Vale of Leven Hibernians F.C.

The club was founded in 1881 and was admitted as a member of the Scottish Football Association that September.{{cite web |title=Vale of Leven Juniors |url=http://www.valeofleven.org.uk/football08.html |website=Vale of Leven |access-date=14 January 2023}} It first entered the Scottish Cup a year later, losing 7–1 to Jamestown.{{cite journal |title=Football - Saturday |journal=North British Daily Mail |date=11 September 1882 |page=7}}

The club was struck from the register in 1883, but soon re-formed, and re-joined the Scottish FA in 1886.{{cite web |title=Vale of Leven Juniors |url=http://www.valeofleven.org.uk/football08.html |website=Vale of Leven |access-date=14 January 2023}} The revived club would play Jamestown in the Scottish Cups of 1887–88 and 1888–89; both ties would prove to be acrimonious. In 1887, after Jamestown won 3–2, the Hibs protested against Jamestown's rough play, alleging that the Hibs "had been treated more like beasts than human beings", one player having a stomach wound 7 inches long. The Scottish Football Association ordered a re-play at the Hibs' ground; after it ended 2–2{{cite journal |title=Vale of Leven Hibernians v Jamestown |journal=Glasgow Herald |date=19 September 1887 |page=10}} on 24 September, a 'proper' replay took place, also in Alexandria, which Jamestown won 3–1.

The Jamestown umpire, Daniel Turner, alleged that he had been attacked by two of the Hibs team that evening.{{cite journal |title=Jamestown v Vale of Leven Hibernian |journal=Glasgow Herald |date=26 September 1887 |page=9}} The following week, the two players, Michael Kilcoyne and Edward Redden, plus another club member, were put on trial; the defence was that Turner, who was "much the worse of liquor", had struck the first blow, and Kilcoyne struck him in self-defence after it seemed Turner was pressing the attack. The three were acquitted.{{cite journal |title=Football rowdyism at Dumbarton |journal=Paisley Daily Express |date=29 September 1887 |page=3}} It was not the end of the matter; the next month the Scottish Football Association suspended two Hibernian players (Cannon and Connor) for a month, and the Hibs umpire M'Dowd for the season, on the basis that "the game...had more the appearance of a melee than a tie" and M'Dowd was "encouraging the players in ungentlemanly conduct".{{cite journal |title=Rough play - two players and an umpire suspended |journal=Glasgow Herald |date=5 October 1887 |page=4}}

In 1888, Jamestown protested after losing 6–1, on the bizarre grounds that the team that has just beaten them was "not a club, and that they had not even eleven members". After the Hibs produced membership cards, the Scottish FA dismissed the protest as "the most absurd one that ever came before the Association", resulting in the Scottish FA admonishing Jamestown.{{cite journal |title=A tree on the touch line |journal=Dundee Courier |date=12 September 1888 |page=4}}

The victory over Jamestown was the club's only Scottish Cup win; in the second round the club lost 3–1 at home to Methlan Park F.C. of Dumbarton. Methlan Park protested that the Vale Hibs' goal was a foot short of going over the line, and claimed a fourth goal which crossed the goal-line as the referee was signalling for time.{{cite journal |title=Scottish Cup Ties |journal=Lennox Herald |date=28 September 1888 |page=3}} It was the club's last Cup entry.

In December 1888, the clubs met again at Alexandria in the Dumbartonshire Cup. The Vale Hibs had entered twice before, both times conceding 9 goals to Renton in the club's first matches, and, although the club equalized an early Park goal, the visitors scored six in the second half to win 8–1.{{cite journal |title=Dumbartonshire Cup |journal=Lennox Herald |date=15 December 1888 |page=3}} This seems to have been the final match for the club.

The club's colours were dark green shirts, navy knickers, and red stockings.{{cite book |last1=Weir |first1=John |title=A History of Vale of Leven Football Club |date=1993 |publisher=PM Publications}} For 1886–87 the shirts were changed to white.{{cite web |title=Club Directory |url=http://sfha.org.uk/club-directory.htm |website=Scottish Football Historical Results Archive |access-date=27 October 2022}}

The club originally played off Bridge Street, and moved to Hill Street on its reformation.{{cite web |title=Club Directory |url=http://sfha.org.uk/club-directory.htm |website=Scottish Football Historical Results Archive |access-date=27 October 2022}} For the 1888–89 season, the club moved to a new ground, which was originally part of the old Vale of Leven F.C. ground at North Street Park,{{cite journal |title=Vale of Leven Hibernians v Methlan Park (Dumbarton) |journal=Glasgow Herald |date=24 September 1888 |page=10}} and Vale of Leven Wanderers moved into Hill Street.

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.londonhearts.com/scores/sc/valeoflevenhibernians.html Scottish Cup results]
• [http://sfha.org.uk/dumbartonshirecup.htm Dumbartonshire Cup results]

{{Defunct Scottish football clubs}}

Vale of Leven Wanderers

Category:Association football clubs established in 1881

Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 1889

Category:Football in West Dunbartonshire

Category:1889 disestablishments in Scotland

Category:1881 establishments in Scotland

Category:Irish diaspora sports clubs in Scotland

Category:Vale of Leven