Wishaw Juniors F.C.

Wishaw Juniors
Full name

Wishaw Juniors Football Club

' The Pride Of Wishy'
Founded 1885
Ground The Beltane
Alexander Street
Wishaw, North Lanarkshire
Ground Capacity c1,000
Manager Chris McGroarty
League 2016-17 West of Scotland League Central District First Division
2015–16 West of Scotland League Central District First Division, 3rd

Wishaw Juniors Football Club are a Scottish football club, based in the former heavy industrial town of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire. The club plays at adult semi-professional level (termed 'Junior' football in Scotland) and plays its football in the West Region (one of three Regions) of the Scottish Junior Football Association. The club currently competes in the Central District First Division in what is effectively the third of four tiers within the Region.

The club traces its origins back to Wishaw Thistle (which may itself have been an offshoot of Wishaw Swifts). For many years it was generally accepted that the foundation year was 1885 but recent research suggests this may have been several years earlier. There are no definitive records available. The 'Thistle' were winners of the Lanarkshire Junior Cup in 1885/86, 1986/87 and 1987/88, and the Scottish Junior Cup in 1887/88 (the second and longest surviving winners of the Scottish Junior Cup and possibly one of the first clubs to complete a cup double). The Thistle subsequently turned 'senior'.

After a long period in the junior football 'wilderness' dating back to the late 1960s, Wishaw finally secured promotion out of the bottom tier of the S.J.F.A. West Region in season 2013/14 under then manager John McKeown who left the club shortly thereafter to take over as manager of Cumnock Juniors. The club moved quickly to secure a replacement and since October 2014 has been managed by former Dunfermline Athletic midfielder, Chris McGroarty.[1] Despite losing several key players, Chris was successful not only in keeping the club in the 1st Division in his first season but also in building an attractive team which was to mount a serious challenge for further promotion in season 2015/16, only to miss out on this by a single point. The team has started season 2016/17 well and having been drawn against Cumnock Juniors at home in the 1st Round of the Scottish Junior Cup then defeated the Premier League side by two goals to nil.

Wishaw has had a number of home grounds down the years and has played at Stewarton Street, at the Old Public Park (off Main Street) and at the original Belhaven Park (better known as the site of the former Wishaw Dog Track) but for most of its existence was based at Recreation Park at Kirk Road, Wishaw. The ground which had banked terracing, a stand and a covered area and Social Club was lost to the club in the early 1990s and thereafter Wishaw were homeless sharing with Coltness United at Victoria Park for a number of years until 1999 when they secured tenancy at Wishaw Sports Centre. This agreement did not work out though and they returned to sharing with Coltness. Wishaw secured a second deal to play at the Sports Centre, before moving into the nearby Beltane Park for the beginning of the 2011–12 season.[2] The Beltane, as it is known locally, is likely to be the team's home for the foreseeable future. Originally just an open public pitch, the Club's enthusiastic small committee has managed to develop The Beltane into a mini stadium despite only having a very modest budget. The ground is fully fenced off and offers a mixture of hard and grassed standing accommodation for c1,000 persons with Ladies and Gents toilets, Snack Bar, Hospitality Facility, a covered wheelchair viewing platform and a small covered enclosure for 50/60 persons. The Beltane was opened on 28 July 2012 with a match against a Motherwell F.C XI. The current record attendance is 300 set in a West of Scotland Cup tie against Auchinleck Talbot and won 3-2 by the home team despite a three-division gap between the two clubs.

The club had an under-19 side (now disbanded) and a women's team, which was formed in 1995 and has had its name changed several times. It was originally Wishaw Ladies then Lanarkshire Ladies and then Motherwell Ladies Football Club until it was changed to, Wishaw Juniors Ladies.[3] The ladies team folded midway through 2011.

The 'Thistle'

Originally operating as a 'Junior' club, Wishaw Thistle turned Senior after several successful seasons in junior competitions. This was before the establishment of league football and the club competed in the Scottish F.A Cup and other lesser cup competitions. Wishaw missed out in the formation of the Scottish Football League in 1890. However, in 1891/92 Thistle were (along with Lanarkshire neighbours Motherwell and Albion Rovers) founder members of the Scottish Football Federation which was the second senior football league to be established in Scotland.

When the Scottish Football League expanded to two divisions Wishaw did make several unsuccessful attempts to seek election to the 'Scottish Football League Division 2' losing out in 1895/96 to now long-defunct Linthouse by a single vote after 3 ballots. (note - rivals and neighbours Motherwell FC were successful in the same ballot and the history of the two neighbouring Lanarkshire clubs took very different paths thereafter). Wishaw remained a Senior club mainly competing in the Scottish Football Alliance, Combination and Union Leagues with a single season in the Scottish Reserve league in 1910/11 (playing against the second string sides of Rangers, Hearts, Aberdeen, Partick Thistle etc the club also competed in various Senior Cup competitions including the Scottish Cup reaching the 4th round on one occasion. It was also successful in winning the Lanarkshire Senior Cup on several occasions competing against Motherwell, Airdrionians, Hamilton Accies , and Albion Rovers amongst others. The larger Scottish league clubs eventually forced changes to the Scottish Cup requiring smaller clubs to qualify for the competition. Possibly Wishaw's most notable success after that was defeating Arbroath FC 2 - 1 in the Consolation Cup Final.

