Neilston F.C.

Neilston Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Neilston, East Renfrewshire who currently play in the West of Scotland League First Division. This is tier 7 of the Scottish FA league pyramid system.

At the club's AGM in May 2025, it was unanimously agreed that the history of Neilston Victoria FC (1897-1940) should always have been part of the history of Neilston Juniors FC (known as Neilston FC from 2020)

The year of formation on the club badge has been changed to show the correct year of formation as 1897.

Neilston Victoria were formed in 1897 as a juvenile club who ground shared Broadlie Park with the village's SFA senior side at that time, Neilston FC. They initially played in an all light blue kit.

In 1899 the land at Broadlie Park was needed for a new goods yard to be built next to the proposed Neilston railway station. Neilston Victoria Secretary John Kirk Jnr secured a lease on the Crofthead Mill recreation ground at Brig O'Lea and they opened the new ground with a match against Springhill from Barrhead on the 14th October 1899.

In 1901 Neilston Victoria left juvenile football and joined the Scottish Junior Football Association and played in the Western Junior League. Their kit was black and white hoops with black shorts and socks.

In 1903 they won their first trophy, beating Levern Victoria 2-1 at Summerlea Park Thornliebank in the Glasgow South-Side Junior Cup Final.

A new pavilion was built at Brig O'Lea in 1904 which would eventually be replaced by the current one in December 1964.

The club had to leave Brig O'Lea for two seasons in 1912 when the Crofthead Mill wanted the park for cricket and a football team called Alexander's XI. Neilston Victoria relocated to a new ground at Kirktonfield where they won their first league championship title, winning the Scottish Junior League in season 1912/13. By this time the club was wearing red shirts with white shorts and red socks.

In 1914 the club were singled out in the newspapers, along with Port Glasgow Athletic, for the high number of players who were enlisting during the First World War. However the club stopped playing in April 1940 when the Second World War was showing no signs of ending.

On Monday 4th June 1945 a public meeting was held in the old wooden clubhouse at Brig O’Lea to bring back junior football at Brig O'Lea. The following men were responsible for getting the club back playing - President J Dunlop, Vice President T Young, Secretary W Neil, Treasurer J Muir, Minute Secretary R Miller and the General Committee of J Docherty, A Little, J McCartney, J Smith and H Toner. The club changed its name to Neilston Juniors and joined the Western League (North) to play with predominantly Ayrshire clubs.

Just two years after resuming playing, the club finished the 1946–47 season as the Western League Champions and also won the Western League Cup and Renfrewshire Cup.

Renfrew District Council took over Brig O’Lea Stadium in the early 1960s and built a new clubhouse and installed floodlights for season 1964/65. The new look stadium was opened on Monday 21st December 1964 when Neilston played Greenock Morton under the new floodlights.

The first competitive junior match under floodlights took place at Brig O'Lea Stadium on the 17th February 1965 when Neilston Juniors defeated Kilwinning Rangers 4-3 in a Western League (North) fixture. STV's Scotsport cameras showed highlights on television later that evening along with highlights of the Inter Milan v Rangers European Cup quarter final.

In 1968 they left the Western League to join the Central League and in their first season they finished runners-up to Petershill in the "B" Division. In season 1970–71 they were "C" Division Champions.

On 6th October 1998 Neilston Juniors won their first major trophy in 51 years by defeating Baillieston 5–0 at Fir Park, Motherwell in the Beatons Sectional League Cup Final.

Season 2002–03 saw Neilston Juniors come close to being crowned the first ever champions of the newly created West Super League Premier Division but they missed out on goal difference to Pollok.

The club recorded their highest ever victory on 9th November 2002 when they defeated Kinloss away 15-1 in the Scottish Junior Cup 2nd round.

Season 2005–06 was their most successful for 50 years as they finished champions of the Stagecoach Super League First Division and won the Carlsberg Sectional League Cup against East Kilbride Thistle 4–3 on penalties after a 0–0 draw at Firhill Stadium on 4th October 2005 to give the club a well deserved double.

The club won their 5th league title in season 2013/14 when they won the Central District First Division Championship.

Neilston Juniors left the West Region of the SJFA and moved to the newly formed West of Scotland Football League as part of the Scottish FA league pyramid system in 2020 with members voting to drop the "Juniors" part of the club's name.^[2]

The club returned to SJFA membership in season 2024/25 and competed in the Scottish Junior Cup for the first time since season 2019/20.

Neilston won their 6th league title in their history when they won the West of Scotland Football League 2nd Division Championship in season 2024/25.

• Highest home league win - Neilston Victoria 10 Kilsyth Emmett 0, Scottish Junior League, 18th January 1913
• Highest away league win - Glengarnock Vale 0 Neilston Victoria 8, Western Junior League 19th April 1924
• Highest home cup win - Neilston Victoria 12 Bute Athletic 1, Renfrewshire Junior Cup round 2, 12th October 1912
• Highest away cup win - Kinloss 1 Neilston Juniors 15, Scottish Junior Cup round 2, 9th November 2002
• Highest cup final win - Neilston Victoria 9 Rothesay St Blane's 1, Renfrewshire Junior Cup Final, 6th August 1910
• Highest drawn match - Neilston Juniors 6 Dreghorn 6, Irvine & District Cup round 1, 30th August 1954

Tommy Adams - won the Scottish Cup and the League Cup with East Fife

Stevie Aitken - manager of Stranraer and Dumbarton

Willie Bell - capped for Scotland and manager of Birmingham City

Dixie Deans - won the Scottish 1st Division, the Scottish Cup, the League Cup, the Drybrough Cup with Celtic and capped for Scotland

Danny Diver - manager of East Stirlingshire

John Fulton - won the Victory Cup with St Mirren

George Fyfe - won the English United League Cup with Watford

George Hunter - won the Scottish Cup with Celtic

Jimmy Lawson - won the Scottish Cup with Dundee

James Leslie - scored the 1st ever goal at Roker Park, Sunderland

Tom McArthur - won the English 2nd Division with Leicester City

Bob McKay - won the Scottish Cup with Morton, the English 1st Division with Newcastle United, capped for Scotland and Dundee United manager.

John McLeod - won the English 1st Division with Manchester City and the English 3rd Division with Millwall

Hammy McMeechan - won the Dockerty Cup, the Ampol Cup, the Victoria State League Championship all in Australia and capped for Australia

Tommy McMillan - won the Scottish Cup and Drybrough cup with Aberdeen, capped for Scotland u23's and manager of Inverness Thistle

Jim Pearson - capped for Australia

John Smith - won the English 2nd Division with Middlesbrough and capped for Scotland

Bobby Templeton - 11 years as Hibernian manager

Bob Thyne - capped for Scotland

Peter Weir - won the Scottish Premier League, the Scottish Cup, the League Cup, the European Cup Winners' Cup, the European Super Cup and capped for Scotland

Ian Young - won the Scottish 1st Division, the Scottish Cup and the League Cup with Celtic and capped for Scotland u23's

As of 5th July 2025

Friendlies

• 5th July - Knightswood 2-2 Neilston
• 9th July - Neilston v Largs Thistle
• 12th July - Neilston v Hurlford United
• 16th July - Arthurlie v Neilston - Kenny Hay Memorial Trophy
• 19th July - Neilston v Renfrew - Hugh Blair Trophy

WoSFL First Division

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