Cathkin Park, the former home of Third Lanark. Late 1960s. Here’s the story below, for those who don’t know it. Third Lanark FC and Cathkin Park One of a series of articles looking in to some of the lost or forgotten Old Stadiums and Football Clubsaround the UK. www.bamberbridge.net This episode takes us North of the border to a one time Scottish Giant. A club that went out of existence in 1967 having been a founder member of the Scottish League, crowned Champions of Scotland and Twice Scottish Cup winners. It’s quite likely that most readers under the age of 50 will never have heard of Third Lanark FC. A club whose home ground at New Cathkin Park for the majority of their existence, boasted a capacity of 50,000. Cathkin Park as it is now, with the huge banked terrace still visible The club was formed in 1872 as Third Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers playing at Cathkin Park which was also the regiments drill field. Initial facilities at the ground were limited to a log pavilion but funds generated from successful Cup runs enabled the club to add a grandstand, at a cost of £155, in 1878 and also to conduct Scotland’s first experiment with floodlit football. The club also changed their colours to ‘blue and white hooped jerseys with white “knickerbockers”. During this initial period The “Hi Hi” (which for unknown reasons became the clubs nickname), won the Scottish FA cup beating Celtic in the final. NewCathkin Park in the 1960’s Things changed for Third Lanark when in 1903. Local Rivals Queens Park left their ground nearby at Hampden Park, for a new Stadium, which they named ….Hampden Park!!. Third Lanark then left Cathkin Park and took over the original Hampden Park renaming it New Cathkin Park. Confused? The move to the new stadium came with one strange decision. New Cathkin had a two-storey brick built stand and embankments in place. Queen’s Park asked Third Lanark if they would like these to be left in place but the new owners insisted everything be demolished and, transported their own stand from the original Cathkin and built their own embankments. In the same year all official links with the rifle volunteers were severed and the club’s name was changed to Third Lanark A.C. (Athletic Club). Over the years the club further developed (New) Cathkin Park eventually reaching a capacity of 50,000. The largest attendance at the Stadium a game against Rangers in 1954 which attracted 45,455 Match action from the 1960's at New Cathkin Park – Third Lanark in Red The following two years saw Third Lanark winning the Scottish League by four 4 points from Hearts and the following season, winning the Cup, beating Rangers in the final. Those heights were not maintained however and although the club maintained it’s first Division place until the First World War, darker times arrived as during peace time The growth of Glasgow Giants Celtic and Rangers meant the “Redcoats” (another nickname) couldn’t keep pace and suffered relegation. More 1960's match action . It wasn’t until 1935 that Third Lanark returned to the Scottish First Division as Champions of Division Two. The club remained in the top flight for the pretty much all of their remaining existence, twice reaching the FA Cup semi Finals before suffering relegation, but bouncing back again in 1957. In the early 1960’s Third Lanark managed a third place finish in the League but soon Financial problems were to hit the club. By the mid 60’s, the club was in meltdown with players being sold and assets at the club being sold off. In 1967 the Club Directors announced they had agreed to sell the Stadium to Glasgow City Council. Shortly after, the Board of Trade launched an investigation into the club, which would uncover multiple cases of fraud and which also disclosed that players had been having to pay their own fares to away matches. Original main stand at New Cathkin Park Tales of asset-stripping along with the intention to sell the ground to developers amid rising debt abounded. In June 1967, the club was wound up by the Court Of Session in Edinburgh who appointed an official liquidator. It was found that the club’s liabilities were £40,000 greater than their assets. The remains of New Cathkin Park still exist to this day with one sprawling terrace still standing. The stadium subsequently fell into disrepair and most of the fabric was gradually removed. The remains of the terraces from three sides of the ground can be seen in the park. However, a reformed Third Lanark AFC, which plays in the Greater Glasgow Amateur League, currently plays in the park. New Cathkin Park sliding into decline In 2017, Third Lanark AFC. announced a £5 million plan to return to Cathkin and redevelop the ground, with an all-weather pitch, a 2000-seat stand, floodlights and community facilities for football and cricket. Fifty Seven years after their demise, there are still hopes that Third Lanark can once again return to The Scottish Football League at a rebuilt Cathkin Park.
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Enzo Fernandez - not wanted in England, the Falklands or probably Argentina now
