Clyde F.C. 451243 225880174 2008-07-15T20:54:37Z Ck12 2134504 /* Current squad */ {{Infobox Football club | clubname = Clyde | current = Clyde F.C. season 2007-08 | image = [[Image:ClydefcBadge.jpg|125px]] | fullname = Clyde Football Club| nickname = The Bully Wee, The Gypsy Army| founded = 1877 | ground = [[Broadwood Stadium]], <br /> [[Cumbernauld]], [[Scotland]] | capacity = 8,006 | chairman = {{flagicon|Scotland}} Ian Letham | manager = {{flagicon|Scotland}} [[John Brown (footballer)|John Brown]] | league = [[Scottish First Division]] | season = [[2007-08 in Scottish football|2007-08]] | position = Scottish First Division, 9th | shirtsupplier = [[Lotto]]| shirtsponsors = [[Optical Express]]| pattern_la1=_blackshoulders|pattern_b1=_blueredstriped_sides|pattern_ra1=_blackshoulders| leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=000000|socks1=FF0000| pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_redsides|pattern_ra2=| leftarm2=000000|body2=000000|rightarm2=000000|shorts2=FF0000|socks2=000000| }} '''Clyde Football Club''' are a [[Scotland|Scottish]] professional [[football (soccer)|football]] team currently playing in the [[Scottish Football League First Division|First Division]] of the [[Scottish Football League]]. They are currently managed by [[John Brown (footballer)|John Brown]]. Although based for the last decade in the [[new town]] of [[Cumbernauld]], [[North Lanarkshire]], they are traditionally associated with an area that covers [[Rutherglen]] in [[South Lanarkshire]] and south east [[Glasgow]]. They are not to be confused with either [[Clydesdale F.C.]] or [[Clydebank F.C.]] Their greatest triumph is having lifted the [[Scottish Cup]] three times, the most recent being in 1958. == History == ===1877-1898=== The Clyde Football Club was founded and played on the banks of the [[River Clyde]] at Barrowfield. Documentary evidence from the SFA and indeed match reports in the [[Glasgow]] press clearly show it all began in 1877, and the thread continues unbroken to this day. Here's how the [[Scottish Football Association|SFA]] recorded Clyde's origins: {{Quotation|"Clyde:- Founded 1877; Membership 50; Grounds (private), Barrowfield Park, on the banks of the Clyde; ten minutes walk from Bridgeton Cross; Club House on grounds; Colours, White & Blue. Hon. Secretary, John D. Graham, 24 Monteith Row."}} Sitting on the edge of [[Bridgeton, Glasgow|Bridgeton]], Barrowfield Park lay in a triangle of land enclosed by Carstairs Street, Colvend Street and the river Clyde. The area was an intense mix of chemical, engineering and textile works with a high population density to provide the labour. Although no stadium photographs have emerged it appears the ground consisted of a grand stand running north-south, a pavilion and tennis courts at the southern end and a bicycle track surrounding the pitch. Today this area is dotted with industrial units, but also contains a large grassed area. So it may be possible to stand upon a corner of the original Barrowfield pitch. Given Clyde's history of ground-sharing, it's ironic that Barrowfield was originally shared with a short-lived team called, Albatross. The club founded then has no resemblance to a modern professional football club. Clyde FC was a private members club more akin to a present-day [[golf]] or bowling club. Clyde's Secretary, John Graham, was also a noted rower and it seems the club had other sporting and cultural activities besides football. The first mention of Clyde was in Monday's [[Evening Times]] of [[17 September]] [[1877]]: {{Quotation|"Clyde v T. Lanark Clyde opened their season at Barrowfield with a match against the 3rd Lanark Volunteers. In the end the 3rd were victors by 3 goals to 1."}} This very short report was common at the time as sport was of little significance and football competed with racing, bowling and quoiting for the limited column space available. Although most fixtures were informal, the [[Scottish Cup]] had existed since 1873. Soon there would also be the Glasgow Merchants' & Charity Cup and the Glasgow Cup that in their time were hotly contested major competitions. Clyde entered the 1st Round of the Scottish Cup on [[29 September]] [[1877]] along with one hundred and one other teams. [[Third Lanark]] were the visitors once again and they triumphed 1-0. Clyde joined the [[Scottish Football League]] in 1891. Following acceptance, [[Vale of Leven F.C.|Vale of Leven]] provided the opposition for Clyde's first League fixture on Saturday, 15th August 1891. In a dream introduction to League football Clyde triumphed 10-3. A mid-table finish saw Clyde complete a confident season in League football. With League football an undoubted success, Barrowfield revealed its limitations and simply couldn't cope with the crowds as many gained illegal entry. Opposition teams complained about the facilities and it was clear that Clyde would have to do something to appease the League. The solution lay directly across the Clyde on some open ground known as [[Shawfield Stadium|Shawfield]]. Clyde endured a terrible final season at Barrowfield finishing bottom of Division 1. The final action at Barrowfield was a friendly against crack opposition in the form of [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] on [[30 April]] [[1898]] ending in a 3-3 draw. At a stroke Clyde transformed from Brigtonians to Shawfielders. ===1899-1919=== Clyde said farewell to Barrowfield in the spring of 1898. Across the river lay an area of undeveloped land known as Shawfield. With a new League season only a matter of months away, Clyde had the monumental task of transforming and enclosing the area into a venue suitable for first-class football. The move was largely financed by Clyde becoming incorporated and issuing shares in "The Clyde Football Club Limited". By the eve of the new season, Clyde FC Ltd had an enclosed area of about nine acres. A grand stand seating 1500 was nearing completion and embankment works around the pitch were well under way. The Clyde directors of the time wildly estimated a final capacity of 100,000. [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]], the neighbours from up the road, were