Cambuslang
Formed 1873. Wound up 1897
Founder member of the Scottish Football League 1890. Resigned 1892.
Kit History
1873-1874 e
1879-1886 a b c
1888-1889 d
1893-1898 c
Background
Cambuslang is situated only six miles south-east of Glasgow city centre, a centre for coal-mining, iron and steel making and engineering works in the late 19th century. Cambuslang FC were formed when association football was in its infancy in the West of Scotland and for a while they were a real power in the land. They won the
Lanarkshire Association Cup in 1884 and 1885 as well as the Glasgow
& District Cup in 1888, when they were also runners-up in the Scottish FA Cup.
In 1890 they became one of the eleven founder members of the Scottish Football League. They finished a respectable fourth in 1891 having thrashed the powerful Renton side 8-2 in their opening fixture but the following season they finished next to last and dropped out, joining the rival Football Alliance instead. They played for only two seasons in this competition (they missed the 1893-94 season) and were wound up in 1897.
The 1879 kit is shown as registered with the Scottish FA 1879-1886, which included white "hose" (stockings), a highly unusual feature for this period. In 1893 the club switched from playing in old fashioned jerseys to more modern and lightweight shirts. (See the History of Football Kits article for more on this topic)
Sources
- (a) The Scottish League Former Members (Norman Nichol 1992)
- (b) Brian McColl
- (c) Alick Milne
- (d) Paul Robinson
- (e) Charles Alcock's Football Annuals 1869-1891 researched by Robin Horton