Mauchline F.C.

Mauchline Football Club was a senior football team based in the small town of Mauchline in East Ayrshire.

History
The club was founded in 1873. Its first match against another side was in February 1874, against Ayr Academy.

Mauchline was an original member of two ill-fated leagues who survived for just one season, The Ayrshire Football League for the 1891–92 season and the original South of Scotland Football League in 1892–93.

However, Mauchline were better known as a cup team, appearing in every Scottish Cup from 1875–76 to 1885–86, and often reaching the later rounds.

In 1877–78 they reached the quarter-finals only to lose 1–3 away to the eventual winners, Renton.

In the same season, the club won the Ayrshire Cup for the only time, beating Portland 4–2 in the final, played at Holm Quarry, the home ground for a number of other Kilmarnock sides. The match proved to be a test between the Portland's wider wing play and Mauchline's more compact forward line; Portland's opening goal was a Goldie header from a Sinclair corner, and the club went 2–1 up after Mauchline's back Wilson impeded his goalkeeper, but two goals in the last 20 minutes won the trophy for Mauchline. Portland had a measure of revenge in 1878–79 by winning the Burns Cup, an invitational tournament to raise funds for a statue to Robert Burns, coming from behind to beat Mauchline 2–1 in the final - the first time the Portland had beaten the Mauchline.

The senior club dissolved in 1897 but adopted junior status as Mauchline Thistle Football Club, which itself disbanded just seven years later.

A second Mauchline Football Club was founded in 1911 and existed until 1922 although all competitions were suspended throughout the First World War, 1914–1918.

Colours
The club played in blue and white hooped jerseys and hose, with white knickers.

Ground
The club's ground at Connel Park was a 3-minute walk from the Mauchline railway station. As late as 1886 the club did not have facilities on the ground, teams having to change at the Loudoun Hotel.

Notable players

 * Dr John Smith gained four of his ten Scottish caps whilst a Mauchline player, scoring three goals; he was the sole club representative to have been selected for international duty.
 * Hughie Wilson played for the club until 1884.
 * W. H. Campbell of Mauchline F.C. finished second in the Scottish long jump championship of 1888.