| Full name | Shaftesbury Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1876 | |
| Dissolved | 1878 | |
| Ground | Ashton Park | |
| Secretary | E. S. Graham | |
| Captain | J. Holm[1] | |
Shaftesbury Football Club was afootball club based in theburgh ofPartick (now part of the city ofGlasgow),Scotland.
The club was founded in 1876.[2] It was linked to theGlasgow Royal Infirmary; the club took its name fromLord Shaftesbury, who had laid the foundation for the Infirmary'sLenzie Hospital in 1871,[3] the club played at least one match for the benefit of theWestern Infirmary,[4] and its ground was behind the Western Infirmary in Partick. The club's correspondence address was also that of theRoyal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.
Shaftesbury only played senior football for 2 seasons, despite having a large membership (it operated two XIs throughout most of its existence),[5][6] joining theScottish Football Association in 1877.[7] It duly entered the1877–78 Scottish Cup, losing in the first round at home toRosslyn 3–1.[8]
The club was more enthusiastic than technical; for one friendly atClydesdale in 1877, only ten players turned up, and the club's solution to the problem was to play without a goalkeeper. Shaftesbury changed its approach for the second half, by which time the club was 5–0 down, and the game ended 6–2.[9]
The club had been active in 1877–78, winning 10 out of 22 matches,[10] and entered the1878–79 Scottish Cup. The club was unlucky to be drawn away toRangers, and lost 3–0,[11] the defeat - following on from a 4–0 reverse atBeith[12] - seeming to dispirit the club to the extent that it did not survive the season. It did try out a match under electric lights againstParkgrove in November 1878 but the experiment was not a success.[13]
The club played in dark blue jerseys, white knickers,[14] and red stockings.[15]
The club played at Ashton Park. This became the ground ofCity after Shaftesbury ceased playing regular football.[16]