the inaugural opposition at [[Shawfield Stadium]] on [[August 27]] [[1898]]. A healthy crowd of 10,000 turned up to see a goalless draw and return gate receipts of £203. Matters took a turn for the better around 1904. Clyde finished 2nd in Division 2 but were not elected to Division 1 (automatic promotion/relegation didn't appear until 1921). Clyde also won a supplementary competition called the Glasgow & West of Scotland League and repeated the feat the following season. Promotion was again denied in 1904-05, with Clyde the Division 2 champions, but was finally earned the following season. The years up to [[World War I]] would be far more successful and probably represent the most consistent period of success for the club. A 3rd place in Division 1 in 1908-09, only three points behind champions, Celtic, put Clyde firmly on the map of Scottish football. The semi-final of the [[Scottish Cup]] was also reached for the first time only to be thwarted by Celtic after a replay. International honours were also awarded to Clyde players for the first time this season. William 'Shoogly' Walker represented [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]] against [[Ireland national football team (1882-1950)|Ireland]] at [[Ibrox Stadium|Ibrox]] (5-0), while interestingly the opposition included his team-mate, [[Jack Kirwan]]. For five seasons until war began, Clyde were at the top end of Division 1 and reached the [[Scottish Cup]] final in 1909-10 and 1911-12. The former of these finals was especially disappointing. For eighty-three minutes Clyde (McTurk; Watson & Blair; Walker, McAteer & Robertson; Stirling & MacCartney; Chalmers; Jackson & Booth) held a 2-0 lead with goals from Chalmers and Booth, and looked certain to win. With the Cup in sight, nerves got the better of Clyde and Robertson fluffed a clearance off Blair and into his own net. Dogged [[Dundee F.C.|Dundee]] fought all the way and salvaged the game in the last minute with an equaliser from Langlands. The replay was far more cagey an affair and ended goalless after extra time but with Dundee looking physically stronger. The third game was again a tight affair with Clyde scoring after only three minutes through Chalmers. Dundee equalised before the interval and with Clyde's energy sapped, John "Sailor" Hunter blasted Dundee to victory. The 1912 final saw [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] trump the Bully Wee once again with a 2-0 victory. Another third place finish in the League being the only consolation. Still undaunted, Clyde reached the semi-final again in 1912-13, but the jinx struck again and after a replay [[Raith Rovers F.C.|Raith Rovers]] squeezed into the final. Clyde had something to cheer about during this period of near misses as they clinched the Glasgow & Merchants' Charity Cup in 1910 and the [[Glasgow Cup]] in 1915. It's easy to deride these competitions as second rate but they were fought just as hard as the Scottish Cup and indeed all six competitors (Celtic, Clyde, [[Partick Thistle]], [[Queen's Park F.C.|Queens Park]], [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] and [[Third Lanark F.C.|Third Lanark]]) were more often that not resident in Division 1. A severe blow was dealt as fire destroyed the grand stand in September 1914, and with it much of the club's early history. Officials, players and fans had little time to dwell upon the calamity as war began in November. The Scottish League took the decision to continue playing even though there was strong moral pressure on every young man to sign up for 'King & Country'. Besides, football crowds provided a fertile recruitment ground and the games themselves kept morale high. Many players joined up and teams, like Clyde, found it increasingly difficult to field competitive sides and the League eventually reduced back to a single division. Many Clyde players signed up and some unfortunately never returned such as C. Clunas (2nd Royal Fusiliers), T. Cranston (Black Watch) and W. Sharp (1st Battalion Royal Scots). ===1920-1945=== Clyde FC managed to sustain football through the difficult war years and peacetime presented new challenges. The Scottish League continued through 1919-21 with only one division. Division 2 was restarted in 1921-22 with a very crucial difference. Automatic promotion and relegation had been adopted and while the benefits were obvious for ambitious teams, the financial penalties for falling out of the top tier were extremely severe. Clyde, of course, couldn't resist the twin temptations of automatic relegation and visiting new locations. Relegated in 1923-24, Clyde spent two seasons in Division 2 playing their trade with the likes of Armadale, Arthurlie, Bathgate, Boness, Broxburn, King's Park, Nithsdale and St. Bernard's. Escape via automatic promotion was achieved in 1925-26 and coincided with the demise of Division 3 and many of the smaller teams returning to other leagues and Junior football. This upswing in Clyde's fortunes was demonstrated by winning the [[Glasgow Cup]] for the second time in 1926 with a 2-1 victory over Celtic. Now that Clyde were back in the top flight, could they stay there? Until the outbreak of [[World War II]] in 1939, the answer was a resounding "yes" as Clyde maintained a respectable mid-table status. Danny Blair was a prominent international full back of this era and Bill Boyd became Clyde's top marksman with 32 goals in season 1932-33 and earned two international caps. Yet Clyde and financial problems were never far apart and liquidation was again narrowly averted around 1930. Clyde needed to find an answer to their money problems and it lay right in front of them. Greyhound and other animal racing was booming in the late 1920s and several clubs saw this as a way to supplement their income. A company offered to lease Shawfield in 1926 and also give a percentage of the gate money to Clyde. It seemed too good to be true; and it proved to be so. Animal racing was forbidden in the deeds of Shawfield and the League was very set against greyhound racing in general. However, Clyde at that time had a very cunning and dogged Chairman called John McMahon. He wouldn't let the idea go and after years of wrangling a solution was arrived at. The Shawfield Greyhound Racing Company Limited started racing in 1932 and a few years later purchased the stadium from Clyde FC. Largely financed and owned by Clyde's directors, at a stroke the club had secured its future and found an additional source of revenue. On the other hand, Clyde FC had sold Shawfield to another party (however close at the time) and would never be able to raise money using the land asset as collateral. Although it wouldn't be appreciated until the 1980s, Clyde were tenants at the mercy of whoever owned Shawfield. January 1939 saw Clyde at home to [[St Johnstone F.C.