Kilsyth and Kelvin Valley Football

Picture below shows Kilsyth Primary 1st Team in 1961 - thanks Bill!

Kilsyth Rangers Football and Athletic Club was founded in 1913 and was a member of the Scottish Junior League until the outbreak of the Second World War. After the war, the club was reconstituted and a new ground was purchased - Duncansfield. In 1945 the club gained membership to the Central League and the first home match against St. Roch heralded the opening of the new ground in August 1945.
They wear blue tops and shorts, the away strip (uniform) being red tops, white shorts and red socks, and currently compete in the West Region of the Scottish Junior Football Association.

The club played in its first Junior Cup Final at Hampden Park in 1954-55 against Duntocher Hibs before a crowd of 64,976. The game ended 0-0 and Kilsyth won the replay 4-0 before a crowd of 30,000, all four goals being scored by the clubs most prolific ever striker Alex Querrie. This feat is still a record to this day. Kilsyth lost the 1957 final against Banks O'Dee (1-0) after being hot favourites. The last final success was in 1967 when they beat Rutherglen Glencairn 3-1 after a 1-1 draw in the first game at Hampden which was played in front of 22,000 fans.

Recent years have brought increasing success with the club winning the Central League Division One title (2002-03), followed by the Evening Times Cup Winners Cup 2002-03 and the Superleague First Division title (2004-05)

Famous players to have played for the team include Drew Jarvie (Airdrie, Aberdeen), Willie Wallace (Hearts, Celtic), Frank McGarvey (St.Mirren, Liverpool, Celtic), David Stewart (Leeds Utd), Pat McMahon (Chelsea, Aston Villa), George Mulhall (Aberdeen, Sunderland), and Jim Storrie (Airdrie, Aberdeen, Leeds Utd).

The clubs biggest rivals are Kirkintilloch Rob Roy F.C., who play in nearby Kirkintilloch. The record attendance at Duncansfield Park is 8,740 for a game against Broxburn Athletic in a 1951 Scottish Junior Cup tie.

Honours
Scottish Junior Cup
Winners: 1954-55, 1966-67
Runners-up: 1956-57

Other Honours
West of Scotland Cup winners: 1953-54, 1967-68
Central League champions: 1947-48, 1953-54, 1956-57
Central Division One winners: 1982-83, 2002-03
Glasgow Junior Cup: 1930-31
Glasgow Dryburgh Cup: 1953-54, 1967-68
Evening Times Cup Winners Cup: 2002-03
Superleague First Division Champions 2004-05
Stirlingshire Junior Cup 1894-95,1918-19,1937-38,1945-46,1952-53 to 1959-60(8 times) and1961-62.
Pompey Cup 1956-57,1957-58
Glasgow Junior Cup 1930-31

Directions: www.multimap.com and enter the postcode G65 9JX.

Photograph of a boys soccer outing, around 1958, contributed by Joe Lang . Helen Turley (of Melbourne) comments: "The photo you have on your site of a boys soccer outing is of boys from Croy, Condorrat and Twechar.

Club History:
Copies of the book entitled "Kilsyth Rangers A History 1945-95" may be obtained from the author, John Ferguson, Rowanbank, South Barrwood, Kilsyth G65 0EX, a copy is also available for reference in Kilsyth Library.