The Founding Members of the Scottish League

As we have seen, the Football League had 12 founding Members, 11 of which still exist as full time professional clubs in the English Pyramid system.
But what of their counterparts, the founders of the Scottish League?
Let's take a look at the founder members who contested the season 1890–91:

Dumbarton
(Founded 1872) Joint champions in the first season, outright champions in the second, and then... nothing in the top tier. They made 6 Cup final appearances, the last being 1897.
Dumbarton currently play in the 2nd tier of the Scottish pyramid system.

Rangers
(Founded 1872) Having shared the first championship with Dumbarton, Glasgow Rangers went on to become  the most successful club in domestic football in the World, but went bankrupt in 2012. They were reformed and joined the 4th tier.

Celtic
(Founded 1887) Celtic established a dominance alongside their Glasgow rivals Rangers after the advent of professionalism. They remain in the 1st tier of the Scottish League pyramid.

Cambuslang
 (Founded 1874) Cambuslang were a Central Glasgow club. After 2 years in the League they moved into the Scottish Alliance. They lasted there for 2 seasons and were wound up in 1897.

3rd Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers
 (Founded 1872) Thirds were based in Glasgow. They rebranded as Third Lanark AC in 1903.  They won the Scottish League Championship in 1903-04 and the Scottish Cup in 1889 and 1905. There were no more major honours for the Cathkin Park side and they went out of business in 1967.

Heart of Midlothian
 (Founded 1874) The Edinburgh giants are still in the 1st tier of Scottish football.

Abercorn
 (Founded 1877) From the east end of Paisley, Abercorn suffered the indignity of having to apply for re-election in each of the first three seasons of the Scottish League. In 1893-94 they joined the new Second Division. Having rejoined the top flight in 1897 they went back down again the following season , joined the Western league in 1915 and ceased to exist in 1922.

St Mirren
(Founded 1877) St Mirren are another of the original member clubs who are now in the 1st tier. There's a history of the club's early years here.

Vale of Leven
 (Founded 1872) One of the giants of the early Scottish game, Vale of Leven were already on the wane by the time the league was introduced.  In their second season they failed to win a single game and finished last. Rather than face re-election for the second time, the club withdrew and joined the rival Scottish Alliance where they played for a single season.
Between 1893 and 1902 the Vale played only friendly matches and in cup competitions before joining the Scottish Football Combination. In 1905 they applied successfully for readmission to the Scottish League when the Second Division was extended with two additional places. They finished as runners-up in 1907 and in 1909 but did not receive the votes they needed to be elected to the First Division
In 1915 they joined the Western league.  dissolved in 1929 the club was re formed 1939, competing in junior football.

Cowlairs
 (Founded 1876) Cowlairs was formed by Glasgow railway workers. 1890–91 was a bad year- bottom of the League, points deducted for fielding ineligible players, accusations of professionalism, capped off by an unsuccessful bid for reelection.In 1892–93, Cowlairs joined the Scottish Alliance, which they won. They played in Division Two in the 1893–94 season, finishing as runners-up. A combination of bad form (voted out of the League for a second time in 1895) and financial difficulties brought about the club's demise in 1896.

Renton 

(Founded 1872) Renton were a major force in the 1880s. They won the Scottish Cup in 1885 and 1888. In 1888 they were World Champions.  They were however expelled from the Scottish League after just 5 games having played a friendly fixture against Edinburgh Saints.The Saints were actually  St Bernard's, under  suspension by the SFA for professionalism. Following a legal appeal Renton were reinstated the following season. After 2 mediocre seasons they were relegated in 1894 having won only a single game.

They resigned from the League early in the 1897-98 season and ceased to be in 1922.

Scottish Teams in the FA Cup

Queen's Park of Glasgow held a position of unassailable preeminence in the early Scottish game. They were responsible for bringing the Football Association's rules to Scotland, and, unsurprisingly, affiliated themselves to the (English) FA. This fraternization extended, naturally, to entering the first organized Association football competition.

So, in 1872 Queen's Park entered the FA Cup, and for the first decade of it's existence they would represent the only Scottish involvement in the competition. But, as we will see, their participation was not exclusive.

In the first round Queen's Park were drawn at home to Donington School (Lincolnshire) the tie was not fulfilled, but due to teams scratching both sides were carried over into round 2. Donington scratched and Queen's Park advanced into the Quarter Finals, where they were given a bye. So, having reached the semi-finals without kicking a ball, Queen's park met Wanderers in a goalless draw at the Oval. The replay was scheduled for the same ground, and Queen's park scratched because of the expense and inconvenience of having to return to London for the replay. 

In the 1872-73 season, Queen's Park entered the FA Cup again, and  were given byes until the semi-finals in order to reduce the amount of travelling necessary. Having thus progressed to the last four without playing a game Queen's Park withdrew anyway when they were drawn away at Oxford University.

1873–74 saw the introduction of the Scottish Cup, which was won by Queen's Park.

