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Hugh Drennan – Interview

The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. Hugh Drennan signed for Meadow in season 1954-55.  After breaking into the team he helped Meadow win the Western League Cup, the Irvine & District Cup and the Western League Championship, beating Auchinleck Talbot 1-0 after a 4-4 draw in the …

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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 …

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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 …

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Alex “Sanny” Moffat – If the Cap Fits

When Alexander “Sanny” Moffat signed for his local club, Irvine Meadow XI, in 1898 he could have had no idea that he was going to make history for the club.  For as well as contributing towards Meadow’s first trophy success, he was the first Meadow player to be selected to play for his country.  “Sanny” was joining a young club …

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Kenny Dalglish at Victoria Park in 1967

The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. When Irvine Victoria were drawn to play at home against Cumbernauld United in the 1st Round of the Scottish Cup in 1967/68 they couldn’t possibly have known they’d be facing one of the greatest players ever to be produced in Scotland.  …

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Willie Stewart: Brains in his Head as well as in his Feet

To generations of Irvine schoolchildren he was Mr Stewart the Maths teacher at Irvine Royal Academy, but Willie Stewart had a second career as a player in both Junior and Senior football.  The boot was on the other foot recently, when one of his former First Year pupils was the one asking the questions.  GMcC:  You began your football career …