The Haylie Neolithic Chambered Cairn in Largs is looking great. When I first arrived in Largs some four years ago it was in a sad state: overgrown, fence down and no interpretation board (there had been one but it had rotted away). What I didn’t know was that local historical enthusiast Richard Topping was on the case. And through his …
1989-90 – Meadow are Best in the West
The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. When Irvine Meadow ran out at Newlandsfield Park in front of a crowd of 1,100 on a sunny Wednesday evening in 1990, they were looking to win the West of Scotland Cup for the seventh time. There had been a gap …
Davy McDougall
The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. Davy McDougall only played one season for Irvine Meadow XI before setting off on a remarkable footballing journey, which took him all round the United Kingdom. He signed up in 1898 and played at outside left when Meadow beat Newmilns 4-0 …
Joe Cassidy Interview – “I Once Stopped 3 Penalties”
The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. Joe Cassidy was a fine goalkeeper who later became a local businessman. He joined Meadow in 1965-66 and played so impressively that he was capped for Junior Scotland against Ireland in 1968. Readers who don’t know Joe as a footballer may …
Johnny McIntyre – “Captain Courageous”
The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. Johnny McIntyre, who passed away on Saturday, 24th January 2015, was one of the most successful players ever to pull a Medda jersey over his head. He featured in three of Irvine Meadow’s Scottish Junior Cup finals; two as a player, …
The Cousars – Medda in the Blood
Cousar is a good old Irvine name. There have been Cousars living in the town from well over 250 years ago to the present day and Lex Cousar is one of the current crop. Lex is frequently to be found at Meadow games home or away, but it should be no surprise that Lex is a Meadow fan, because Irvine …
1911 Irvine Meadow XI v Kilwinning Rangers – Scottish Cup, 3rd Round Replay
The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. There are photographs of Irvine Meadow XI going all the way back to the beginning of their step up to the Junior ranks in 1897. In fact, there is also a photo from their days as a Juvenile club which is …
Craig Brown on Junior Football
The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. Craig Brown was one of the high profile guest speakers at the Irvine Meadow Wednesday Club last season. He was manager of the Scotland Under 21 team for seven years before taking over the full international team from 1993 until 2001. …
“Played in Good Spirits”
The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. 26 September 1992 Irvine Meadow XI v Ardeer Thistle Ayrshire League, Division 1. Irvine Meadow XI:- Brown; Ferry, Hamilton, Morrison, Stewart; Fontana, Walker; Johnson, Faulds, Walsh, Phillips. Subs: Davidson, Kilpatrick. Ardeer Thistle:- McKay; Frew, Evan, Ross, Haswell, Thomson, Ferguson, Tumelty, McAdam, …
What’s in the Box?
The following blog post was kindly written for us by our student volunteer, Grace Levine. Growing up in upstate New York, I was surrounded by history from a very young age. With not much to do in my rural town in the Hudson Valley, my parents brought me to local museums, historical societies, and heritage sites. As I got older, …