Mossend Swifts F.C.

Mossend Swifts were a Scottish senior football club from the shale mining village of Mossend, just to the north of the town of West Calder, West Lothian. There is now little left of this village (not to be confused with Mossend in North Lanarkshire – contiguous with Bellshill – which also had teams operating in the same era).

Mossend Swifts support card

Mossend Swifts FC
Full nameMossend Swifts FC
Founded1880
Dissolved1903
GroundMossend Park (1888-1903)
OwnerRobert Robb
Change colours

History

The club was founded in 1880.[1]

The Swifts won the first Linlithgowshire Cup - also known as Lord Rosebery's Cup - in 1884–85 unusual circumstances. In the semi-final, the Swifts beat Durhamtown Rangers, who then protested on the basis that Mossend was not actually in Linlithgowshire, and so the club should not be allowed to enter. Mossend pointed out that it had been invited to join the association and paid its scrip; the Rangers produced a letter from Lord Rosebery setting out the terms of the competition, namely it was for clubs in the county only. The compromise was to let the Swifts complete the tournament,[2] which his Lordship considered "quite satisfactory",[3] and the Swifts beat Armadale 3–2 at Bo'ness in the final.[4] For the 1885–86 tournament, the Linlithgowshire Association simply "forgot" to invite the Swifts to defend the trophy,[5] which had not had the Swifts' name inscribed thereon.

A renowned cup team, they once defeated Hibernian in the Scottish Cup 2–1 in season 1888-89 at Mossend Park in front of a crowd of 2,000.[6]

Already by 1891 there was talk of a possible merger with West Calder F.C. on the basis that West Calder could not support two football clubs.[7] The merger with finally took place in May 1903,[8] the merger creating a new club, West Calder Swifts F.C.; although the name was a merger of the two teams' names, the combined club played at West Calder's ground, wearing West Calder's kit. The club's trainer however was the Mossend Swifts trainer David Bowman, who finished with 23 years' service at both sides.[9]

Colours

The club originally gave its colours as red and white,[10] and by 1889 was wearing blue and white stripes.[11] From 1900 to the club's end it wore maroon shirts.

The club's change kit was dark blue.[12]

Ground

The club originally played at Burnvale Park.[13] From 1888 it played at Mossend Park.[14]

Honours

East of Scotland Shield

  • Winner: 1887–88, 1895–96

King Cup

  • Winner 1887–88, 1888–89, 1896–97

East of Scotland Qualifying Cup

  • Runner-up 1897–98

Linlithgowshire Cup

  • Winner 1884–85

Rosebery Charity Cup

  • Winner 1888–89
  • Runner-up 1887–88

Notable former players

Two players were capped for Scotland whilst with Mossend Swifts. Robert (Bob) Boyd won two caps against Ireland in 1889 and Wales in 1891. Dave Ellis was one of five brothers who played for Swifts and earned his solitary cap against Ireland in 1892.

  • Mossend, Museum of Shale Oil Industry in Scotland
  • Mossend, Vision of Britain

References
  1. McDowall, John (1886). Scottish FA Annual 1886–87. Hay Nisbet. p. 54.
  2. "Linlithgwoshire Association". Lothian Courier: 3. 7 March 1885.
  3. "Linlithgowshire Football Association". Lothian Courier: 3. 14 March 1885.
  4. "Football". Lothian Courier: 3. 9 May 1885.
  5. Inglis, R (19 September 1885). "Linlithgowshire Football Association and the Mossend Swifts". Lothian Courier: 3.
  6. Allan, David. Scottish Football Historian No.59
  7. "Social meeting and ball". Lothian Courier: 5. 14 February 1891.
  8. "Football meeting". Lothian Courier: 5. 8 May 1903.
  9. "Golden wedding at Stoneyburn". Lothian Courier: 3. 8 July 1932.
  10. McDowall, John (1886). Scottish FA Annual 1886–87. Hay Nisbet. p. 54.
  11. M'Dowall, John (1889). Scottish Football Annual 1889–90. Glasgow: Hay Nisbet. p. 76.
  12. "Mossend Swifts v Armadale". Lothian Courier: 6. 20 October 1888.
  13. McDowall, John (1886). Scottish FA Annual 1886–87. Hay Nisbet. p. 54.
  14. M'Dowall, John (1888). Scottish Football Annual 1888–89. Glasgow: Hay Nisbet. p. 78.


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