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Dunbar Town F.C.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dunbar Town
Full nameDunbar Town Football Club
Founded1936
Dissolved1939
GroundLaundry Park
Player-managerJames Sked[1]

Dunbar Town F.C. was a short-lived senior association football club from Dunbar in East Lothian.

History

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The club played under the purview of the Berwickshire Association in its first season, but withdrew before the season's end,[2] in order to join the East of Scotland League in 1937.[3] The club's first match in the competition was a disastrous 11–2 defeat to Peebles Rovers.[4] The Town however quickly recovered, and finished the season mid-table, although helped by a number of teams not completing the season.

The 1938–39 League season saw the club win more matches than it lost, finishing in the upper mid-table.[5] However it had less success in Cup competitions; it lost in the preliminary round of the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup in both 1937–38 and 1938–39, the former after a replay against reigning East of Scotland League champions Jed Arts; the club's draw in the original game was considered a major shock, as Dunbar arrived with only seven players, and relied on a reserve plus three local volunteers to make up the numbers.[6] It also lost in the first round of the King Cup in the same seasons.[7]

The club joined the Scottish Football Association in August 1938,[8] in time to enter the 1938–39 Scottish Qualifying Cup, and beat Coldstream 4–3 in the first round, nearly throwing away a four-goal lead.[9] In the second, Town lost 3–1 at Berwick Rangers, a result which put the Wee Gers into the first round proper;[10] the match came three weeks after Rangers had beaten Town in the East of Scotland Cup.[11]

The club had always struggled to attract crowds,[12] and having gone into abeyance for the Second World War, did not re-emerge after it. The club's last game had been the first of the aborted 1939–40 East of Scotland League season - a 2–1 defeat at Bo'ness after conceding a late penalty.[13]

Colours

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The club wore red and white jerseys.[14]

Ground

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The club played at Laundry Park,[15] on Spott Road.[16]

Notable player

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James Sked, the club's coach and left-half, had been a reserve player at Heart of Midlothian, and had played for Peebles Rovers and Penicuik Athletic.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "The Eastern clubs". Edinburgh Evening News: 19. 29 April 1938.
  2. ^ "Scottish footballers". Edinburgh Evening News: 24. 14 August 1937.
  3. ^ "Sport of all sorts". Edinburgh Evening News: 14. 5 June 1937.
  4. ^ "Border football". Southern Reporter: 7. 19 August 1937.
  5. ^ "East of Scotland League". Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  6. ^ "This week's sport". Jedburgh Gazette: 4. 3 September 1937.
  7. ^ "King Cup". Scottish Football Historical Archive. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  8. ^ "S.F.A. Council Meeeting". Scotsman: 16. 16 August 1938.
  9. ^ "Dunbar had to fight". Berwickshire News: 7. 13 September 1938.
  10. ^ "Rangers into the Scottish Cup". Berwickshire News: 7. 27 September 1938.
  11. ^ "Rangers' defence in wrong gear". Berwick Advertiser: 7. 1 September 1938.
  12. ^ "Jottings". Berwick Advertiser: 7. 1 December 1938.
  13. ^ "Bo'ness win". Linlithgowshire Gazette: 4. 1 September 1939.
  14. ^ "Duns 4 Dunbar Town 1". Berwick Advertiser: 6. 30 September 1937.
  15. ^ "A stiff task". Edinburgh Evening News: 19. 17 March 1939.
  16. ^ "Daly's Corner Quiz". A1 History Dunbar. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  17. ^ "From the touchline". Southern Reporter: 9. 3 February 1938.