|St Johnstone]] in the 1st Round of the Scottish Cup. A satisfactory 2-0 victory sent Clyde on their way. The next tie saw a very difficult trip to [[Dundee F.C.|Dundee]] and a goalless draw ensued. Four days later Clyde squeezed past the [[Dens Park]] men with a 1-0 victory. [[Ibrox Stadium|Ibrox]], and [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] were the formidable 3rd Round opponents. Despite fourteen League titles and six Cup victories between 1920 and 1939, Rangers were no match for the Bully Wee as they crashed to a 4-1 defeat. Willie Martin, Clyde's prolific centre forward, scored all four goals and surely set a record for an opposition forward at Ibrox. Returning to Shawfield for the 4th Round, Clyde narrowly defeated neighbours [[Third Lanark F.C.|Third Lanark]], 1-0. Suddenly it was semi-final time once again with [[Hibernian F.C.|Hibernian]] standing between Clyde and another final. Although disadvantaged by playing the tie in Edinburgh at [[Tynecastle Stadium|Tynecastle]], Clyde again triumphed with a 1-0 victory. [[Motherwell F.C.|Motherwell]] provided Clyde's opposition on [[April 22]] [[1939]]. They had scored far more goals on the way to [[Hampden Park|Hampden]] and were installed as favourites. Clyde (Brown; Kirk & Hickie; Beaton, Falloon & Weir; Robertson & Gillies; Martin; Noble & Wallace) had other ideas though. Winning the toss and with a strong wind behind them, Motherwell began very strongly and unsettled Clyde with Brown seeing plenty of action. Riding the storm, Clyde settled and scored the vital goal after thirty minutes. Robertson sped down the right and crossed to Wallace. The forward gathered the ball and smashed the ball into the roof of the net. Motherwell replied with more pressure but couldn't find a goal before the interval. In the second period Martin quickly doubled Clyde's advantage with an opportunist's strike. The fight went from Motherwell and Clyde scored two more in the closing minutes. Motherwell's keeper blocked Noble's first strike at goal, but he swept home the rebound. Barely a minute later Noble supplied a cross for Martin to complete the scoring and seal a 4-0 victory. After so many attempts and so much heartache the Cup was finally won! Although the joy of victory was unconfined it was tempered against a background of imminent war with Germany. The 1939-40 season had hardly begun when war was declared and the Scottish League was suspended and all players' contracts declared void. After the initial panic leagues were restarted with an East/West regional split in which Clyde performed relatively well. Again Clyde had sustained football during very difficult times and had no idea what lay ahead in an economy shattered by war ===1946-1969=== The twenty or so years following WWII were the most competitive Scottish football has ever seen. League titles came the way of [[Aberdeen F.C.|Aberdeen]], [[Dundee F.C.|Dundee]], [[Kilmarnock F.C.|Kilmarnock]], [[Heart of Midlothian F.C.|Hearts]] and [[Hibernian F.C.|Hibs]]. For Clyde, especially in the 1950s, there was never a dull moment. Clyde were either riding high in the League and homing in on another Scottish Cup, or battling relegation and then pulverising the lower tier of football. Clyde showed steady League form just after the War and once again reached the Scottish Cup final in 1948-49. This was only the fourth occasion the Cup had been played since Clyde won it in 1939 and [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] awaited them at Hampden. As 108,000 fans gathered it wasn't Clyde's day as a crushing 4-1 defeat ensued with Peter Galletly scoring Clyde's consolation goal. The 1950s began in poor fashion as relegation called in season 1950-51. Typically Clyde won Division B the very next season to regain top-flight status. The same pattern was to be repeated in 1955-56 and 1956-57. Each occasion saw Clyde bounce back to very strong finishes in Division A. The mystery was how relegation came about in the first place with teams containing current Scottish internationalists? In keeping with the times Shawfield introduced floodlighting in March 1954. [[Huddersfield Town F.C.|Huddersfield Town]] who were riding high in [[the Football League]] provided the opposition. The guests didn't read the script and left with a 3-2 victory. Cup success came readily in the 1950s. Clyde won the Cup in [[Scottish Cup 1954-55|1954-55]] and [[Scottish Cup 1957-58|1957|58]] and were beaten semi-finalists in 1955-56 and 1959-60. [[Scottish League Cup]] semi-finals were also reached in 1956-57 and 1957-58 but on each occasion Celtic put a halt on Clyde's ambition. There are not many teams, outwit the [[Old Firm]], who can boast that level of consistency. Clyde's [[Scottish Cup 1954-55|1954-55]] success started upon their entry at the 5th Round stage and a 3-0 defeat of [[Albion Rovers]]. Further home victories over [[Raith Rovers]] (3-1) and [[Falkirk F.C.|Falkirk]] (5-0) saw Clyde enter the semi-final with [[Aberdeen F.C.