Historical Football Kits

 

Eminent Victorians (Scotland)

queens park fc 1873The importance of Queen's Park FC in the development of association football in Scotland has been compared by historian and broadcaster, Bob Crampsey, with that of the Marylebone Cricket Club and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews to the development of cricket and golf respectively. Formed by gentlemen from the Glasgow YMCA in July 1867, the fledgling club controlled the rules of the game in Scotland, organised the first international match in history, instigated the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish Challenge Cup. They developed what became known as "The Combination Game" in which team mates cooperated by passing the ball to each other rather than pursuing the kick-and-rush style prevalent in England.

By playing exhibition matches across the country Queen's Park inspired communities to form their own clubs and the game was taken up enthusiastically by the working classes. When the Hibernian club was formed in 1875 to promote temperance, promote religious faith and raise funds for the impoverished Irish Catholic population living in the slums of Cowgate in Edinburgh, it set off an explosion of similar clubs throughout Scotland, all of whom incorporated green in their colours and adopted names that evoked their Irish heritage including, most famously, Celtic.

Over 50 senior clubs were formed by Rifle Volunteer regiments. These were part-time units of citizen soldiers trained and led by professional officers and NCOs who saw association football as a healthy way to develop discipline and encourage physical exercise, an opportunity usually taken up with enthusiam. When the men of the 3rd Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers were asked to choose between playing football and soldiering they overwhelmingly opted for the former, giving birth to Third Lanark.

Sources: Scottish Football Historical Archive by Brian McColl, Charles Alcock's Football Annuals 1868-1891 researched by Robin Horton.

Southern England | The Midlands | Northern England | Scotland | Wales | Overview

1890-1894 j-1901
1st Argyll Rifle Volunteeers 1890

1st Argyll Rifle Volunteers

1890
1877-1881
19th Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers 1877

19th Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers

1877
1888-1906
Adventurers 1890

Adventurers

1890
1874-1880
Ailsa 1874

Ailsa

1874
1868-1890
Airdrie 1878

Airdrie

1880
1879-1896
Airdriehill 1879

Airdriehill

1879
1873-1884
Alexandra Athletic 1876

Alexandra Athletic

1876
1888-1906
All Saints 1882

All Saints

1890
1879-1920
Annbank 1879

Annbank

1879
1876-1883
Apsley 1876

Apsley

1876
1892-1920
Arbroath Wanderers 1892

Arbroath Wanderers

1892
j 1893 1895-1899
Armadale Volunteers 1895

Armadale Volunteers

1895
1887-1888
athenian fc 1887

Athenian

1887
1879-1881
Athole 1879

Athole

1879
1878-1882
Auchinleck Boswell 1878

Auchinleck Boswell

1878
1875-1879
Avondale (Lanarkshire) 1875

Avondale (Lanarkshire)

1875
1882-1887
Avondale (Stirlingshire) 1882

Avondale (Stirlingshire)