The First World War had a dramatic effect on football but the club managed to continue to operate for a time, sometimes fielding 'guest players', i.e. service personnel who had been players with top English sides such as Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, but were stationed locally. Thistle's Captain, William Angus of Carluke who had also turned out for Glasgow Celtic, was to see action in France very early on in the war and was awarded the Victoria Cross for what was described as the most heroic deed ever by a British soldier in rescuing his officer, Lt William Martin (also from Carluke) on 12 June 1915 at Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée. Angus was badly injured in the course of the rescue and although retaining a keen interest in football throughout his life - later being president of Carluke Rovers - he was unable to resume playing. After receiving his V.C. from the king, William Angus was later to receive standing ovations at both Parkhead and Ibrox.

When football recommenced at the end of World War I Wishaw attempted unsuccessfully to restart as a senior club then re-invented itself as a junior club in the form of Wishaw YMCA Juniors bringing to an end over 30 years of Senior football in the town.

During its Senior years, Wishaw Thistle won a number of trophies and played host to visiting sides Liverpool, Everton, Stoke, Sunderland and Notts County in friendly matches. It also took part in the Invitation Football Tournament at the 'International Exhibition' held by Edinburgh City Council to commemorate the opening of the world-famous Forth Railway Bridge and played against many of today's current senior Scottish clubs in the S.F.A. Scottish Cup including, on one occasion hosting Glasgow Celtic in Wishaw. A number of the club's players went on to play for more illustrious clubs. One player, David Calderhead, was later to become manager of Chelsea, a position he held for about 25 years; he is credited with turning the London side from a relatively small club into a major force in the English game. Wishaw was a well-supported club in an era when football was growing rapidly as a spectator pastime and high four- and even five-figure crowds were not uncommon for major matches.

The 'Juniors'

Wishaw started its second 'life' as a Junior Club under the name of Wishaw YMCA Juniors in 1919/20 as members of the Scottish Junior League, enjoying early success in winning the Scottish Junior League Victory Cup and also the Hozier Cup (named after Lady Hozier, wife of Sir Winston Churchill). A second Hozier Cup was added the following season. The name was shortened to Wishaw Juniors in 1924 and the club switched to the Lanarkshire Junior League.

The club were then one of the rebel clubs which broke away from the Scottish Junior FA in the bitter Intermediate dispute in the late 1920s before returning to the junior fold once again as members of the Lanarkshire Junior League where the club remained until World War II.

World War II had a major impact on football with many clubs and Leagues closing down - many never to return. However, Wishaw managed to continue in operation, competing in the short-lived Lanark and Lothians League which lasted during the war years with a number of Lanarkshire teams joining with their counterparts in East Lothian. During this period Wishaw reached the final of the East of Scotland Cup and have the unusual claim to be the only team to have played in the Scottish, West and East Cup finals. The Club also won the St Michael's Cup one of the most prestigious trophies played for by East Junior Clubs. After the end of the War, Wishaw returned to the Lanarkshire Junior League.

Reorganisation of Scottish Junior football in 1968 saw the end of the Lanarkshire Junior League with its remaining clubs joining with those from the greater Glasgow area to form the Central Junior League. Although Wishaw did start in the top 'A' Division of the new Central League being one of the stronger Lanarkshire sides - for various reasons the club was unable to sustain its position and dropped to the bottom division where it remained for a number of years. Further reorganisation and the creation of the S.J.F.A. West Region saw the club once again stranded in the bottom tier of an expanded 'Regional' structure. It has been many years since Wishaw tasted success but despite the club's current lower league status it has managed to reach the Sectional League Cup Semi-finals in each of seasons 2014–15, 2015–16 and 2016–17 and the Semi-final of the prestigious West of Scotland Cup in 2015–16.[4]

Honours

'THISTLE'

Near Misses

'JUNIORS'

Near misses

Former players

Down the years a significant number of Wishaw players moved on to senior clubs in Scotland and England and further afield. Several of these were involved in major trophy success as players, management and backroom staff. Two of these enjoyed successes in the major European football club competitions. Others continued to play their football at Junior level and enjoyed success with Wishaw being capped also for the Scottish Junior FA International team.

1. JUNIOR INTERNATIONAL CAPS

2. FORMER PLAYERS WITH FULL SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CAPS

3. FORMER PLAYERS WITH OTHER INVOLVEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL

4. FORMER PLAYERS WITH INVOLVEMENT IN EUROPEAN CLUB COMPETITIONS

5. PLAYERS WHO HAVE PLAYED AND/OR MANAGED IN SENIOR FOOTBALL

6 PLAYERS TRANSFERRED / ETC to Senior Clubs before WWII INCOMPLETE LIST

7 PLAYERS TRANSFERRED ETC TO SENIOR CLUBS POST WWII INCOMPLETE LIST


8 BITS AND PIECES

In the previous round it took three games to separate Wishaw and Shotts United with a total of 22,500 watching the 3 games the last being held at Fir Park (Motherwell FC).


9. In Progress

References

  1. ↑ Thomson, Nick (29 October 2014). "McGroarty: I'll take Wishaw onwards and upwards". Daily Record. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  2. ↑ Wishaw Press, 20 April 2011.
  3. ↑ Wishaw Juniors Ladies team section Wishaw Juniors Unofficial Website.
  4. ↑ Scottish Football Historical Archive - Lanarkshire Junior League, Brian McColl
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