Beith Football Club were a

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

club based at Bellsdale Park in

Beith Beith is a small town in the Garnock Valley, North Ayrshire, Scotland approximately south-west of Glasgow. The town is situated on the crest of a hill and was known originally as the "''Hill o' Beith''" (hill of the birches) after its ''Court ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. The club were members of the

Scottish Football League The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is located approximately 4 km south ...

from 1923 to 1926.

History

The club was initially formed in 1875 and were founder members of the Ayrshire Football Association in 1877, but went into abeyance in 1883 and did not re-emerge fully until 1888. Nicknamed 'the cabinet makers', they joined the

Ayrshire Football League Ayrshire Football League is a defunct soccer league in Scotland. Formed in 1891 by Annbank, Ayr Parkhouse, Beith, Galston, Irvine, Kilwinning Monkcastle, Mauchline, Newmilns, Saltcoats Victoria and Stevenston Thistle F.C. By 1893 the Ayrshire F ...

in 1891 and would later play in the Scottish Football Combination, winning that competition in 1905. Around this time the club featured goalkeeper Hugh McDonald, who later had some success at Woolwich Arsenal. They eventually ended up in the Western League, which was incorporated by the

as its new Third Division for the 1923–24 season. Beith lasted the Division's three seasons, finishing 7th, 13th and 12th, but were not retained by the League. The club joined the

Scottish Football Alliance The Scottish Football Alliance was a football league football structure set up in Scotland in competition with the Scottish Football League. Its success in the early years of professional football in both England and Scotland made Alliance the bas ...

, playing against Galston and reserve teams of the Scottish Football League First Division clubs. Beith won the

Scottish Qualifying Cup The Scottish Qualifying Cup was a football competition played in Scotland between 1895 and 2007. During that time, apart from a brief spell in the 1950s, it was the only way for non-league teams to qualify for the Scottish Cup. The Qualifying Cup w ...

in 1928 and won the Scottish Qualifying Cup South in 1932, 1933 and 1935. When the First Division clubs decided that only their reserve teams could play in their reserve league, Beith were left without a competition to play in. The club decided in 1938 to leave the senior ranks and become Beith Juniors. and join the Western League North Division for 1939–40 season.

Stadium

*1875–1882 Gateside Toll *1882–1883 Marshalland *1888–1894 Knockbuckle *1894–1903 James Meadow (Muir Field) *1903–1915 Glebe Park *1919 Kersland Field Glengarnock *1920–1938

Bellsdale Park Bellsdale Park is a football ground in Beith, Scotland. It was the home ground of Beith F.C. during their time in the Scottish Football League, and is currently the home ground of Beith Juniors. History Beith moved to Bellsdale Park in 19 ...

Honours

*Scottish Combination League **Champions 1904–05 *Scottish Qualifying Cup **Winners 1928 *Scottish Qualifying Cup South **Winners 1932, 1933, 1935 *Ayrshire FA Challenge Cup **Winners 1880, 1924, 1927 *North Ayrshire Cup **Winners 1906, 1924, 1927 *Ayrshire Qualifying Cup **Winners 1927, 1928 *Ayrshire Consolation Cup **Winners 1904 *Ayr Charity Cup **Winners 1908 *Kilmarnock Charity Cup **Winners 1881

References

* Twydell, Dave (1993). ''Rejected FC Glasgow & District''. Yore Publishing * Aitken, John (2013). ''The Scottish Football League 125''. Scottish Non League publishing * Aitken, John (2005). ''West of Scotland Juniors''. Scottish Non League publishing * Aitken, John (2013). ''The Scottish Junior Football Association 125 years''. Scottish Non League publishing

External links

Beith
Historical Kits {{Scottish Football League Defunct football clubs in Scotland Association football clubs established in 1888 Association football clubs disestablished in 1938 Football in North Ayrshire Scottish Football League teams 1888 establishments in Scotland 1938 disestablishments in Scotland Beith