1882
j 1888 1889-1893
Ayr Athletic 1889

Ayr Athletic

1889
1881-1884
Balgay fc 1880

Balgay

1881
1884-1900
Barholm Rovers 1894

Barholm Rovers

1894
1874-1882
Barrhead 1874

Barrhead

1874
1885-1888
Bathgate Harp 1885

Bathgate Harp

1885
1873-1884
Battlefield 1873

Battlefield

1873
1881-1884 j-1892
Beith Thistle 1881

Beith Thistle

1881
1879-1883
Bellshill 1879

Bellshill

1879
1880-1886
Benhar 1880

Benhar

1880
1887-1899 j
Benquhat Heatherbell 1887

Benquhat Heatherbell

1887
1880-1929
Black Watch fc 1892

Black Watch

1892
1876-1879
Blackfriars 1876

Blackfriars

1876
1880-1882
Blairgowrie & Rattray 1880

Blairgowrie & Rattray

1880
1882-1912
Blairgowrie Our Boys 1891

Blairgowrie Our Boys

1891
1875-1877
Blantyre Thornhill fc 1875

Blantyre Thornhill

1875
1873-1879
blytheswood fc 1877

Blytheswood

1877
1884-1892
Bon Accord 1884

Bon Accord

1884
1884-1888
Bonhill 1884

Bonhill

1884
1889-1899
Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic 1890

Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic

1890
1888-1896
Brechin fc 1888

Brechin

1888
j 1882 1890-1894
Bridge of Allan 1890

Bridge of Allan

1890
j 1878 1893-1900
Bridge of Weir 1893

Bridge of Weir

1893
1878-Present
Brora Rangers 1878

Brora Rangers

1878
1882-1892
Broughty fc 1888

Broughty

1882
1881-1888
Broxburn Shamrock 1881

Broxburn Shamrock

1881
1877-1884 j -1886
Brunswick 1877

Brunswick

1877
j 1885 1890-1900
Burnbank Swifts 1890

Burnbank Swifts

1890
1878-1885
Burntisland Thistle 1878

Burntisland Thistle

1878
1873-1880
Busby 1873

Busby

1873
1882-1891
Caledonia 1885

Caledonia

1885
1886-1893
caledonian aberdeen 1886

Caledonian (Aberdeen)

1886
1875-1882
Caledonian fc 1875

Caledonian (Glasgow)

