Lochgelly United
Formed 1890. Wound up 1928.
Elected to Scottish Division Two 1914. Transferred to the Eastern League 1915.
Founder member of the reformed Scottish Division Two 1921. Joined the Scottish Alliance after Scottish Division Three was abandoned in 1926.
Kit History
Lochgelly Athletic
1886
1886 c
Fifeshire Hibernian
1889
1889 c
Lochgelly United
1890
Formed by the merger of Lochgelly Athletic and Fifeshire Hibernian
1891-1893 b
1893-1895 b
1895-1899 b
1899-1903 a b c
1905-1907 a b c
1907-1909 b c
1913-1914 b
1919-1920 b
1920-1921 b
1923-1925 a b
1925-1928 a b
Background
Based in the small West Fife mining town of Lochgelly (from the Gaelic Loch Ghellaidh), United were formed by the merger of Lochgelly
Athletic (founded 1886) and Fifeshire Hibernian (1889) and rejoiced
in the nickname of "The Happylanders." They played initially
at Schools Park before moving to Reids Park in 1901, finally settling
at Recreation Park in 1910. Their great rivals were East Fife (formed
1903). Between 1896 and 1914 they played variously in the old Central
League and the Northern League but did not compete in anything except
friendly and cup matches between 1898 and 1902.
In 1914, Lochgelly were elected to the Scottish Second Division after a series of elimination ballots (they won through in the third round). This division was subsequently suspended at the end of the season and later abandoned, the members losing their membership of the Scottish League sometime in 1917. The club played in the Eastern League, one of the regional competitions set up by the former Second Division members and then joined the rebel Central League. In 1921 this competition was incorporated into the Scottish League as the new Second Division. In 1924 the club was relegated to the Third Division (formed the previous season) after suffering a record 30 defeats and scoring a paltry 20 goals.
In 1926 the Third Division was abandoned when it became clear that the financial costs of the competition exceeded the means of its members. Lochgelly spent one season in the Scottish Alliance before being wound up in 1928.
Sources
- (a) The Scottish Football League - Former Members IV (Norman Nichol)
- (b) Alick Milne
- (c) Scottish Football History
Photograph courtesy of The East Fife Football Historian