New Cumnock
New Cumnock is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It expanded during the coal-mining era from the late 18th century, and mining remained its key industry until its pits were shut in the 1960s. The town is southeast of Cumnock, and east of Ayr.
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, and was one of a number of football clubs formed in the late nineteenth century in and around the
Ayrshire
Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine, North Ayrshi ...
coalfield.
History
The original Lanemark F.C. was founded in 1877, although there is a match recorded for a Lanemark side in August 1875. The club took its name from the Lanemark Coal Company which was formed in 1865 to work coal in the vicinity of Lanemark Farm in
New Cumnock
New Cumnock is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It expanded during the coal-mining era from the late 18th century, and mining remained its key industry until its pits were shut in the 1960s. The town is southeast of Cumnock, and east of Ayr.
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. As the coal industry grew so did the demand for workers, so the coal company built small basic houses in terraces known as “rows” in the South Boag area of the town.
After entering the
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,1877–78 to 1881–82, never once getting past the first round, the club lost two key players (John Graham and John Reynolds) to
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
, and the club, for the next three years, scratched from competitions rather than playing. In 1885, the club was re-formed, with the same ground and colours.
The club's best season of note in the Scottish Cup came in 1888–89, a season for which the club had strengthened, bringing in players from Hibernian such as John Reynolds (who had played for the club in the early part of the decade) as captain and Breckenridge, helping the club to a 7–0 win over Stevenston Thistle - the club's biggest Cup win - in the first round. Lanemark reached the fourth round before losing 0–8 at Connel Park to a powerful Renton side in front of a crowd of 1,000. The following season however the club suffered a devastating blow when Reynolds was killed in a mining explosion in October.
In 1892 Lanemark joined the new
South of Scotland Football League
The South of Scotland Football League (SoSFL) is a senior football league based in south-west Scotland. The league sits at level 6 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Lowland Football League.
Founded in 1946, i ...
but the League collapsed in disarray, with very few matches arranged; Lanemark only played once, a 9–1 defeat at 5th K.R.V. The next season the club returned to their normal diet of friendlies and local Cup competitions, of which there were many.
The early years of the twentieth century saw Lanemark competing in the North Ayrshire Football League, then the Ayrshire and Renfrewshire Football League and finally the Scottish Combination. It was as a member of the last that the club had its best run in the Ayrshire Cup, in 1906–07, achieving shock wins over both Kilmarnock and Ayr to reach the final, where it lost to
Hurlford
Hurlford (Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile Àtha Cliath'') is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It has a population of 4,968. Hurlford's former names include Whirlford and Hurdleford. The village was named Whirlford as a result of a ford crossing ...
Palmerston Park
Palmerston Park is a football stadium on Terregles Street in Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is the home ground of Scottish League One club Queen of the South, who have played there since 1919. South of Scotland League club ...
, that the Doonhamers won 4–0, only their third-ever friendly match.
However, the club began to struggle financially and it scratched from the
1920–21 Scottish Cup
The 1920–21 Scottish Cup was the 43rd staging of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. The Cup was won for the first time in their history by Partick Thistle who defeated Rangers in the final. Thistle played 11 matches i ...
qualifying rounds. The formal end for the club came with its removal from the club register in August 1921.
A new junior club, New Cumnock United, was formed later that same year, also based at Connel Park, but disbanded in 1928. In 1930 the current Western Super League side
Glenafton Athletic
Glenafton Athletic Football Club is a Scottish football club, based in New Cumnock, Ayrshire. Members of the Scottish Junior Football Association, they play in the West of Scotland Football League. The club has won the Scottish Junior Cup twice ...
was formed and their early years were also spent at Connel Park, before moving to their current ground, Loch Park, in 1960.
Colours
The club originally played in royal blue and white jerseys, white knickers, and blue hose, plus a blue cap. By 1880 it had changed to royal blue jerseys and navy blue knickers. After changing the knickers to white in 1887, the club re-adopted the royal and navy blue combination from 1895.
In honour of the recently deceased John Reynolds, Lanemark wore white jerseys with black armbands in the
1889–90 Scottish Cup
The 1889–90 Scottish Cup was the 17th season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. Queen's Park defeated rivals Vale of Leven
2–1 in a replayed final.
Calendar
Teams
All 158 teams entered the competition in th ...