1875
1873-1874
callander fc 1873

Callander

1873
1884-1889 j
Cambuslang Hibernian 1887

Cambuslang Hibernian

1887
1884-1906 j1906-1910
Camelon 1884

Camelon

1886
1878-1880
Campsie Glen 1878

Campsie Glen

1878
1890-1892
Campsie Hibernian 1890

Campsie Hibernian

1890
1892-1895
Carfin Shamrock 1892

Carfin Shamrock

1892
j 1886-1888
Carrick 1886

Carrick

1886
1890-1891
Cartha 1890

Cartha

1890
1878-1887
Cartvale fc 1882

Cartvale

1882
1877-1881
Catrine 1878

Catrine

1878
j 1886 1888-1891
Champfleurie 1888

Champfleurie

1888
1881-1886
Chryston 1881

Chryston

1881
1878-1881
City 1878

City

1878
1886-Present
Clachnacuddin 1891

Clachnacuddin

1891
1877-1880
Clifton & Strathfillan 1877

Clifton & Strathfillan

1877
1873-1886
clydebank FC (rutherglen) 1879

Clydebank

1879
1872-1881
Clydesdale 1873

Clydesdale

1873
1887-1890
Coatbridge 1887

Coatbridge

1887
1877-1893
Coupar Angus 1877

Coupar Angus

1877
1874-1881
craig park fc 1877

Craig Park

1877
1878-1881
Cree Rovers 1879

Cree Rovers

1879
1883-1892
Crieff 1883

Crieff

1883
1874-1880
crosshill 1876

Crosshill

1876
1875-1891
cumnock fc 1876

Cumnock

1876
1878-1895
Dalmuir Thistle 1892

Dalmuir Thistle

1892
1884-1897
Dalry 1884

Dalry

1884
1874-1881
Dean 1874

Dean

1874
1879-1885
Dean Park 1879

Dean Park

1879
1875-1889
dennistoun fc 1877

Dennistoun

1877
1888-1898
Denny 1888

Denny

1888
1875-1879
Derby 1875

Derby

1875
1874-1888
drumpellier fc 1876

Drumpellier

1876
1882-1885
Dumbarton Rock 1882

Dumbarton Rock

1882
j1882 1885-1894
Dumbarton Union 1891

Dumbarton Union

1891
1871-1879
dumbreck fc

Dumbreck

1873
1869-1877*
dumfries fc 1872

Dumfries

1872
1897-1901
Dumfries Hibernian 1897

Dumfries Hibernian

1897
1880-1915
Dunblane 1880

Dunblane

1880
1879-1894
Dundee Harp 1886

Dundee Harp

1886
1879-1883
Dundee Hibernian fc 1879

Dundee Hibernian

1879
1879-1903
Dunipace 1879

Dunipace

1879
1879-1888
Dunkeld 1879

Dunkeld

1879
1888-1897
Duntocher Harp 1888

Duntocher Harp

1888
j 1885 1887-1894
Dykebar 1887

Dykebar

1887
1881-1883 >Vale of Nith
East End Rovers 1881

East End Rovers

1881
1876-1882
East Kilbride 1876

East Kilbride

1876
1873-1877
Eastern 1875

Eastern

1875
1874-1885 j -1900
edinburgh thistle fc 1876

Edinburgh Thistle

1876
1878-Present
edinburgh university fc 1879

Edinburgh University

1879
1884-Present
Forres Mechanics 1884

Forres Mechanics

1884
1874-1882
girvan fc 1876

Girvan

1876
1889-1899
Gladstonians 1889

Gladstonians

1889
1873-74 > Alexandra Ath
Glasgow Alexandra Athletic 1874

Glasgow Alexandra Athletic

1874
1889-1891
Glasgow Hibernian fc 1889

Glasgow Hibernian

1889
1877-Present
Glasgow University 1883

Glasgow University

1883
1897-1899
Glenarnott Thistle 1889

Glenarnott Thistle

1897
1876-1900
Glengowan 1876

Glengowan

1876
1894-1897
Gordon Highlanders 1894

Gordon Highlanders

1894
1873-1881
govan fc 1877

Govan

1876
1882-1896
Grahamston fc 1897

Grahamston

1886
1886-1894
Grangemouth 1886

Grangemouth

1886
1872-1878
granville fc 1873

Granville

1873
1875-1901
Grasshoppers fc 1875

Grasshoppers

1875
1880-1886
Greenock Northern 1880

Greenock Northern

1880
1877-1886
Greenock Southern 1877

Greenock Southern

1877
1890-1897
Hamilton Harp 1890

Hamilton Harp

1890
1873-1880
havelock fc 1876

Havelock

1876
1874-1882
helensburgh fc 1876

Helensburgh

1874
1875-1926
Hurlford 1878

Hurlford

1878
1893-1935 j-1937
Inverness Citadel 1893

Inverness Citadel

1893
1886-1891
Johnstone Harp 1886

Johnstone Harp

1886
1878-1886
Johnstone Rovers 1880

Johnstone Rovers

1880
1875-1882
jordanhill fc 1877

Jordanhill

1877
1876-1882
Kelvinbank 1876

Kelvinbank

1876
1874-1896
Kilbirnie 1874

Kilbirnie

1874
1877-1885
Kilmarnock Athletic  1877

Kilmarnock Athletic

