Bo'ness F.C.


Bo'ness Football Club was a football club based in Bo'ness, Scotland. The club was a member of the Scottish Football League from 1921 to November 1932, and played at Newtown Park. Their home kit consisted of royal blue shirts and white shorts.

History

The club was formed in 1882 and joined the Eastern Football Alliance in 1891, but the league failed to complete its first season. Bo'ness returned to competitive football in 1901 as a member of the Central Football Combination and eventually ended up in the Central Football League. Along with much of the membership of this group, Bo'ness were admitted to the newly expanded Scottish Football League Second Division in 1921. After five seasons of mid-table finishes, the club won the Second Division championship in 1927 and were promoted to the First Division.
The club was relegated back to the Second Division after just one season. Bo'ness then struggled financially, like many other clubs in the region, due to the decline of the local coal and shale oil industries. Bo'ness offered free admission to local unemployed people after 30 minutes of play. The club struggled to raise the £50 match guarantee to visiting clubs in 1931, but was surprisingly re-elected. Further failures to provide match guarantees meant that the club was expelled from the League during the 1932–33 season.
Bo'ness continued as a non-league side until 1939, appearing in the Scottish Football Alliance, Edinburgh and District League, Scottish Football Combination and the East of Scotland Football League. Future Scotland international Alex Munro also came through the ranks at this time. The club survived World War II but merged with local side Bo'ness Cadora to form junior club Bo'ness United in 1945.

Stadium

Notable former players

Players at the club who were also full internationals: