Kirkcaldy F.C.

The club was founded as Kirkcaldy Wanderers in 1881, playing its first match against Rossend of Burntisland on 12 November 1881, after practising for several weeks on "Mr Stark's park".{{cite journal |title=New football club |journal=Fife Free Press |date=12 November 1881 |page=4}} It was the first association club in the town, even though Scottish Cup ties had been played there before, as a neutral venue in 1876–77 for ties involving St Clement's of Dundee.{{cite journal |title=3d E.R.V.F.C. v St Clement's (Dundee) |journal=Scotsman |date=2 October 1876}}

In April 1882, the Fifeshire Football Association was established,{{cite journal |title=Football |journal=Daily Review |date=24 April 1882 |page=3}} and the first Fife Cup took place in 1882–83. The Wanderers was a founder member and played in the initial competition, losing to Burntisland Thistle in the first round 3–2.{{cite journal |title=Football match |journal=Fife Free Press |date=28 October 1882 |page=4}}

The club was confident enough to try out more competitive competition, and played in the Edinburgh Shield for the first time in 1883–84. In its first entry the club won two ties - the first a revenge 2–1 victory at Burntisland Thistle{{cite journal |title=Saturday's football matches |journal=Edinburgh Evening News |date=24 September 1883 |page=3}} - and lost at home to Heart of Midlothian in the third round.{{cite journal |title=Football - Kirkcaldy Wanderers v Heart of Midlothian |journal=Fife Herald |date=21 November 1883 |page=6}}

A rugby football club, called Kirkcaldy Football Club, had existed in the town for some years,{{cite journal |title=Football Match |journal=Fife Free Press |date=31 January 1880 |page=1}} and before the 1885–86 season the Wanderers amalgamated with the rugby side, which enabled it to play at the rugby side's Newtown Park.{{cite journal |title=Football| journal=Fifeshire Advertiser |date=19 September 1885 |page=3}} As a result, the club changed its name simply to Kirkcaldy, although the Wanderers name was still occasionally used by the media as a distinguishing mark, and it was also applied to the club's second XI. The two organizations held joint annual general meetings and celebrations, and shared an honorary secretary in Alex. Ingram.{{cite journal |title=Kirkcaldy Football Club |journal=Fifeshire Advertiser |date=15 June 1888 |page=4}}

File:1890–91 Scottish Cup 1st Round, Kirkcaldy 3–4 Hibernian, Fifeshire Journal, 11 September 1890.jpg

The club was the first from the town to turn senior, by joining the Scottish Football Association in 1888.{{cite book |title=Scottish FA Minutes 1887–90 |date=21 August 1888 |publisher=Scottish Football Association |location=Glasgow |page=55}} It entered the Scottish Cup for the first time in 1888–89, and reached the third round, after a 3–0 win over Townhill - 500 spectators turning up to watch; Townhill walked off in protest at the third goal being given, but, on checking how long was remaining (4 minutes), returned to finish off the match{{cite journal |title=Kirkcaldy Wanderers v Townhill |journal=Dunfermline Saturday Press |date=8 September 1888 |page=3}} - and a bye.

The club was given no chance against St Bernards in the third round, but the Saints only just squeezed home 2–1, Kirkcaldy having a goal disallowed for a prior foul.{{cite journal |title=Kirkcaldy Wanderers v St Bernards |journal=Fife Free Press |date=20 October 1888 |page=2}} It was the club's best run in the competition, never making the main rounds after the introduction of qualifying rounds. Its last match in the main section was another tight run affair against a top Edinburgh side, a 4–3 defeat at home to Hibernian in 1890–91.

After twice beating Burntisland Thistle in the 1888–89 Fifeshire Cup (the first victory being annulled because of "non-registration of colours"),{{cite journal |title=Meeting of the Fifeshire Association |journal=Fife Herald |date=31 October 1888 |page=6}} the club withdrew from the competition, "as they consider - and perhaps rightly, too - that they have not been fairly dealt with by the Association".{{cite journal |title=Football |journal=Fifeshire Advertiser |date=11 January 1889 |page=2}} The club did not take part in the Fifeshire for the next three seasons, its competitive football coming in the Scottish Cup and the East of Scotland Shield.