|Aberdeen]] in a confident mood. At [[Easter Road]] they drew 2-2 and only a solitary goal in the replay put Clyde into the final once again. Over 96000 watched the Hampden final with [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] on [[23 April]] [[1955]] with the Parkhead men installed as firm favourites. This game was also the first to be televised live. Clyde, without their bustling forward, Billy McPhail lined up:- Hewkins, Murphy & [[Harry Haddock|Haddock]]; Granville, Anderson & Laing; Divers & [[Archie Robertson (footballer)|Robertson]]; Hill; Brown & Ring. In a scrappy game Celtic took the lead through Walsh and looked like securing victory until three minutes from time. Clyde won a corner kick and Archie Robertson steadied himself to take it. His kick swung right under the bar and beyond the grasp of Celtic's Bonnar. Clyde had saved the day. The replay in front of over 68000 was a much better affair with more goalmouth action. Celtic had decided to tinker with their line up while Clyde stuck firmly to the one that had snatched a draw. Tommy Ring's second half strike was enough to secure the Cup for the second time. Only three years later on April 26th 1958 Clyde were back at Hampden again to face a powerful Hibs team. Since winning the Cup in 1955 Clyde had been relegated and the team recast. Clyde lined up:- McCulloch, Murphy & Haddock; Walters, Finlay & Clinton; Herd & Currie; Coyle; Robertson & Ring. A single goal was enough to win the Cup for the third time in front of 94000 fans. In poor weather Robertson made space in the box and Coyle's shot was deflected past the keeper. However enjoyable the Cup wins were, Clyde's League form continued to fluctuate wildly. As the 1960s began Clyde were relegated once again and the yo-yo existence was getting ridiculous. Champions of Division 2 in 1961-62 they went back down the very next season - and straight back up the very next. At last Clyde gained some stability leading to a 3rd place finish behind the Old Firm in 1966-67 and another Scottish Cup semi-final appearance. Competing as a largely part-time team, Clyde produced a wonderful season of football that has marked the high tide in the club's fortunes to date. A further stab at glory saw Clyde reach the League Cup semi-final in 1968-69 only to be squeezed out once again by Celtic. Despite Clyde's highly successful 1966-67 season, European football was denied. The Fairs Cup had a rule that stipulated only one team from each city could enter. Rangers had that position and Clyde were left thinking what might have been. As the sixties were coming to a close, Clyde were competing quite comfortably in the top flight. However on the terraces it was a different story. Glasgow's slum clearance programme was hitting attendances hard. Large swathes of housing in the [[Bridgeton]], [[Dalmarnock]], [[Gorbals]], [[Oatlands]] and [[Rutherglen]] were being demolished with the inhabitants decanted away to other parts of the city and beyond. Clyde's core support was drawn from these areas and sadly many of them have never returned to follow the Bully Wee. ===1970-1993=== Clyde began the 1970s as they had previous decades with the spectre of relegation hanging around. Many fine servants such as Harry Glasgow, Sam Hastings, Tommy McCulloch, Graham McFarlane and Eddie Mulheron moved on in 1972 as relegation called once more at Shawfield. Yet amazingly, Clyde recovered straight away and won Division 2 the very next season. The spell from 1973-75 would be Clyde's last in the top flight to date. With Celtic dominating the domestic game the bigger clubs were once again agitating for change. During season 1974-75 the League decided to introduce the Premier Division the following season, and inclusion would be based upon League position. Clyde were never in contention and finished a poor 16th in Division 1. So the following season Clyde would play in the middle tier of Scottish football (still called Division 1). With hindsight the advent of the Premier Division was a disaster for clubs like Clyde. At a stroke the ability to generate money was restricted to a small elite. In the old format with a large top tier Clyde could have a poor season but still survive. There was breathing space to consolidate and sometimes even prosper. Being denied that opportunity, Clyde haven't graced the top flight ever since. Clyde's role was now to discover and develop talent before selling it on. Shawfield was the starting point for internationalists such as [[Steve Archibald]], [[Ian Ferguson (footballer born 1967)|Ian Ferguson]] and [[Pat Nevin]]. Disarray on and off the pitch saw Clyde in freefall as they finished bottom of the new Division 1. Clyde would now be in the bottom tier (Division 2) of Scottish football in 1976-77. Unusually there was to be no immediate bounce back as they could only muster a 7th place finish. It's galling to think that in the course of a decade Clyde had gone from 3rd in the land to a very depressing spot just off the very bottom of Scottish football. A ray of light appeared at this time as former [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] [[Captain (football)|captain]], [[Billy McNeil]], took charge towards the end of 1976-77 season. Sadly he was destined for greater things as Aberdeen snapped him up after only a few months at the helm. Facing a bleak future Clyde turned to the relatively unknown, [[Craig Brown (footballer)|Craig Brown]], to revive the Bully Wee's fortunes. His success was immediate as Clyde won the new Division 2 in 1977-78. However, the die had been cast and Clyde were destined to be also-rans in the bright new future of Scottish football. Problems were arising at Shawfield too. The stadium was falling into a state of disrepair and the grounds clearly weren't being maintained. By the late 1970s Shawfield came into the hands of the Greyhound Racing Association Ltd (GRA). Unsurprisingly Shawfield came on the open market in 1983 with a price tag of £½ million. With the GRA set to cash in on their asset Clyde had to start looking for a new home. There were plenty of ideas but very few of them were practical. By 1986 Clyde were served with a notice to quit Shawfield. [[Alloa Athletic]] provided the final opposition at Shawfield on [[April 28]] [[1986]] as the Bully Wee triumphed 4-2. The only grain of consolation was that Shawfield proved very difficult to sell as planning restrictions and land contamination put off potential buyers. Eventually a consortium headed by the King bookmaking family took on Shawfield as a going concern. The unpopular but necessary decision was taken to ground-share with city rivals, [[Partick Thistle]]. Clyde spent five unhappy seasons at [[Firhill