The early history of Third Lanark

In 1901 the Dundee Evening Post published a short history of Third Lanark.

As its name implies. the Third Lanark Football Club sprang from the well known volunteer regiment whose name it bears away back in the early seventies. One of the first conditions imposed was that no one would be allowed to play in the team who was not a volunteer. After a few years those at the head of affairs recognised that to adhere closely to this stringent rule would result in the club never rising above a third-rate team, so that, while keeping in touch with the regiment, the condition imposed at the beginning was departed from.

In the early days the ground of the club was in Victoria Road, on the site where the drill hall of the regiment is now built. About a quarter of a century ago they removed to Cathkin which remains their home. The club and the regiment are still on terms of goodwill, and the officers at the latter take a very lively interest in the club’s welfare. Colonel Wilson, a noted volunteer, is always to be seen on the pavilion when a big game is on. The Colonel was the first centre forward of the club, and the first man to score a goal for the Third Lanark. At the formation of the club the leading men associated with it were John Wallace and John Sliman. Both have passed to the great majority, and both were goal keepers in their day. Among early players maybe mentioned James (“Reddie”) Lang who is claimed to have been the first footballer who went to England as a professional and whose departure aroused a great deal of controversy at the time.

In later years, and since the club has occupied a foremost position in the game, it has had many able men and players to serve it. Among the former may be mentioned Mr J. A. Crerar, an ex-president of the S.F.A.; Mr W. Brown, ex-president of the Glasgow Association, who played in the Cathkin team for upwards of a decade; Mr Robert Mercheant the reigning president; Mr William Abell the present capable and energetic secretary. Concerning the players, the names of the following will serve to show the men who won fame for themselves and the colours they sported; — Somers (afterwards the great Queen’s Park player). Archie Hunter (who made a name for himself in England), John and Charles Weir (the famous half-backs), Tukes Carmichael (still to the fore as a sporting writer), and in later days Willie Blair, Jamie Simpson, Bob Gardner and Peddie (both Newcastle United), Beveridge (Notts Forest), and Gibbons (Partick Thistle).

The team that won the Scottish Cup in 1889 beating the Celtic was —Goal. R.Downie; backs, Andy Thompson and Spriggie Rae; half-hacks, R.McFarlarane. J. Auld. and A. Lochhead; forwards, Marshall and Thompson, Oswald, Hannah and Johnston. Of this eleven, only one may be said to be still playing in first-class football, viz., Oswald.

Since 1889 the club have not held the Scottish Cup. They have won the Glasgow Charity Cup three times – in 1890, 1898 and last season — and have always occupied a respectable place in the Scottish League table. The also gained the Inter-City League last season with a point better than Hibernian.