Montrose
Formed 1879
Founder member of Scottish Division Three 1923. Joined the Scottish Alliance after the Third Division was abandoned in 1926.
Elected to Scottish Division Two 1929.
Kit History
1880-1881 b
1883-1884 b
1887-1891 b
1891-1902 b
1902-1907 b
1907-1910 b
1910-1911 i
1912-1919 b
1919-1922 b
1929-1930 b
1930-1932 b
1932-1933 b
1933-1935 b
1935-1937 c g
1938-1939 b
late 1940s b
1952-1953 b
1954-1955 b
1957-1959 b
1959-1963 b
1959-1963 alt b
1963-1967 b
1967-1969 b
1969-Feb1970 b
Feb-May 1970 b
1971-1973 b
1973-1974 b
1973-1974 late b
1974-1976 b
1976-1977 e
early 1977-1978 b
mid 1977-1978 b
1978-1981 b h
1981-1983 h
1983-1984 h
1984-1986 d h
1986-1988 f
1988-Feb 1989 f
Feb 1989-1990 h
1990-1992 d f
1992-1994 f h
1994-1995 h
1995-1997 h
1997-1998 h
1998-1999 h
1999-2000 a
2000-2001 a
2001-2002 a
2002-2004 a
2004-2005 a
2005-2007 a
2007-2009 a
2009-2010 a
Background
The first recorded game of
association football in Montrose, a small port on the north east coast,
was on 8 November 1879 when Arbroath Wanderers were the visitors. It
appears that the Montrose players were not familiar with the standard
FA rules and lost by 0-4. The Montrose club has played at Links Park since
1880. By the early 1890s, the "Gable Endies" had one of the
strongest teams in the north-east and played regularly against sides
from the West of Scotland, including Dumbarton, Third Lanark and Glasgow
Thistle.
In January 1892 Montrose won their first senior honour, beating Dundee East End in the final of the Forfarshire Cup by 5-3. The cup was, however, withheld following a protest from East End that Montrose had turned up 15 minutes late. Their protest was later thrown out and Montrose received the trophy a few days later.
Montrose joined the Northern League in 1891. After a single season in the old Central League (1914-15), the club closed down for the duration of the First World War. In 1919 they joined the Eastern League, of the the regional competitions set up by former members of the Scottish Second Division and in December 1921, they won the Qualifying Cup. In 1923 they became founder members of the ill-fated Scottish Third Division. When this collapsed in chaos towards the end of the 1925-26 season, Montrose and the surviving members joined the Scottish Alliance.
In 1929 a ballot was held to find replacements for Bathgate and Arthurlie, who had resigned during the season. Montrose topped the poll with 31 votes (Brechin City were also elected with 24 votes). They hardly set the division alight, generally finishing near the foot of the table.
After the Second World War, the Scottish League was restructured and Montrose were placed in the new ten-team Division "C" (third tier) along with several reserve sides from the higher divisions. In 1951 and 1954 Montrose finished last in Division "C" (North & East) (the division had been split into two regional competitions in 1949) but were spared having to apply for re-election as this procedure had been quietly dropped in 1950. In 1955 the third level was scrapped and Montrose went into the expanded Division "B" for the 1955-56 season. The club languished at this level until the next restructuring of the league in 1975 when the Premier Division was created. Montrose played on in the new Division One (second tier) until 1979 when they were relegated. In 1985 they were promoted back to Division One (the first time in their history that they had won promotion) but they were back down again after two seasons. They had another brief spell in the First Division (second tier) 1991-92 but when the next restructuring came in 1994, they were placed in the new Third Division (fourth tier).
The excitement of promotion in 1995 turned to despair the following season, when they were relegated in last place, 20 points adrift and well out of their depth. The club has languished in the lowest division ever since.
Sources
- (a) Montrose FC Official Site
- (b) Alick Milne
- (c) London Hearts
- (d) SNS Pix
- (e) Classic Kits
- (f) Ralph Pomeroy
- (g) My photo library
- (h) Donald Gellatly (HFK Research Associate)
- (i) The Dundee United Official Centenary History by Peter Rundo & Mike Watson (Birlinn 2009 ISBN 978 1 84158 828 5)