This may have been a mistake, as in that period Raith Rovers, a younger club in the town, turned senior and continued its entries to the local cup. The switch came in the 1889–90 season; at the start, Kirkcaldy handily beat the Rovers in the Edinburgh Shield, but, at the turn of the year, the Rovers beat the Wanderers for the first time in a friendly match.{{cite journal |title=Kirkcaldy Wanderers v Raith Fovers |journal=Fife Free Press |date=4 January 1890 |page=2}} In 1891–92 the Rovers became the first club from Kirkcaldy to win the Fifeshire Cup, and Kirkcaldy never recovered its local superiority. Indeed, in 1892–93, when Kirkcaldy entered the Fifeshire Cup once more, it lost to Raith Rovers in the first round, the tie taking place three times (because of protests as to pitch conditions{{cite journal |title=Raith Rovers v Kirkcaldy |journal=Fife Free Press |date=10 December 1892 |page=2}}), and Raith Rovers winning three times - the official tie ending 7–2.{{cite journal |title=Raith Rovers v Kirkcaldy |journal=Fife Free Press |date=28 January 1893 |page=2}}

The club entered three competitions - the Fifeshire Cup, the King Cup (for eastern sides outside Edinburgh), and the Edinburgh/East of Scotland Shield - over most of its existence. The standard in the last competition was far too high for the club, suffering a record 13–0 defeat to Leith Athletic in 1890–91{{cite journal |title=Leith Athletic v Kirkcaldy Wanderers |journal=Kirkcaldy Times |date=5 November 1890 |page=2}} (albeit after beating Raith Rovers 3–0 in the second round, in front of "several thousand" at Newtown Park{{cite journal |title=Kirkcaldy Wanderers v Raith Rovers |journal=Fifeshire Journal |date=16 October 1890 |page=3}}), but the club did reach the fifth round in 1891–92, albeit thanks to two byes, where it lost to Armadale 10–2.{{cite journal |title=Armadale v Kirkcaldy |journal=Coatbridge Express |date=16 December 1891 |page=3}} Perhaps recalling the earlier Burntisland protest, the Wanderers protested against Armadale for two players not wearing official club colours, but this hapless attempt at reinstatement was dismissed.{{cite journal |title=East of Scotland Association |journal=Glasgow Evening Post |date=17 December 1891 |page=6}}

The club reached the semi-final of the King Cup in its first entry in 1887–88, but went one better in 1893–94, reaching the final at East End Park in Dunfermline. The club however lost 6–2 to a strong Cowdenbeath side, having been 2–0 up as late as the 67th minute, but collapsing in the face of the Miners' "forcible tactics" and "remarkable stamina".{{cite journal |title=The King Cup final |journal=Fife Free Press |date=24 March 1894 |page=2}}

Kirkcaldy's only final at county level came in 1897–98, in the Wemyss Cup for Fifeshire clubs, by which time the number of senior Fifeshire clubs had fallen to fewer than a dozen clubs, and the Wemyss Cup only had 6 entries. Despite having home advantage, Kirkcaldy was beaten 3–0 by Raith Rovers, albeit conceding twice in the second half when down to ten men.{{cite journal |title=Football and athletic notes |journal=Edinburgh Evening News |date=26 September 1898 |page=5}}

With Raith Rovers joining the Midland League in 1891–92, and the Scottish FA introducing qualifying rounds for the Scottish Cup, Kirkcaldy tried to keep up with regular football by joining the Eastern Alliance. After the club had played six matches, it withdrew.{{cite web |title=Linlithgowshire Leagues |url=http://sfha.org.uk/linlithgowlg.htm |website=Scottish Football Historical Archive |access-date=8 July 2023}}