Stadium|Firhill]] and the sense of relief when Clyde departed was audible. The club was grateful to its rival for granting use of Firhill, but there was an underlying sense of being barely tolerated as an inconvenient annoyance. Hence the 'Gypsy Army' came into being as Clyde fans sought pride and solace during the Club's homeless years. Next stop was [[Douglas Park]], [[Hamilton, South Lanarkshire|Hamilton]]. Clyde resided there for two and a half seasons as plans were developed and implemented to build a new home in Cumbernauld. Unable to make an impact nationally, the era from 1970-93 is more notable for some fine Club servants and unearthing some great talents that would leave Clyde all too quickly. Everyone will have there own list of favourites but Brian Ahern, Eddie Anderson, Jim Burns, Neil Hood, Keith Knox, Ross McFarlane would feature on most. ===1994-Present=== Clyde FC was desperate to find a new home and Cumbernauld Development Corporation was keen to have a flagship sports stadium and professional football team to promote the town. The grand scheme, at a new site called "[[Broadwood Stadium|Broadwood]]" was to have an integrated business, housing and leisure development with a football stadium at the heart of it. With the help of Football Trust backing two modern stands began to emerge during the early 1990s. This was Clyde's big chance to start afresh. The Club would of course still be tenants, but that was nothing new to the Bully Wee. [[Cumbernauld]] with a 50,000+ population seemed fertile ground on which to grow a new support. The Scottish League unusually granted permission for Clyde to switch grounds mid season, and fittingly former landlords, [[Hamilton Academical]], were the inaugural opposition on [[5 February]] [[1994]]. A capacity crowd of 6000 watched as Clyde failed to ignite in their new surroundings and the Accies won 2-0. While huge efforts were being made to entice the population of Cumbernauld to adopt Clyde as their team, the product on the pitch left a lot to be desired in terms of entertainment. Sadly the crowds soon drifted away as Clyde succumbed to yet another League reconstruction and life in the 3rd tier of Scottish football. Broadwood seemed a fine and modern venue, if a little cold and windy. The problem with the grand scheme for Clyde and Broadwood was that both needed serious capital to succeed. Clyde didn't have the money and the whole Broadwood project stumbled, as it was dependent on the local population flocking to the stadium. Clyde were finding life very difficult in the third tier of football and in 1998 they almost dropped into the lowest reaches of Senior football. This was enough for new Chairman, Billy Carmichael, to introduce sweeping changes. A charismatic figure, Ronnie Macdonald, had worked wonders in revitalising Maryhill Juniors and he was invited to do the same for Clyde. Within days of his appointment, Macdonald had signed a whole squad from the Junior ranks. The majority had severe doubts about the strategy but within two seasons Clyde had gained promotion at a canter. At the same time the Club and the fans had rediscovered their pride too. Allan Maitland won promotion to the [[Scottish First Division]] in 1999, where Clyde remain to this day. As quickly as Macdonald had arrived, he departed with his backroom team and associates in a dispute over youth funding. Again the Chairman took this setback as a cue for further progress and he ploughed his personal fortune into providing Clyde with a squad that could challenge for the SPL. The season 2003-04 was one of the strangest ever. Clyde were top of the League and looking set for the [[Scottish Premier League|SPL]]. Yet, Broadwood didn't comply with SPL requirements and crucially Clyde were on the brink of being petitioned by their creditors and liquidated. While the Chairman's fortune was being spent on players' wages, very little else was being serviced. It was classic boom or bust, but it seemed the gamble would pay off if Clyde could reach the SPL. In a crazy season the SPL finally relented and said Clyde could join them if the fourth stand was built. North Lanarkshire Council started the groundworks and then abruptly halted them as they became aware of Clyde's financial plight. Plan B, playing at [[Kilmarnock F.C.|Kilmarnock]], was hastily progressed. [[Inverness Caledonian Thistle]] ensured Clyde needn't have bothered with the arrangements. With three games to go it was all in Clyde's hands. An away win at lowly [[Ayr United]] would put Clyde in the driving seat. A deeply frustrating draw ensued and the title was up for grabs as Inverness came to visit Broadwood the following week. Clyde failed to respond to the task at hand as Inverness won 2-1. In effect the title was lost and Clyde had a mountain of debt to address. One positive from the 2003-04 season was the formation of the Clyde Supporters' Trust. Early that season some concerned fans met knowing that the Chairman couldn't keep financing the Club indefinitely. When he stopped there would have to be some kind of structure to catch the Club as it fell. The timing of the Trust's formation was fortunate as with Clyde's failure to gain promotion the Chairman sought to sell his majority shareholding. Following lengthy negotiations a consortium of the Trust and traditional investors gained the majority shareholding for a nominal sum. The Clyde Development Consortium took control of funds gathered by fans and investors and used it to finance the Club through a CVA to clear the debts. In June 2005 the CVA was completed and Clyde were essentially debt free. Since then the club has cut its cloth accordingly and sought to maximise every revenue stream in an attempt to keep Clyde competitive. Echoes of the glory days returned briefly on [[8 January]] [[2006]] when [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] visited Broadwood in the [[Scottish Cup]]. Celtic were such heavy favourites that the game was presented as a gentle introduction for their new signing, [[Roy Keane]]. Clyde's young lads ran right through them and Celtic were flattered by a 2-1 defeat. Winning the odd promotion aside, it was Clyde's best day for decades. Clyde reached the [[Scottish Challenge Cup|Scottish Challenge Cup Final]] in [[Scottish Challenge Cup 2006-07|2006]], their first final for 48 years, since their [[Scottish Cup]] success in 1958. They lost the game 5-4 on a penalty shootout, after the game finished 1-1 after 120 minutes. Former [[Scottish national football team|Scotland]] [[Captain (football)|captain]] [[Colin Hendry]] was appointed manager in summer 2007. On the 14th of August of that year, Clyde history was made when [[Michael Doherty (footballer)|Michael Doherty]] became the youngest person ever to play for Clyde in a competitive match.