Renton Thistle Football Club was an association football club based in the town of Renton, in Dunbartonshire.

History

The club was founded in 1873, in the wake of other clubs in the West Dunbartonshire area such as Vale of Leven, Renton, and Dumbarton. The club entered the Scottish Cup for the first time in 1875–76, and gained a walkover in the first round after opponents Queen's Park Juniors scratched. In the second round the Thistle lost 2–1 at Dumbarton. With other clubs in the region having greater backing, the club remained firmly in their shadows, and only ever won one Scottish Cup tie; against Alclutha in the first round in 1877–78. A bye took the club into the third round for the only time in its history, where it lost to Renton 2–0. The club also progressed to the second round on two other occasions, under the rule that both clubs proceeded after two draws, against Vale of Leven Rovers of Alexandria in 1876–77 and against Alexandria in 1878–79. In the former year the club lost 5–1 at the Lennox club of Dumbarton in the second round; in the latter, the club was hammered 11–0 at Vale of Leven. The Vale of Leven defeat was the last Cup tie for the club. By 1878 the club only had 28 members and was the smallest senior side in Dumbartonshire. While the revived Renton club was increasing its membership, Thistle remained static. It entered the

1879–80 Scottish Cup The 1879–80 Scottish Cup – officially the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup – was the seventh season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. With 142 entrants, this season saw the largest number of teams to com ...

tournament and was drawn against Lennox, but was described as "dissolved" before the match took place. One further game was recorded for a Renton Thistle at the end of the 1880–81 season, against

Holytown Holytown ( sco, 'Holy-Town' - Holytown, gd, Baile a' Chuilinn)

, but this may have been a different entity. The name was revived by another club in 1885.

Colours
The club's colours were blue shirts, white knickers, and red hose.

Ground
The club played on the Public Park at the south end of Renton, a three-minute walk from
Renton railway station Renton railway station is a railway station serving the village of Renton, Scotland. The station is managed by ScotRail and is served by its trains on the North Clyde Line. It is sited northwest of (High Level), measured via Singer and Maryhil ...
.

References
{{Defunct Scottish football clubs, state=collapsed Renton Thistle Association football clubs established in 1873 Association football clubs disestablished in 1879 Football in West Dunbartonshire Vale of Leven 1873 establishments in Scotland 1879 disestablishments in Scotland