| Full name | Lochgelly United Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Happylanders | |
| Founded | 1890 | |
| Dissolved | 1928 | |
| Ground | Schools Park,Lochgelly Reids Park, Lochgelly Recreation Park, Lochgelly | |
Lochgelly United Football Club was afootball club based inLochgelly,Scotland. Nicknamed the 'Happylanders', the club were members of theScottish Football League between 1914 and 1926.[1]
The club was formed in 1890 by the merger of two local clubs,Lochgelly Athletic (formed 1886) andFifeshire Hibernian (formed 1889), and initially played at Schools Park. They spent their time variously in the Northern andCentral leagues, and even had a spell between 1898 and 1902 when they played only cup games and friendlies. In 1901 the club moved to Reids Park, where they remained until 1910, when they moved again, toRecreation Park.
They were admitted to theScottish Football League Second Division in 1914, although the competition was suspended in 1915 due toWorld War I. They continued in theEastern and Central Leagues and returned to the Second Division when it was reinstated in 1921. However the club suffered a traumatic season in1923–24, setting two unwanted records for the old Second Division – most defeats in a season (30)[2] and fewest league goals in a season (20).[3] The Happylanders home form that season had been noted for low scores with the club and their visitors sharing only 22 goals in 18 of the 19 matches. However, in one match, played againstKing's Park on 16 February 1924, the club lost 8–3, half the total of all the others put together.[4]
They were relegated to the newThird Division in 1924 and, when this was disbanded at the end of the1925–26 season, they joined theScottish Football Alliance. They remained in this league until 1928 when they were wound up, the directors the following year forming a new club,Lochgelly Amateurs.[5]
1. Players that have played/managed in the top two divisions of the Scottish Football League or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players with full international caps.
3. Players that hold a club record or have captained the club.