<ref>[http://www.clydefc.co.uk/latestnews.cfm?id=2413 Sweet Sixteen]</ref> Hendry resigned in January 2008, due to family reasons.<ref>[http://www.clydefc.co.uk/latestnews.cfm?id=2571 Club Statement on Colin Hendry]</ref> Former [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] defender [[John Brown (footballer)|John 'Bomber' Brown]] replaced him as manager. Clyde entered the final game of the season needing to better Morton's result in order to avoid being forced into the play-offs. Clyde won their game 3-0, but in a cruel twist of fate Morton won their own game by the same scoreline, sending Clyde into a two-legged play-off with Second Division side [[Alloa Athletic]]. Clyde lost the first leg 2-1 and at 3-1 down in the home second leg looked as good as relegated. However, a thrilling fight back saw Clyde level at 5-5 on aggregate (4-3 on the day) before adding another goal in [[extra time]] to progress. Home and away victories over [[Airdrie United]] in the play-off final then secured First Division football at Broadwood for another season. ''For recent seasons, see [[Clyde F.C. season 2005-06]], [[Clyde F.C. season 2006-07]], [[Clyde F.C. season 2007-08]] & [[Clyde F.C. season 2008-09]].'' == Colours and badge == Clyde's traditional colours are white with red and black. The club badge depicts a sailing ship, in recognition of the maritime heritage of the river from which they take their name. ''Main articles: [[Shawfield Stadium]], [[Broadwood Stadium]]'' Clyde spent their first two decades playing at Barrowfield Park before taking possession of Shawfield in 1896. Financial pressures led to the club relinquishing ownership of the stadium in 1935, selling it their former tenants, the Greyhound Racing Association. This arrangement continued satisfactorily for over fifty years, until the GRA announced redevelopment plans for the stadium and gave Clyde notice to quit in 1986. After tentatively investigating a number of local options, Clyde secured an agreement with Partick Thistle to share their ground at [[Firhill Stadium|Firhill]]. This move was highly unpopular with Clyde supporters, given the venue's location on the other side of Glasgow from their Rutherglen heartland, and the fierce rivalry between the two clubs. By 1990, Clyde had secured an agreement to build a home of their own in the new town of Cumbernauld, which due to shifting population patterns was by now one of the larger settlements in Scotland without senior football. After numerous delays in construction of the new all-seater venue, during which Clyde spent a further three years groundsharing at [[Douglas Park]], [[Hamilton, South Lanarkshire|Hamilton]], Broadwood Stadium was finally ready in 1994 for Clyde to move in. == Supporters == Clyde have a core support of around 800 fans. Because the club have not played there for twenty years, Clyde have lost almost all of their support from in and around [[Rutherglen]], the Clyde FC Supporters Club on Rutherglen Main Street burned down in the early 2000s and has never been rebuilt or re-opened anywhere else. Before Clyde moved to [[Broadwood Stadium]]; around 15 miles from the old Shawfield home, they were linked with a move to a new build stadium in the other '[[New Town]]' of [[East Kilbride]]; less than 5 miles from Shawfield - with hindsight it is now apparent that this move would have been more beneficial to the club as they would have been able to retain its core support - which was almost completely lost during the years of ground sharing and the subsequent move to [[Cumbernauld]] where the club regularly struggles to break the 1,000 attendance mark. The supporters' fiercest rivalry is with Partick Thistle, given that the two clubs were formerly of comparable stature as small, mid-ranking Glasgow professional teams. Rivalry with Glasgow's bigger clubs, Celtic and Rangers, has never been quite as marked due to their different levels of support and success. The number of years Clyde spent without a permanent home of their own has led to the fans identifying themselves as the ''[[Roma people|Gypsy]] Army'' in reference to this. ==Managers== {{col-begin}} {{col-3}} *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Russell Moreland]] (1930's) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Frank Thomson]] (193?-1937) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Paddy Travers]] (1938-1954) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Johnny Haddow]] (1954-1963) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[John Prentice (footballer)|John Prentice]] (1963-1966) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[David White (football manager)|Davie White]] (1966-1967) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Archie Wright]] (1967) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Archie Robertson (Scottish footballer)|Archie Robertson]] (1968-1973) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Stan Anderson (Scottish footballer)|Stan Anderson]] (1973-1976) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Mike Clinton]] (1976-77) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Billy McNeill]] (1977) {{col-3}} *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Craig Brown (footballer)|Craig Brown]] (1977-1987) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[John Clark (footballer)|John Clark]] (1987-1992) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Alex Smith (footballer born 1939)|Alex Smith]] (1992-1996) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Gardner