Arthurlie
Formed 1874. Joined the Scottish Junior FA 1931.
Elected to Scottish Division Two 1901. Transferred to the Western League 1915.
Founder Member of Scottish Division Three 1923. Resigned 1929.
Kit History
1876-1880 b c
1880-1888 b c
1888-1890 c
1890-1892 c
1892-1895 c
1895-1896 c
1896-1903 c
1909-1910 a c d
1912-1924 a c
1924-1926 a c
1926-1927 e
1927-1930 a c
Background
The club took its name from the village of Arthur's
Meadow, one of several small communities that together make up Barrhead
in Renfrewshire. They played at Dunterlie Park and, rather confusingly they gave this name to the four grounds they used during their career.
The team's earliest colours were often described as "light blue" a term usually used in Scottish accounts of the period for a shade that was lighter than navy blue, which was widely used.
In 1881 Arthurlie won the Renfrewshire Cup and the following season they absorbed another local side, Barrhead Rangers. In 1890 they turned professional. Unable to secure admission to the Scottish Football League, the club became founder members of the Scottish Federation, winning the title in 1892. In 1896-97, they knocked Celtic out of the Scottish Cup, running out 4-2 winners. (Celtic got their revenge, beating Arthurlie 7-0 in the same competition a year later.)
In 1901 Arthurlie were elected to the Scottish Second Division to bring the numbers up to 12. There is some confusion about their colours at this time: Scottish FA records give "blue and white" between 1903 and 1906 but the Scottish League records them as "white" (1903-04) and "black and white" (1904-06).
They finished joint second in 1907, their highest ever placing but they were not elected to Division One. In 1915, the Second Division was abandoned and Arthurlie joined the Western League where they continued to compete until 1923 when this competition provided the majority of clubs that formed the ill-fated Scottish Third Division. They finished as champions in their first season and were promoted to Division Two. Here they stayed until the end of the 1928-29 season when they resigned with four matches left to complete.
After two seasons as an amateur team Arthurlie became a junior side in 1931 and continue to compete at this level to this day.
Sources
- (a) The Scottish League Former Members (Norman Nichol 1992)
- (b) Brian McColl
- (c) Alick Milne
- (d) Arthurlie JFC - the modern successor now playing at junior level.
- (e) Life & Death of the Hi-Hi (John Littster 2010) provided by Gerald Ruck