ARDROSSAN
FOOTBALL CLUB 1874-76
Ardrossan Football Club's first match was
on 13 September 1874. The venue was Clutha Park,
a field between Glasgow Street and Paisley Street, now the site of the houses
shown below in Young Street.
There were several reports of Ardrossan
Football Club's matches in the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald till 15 April 1876.
In 1877, there was no mention of football in Ardrossan in the Herald suggesting
that Ardrossan Football Club existed only between September 1874 and April 1876.
Remarkably, in its nineteen month existence, Ardrossan entered the Scottish
Football Association Challenge Cup competion - known more commonly as the
Scottish Cup - twice! The Glasgow Herald of 22 September 1875 reported
that Ardrossan had been drawn against Mauchline in only the third year of the
national competition as shown below. Mauchline were awarded the tie as a
walkover. Other entrants included Airdrie, Dumbarton, Hamilton, Heart of
Midlothian, Kilmarnock, Partick, Queen's Park, Rangers and Third Lanark.
The following season, Ardrossan were drawn against Queen of the South
Wanderers. Again, the tie was awarded to their opponents as a walkover.
In August 1889, Ardrossan Ensign Football
Club changed its name to become the second Ardrossan Football Club.