The club found a more regular berth in the Central Football League, which was founded in 1895–96, but only lasted two seasons in its initial incarnation. Even in that small competition, the club could not fulfil its fixtures - in 1896–97 it only played three matches, winning two and losing one to Hearts of Beath, going from 2–0 up to 3–2 down in three second-half minutes.{{cite journal |title=Central League |journal=Dundee Courier |date=15 November 1897 |page=6}}

The club's end was hastened by the loss of its ground, with permission being granted for building houses on it in late 1899.{{cite journal |title=More new buildings |journal=Fife Free Press |date=4 November 1899 |page=5}} The last recorded game for the club was against Polton Vale in October 1899; Kirkcaldy had lost several players and had to make up the side with players from the local Bluebell side, and "not more than a dozen" paid for admission. The club had the consolation of a 2–0 win - its first of the season.{{cite journal |title=Kirkcaldy v Polton Vale |journal=Fife Free Press |date=28 October 1899 |page=3}}

The final symbolic blow was the death of the club's long-standing President, David Blewes, in June 1900.{{cite journal |title=The late Mr Blewes, Kirkcaldy |journal=Scottish Referee |date=25 June 1900 |page=4}} Kirkcaldy was in effect replaced as the second senior club in the town by Kirkcaldy United.{{cite web |title=Towns, Fields & Clubs of Fife |url=http://sfha.org.uk/fieldsoffife.pdf |website=Scottish Football Historical Archive |access-date=18 April 2023}}

The club originally played in navy blue jerseys with white knickers.{{cite book |last1=M'Dowall |first1=John |title=Scottish Football Annual 1888–89 |date=1888 |publisher=Hay Nisbet |location=Glasgow|page=78}} In 1889 the club registered blue and white vertical striped shirts with white knickers,{{cite book |last1=M'Dowall |first1=John |title=Scottish Football Annual 1889–90 |date=1889 |publisher=Hay Nisbet |location=Glasgow |page=77}} which remained its colours for the rest of its existence, but it may have been wearing those colours from the previous season, given Burntisland Thistle protested that the Wanderers were not wearing their navy blue in the 1888–89 Fifeshire Cup.{{cite journal |title=Burntisland Thistle v Kirkcaldy Wanderers |journal=Fife Free Press |date=27 October 1888 |page=2}}

The club played originally at Stark's Park,{{cite journal |title=Kirkcaldy |journal=Fife News |date=6 May 1882 |page=5}} later the home of Raith Rovers. From 1885 the club played at Newtown Park, the first game being a 2–1 defeat to Lochleven Rangers.{{cite journal |title=Football| journal=Fifeshire Advertiser |date=19 September 1885 |page=3}} A grandstand was built on the north side of the ground in time for the 1888 Scottish Cup tie with St Bernards.{{cite journal |title=Kirkcaldy Wanderers v St Bernards |journal=Fife Free Press |date=20 October 1888 |page=2}}

• John McBean{{cite journal |title=Review of the men engaged for the 1891–92 season |journal=Kentish Mercury |date=4 September 1891 |page=2}} and Peter Connolly,{{cite web |last1=Simkin |first1=John |title=Peter Connolly |url=https://spartacus-educational.com/ARSEconnollyP.htm |website=Spartacus Educational |access-date=8 July 2023}} who left to join Arsenal in the late 1880s

• [http://sfha.org.uk/centralleague.htm Central League results and tables]
• [http://sfha.org.uk/fifecup.htm Fife Cup results]
• [http://sfha.org.uk/eosshield.htm East of Scotland Shield results]
• [http://sfha.org.uk/kingcup.htm King Cup]

{{reflist}}

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

{{Football in Fife}}

Category:Defunct football clubs in Scotland

Category:Association football clubs established in 1881

Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 1900

Category:1881 establishments in Scotland

Category:1900 disestablishments in Scotland

Category:Football clubs in Fife

Category:Kirkcaldy