Speirs]] (1996-1998) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Ronnie McDonald]] (1998) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Allan Maitland]] (1998-2002) *{{flagicon|Ireland}} [[Alan Kernaghan]] (2002-2004) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Billy Reid (football)|Billy Reid]] (2004-2005) *{{flagicon|England}} [[Graham Roberts (footballer)|Graham Roberts]] (2005-2006) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Joe Miller (footballer)|Joe Miller]] (2006-2007) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[Colin Hendry]] (2007-2008) *{{flagicon|Scotland}} [[John Brown (footballer)|John Brown]] (2008-Present) {{col-end}} ==Current squad== {{Football squad start}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Peter Cherrie]]|pos=GK}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[David Hutton]]|pos=GK}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Mark Brown (footballer born 1984)|Mark Brown]]|pos=DF}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Billy Gibson]]|pos=DF}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Chris Higgins (footballer)|Chris Higgins]]|other=[[Captain (football)#vice-captain|Vice Captain]]|pos=DF}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Neil McGregor]]|other=[[Captain (football)|Captain]]|pos=DF}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Kevin Bradley]]|pos=MF}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Stephen Connolly]]|pos=MF}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Stuart Kettlewell]]|pos=MF}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Ruari MacLennan]]|pos=MF}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[David McGowan]]|pos=MF}} {{Football squad mid}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Willie McLaren]]|pos=MF}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Jordan Murch]]|pos=MF}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Alan Trouten]]|pos=MF}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Ricky Waddell]]|pos=MF}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Marvyn Wilson]]|pos=MF}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Pat Clarke]]|pos=FW}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Roddy MacLennan]]|pos=FW}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Marc McCusker]]|pos=FW}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Dave McKay (footballer)|Dave McKay]]|pos=FW}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Gary McSwegan]]|pos=FW}} {{Football squad end}} == Non-Playing Staff == {|-table style="width: 100%; text-align: left;" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" |valign="top"| * '''Chairman:''' Ian Letham * '''Secretary:''' John D Taylor * '''Club Directors:''' **John Alexander **David Boyce **David Dalziel **David Dishon **Frank Dunn **Len McGuire **John Woods **John Ruddy |valign="top"| * '''Manager:''' [[John Brown (footballer)|John Brown]] * '''Assistant Manager & Reserve Coach:''' [[Dougie Bell]] * '''First Team Coach:''' [[Gary Bollan]] * '''Goalkeeping Coach:''' [[Andy Goram]] * '''Physio:''' Iain McKinlay * '''Head Of Youth Development:''' [[Gary Bollan]] * '''Head Of Community Development:''' Peter Smith * '''Club Doctor:''' Dr Mike McLaughlin * '''Club Doctor:''' David MacPherson * '''Kit Manager:''' Margaret Gray |} == Reserve & Youth Teams == Clyde put together a reserve team for the [[Scottish Football League|SFL's]] Reserve League Cup competition, which includes a mixture of first team fringe players & youngsters. The club won the Reserve League Cup for the first time in May 2008. Clyde have youth teams at Under 19, Under 17, Under 15 & Under 13 level. Several players have came through the youth system to play for the first team. Former Clyde, [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] and [[Dundee United F.C.|Dundee United]] player [[Gary Bollan]] is the current Head of Youth Development. [[Dougie Bell]], who also used to play for Clyde and Rangers, amongst others, is the current coach of the U19 side. Graduates of the youth team who have went on to play for the first team since moving to [[Broadwood Stadium]] include: {{col-begin}} {{col-5}} * [[Craig McEwan]] * Brian Carrigan * Jamie Prunty * Paul Brownlie * Michael O'Neill * Martin O'Neill * Graham McGhee {{col-5}} * [[Paul Hay]] * Gary McPhee * Paul Campbell * [[Paul Stewart (footballer born 1979)|Paul Stewart]] * [[Mark Gilhaney]] * [[Paul Doyle (footballer)|Paul Doyle]] * Billy Reid Jr {{col-5}} * [[John Baird (footballer)|John Baird]] * Charles Clark * [[Craig Bryson]] * [[David Greenhill]] * [[Graeme McCracken]] * '''[[Kevin Bradley]]''' * [[John Paul McKeever]] {{col-5}} * [[Robert Harris (footballer)|Robert Harris]] * [[Sean McKenna (footballer)|Sean McKenna]] * '''[[Ruari MacLennan]]''' * '''[[David McGowan]]''' * [[Michael Doherty (footballer)|Michael Doherty]] * '''[[Stephen Connolly]]''' * '''[[Roddy MacLennan]]''' {{col-end}} <small>Note: Players in bold are still part of Clyde first team squad.</small> [[Scotland national football team|Scottish internationals]] [[Pat Nevin]], [[Steve Archibald]] and [[Ian Ferguson (footballer born 1967)|Ian Ferguson]] also came through the Clyde youth system. The following first team players also play for the club's Under 19 side. {{Football squad start}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Stephen Connolly]]|pos=MF}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Jordan Murch]]|pos=MF}} {{Football squad mid}} {{Football squad player|no=|nat=Scotland|name=[[Roddy MacLennan]]|pos=FW}} {{Football squad end}} == Honours == ===Major=== ====Cup==== *'''[[Scottish Cup]]:''' **'''Winners (3):''' [[Scottish Cup 1938-39|1939]], [[Scottish Cup 1954-55|1955]], [[Scottish Cup 1957-58|1958]] **'''Runners Up (3):''' [[Scottish Cup 1909-10|1910]], [[Scottish Cup 1911-12|1912]], [[Scottish Cup 1948-49|1949]] *'''[[Scottish Challenge Cup]]:''' **'''Runners Up (1):''' [[Scottish Challenge Cup 2006-07|2006]] ====League==== *'''[[Scottish League Second Division|Second Division]]''' **'''Champions (9):''' 1904-1905, 1951-1952, 1956-1957, 1961-1962, 1972-1973, 1977-1978, 1981-1982, 1992-1933, 1999-2000 ===Minor=== [[Image:ClydeEKCup.JPG|thumb|Clyde lift the Tommy McGrane Trophy in 2006]] *'''[[Glasgow Cup]]:''' **'''Winners (5):''' 1915, 1926, 1947, 1952, 1959 **'''Runners Up (14):''' 1892, 1917, 1921, 1923, 1932, 1939, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1950, 1957, 1964, 1968, 1971 *'''Scottish League Supplementary Cup:''' **'''Winners (1):''' 1952 *'''Glasgow Charity Cup:''' **'''Winners (4):''' 1910, 1952, 1958, 1961(shared) *'''Paisley Charity Cup:''' **'''Winners (2):''' 1939, 1940 *'''Glasgow North Eastern Cup:''' **'''Winners (3):''' 1891, 1893, 1895 *'''[[Glasgow and West of Scotland Football League]]:''' **'''Winners (2):''' 1904, 1905 *'''Tommy McGrane Memorial Cup''' **'''Winners (1):''' 2006 *'''Optical Express Challenge Cup''' **'''Runners Up (1):''' 2005 ===Reserve=== *'''Scottish 2nd XI Cup''' **'''Winners (3):''' 1914, 1915, 1942 *'''Scottish League C Division East & South''' **'''Winners (2):''' 1950, 1951 *'''[[Combined Reserve Football League]]''' **'''Winners (1):''' 1961-1962 *'''Scottish Reserve League West''' **'''Winners (1):''' 1989 *'''Reserve League Cup''' **'''Winners (1):''' 2008 ==Records== *'''Record home [[Scottish football attendance records|attendance]]:''' 52,000 vs [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] ([[November 28]], [[1908]]) (at [[Shawfield Stadium]]); 8,000 vs [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] ([[Scottish Cup]]) ([[January 8]], [[2006]]) (at [[Broadwood Stadium]]) *'''Record win:''' 11-1 vs [[Cowdenbeath F.C.|Cowdenbeath]] ([[October 6]], [[1951]]) *'''Record loss:''' 11-0 vs [[Dumbarton F.C.|Dumbarton]] ([[22 November]], [[1897]]), vs [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] ([[13 November]], [[1880]]) *'''Most capped player:''' [[Tommy Ring]]: 12 ([[Scotland national football team|Scotland]]) *'''Most goals in one season:''' [[Billy Boyd (footballer)|Billy Boyd]] - 32 ([[1932-33 in Scottish football|1932-33]]) == Notable players == :''For a longer list of former Clyde players, see [[:Category:Clyde F.C. players|here]].'' {{col-begin-small}} {{col-3}} ;{{flagicon|Scotland}} Scotland * [[Brian Ahern]] (1971-1981 & 1983-1987) * [[Eddie Annand]] (1995-1997) * '''[[Steve Archibald]]''' (1974-1977) * '''[[Sammy Baird]]''' (1949-1954) * '''[[Danny Blair]]''' (1925-1931) * [[Gary Bollan]] (2004-2005) * '''[[Billy Boyd (footballer)|Billy Boyd]]''' (1930-1933) * [[Tom Brighton]] (2005-2006) * [[Craig Bryson]] (2003-2007) * [[Steve Evans (footballer born 1962)|Steve Evans]] (1979-1981) * '''[[Ian Ferguson (footballer born 1967)|Ian Ferguson]]''' (1984-1986) * [[Gordon Greer]] (2000-2001) * '''[[Harry Haddock]]''' (1949-1962) * [[Ian Harty]] (2003-2005) * [[Scott Howie]] (1991-1993) {{col-3}} ;{{flagicon|Scotland}} Scotland * [[Pat Keogh]] (1998-2004) * [[Keith Knox]] (1987-1997) * '''[[Joe McBride]]''' (1971-1972) * [[Ross McFarlane (footballer)|Ross McFarlane]] (1983-1994) * [[Frank McGarvey]] (1991-1993) * [[Jim McLean]] (1960-1965) * [[Billy McPhail]] (1947-1956) * [[Andy Millen]] (2000-2004) * '''[[Pat Nevin]]''' (1981-1983) * '''[[Charlie Nicholas]]''' (1995-1996) * '''[[Tommy Ring]]''' (1950-1960) * '''[[Archie Robertson (footballer)|Archie Robertson]]'''(1947-1961) * [[Jack Ross]] (1999-2004) * [[Andy Smith (footballer born 1968)|Andy Smith]] (2003-2004) {{col-3}} ;{{flagicon|England}} England * [[Bryn Halliwell]] (2000-2005) * [[Adam Proudlock]] (2000) ;{{Flagicon|Ireland}} Ireland * '''[[Jack Kirwan]]''' (1908-1909) * '''[[Alan Kernaghan]]''' (2001-2004) * '''[[Albie Murphy]]''' (1950's) * '''[[Ned Weir]]''' (1930s) ;{{flagicon|France}} France * [[Jean-Louis Valois]] (2004) * [[Romauld Bouadji]] (2005-2006) ;{{flagicon|Germany}} Germany * [[Simon Mensing]] (2001-2005) * [[Jorg Albertz]] (2008- ) ;{{flagicon|Algeria}} Algeria * '''[[Karim Kerkar]]''' (2004) ;{{flagicon|New Zealand}} New Zealand * '''[[Raf de Gregorio]]''' (2001-2002) {{col-end}} ==The Clyde View== The '''Clyde View''' is Clyde's award winning matchday programme. It has won the Scottish Divisional Programme of the Year Award every year from 1991-92 to 2006-07, and the Scottish Programme of the Year since 1995-96 to 2006-07. The Clyde View is currently in its 30th season. It boasts 76 pages, and is priced at £2.50 ==Nickname== The club's nickname, "The Bully Wee", is of uncertain origin. There appear to be three main theories how the name originated. The first refers to the fact that Clyde's support and possibly players were drawn from the Bridgeton area. Renowned for their pugnacious character the support were 'wee bullies' and hence the Bully Wee. The second theory takes a European dimension. Apparently some Frenchmen were at Barrowfield around 1900. Upon a disputed goal they cried: "But il'y, oui?" This translates as: "Their goal, yes", but sounds very like "Bully Wee". The third theory is that "Bully" was a Victorian synonym for first-rate/good/worthy. As Clyde were a small club it seems obvious that "Bully Wee Clyde" must have rolled off the tongue. ==Notable fans== *[[Craig Brown (footballer)|Craig Brown]] - Former footballer player and [[Clyde F.C.|Clyde]], [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]] & [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]] manager *[[Dougie Donnelly]] - Presenter of [[Sportscene]] *[[Bobby Clark (footballer)|Bobby Clark]] - Former [[Scotland national football team|Scottish internationalist]] goalkeeper ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.clydefc.co.uk/ Official site] * [http://www.stv.tv/content/sport/exclusive/display.html?id=opencms:/sport/exclusive/Colin_Hendry_interview_130607 Colin Hendry interview with stv], 13 June 2007. *[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/clyde/default.stm Clyde BBC My Club page] <!-- Please do not add unofficial links--> {{fb start}} {{Clyde F.C.}} {{Scottish First Division}} {{Football in Scotland}} {{fb end}} [[Category:Scottish football clubs]] [[Category:Sport in North Lanarkshire]] [[Category:Sport in Glasgow]] [[Category:Football (soccer) clubs established in 1877]] [[Category:Clyde F.C.]] [[de:FC Clyde]] [[fr:Clyde Football Club]] [[nl:Clyde FC]] [[pl:Clyde F.C.]] [[sco:Clyde]]