Johnstone Athletic F.C.

The club was one of three senior clubs in Johnstone formed in 1878, along with Cartside, Johnstone F.C., and Johnstone Rovers. It quickly became the biggest side in the town, with 140 members, compared to Johnstone's 90 and the Rovers' 120, by 1880,{{cite book |last1=Fleming |first1=J. S. |title=Scottish Association Football Annual 1880–81 |date=1880 |publisher=Gillespie Brothers |page=43}} which also made it the biggest side in Renfrewshire.

It was the only club from the town to enter the first Renfrewshire Cup, in 1878–79, although the club lost in the first round to the 23rd R.R.V. by 2 goals to 0.{{cite journal |title=Renfrewshire Cup |journal=Rutherglen Reformer |date=17 May 1879 |page=3}}

The appetite for football in Johnstone was such that the clubs formed their own Johnstone association, which created a cup competition from 1878 to 1879; the tie between the Athletics and Johnstone in September 1879, which ended 2–2, was attended by a crowd of 2,000,{{cite journal |title=Johnstone v Johnstone Athletic (J.A. Cup tie) |journal=Glasgow Herald |date=29 September 1879 |page=7}} as was the second replay (at Mossdale Park), won 1–0 by Johnstone.{{cite journal |title=Johnstone Athletic v Johnstone (Johnstone Cup tie) |journal=Glasgow Herald |date=10 November 1879 |page=7}}

The Athletic was the first in the town to enter the Scottish Cup, doing so in 1879–80. Its first season in the competition was its most successful. After getting a walkover in the first round, the Athletic beat Cartvale 6–0 (plus one disputed) in the second round{{cite journal |title=Matches played on Saturday |journal=Glasgow Herald |date=13 October 1879 |page=7}} and Kennishead 3–1 in the third.{{cite journal |title=Johnstone Athletic v Kennishead (Cup tie) |journal=Glasgow Herald |date=3 November 1879 |page=6}} In the fourth round (final 22) the Athletic lost 4–2 at home to Rob Roy of Callander.{{cite journal |title=Association Cup tie |journal=Stirling Observer |date=27 November 1879 |page=5}}

The Athletic entered the Scottish Cup for the next four years, but lost in the first round every time. Its record in the Renfrewshire Cup was little better. Only in 1883–84 did the club win more than one tie; in the first round the club walked off the pitch when 6–3 down to the Sir John Maxwell{{cite journal |title=Sir John Maxwell v Johnstone Athletics - Renfrewshire Cup Tie |journal=Glasgow Herald |date=15 October 1883 |page=9}} and lost a replay 2–1 in extra time, but successfully protested that the Sir John had arrived 25 minutes late - despite being at home - and the Sir John was disqualified.{{cite journal |title=Johnstone Athletic v Sir John Maxwell |journal=North British Daily Mail |date=22 October 1883 |page=7}} In the second the club beat Clippens in a "somewhat rough game" 4–0{{cite journal |title=Matches played on Saturday |journal=Glasgow Herald |date=17 December 1883 |page=9}} but, at 4–1 down to Thornliebank in the quarter-final, the Athletic walked off with 35 minutes to go and put in a protest regarding the weather, to no avail.{{cite journal |title=Matches played on Saturday |journal=Glasgow Herald |date=24 December 1883 |page=8}}; most of Scotland was under a deluge that Saturday, although no other matches were abandoned.

With the growth of under-the-counter professionalism, Johnstone was too small a town to host three senior football sides; as early as 1881 the Johnstone chairman, Bailie Love, made tentative suggestions of combining the Johnstone and Athletic teams.{{cite journal |title=Johnstone Football Club |journal=Paisley Daily Express |date=2 April 1881 |page=3}} The Athletic was the first to dissolve; although it had started out as the largest side in the area, it was soon overtaken in members by Rovers and ability by Johnstone (who won the first three Johnstone & District Cups{{cite web |title=Johnstone & District Cup Competitions |url=http://sfha.org.uk/johnstonedistrictcup.htm |website=Scottish Football Historical Archive |access-date=12 April 2023}}), and in terms of membership size also by the clubs from Paisley.

The club's last activity was hosting athletic games - which included a 4-a-side tournament, won by Olympic of Greenock - in July 1884.{{cite journal |title=Johnstone |journal=Glasgow Herald |date=14 July 1884 |page=10}} It did not pay its subscription for the 1884–85 season and was removed from the Scottish Football Association roll.{{cite book |title=Scottish FA Minutes |date=26 August 1884 |publisher=Scottish Football Association |page=36}} The name was taken up by a Junior club in Dundee.{{cite journal |title=To-morrow's football matches |journal=Dundee Courier |date=14 November 1884 |page=8}}

The club originally played in navy blue jerseys and knickers, and navy blue and white stockings.{{cite book |last1=Fleming |first1=J. S. |title=Scottish Association Football Annual 1880–81 |date=1880 |publisher=Gillespie Brothers |page=53}} It adopted white knickers in 1883.{{cite book |last1=M'Dowall |first1=John |title=Scottish Football Association Annual 1883-84 |date=1883 |publisher=W. Weatherston |location=Glasgow |page=54}}

The club played at Mossbank Park, 5 minutes' walk from the station.

• [https://www.londonhearts.com/scores/sc/johnstoneathletic.html Scottish Cup results]
• [http://sfha.org.uk/renfrewshirecup.htm Renfrewshire Cup results]

{{Reflist}}

{{Defunct Scottish football clubs|state=collapsed}}

Category:Defunct football clubs in Scotland

Category:Association football clubs established in 1878

Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 1884

Category:Football in Renfrewshire

Category:1878 establishments in Scotland

Category:1884 disestablishments in Scotland

Category:Johnstone