Pollok F.C.
Pollok Football Club is a Scottish football club based in Newlands in the southside of the city of Glasgow. The club competes in the West of Scotland Football League and are one of the biggest football clubs operating in Scottish non-league football, regularly attracting crowds of around 700. Pollok play at Newlandsfield Park and wear black and white stripes. Their traditional rivals are Arthurlie of Barrhead.
History
Formed in 1908 as an offshoot of Poloc Cricket Club and based at a ground called Haggs Park within Pollok Estate until 1926, Pollok were one of many average clubs in Junior football in Glasgow. The club eventually rose to prominence upon the demise of Third Lanark in 1967 with many supporters opting to support Pollok, being in close proximity on the south side of Glasgow. Pollok eventually became champions of the Central League in 1978–79, and won their first major honour, the Scottish Junior Cup in 1980–81. Pollok have since gone on to win the Junior cup a further two times, in 1984–85 and 1996–97.Since 2002 League Reconstruction
in the west of Scotland was restructured in 2002, amalgamating the Central and Ayrshire leagues to form the West Region. Prior to this Pollok had been champions of the Central league eight times. The top league of the new set up was the West Premier League which Pollok have won four times.Beginning in the 2007–08 season the SFA began inviting the winners of the four major Junior honours to take part in the Senior Scottish Cup. Pollok were reigning champions of the West Premier League at the time, and took part in the 2007–08 Scottish Cup. In the 1st round 'Lok were drawn away against St Cuthbert Wanderers of the South of Scotland League. The match took place at St. Mary's Park, Kirkcudbright with Pollok winning comfortably by 6 goals to 2. Montrose of the Third Division were to be Pollok's opponents in the second round. Pollok performed admirably against the Scottish League club, achieving a 2–2 draw at Links Park. In the replay at Newlandsfield 'Lok were not as successful and lost 1–0.
The following year saw Pollok once again crowned West Premier League Champions. At the start of the season they were eliminated in the second round from the 2008–09 Scottish Cup by Edinburgh-based East Of Scotland team Spartans. At the end of the season Pollok had a chance once again to retain their West Premier League championship but lost the last league game of the season away to Auchinleck Talbot by failing to defend a 1–0 lead in the last eight minutes. Having exited the Scottish Junior Cup at the semi-final stage for the second year in a row, manager Jim Sinnett promptly resigned after the game.
2009–10 did not go well for Pollok with an early exit in the Scottish Junior Cup away to Newtongrange Star. In March 2010 manager Rab Sneddon resigned for work reasons and was succeeded by Willie Irvine.
Season 2010–11 saw Pollok suffer a shock exit at home to Neilston Juniors in the Scottish Junior Cup. Season 2011–12 saw Pollok lose four of their opening seven league fixtures, prompting Willie Irvine to tender his resignation on Monday, 10 October 2011. His eventual replacement was John Richardson, who kept the club in the top flight after a relegation play-off against Renfrew. Season 2012–13 saw Pollok win both the Central Sectional League Cup and the Central League Cup as well as narrowly avoiding relegation for the second year running. Only three players were retained from the previous season for 2013–14. This season was a disaster for Pollok. The club was embroiled in many off field controversies and had four different managers throughout the season.
Current manager, Tony McInally, was appointed in December 2013 but Pollok were finally relegated on 28 April 2014 with a 3–2 loss to Glenafton Athletic. Under McInally, Pollok were promoted as Champions the following season and won the Evening Times Champions Cup. The club reached the final of the 2015–16 Scottish Junior Cup but lost to Beith Juniors on penalty kicks after a 1–1 draw.
In 2016, the club briefly received widespread media attention after right-back Tam Hanlon scored a hat-trick of long-range goals in a match against Neilston. The feat was captured on video and quickly went viral, being viewed millions of times and leading international players and pundits to praise the quality of the goals.
Former players
On settling the Intermediate dispute in 1931 Pollok sold the following players to senior football: J.McBride, J.Robertson and R.Griffiths to Chelsea; Charlie M. Thomson to Sunderland and T.Armstrong to Airdrieonians. Other Pollok players who have also played in the Scottish Football League or Football League include Brian Bilsland, Kevin Budinauckas, Ross O'Donoghue, Craig Cranmer and Danny Diver. Former Pollok striker Dougie Arnott achieved Scottish Cup success with Motherwell. In recent years, Pollok have had numerous players move up to senior level including John Sweeney – Current Clyde Captain, Arbroath keeper Scott Morrison, Airdireonians assistant/player Paul Lovering, Albion Rovers defender Ross Dunlop and Dundee striker Carlo Monti. Derek Lea played in all three of Pollok's junior cup final triumphs as a striker.Stadium
Pollok play their home games at Newlandsfield Park in the Newlands area of Glasgow, a ground they have used since the 1928–29 season. The stadium has a capacity of 4,000, and is largely terracing.Pollok's first ground was at Haggs Park in the Pollok Estate, but they were forced to move out in 1926–27 as Glasgow City Council wanted the land for school pitches. After playing temporarily at Rosebery Park and the Queen Mary Tea Gardens at Speirsbridge, they acquired Newlandsfield Park, which has been their ground ever since.
Current squad
Non-playing staff
Honours
Scottish Junior Cup- Winners: 1980–81, 1984–85, 1996–97
- Runners-up: 1985–86, 1997–98, 2015–16
- Winners: 2002–03, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08
- Winners: 2014–15
Other honours
- West of Scotland Cup winners: 1944–45, 1986–87, 1991–92, 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2016–17
- SJFA Supercup: 2003–04, 2005–06
- Central League Premier Division winners: 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1990–91, 1994–95, 1995–96
- Central League champions: 1978–79, 1980–81
- Central League A Division winners: 1980–81
- Central League B Division winners: 1968–69, 1978–79
- Glasgow Junior Cup: 1941–42, 1953–54, 1961–62
- Glasgow Dryburgh Cup: 1930–31, 1941–42, 1948–49
- Central League Cup: 1977–78, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1987–88, 1989–90, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2015–16, 2017-18
- Central Sectional League Cup: 1983–84, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2012–13
- Evening Times Cup Winners Cup: 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1987–88, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2014–15
Notable players
- Dougie Arnott – Motherwell
- Fraser Wishart – Motherwell, St Mirren, Rangers, Motherwell
- Stuart Gordon – Hamilton Academical
- Gary Clark – Falkirk, Sliema Wanderers, Hamilton Academical
- Ian Spittal – Partick Thistle, Stranraer, Clyde
- Robert Prytz – Malmö, Rangers, Sweden
- Bobby Collins – Celtic, Everton, Leeds United, Scotland
- Sandy Stewart – Hearts
- Danny Diver – Kolding IF, RC Tournai, Ayr United, Hamilton Academical
- Chic Charnley – Hamilton Academical, Djurgårdens IF, Partick Thistle, Bolton Wanderers, Hibernian
- Andy McLaren - Dundee United, Reading,Kilmarnock