1919/1920
There were 250 entries for the post-War competition and Tayport FC, with a new secretary – George Nicoll 14 Pond Lane, was now in the Forfarshire [Dundee] section of the draw with a home tie
13 September 1919
Round 1
Tayport v Dundee Arnot
Arnot, from Dundee’s Morgan Street area, had started the Dundee & District season poorly and Tayport, starting post-war in the City & District Junior League were favourites. Tayport duly made the second round but there is no record of a result so the game may well not have been played and speculation might suggest that Arnot had scratched
11 October 1919
Round 2
North End 5 v 2 Tayport
Although the press anticipated Tayport “putting out a strong team”, North End, challenging at the top of the Dundee & District Junior League, proved too strong and won 5-2 at Gussie Park.
Tayport:- Ritchie; Main, Coss; C.Rae, Blues, Henderson; Kidd, Beat, J.Rae, Rennie, Robertson; Reserves: Ross, Law.
Maybe just as well Tayport didn’t progress further and have to travel to the west if this report of the Cambuslang v Shettleston 1st round tie is anything to go by.
“The referee, Mr A. McMachan from Motherwell awarded a disputed equaliser for Cambuslang. This raised the ire of a section of the crowd who invaded the park and brutally assaulted the referee who was dealt a severe blow on the face and severely kicked.
Inspector Scott and half a dozen police entered the field and escorted the official to the pavilion. The Police acted with great tact and within a few minutes one of the assailants was taken into custody”
We weren’t finished there, though…
“A section of the Shettleston supporters who attempted to drive off in a motor lorry were followed up. The lorry, as it was crossing the Clyde Bridge, was stopped and the seats were ripped up and thrown into the river”
Just another Saturday in the west coast Juniors!
For the record, Cambuslang won the tie and went on to reach the final, losing 2-0 to Parkhead before a crowd of 22,000 at Hampden
1920/21
For the first time there were two Tayport clubs entering the Scottish Junior Cup. Tayport FC and a new club, Tayport Comrades FC, were amongst close on 400 entries,
Although there was a Fifeshire section of the 1st round draw, both Tayport clubs were in the Dundee & District section
11 September 1920
Round 1
Tayport Comrades v Clepington Athletic
Tayport Comrades pulled off a shock draw at home against the established Dundee & District League side but lost the replay 4-2 at Gussie Park on 18 September. The Comrades had selected from – J.Anderson; D.Robertson (capt.), T.Rae, D.McDonald, F.Anderson, Wilkie, P.Hanlin, D.Beat, Dall, C.Rae, Studley, J.Buchan and W.Coss.
Round 1
Downfield v Tayport FC
Tayport had a default passage to round 2 when Downfield scratched
Round 2
North End 6 v 0 Tayport FC at Gussie Park
A much-changed line-up but Tayport were eliminated by the Dokens for a second successive season
Tayport fielded Laidlaw; Cabrelli and Morrison; Rennie, J.Ross and Moyes; R.Ross, Kidd, Rankine, Cavanagh and Leckie.
1921/1922
There were 367 entries this season but no entry from Tayport FC. There was, however, an entry from Tayport Ex-Service FC [last season’s Comrades?] who appeared in the Fifeshire section of the 1st round draw, at home to Rosslyn Juniors, at the time top of the Fife Junior League (Eastern Division)
Rosslyn had arranged for a char-a-banc for the trip to Tayport but Ex-Service FC denied them their day out on the south bank of the Tay by scratching from the competition.
1922/1923
The Junior game was in turmoil this season when the SJFA
“carefully excluded clubs who had seceded from the Association [SJFA] and gone over to the Glasgow Junior League competition”
Still a big entry though, 48 from Dundee and 37 from Fife in an astonishing entry of 388 clubs. Tayport Violet, now a Junior team, was the town representative and appeared in the Fifeshire section of the draw.