The 1875-76 season saw Clydesdale entered for the Cup, but their opponents, South Norwood, had a walk over in the first round, presumably because Clydesdale decided not to travel south. this was Clydesdale's only foray into the FA Cup.

The 1876-77 season saw Queen's Park again presented with two byes and then withdrawing from the competition when faced with an away tie at  Oxford University.

In 1877-78 a bye in the first round for was followed by an away tie with Druids (North Wales), which Queen's Park withdrew from. 

This pattern of Queen's Park entering and withdrawing when drawn away from home continued in the 1879-80 1880-81, 1881-82 and 1882-83  seasons ( Sheffield , Sheffield Wednesday, Accrington and Grimsby Town  respectively being awarded  first round walk overs). Incidentally a team called rangers featured in the FA Cup in 1880-81, but this was not the famous Glasgow Club, but a team based in London.


1883–84 saw Queen's Park make it all the way to the final. In the year in which they also won the Scottish Cup for the 7th time they illustrated the gulf in class between the leading sides and the emerging English provincial teams with a dazzling cup run. In the first round the Glasgow side traveled to Crewe Alexandra and won 10-0. They followed this with a 15-0 home win against Manchester (no connection with either United or City). In the third round Oswestry Town were beaten 7-1 (away). The fourth Round saw the biggest scalp- Aston Villa beaten 6-1 in Hampden (Caithkin). Old Westminsters were beaten 1-0 in London.

In the semi final Blackburn Olympic, the holders, were well beaten, 4-0 in Nottingham.
In the final at Kennington Oval Queen's Park were beaten 2-1 by Blackburn Rovers. It was a controversial result in Scottish eyes. Queen's Park had two goals disallowed before Blackburn had scored, one historian recording referee Major Francis Marindin's views on off-side as being ''peculiar and vain'.
In this cup-run Queens Park had the impressive record of played 7, won 6, lost 1, for 44 against 4.

In 1884-85 Queen's Park reached their second successive FA Cup Final. They were presented with a walkover by Stoke in the first round before beating Crewe Alexandra 2-1 at home in the second. The third round saw them travel to Leek and win 3-2. In the fourth round Old Wykehamists were beaten 7-0 at . In the 5th round they received a bye and then beat Notts County 2-1 in Derby following a 2-2 draw at Nottingham. 

Nottingham forest and Queens Park drew 1-1 at Derby and Queen's park took the replay (played at Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh) 3-0 to set up a second cup final meeting with Blackburn Rovers.
This time Blackburn triumphed by 2-0.

1885-86 saw 5 Scottish teams enter the FA Cup, namely Queen's Park, Glasgow Rangers, Partick Thistle, Third Lanark and Heart of Midlothian.
A record number of Scottish Clubs entered the 1886-87 tournament- 7- Queen's Park, Glasgow Rangers, Partick Thistle, Third Lanark and Heart of Midlothian being joined by Cowlairs and Renton. 


October 31st 1885 gave us the unprecedented spectacle of an FA Cup match being played between 2 Scottish teams in Glasgow- Queen's Park beating Partick Thistle 5-1.
Rangers did not contest their first round match at Rawtenstall, nor did Heart of Midlothian, drawn away at Padiham. Third Lanark beat Blackburn Park Road 4-2 at home in their first round match. Both drawn away to Lancashire clubs (South Shore and Church) in the second round, Queen's Park and Third Lanark withdrew from the competition.

Queen's Park were beaten 3-0 at home by Preston North End, whilst visits to Darwen saw Cowlairs beat  Darwen Old Wanderers 4-1 but  Heart of Midlothian thrashed 7-1 by Darwen. Partick Thistle enjoyed a 3-1 win away at Blackburn Olympic. Third Lanark entertained High Walton to a 5-0 beating and Everton pulled out of their away match to Rangers.
 in the second round for all the Caledonians fared as follows:- Rossendale 2-  Cowlairs 10, third Lanark 2- Bolton Wanderers 3, Rangers 2- Church 1, Partick Thistle 7-Fleetwood Rangers 0, Blackburn Rovers 0- Renton 2 (following a 2-2 draw at Renton).
In the third round Rangers and Cowlairs were drawn together, Rangers winning 3-2, Renton were beaten 2-0 at home by Preston North End and Partick Thistle were rewarded for their trip to Ireland with an 11-0 win over Cliftonville.
Rangers and  Partick Thistle received byes in the fourth round.
The fifth round saw Partick Thistle travel to London for a 1-0 loss to Old Westminsters. Rangers beat Lincoln City 3-0 at Ibrox.
 Old Westminsters visited Ibrox for the sixth round, where Rangers won 5-0.
Rangers faced Aston Villa in the semi final at Crewe and lost 3-1.

In May 1887 the Scottish Football Association forbade Scottish clubs from membership of any other national association,which put a stop to further participation in the FA Cup by  Scottish clubs.

The 93rd Highland Regiment took part in the 1890-91 FA Cup, losing 2-0 to Sunderland Albion, but they came under the wing of the Football Association, being a part of the British Army FA, formed in 1888.