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A Double Shift for Meadow’s Cup Winners

Irvine Meadow have had a lot of success over the years in the West of Scotland Cup, winning the prestigious trophy nine times.  But surely the Meadow team that had to work hardest for their West of Scotland success, was the 1962 side who beat Greenock Juniors in the final. That year the West of Scotland Cup final was played …

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Goals Galore … After a Scare in Dreghorn

After winning the Scottish Junior Cup in 1963, Irvine Meadow XI were, inevitably, amongst the favourites to win the cup the following season.  So, when they were drawn away to their now defunct local rivals, Dreghorn Juniors, in the first round no-one, other than the most devoted Dreghorn fans, foresaw anything other than an easy passage to the second round …

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1968 -The Case of the Disappearing Players

It was just a run-of-the-mill league game, played out at Dreghorn’s Fordside Park in 1967/68.  The atrocious weather was spoiling the play, but the players battled through the wind and rain and gave the rain-soaked fans something to occupy their thoughts on that miserable Saturday afternoon.  Before the kick-off a minute’s silence was observed in memory of Mr James McBlane …

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1959 – A Teddy Bear’s Hampden Picnic

The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. Recalling the 1959 Scottish Cup final triumph over Shettleston conjures up famous names like Ian Prentice, “Hookey” Walker, Johnnie McIntyre and double goalscorer Jackie Morrison.  However, one small but important personality from that glorious day has been sadly neglected over the …

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Ayrshire Dockyard Company

The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. Regular readers of my articles will be aware that Irvine has not always been a two-club town as far as Junior football is concerned. If you go back to Queen Victoria’s Reign you’ll come across names like Irvine Caledonia, Irvine Rangers …

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1970 Ian’s Cracking Performance

The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. I’ve often heard the Ayrshire Regional League Cup being referred to as a competition that “didnae maitter onyway” … usually after the Medda has been unexpectedly knocked out of it. To be fair it was never one of the high prestige …

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George Wall:  Johnny McIntyre put me to left-back

The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. George Wall began his Junior career at Dalry Thistle, playing alongside a young Jim Leighton, who went on to win 91 Scottish international caps during his career with, amongst others, Aberdeen, Manchester United and Hibs.  At the other end of his …

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Robert Smallwood – Re-united with his Past

The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. The wide-eyed 12-year-old Meadow fan reached his hands up as Bobby Carroll held out his trophy for the schoolboy to hold. It was the morning of the 1959 Scottish Junior Cup final and the players were having a pre-match breakfast with …

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The Marymass Derby

The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. Over the years Meadow XI has dominated the traditional Marymass Derby against local rivals Irvine Victoria, but it wasn’t like that right at the start.  Up until 1921 both clubs had enjoyed free Marymass Saturdays to allow the people of the …

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Alexander Dickson – From Hero to Villain

In the heyday of Scottish Junior football, it was fairly common practice for fans to celebrate their clubs’ successes by immortalising cup wins and great players in verse.  In 1909 Kilwinning Rangers gave the amateur poets amongst their fans good  reason to sharpen their pencils.  The following lines are attributed to “Garnock”  Hurrah! for the Kilwinning “Buffs,”  The “Buffs” whom …