In the previous season, 1921/22, Tayport Violet had been a Juvenile team, playing in the Dundee & District Juvenile League. This season, although there was no Tayport team playing in either of the Dundee Junior Leagues, Violet was a member of the Scottish Junior FA, although playing only cup ties and friendlies
16 September 1922
Round 1
Hearts of Beath 3 v 0 Tayport Violet
Tayport arrived at Hill of Beath with “a good reputation” but it was early disappointment for Violet down in west Fife
Tayport Violet – Heggie; Kidd and Dempster; Balfour, McKay and Hanlon; Rankine, Longair, Ross, Wilkie and Rankin.
Tayport Violet Secretary was D.Watson, 16 Nelson Crescent, Tayport
1923/1924
Tayport Violet, now members of the re-born Dundee-based City and District Junior League, still found themselves in the Fifeshire section of the draw
15 September 1923
Round 1
Tayport Violet 1 v 4 Rosslyn Juniors (Dysart)
It was another 1st round exit for Tayport who had lost full back Kidd and outside right Rankine, both to Dundee Arnot, during the close season.
1924/1925
15 September 1924
Round 1
Tayport Violet 0 v 4 Broomhall FC
21 Fife teams and 56 Dundee based teams entered this season’s competition
The City & District League was no more and Tayport Violet was now a member of the newly created Division Two of the Dundee & District Junior League.
Another 1st round defeat, this time against a Dunfermline team which themselves had been beaten by the same margin in a league game the previous week.
Violet lined up for the 4pm kick-off with – Imrie; Bruce and Jackson; Mathers, McKay (capt), Milne; Brown, Mitchell, Bricknell, Ross and Walker. Reserves were Longair & Smith.
1925/1926
5 September 1925
Round 1
Tayport Violet v Valleyfield Juniors
Valleyfield, in dispute with the Fife JFA, were no longer members of that Association but the SJFA ruled that, as their players were properly registered with the SJFA, they were eligible to play cup ties. The teams drew at Tayport. There is no record of the score but Tayport travelled to Torryburn for a replay
12 September 1925
Round 1 (replay) Tayport fielded M’Arthur; Mathers and Kidd; Lindsay, Stewart and Newman; Brown, Mitchell, Wilkie, Williamson and McClure. Tayport travelled by bus leaving from Tayport school at 1pm.
Valleyfield Juniors 1 v Tayport Violet 1
19 September 1925
Round 1 (2nd replay)
The second replay was played at the ground of Denbeath Star in Methil.
The game did not kick off until 5.45pm to avoid a clash with East Fife v Dunfermline at Bayview the same afternoon.
Tayport had James Stewart listed instead of Wilkie, Hanlon for Newman and Bruce as a reserve
Tayport were now one of only six Fife clubs left in the draw and came out of the hat with a home tie v Portobello Thistle
17 October 1925
Round 2
Tayport 0 v 3 Portobello Thistle
Tayport lined up M’Arthur; Blues and Kidd; Mathers, Manzie and Hanlon; J.Brown, Mitchell, Rankine, Stewart and McClure. Reserve – Smith
Other than the result, there is no further information on this tie.
1926/1927
4th September 1926
Round 1
Tayport Violet 1 v 1 Rosslyn Juniors A second visit to Tayport in four seasons for the Dysart club. The tie was completed…but not without pre-match drama as the following press cutting tells us
Tayport fielded – Doonan; Brown and Kidd; Mathers, Manzie and Hanlon; Lonie, Simpson, Low, Milne & Leith. Mitchell for Brown was the only change for the second leg.
Round 1 (replay)
Rosslyn Juniors 4 v Tayport Violet 2
It was a cracking tie in front of another big attendance. Low, who had equalised in the first game, netted both Violet’s goals.
There’s an interesting footnote to the tie. It must be remembered that times were hard in 1926, more so in the mining areas which provoked the National Strike in May of that year. But football followers are tough breed, exemplified by the spirit of some young Rosslyn fans who walked the 30 miles to Tayport for the first tie.
…and that replay defeat by Rosslyn in September 1926 was the last Scottish Junior Cup competition to feature a Tayport team for more than half a century. It would be 64 years before a Tayport team would next take part in the Scottish Junior Cup when Tayport Amateur FC (1947) gained Junior status and metaphorsed into Tayport FC in 1990/91. The rest, as they say, is history!
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