the Red Card.
  6. ^ "Register" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Queen's Park v Pilgrims". North British Daily Mail: 3. 25 October 1880.
  8. ^ "Register" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ Trinidad Park, Andrew Watson: Corinthian
  10. ^ "Register" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Register" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "Register" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ^ "Register" – via British Newspaper Archive.