1877
1873-1883
Kilmarnock Portland 1873

Kilmarnock Portland

1873
1887-1901
Kilsyth Wanderers 1888

Kilsyth Wanderers

1888
1893-1907 j-1937
Kilwinning Eglinton 1895

Kilwinning Eglinton

1880-1884
Kinleith fc 1880

Kinleith

1880
1885-1890
Kirkintilloch Central fc 1885

Kirkintilloch Central

1885
1885-1888
kirkintilloch harp 1885

Kirkintilloch Harp

1885
1880-1883
ladyburn fc 1882

Ladyburn

1882
1878-1882
lanark fc 1878

Lanark

1878
c1864-??
lancefield fc 1877

Lancefield

1877
1884-1895
laurieston 1890

Laurieston

1890
1873-1882
lennox fc 1876

Lennox

1876
1875-1888 j-1900
lenzie 1875

Lenzie

1875
Unknown
levern club 1876

Levern

1876
1883-1891
lindertis fc 1883

Lindertis

1883
1884-1991
Lochee 1884

Lochee

1887
1887-1888
marchton fc 1879

Marchtown

1879
1884-
Maryhill 1890

Maryhill

1887
1895-1921
Maybole 1896

Maybole

1896
1876-1881
Maybole Ladywell 1876

Maybole Ladywell

1876
1884-1892
Methlan Park 1887

Methlan Park

1887
1880-1895
Moffat 1891

Moffat

1891
1880-1891
Motherwell Shamrock 1880

Motherwell Shamrock

1880
1876-1882
Newmains 1881

Newmains

1881
1880-1902
newton stewart athletic fc 1891

Newton Stewart Athletic

1891
1874-1897
northern fc 1877

Northern

1877
1882-1894
Oban 1882

Oban

1882
1886-1894
Oban Rangers 1889

Oban Rangers

1889
1879-1885
Paisley Athletic 1882

Paisley Athletic

1882
(j 1891-93) 1893-1897
Paisley Celtic 1893

Paisley Celtic

1893
1874-1882
parkgrove 1879

Parkgrove

1879
1875-1885
partick fc 1875

Partick

1875
1875-1885
partick fc 1885

Partick

1885
(j 1874-86) 1886-1888
Partick Carrick 1886

Partick Carrick

1886
1875-1890
Pollokshields Athletic fc 1884

Pollokshields Athletic

1884
(j 1885-86) 1886-1901
Polton Vale 1896

Polton Vale

1896
Unknown
portland fc 1876

Portland

1876
1875-1883
possil park fc 1877

Possil Park

1877
1874-1878
ramblers (glasgow) fc 1876

Ramblers

1876
1875-1891
renfrew fc 1876

Renfrew

1887
1877-1899
Rob Roy fc 1878

Rob Roy

1878
1873-1878
rovers fc 1876

Rovers

1876
(j 1887-90) 1890-1897
Saltcoats Victoria 1892

Saltcoats Victoria

1892
1880-2018
Selkirk 1897

Selkirk

1897
1875-1876
shawfield fc 1876

Shawfield

1876
1880-1881
Shawlands Athletic 1880

Shawlands Athletic

1880
1876-1877
Shotts Iron Works fc 1876

Shotts Iron Works

1876
1875-1884
south western fc 1876

South Western

1876
1873-1877
standard fc 1876

Standard

1876
1873-1882
star of leven 1876

Star of Leven

1876
1885-1903
Stevenston Athletic fc 1888

Stevenston Athletic

1888
1874-1894
strathmore fc (dundee) 1891

Strathmore

1884
1874-1885
Swifts 1874

Swifts

1874
1874-2005
Tarff Rovers 1897

Tarff Rovers

1897
1874-1879
telegraphists fc 1876

Telegraphists

1876
1874-1900
Thistle FC (Edinburgh) 1874

Thistle

1874
1878-1882
Thistle Athletic 1878

Thistle Athletic

1878
1883-1935
thornhill 1886

Thornhill

1886
1879-1888
Tollcross 1885

Tollcross

1885
1874-1879
towerhill fc 1876

Towerhill

1876
1873-1879
union fc (crosshill) 1877

Union

1877
1878-1882
Upper Clydesdale fc 1878

Upper Clydesdale

1878
1878-Present
Vale of Atholl fc 1889

Vale of Atholl

1889
1891-
Vale of Leithen 1891

Vale of Leithen

1891
1881-1889
Vale of Leven Hibernian 1881

Vale of Leven Hibernian

1881
1876-1882
Wellington Park 1876

Wellington Park

1876
1872-1877
west-end fc (cowlairs) 1876

West End

1872
1888-1895
Whifflet Shamrock 1888

Whifflet Shamrock

1888
1874-1879
Whiteinch fc 1874

Whiteinch

1874
1888-1893
Wick Rovers 1888

Wick Rovers

1888
 

* Adopted rugby union rules. j Joined Scottish Junior FA.

Where sufficient information is available from written or photographic sources to create accurate graphics with a high degree of confidence dates are given in BOLD text. All other entries are provisional.