Continued from Blantyre Vics Part 1
The current and present club that arose from the ashes was formed in 1900, but again as juniors. The team were reconstructed that year as a professional football team.
The story is that the team was formed from a crowd of boys who hung around the corner of Rosendale, with nothing to do!
The new Victoria team played at Craighead (the later home of Blantyre Celtic) but when another club called Blantyre Hibs went defunct, Victoria took over their grounds at Castle Park, Forrest Street at Low Blantyre, which is still the home of Vics today.
Castle Park got its name as Messrs MacLachlans, the brewers originally leased the field to the club and it was named after the Castle Brewery.
This sturdy set of youngsters, aided by the money in their own pockets, went on to make a big name for themselves in the juvenile world of local football. Indeed they got off to a flying start by becoming Lanarkshire Juvenile Cup winners in 1900 in their first year. The winning team Sam Elliot, Thomas Peat, James Steel, Thomas Docherty, James Dunlop, John Harrison, Archibald Clark, Alex Menzies, William Park, James Morris, Harry Hogg and Thomas Speirs. On the Committee was Hugh McKerrell (President), Sam Dawson (Match Secretary) and Sam Taylor.
Also supported by coaches and trainers Robert Cumming, Robert Colvin and James Deans. Vic’s played in the Lanarkshire League and Intermediate League before joining the Central League.
It is well known how “Vics” rose to be a power in the junior land during their trophy-winning spells with the Lanarkshire Junior League, the old Glasgow Junior League – one season only.
1907/1908 the Scottish Junior League, the Intermediate (Rebels) League and the Scottish Central League. The honours included the unique distinction of winning both the Lanarkshire Junior League and the Scottish Central League championship.
Victoria have reared many famous players, and here are some of those who went on to earn senior fame: Brownlie (Third Lanark), Garret (Hamilton), Hendry (Rangers), D Black (Morton), W.Black (Hibs), J Richardson (Thirds and Ayr), J Richardson (Manchester United), T.Reid (Clydebank), T Crawley (Hamilton & Coventry), W. Lennox (Clapton Orient), Nesbit (Preston), Crinen (Raith Rovers). W. Russell (Chelsea and Hearts), Orr (Airdrie), McPhail (Clyde), Jerry Kelly and Turnbull (Ayr), Colquhoun (St Mirren), Wallace (Hamilton), Davis (Armadale), Currie (Airdrie), Miller (Hamilton), Kirk (Clyde), Scullion (Armadale), Dunsmuir (Hearts), Logan (St Mirren), Crichton (Bradford City), Ditchburn (Sunderland), McNee & Thomson (Hamilton), Fyfe (Crystal Palace), White (South Shields), Beedie (Portsmouth), Johnstone (Motherwell), J. Reid (Portsmouth), Robertson & Thomson (Clyde).
Continued in Part 3
From “Blantyre Explained” by Paul Veverka (c) 2016