During the period of our abdication from the junior scene, it would appear that Maryhill was not without a junior club or three, I have even seen reports of a Maryhill Junior Association. Season 1889/90 saw Olivebank, Melburn and Dawsholm all registered to the Glasgow Association. All these clubs had secretaries with Maryhill addresses. Season 1890/91 saw Dawsholm, Fernie Athletic, Highfield Rangers, Maryhill Mossvale and Mossvale Swifts with local secretaries. The following season 1891/92 saw the emergence of Gilshochill St Georges, Maryhill Myrtle and Craigvilla as well as Fernie Athletic and Maryhill Mossvale. Maryhill Myrtle played their home games at Kelvinvale Park and in season 1907/08 Maryhill St Vincent used it during their only season in the Glasgow League Second Division. So our old ground at Kelvinvale Park must still have been in use well after we had moved on to Lochburn. In 1892/93 St Georges dropped the Gilshochill tag, 1893/94 saw Maryhill Thistle, Royal Albert along with Myrtle and Fernie. By the time we made our return to the juniors, all the above clubs disappeared except St Georges. Some of these clubs and their officials, I think, must have had links with Maryhill F.C. as, for example, J.Tomany from Oran Street was listed as the Maryhill Reserves secretary in 1895/96, he had previously been shown as secretary of Fernie Athletic in 1893/94. A point of interest is that in 1887/88, Maryhill Harp were registered as a club in membership of the Glasgow Association for that one season only and they shared Caldercuilt Park as their home ground with Roseburn. Other local junior sides at this time were Eastpark Rovers, Gowerbank, Gower Swifts and Maryhill Victoria who were later to become a successful juvenile club.
Return to the Juniors
What happened in the period between 1891 and 1894 when the club returned to the Junior ranks seems to be unclear, but the general consensus is that Maryhill F.C. stopped playing altogether. The first game in back took place on 4 August 1894, which saw Maryhill visit Polmadie to play Crown Athletic. The 'Hill ran out 3-0 victors. The side that day was - Davidson, Cunningham, Simpson, Morton, Robertson, McAloon, McGuire, Laird, Leitch, Connor and Ferguson. Reports recall the diminutive Wullie Ferguson 'running rings' around the Crown defence and Davidson playing a good game in goal. Wullie Ferguson was to later move to play for Glasgow Celtic. No doubt hopes were high after such an auspicious start, but everyone came back to earth quickly when Dalziel Rovers visited Kelvindale Park in the second game where they demolished Maryhill 9-2.
"Maryhill seem likely to keep the burgh well to the front in football matters. An energetic committee and an old well-known secretary, Mr A.Hawthorn - have succeeded in placing the team once more in the van of junior football. McGuire the late Jordanhill goalkeeper, will stand between the sticks. Messrs Simpson and Travers are the backs, and Messrs Robertson and Graham (South-Western) and Morton will be in charge of the half-back division. The forward division includes Willie Ferguson, one of the best juniors in the country, Connor and McGuire of Lambhill, and a young player named Stewart. A number of other well-known names have been mentioned, but nothing definite has resulted. Fixtures have been arranged with Ashfield, Glasgow Perthshire, Jordanhill, Renfrew Victoria, Benburb &c."
On Monday January 14 1895 the same paper carried this news that - Mr Hawthorn has stood down Mr C Griffin took over as secretary at Maryhill - "Nearly all the old Maryhill enthusiasts are following the example of Mr Griffin by once more enrolling themselves as members of the club
During the club's history it has been at the 'coal face' of change in the game. During the latter part of the 1800's and the early part of the 1900's the club proposed on a number of occasions at the AGM of the Scottish Junior F.A. the acceptance of professional players in the junior ranks.
Maryhill were founder members of the Glasgow Junior League which was formed at a meeting held in Ayton's Restaurant, Duke Street on Tuesday 9 July 1895. The clubs present at that meeting were Ashfield, Jordanhill, Parkhead, Benburb, Vale of Clyde, Strathclyde, Maryhill and St Mungo's. Basic rules were agreed and included, gate money would be split between clubs with a £1 guarantee, entrance fee for the league 10 shillings, failure to fulfil fixture would incur a fine of £1 and referee's match fees were to be 4 shillings.
On 27 July Ashfield withdrew unhappy at the split of gate money, no doubt this was because they were possibly the best-supported junior club at the time. Cambuslang Hibs who ironically went on to win the first title replaced them. Benburb and Crown Athletic decided to amalgamate and re-take Benburb Park and retain that name. The merged club was to be called Oatlands F.C. and their colours would be Black and Gold. Oatlands failed to fulfil and early fixture and were fined on 30 August, shortly after this Benburb and Crown Athletic reformed as separate clubs with Crown carrying on in the Glasgow League but both playing at Benburb Park
Our North Eastern first round cup tie on 26 August 1957 was the first game played on grass at Lochburn and a Matt Gray penalty kick was the only goal of the game. There have been problems with the park since and in season 1972/73 we played all our games away from home whilst remedial work was carried out.
Season 1895/96 - This season saw us play in the newly formed, eight-team Glasgow League, the other competing clubs were Cambuslang Hibs, Crown Athletic, Jordanhill, Parkhead, St Mungo's, Strathclyde and Vale of Clyde.
Maryhill were founder members of the Glasgow Junior League which was formed at a meeting held in Ayton's Restaurant, Duke Street on Tuesday 9 July 1895. The clubs present at that meeting were AshfieldJordanhill, Parkhead, Benburb, Vale of Clyde, Strathclyde, Maryhill and St Mungo's. Basic rules were agreed and included, gate money would be equally split between clubs with a £1 guarantee for the visiting club. Entrance fee for the league 10 shillings and failure to fulfil any fixture would incur a fine of £1. Referees were to be supplied by member clubs and they would officiate in games not involving their club with their match fees set at 4 shillings.
On 27 July Ashfield withdrew as they were unhappy at the split of gate money, no doubt this was because they were possibly the best-supported junior club at the time. Cambuslang Hibs who ironically went on to win the first title replaced them. Benburb and Crown Athletic decided to amalgamate and re-take Benburb Park and retain that name for the ground. The merged club was to be called Oatlands F.C. and their colours would be Black and Gold. Oatlands failed to fulfil an early fixture and were fined on 30 August, shortly after this Benburb and Crown Athletic split and reformed as separate clubs with Crown carrying on in the Glasgow League but both sharing Benburb Park as their home.Late in that season Maryhill F.C. played a game against their Maryhill neighbours Glasgow Perthshire, the Glasgow League clubs had agreed at the start of the competition that none of their membership would play against Perthshire. The reason for this was that Perthshire had been in at the original talks about forming the league but they had pulled out and the other clubs felt that this was a snub at them. The punishment for playing that game was severe in that Maryhill were expelled from participation in season 1896/97, this ban carried onto the following season and the club were not accepted back into the Glasgow League until 1898/99. Ironically Perthshire were accepted as members of the Glasgow League before we were allowed back!
