Vale of Clyde (Scotland)

Vale of Clyde FC is a Scottish non-league football club based in Glasgow's East End in the Tollcross area. The club has a rich heritage since its formation in 1873, with its most prominent era being around the late 1800s and the turn of the century. 

'Tin Pail' lifted the prestigious Scottish Junior Cup for the first time in 1890-91 after a replay at Whitefield Park in Cambuslang against Chryston Athletic. The 1892-93 final at Boghead Park ended in a 3-0 win against Dumbarton Fern. The team won the cup for a third time in 1903-04 when Parkhead were defeated 3-0 at Celtic Park.

Vale of Clyde were also crowned champions of the Glasgow Junior Football League on four occasions between 1900 and 1920. To complement this success, the team also won the Glasgow Junior Cup on four occasions around the same time. A return to the final of the Junior Cup came in 1941-42, which ended in a 4-2 defeat to Clydebank Juniors at Shawfield Stadium.

Honours were thin on the ground at Fullarton Park for many decades until Vale lifted the Central League Cup in 1989-90. Success followed at the end of the next season by way of the Evening Times Cup. In 2001-02, Vale were relegated to Division Two of the Western Region competition.

In 2004-05, the club were promoted as Central League Division One champions to Super League Division One. 2007-08 saw a further promotion to the Premier Division before three successive relegations between 2009-10 and 2011-12 saw the Tin Pail plying its trade in the Central League Division Two, where they recovered to win promotion in 2013-14.

They returned to their lower status for the 2017-18 season before Mark Mackay became manager and the club was placed in League Two the following season after the West Juniors were reorganised. The club chose to join the SFA West of Scotland League in 2020-21. 

The following season's effort in Conference C under manager Colin Reilly saw Vale placed in the Third Division ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. The side won the title and promotion to Division Two, with John Hughes coming in as manager. The side went up again in 2023-24 to the First Division.

Vale of Clyde FC will play in the SFA West of Scotland League First Division in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Monday 30th September 2013

I found myself in Glasgow's East End, travelling past the towering Celtic Park on the train to Carmyle station after a morning's groundhopping work in Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. Not for the first time on my adventures, I totally misread distances on a map, only this time I walked well past my destination.

I soon cut back down a lane from Tollcross Road and found myself outside the locked Fullarton Park. Despite my best efforts to gain access, including wading across wasteland, I admitted defeat but still got some decent enough shots of the fairly basic ground. 

Bellshill Athletic had been tenants in Tollcross since the 2011-12 season following their troubles with their previous owners. Fullarton Park had a covered terrace on the far side across the halfway line. A post and rail fence ran around the playing area. 

The near side had hard standing and a few portacabins, which provided the changing rooms and club facilities. The rest of the arena consisted of open grass, with slight banking in places. Having got the best photos I could, I headed a mile or so north to neighbours Shettleston FC.