Lochgilphead F.C.

The club was founded in 1884{{cite journal |title=Lochgilphead v Balaclava Rangers |journal=Oban Telegraph |date=14 September 1888 |page=3}} out of a cricket club,{{cite journal |title=Football and Cricket |journal=Oban Telegraph |date=16 March 1888 |page=5}} its earliest recorded match being a win over the Lochgilphead Fishermen's Football Club in December 1885.{{cite journal |title=Football |journal=Oban Telegraph |date=1 January 1886 |page=3}} The club joined the Scottish Football Association in August 1887, once it had a ground to use.{{cite book |title=Scottish FA Minutes 1884–87 |date=23 August 1887 |publisher=Scottish Football Association |location=Glasgow}} It entered the 1887–88 Scottish Cup, but was beaten 9–1 at home by the more experienced Oban F.C.{{cite journal |title=Scottish Cup - First Round |journal=Athletic News |date=6 September 1887 |page=4}}

The club's embarrassment at its Cup debut spurred the team into several weeks of training before its first tie in the 1888–89 Scottish Cup, at home to the new Balaclava Rangers club; the visitors being further handicapped by a "very wet hour's drive" in a brake from Crina'n, and having to supplement the side with schoolboys because of player non-availability. Lochgilphead had a 7–1 lead at half-time, and ultimately won 15–1. Three players scored hat-tricks - J. Watson (with 5), D. Macvean (with 4), and J. Maccallum. As compensation Lochgilphead stood its visitors to tea in the Argyll Hotel afterwards.{{cite journal |title=Lochgilphead v Balaclava Rangers |journal=Oban Telegraph |date=14 September 1888 |page=3}} The margin of victory suggested that Lochgilphead could handle Oban in the second round, but returned home with a 4–2 defeat.{{cite journal |title=Topical jottings |journal=Oban Telegraph |date=15 November 1889 |page=5}}

The club scratched to Oban in the 1889–90 Scottish Cup{{cite journal |title=Football |journal=Oban Times |date=28 September 1889 |page=4}} due to the £15 cost of travel, and a preference to focus on the new Argyllshire Cup, which provided more chance of success.{{cite journal |title=The Oban and Lochgilphead Football Clubs |journal=Oban Times |date=23 November 1889 |page=3}} The club however was drawn at Oban in the first round of the county competition, and the home side won 5–3.{{cite journal |title=Argyllshire Cup |journal=Sporting Life |date=11 December 1889 |page=3}}

Lochgilphead lost at Inveraray in the first round of the 1890–91{{cite journal |title=Inveraray v Lochgilphead |journal=Oban Times |date=13 September 1890 |page=2}} and it did not enter the last Argyllshire Cup. From 1891 to 1892 the Scottish FA introduced qualifying rounds for the Scottish Cup; Lochgilphead entered for two seasons, but scratched in 1891–92, and lost 6–2 at Inverarary in 1892–93.{{cite journal |title=Lochgilphead notes |journal=Oban Times |date=10 September 1892 |page=5}}

The defeat was the club's last competitive match. The remoteness of the village kept matches to a minimum; in 1890–91 the club only had 4 games, winning and losing 2 each, while even the Oban clubs were able to play 17 (Rangers) and 26 (Oban) times in the season.{{cite book |last1=McDowall |first1=John |title=Scottish Football Annual 1890–91 |date=1890 |publisher=Hay Nisbet|page=101}} The £24 rent for the field (the cost and upkeep being met by no more than 18 members) was also crippling, and the "golf crase" which had "caught on" in Lochgilphead was proving to be more attractive to the club members.{{cite journal |title=Lochgilphead notes |journal=Oban Times |date=17 September 1892 |page=5}} A meeting in November to urge the club on to greater effort{{cite journal |title=Round the country |journal=Scottish Referee |date=21 November 1892 |page=4}} was to no avail and at a meeting on 12 April 1893 the club committee agreed to give up Bank Park and dispose of the pavilion. The club's last action was to play a friendly at Inveraray the following day - Lochgilphead signed off with a 3–1 win.{{cite journal |title=Football and cricket club |journal=Oban Times |date=15 April 1893 |page=5}}

The club originally wore blue and white 1" hooped{{cite book |last1=M'Dowall |first1=John |title=Scottish Football Annual 1891–92 |date=1891 |publisher=Hay Nisbet |location=Glasgow |page=91}} shirts with blue knickers,{{cite book |last1=M'Dowall |first1=John |title=Scottish Football Annual 1888–89 |date=1888 |publisher=Hay Nisbet |location=Glasgow|page=79}} similar colours to the other senior club in the county. In 1892 the club kept the same colours, but changed the direction of the hoops to "perpendicular" stripes.{{cite book |last1=M'Dowall |first1=John |title=Scottish Football Annual 1892–93 |date=1892 |publisher=Hay Nisbet |location=Glasgow |page=93}}

Lochgilphead originally did not have a permanent ground, but in 1887 had permission from Campbell of Achindarrach to play at Bank Park,{{cite journal |title=Lochgilphead v Balaclava Rangers |journal=Oban Telegraph |date=14 September 1888 |page=3}} and that arrangement was made more permanent from 1888.{{cite book |last1=M'Dowall |first1=John |title=Scottish Football Annual 1888–89 |date=1888 |publisher=Hay Nisbet |location=Glasgow|page=79}}

{{Reflist}}

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

Category:Defunct football clubs in Scotland

Category:Association football clubs established in 1884

Category:1884 establishments in Scotland

Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 1893

Category:1893 disestablishments in Scotland

Category:Football in Argyll and Bute

Category:Lochgilphead