| Full name | Northern Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | the Hyde Men[1] | |
| Founded | 17 September 1874 | |
| Dissolved | 1897 | |
| Ground | Hyde Park,Glasgow | |
Northern Football Club was afootball club based atHyde Park in theSpringburn area ofGlasgow,Scotland.[2] The club was a founder member ofScottish Football League Division Two, but left after a single season.
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The club was formed in 1874, as a football playing branch of the Northern Cricket Club,[3] although details of their early years are largely unknown; in its second season, the club won 9 of its 14 matches.[4] In 1883 they merged with another local teamPetershill (a different club from the survivingJunior club of that name)[5] and were founder members of theGlasgow Football Association in the same year.[6]
The club was never particularly successful. Despite entering theScottish Cup every season from1875–76 to1892–93, it only reached the fourth round on one occasion; in its second entry, in1876–77. That run saw the club gain its biggest Cup win, 12–0 overTelegraphists, Cunningham scoring five times.[7] The club also only reached the quarter-final of theGlasgow Cup once, in 1888–89;[8] Northern heldQueen's Park to a remarkable 5–5 draw, coming from 2–0 down to lead 5–2 at the break, and conceding a late equalizer, with loud Northern protests that the goal was offside.[9] However Northern lost the "rough and tumble sort" of replay atHampden Park by six goals to nil;[10] Queen's went on to win the trophy.
Its only triumphs of note came in the Glasgow North-Eastern Cup, which was largely dominated by the club's neighbourCowlairs, which won the trophy every season bar one from 1882–83 to 1887–88; the one exception was 1884–85, in which Northern beat Cowlairs in the semi-final and then beatThistle 5–1 in the final at Inchview.[11] However the formation and instant success ofCeltic - which beat Northern in the North-East Glasgow semi-final in 1888–89,[12] Celtic taking its first trophy by beating Cowlairs in the final - resulted in support draining away from the much less endowed Northern. Indeed, Celtic beat Northern in the 1890–91 final,[13] Northern only regaining the trophy after Celtic gave up entering.
Despite this lack of success, Northern was one of the five clubs which agreed to set up theScottish Football Alliance in 1891,[14] to provide regular league competition. After two mediocre seasons, Northern (and a number of other Alliance members) accepted an invitation to form the new Division Two of the Scottish League.1893–94 proved to be their sole season in the league, with the club finishing ninth out of ten, and failing re-election, losing on a fourth ballot by 1 vote toAirdrieonians.[15] It returned to the Scottish Alliance but during the course of the1896–97 season was wound up, the final straw being an 8–1 home defeat toRoyal Albert at Christmas.[16]
Petershill Juniors were formed in summer 1897, just after Northern folded and a year afterCowlairs; due to the circumstances they could be seen as a successor representing the Springburn area, albeit their club history does not mention those clubs, only linking their formation to the demise of St Mungo's Juniors in the area.[17]
The club's original colours, as agreed at the initial meeting, were royal blue and scarlet hoops.[3] By 1877 the club had changed to light and dark blue halved[18] shirts with white knickers.[19]
The club originally played at Lodge Park,[20] but opened its new ground at Hyde Park on 13 February 1875, with a game between the club's first and second elevens.[21]
