| Full name | Victoria Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1878 | |
| Dissolved | 1881 | |
| Ground | Victoria Park | |
| Hon. Secretary | Thomas Maxwell | |
| Match Secretary | Robert Love | |
| Captain | W. Arrol[1] | |
Victoria Football Club was anassociation football club fromHelensburgh, inDumbartonshire, which twice entered theScottish Cup.
The Victoria club - often referred to asHelensburgh Victoria, orVictoria (Helensburgh), to distinguish it from others with a similar name - was founded in 1878. It was the second club to be founded in the town, four years after theHelensburgh Football Club. The first reported meeting of the two clubs, at Helensburgh's Kirkmichael Park in November 1879, ended 4–0 to the older club.[2]
After winning 11 of 16 matches in 1879–80, the club joined theScottish Football Association in 1880,[3] entitling it to play in the1880–81 Scottish Cup. With the Cup being drawn on a regional basis, and with theDumbartonshire area containing the three best sides in the country at the time, the club was unlucky to be drawn to visitDumbarton, one of the trio. Nobody gave Victoria a chance, but, with several new players in the Dumbarton line-up, it took time for the home side to gel, and Victoria was able to frustrate the home side for a while, going in at half-time 2–0 down; however Dumbarton scored five without reply in the second half.[4]
However the club did not survive long as a senior club. Its entry to the1881–82 Scottish Cup was its last appearance in the game. It obtained a bye in the first round,[5] and was drawn to face Helensburgh in the second round, but scratched.[6] AJunior club with the same name started up in 1884.[7]
The club wore navy blue, in common with many of the Dumbartonshire clubs at the time.[8]
Before turning senior, the club played at the Public Park in Helensburgh.[9] The club's private Victoria Park ground was on the Old Luss Road, 7 minutes' walk fromHelensburgh railway station.[10] The first match at the new ground was a 7–0 victory overBowling in February 1880, Paterson having the honour of the first goal.[11]
