# Vale of Atholl F.C.

Vale of Atholl Football Club is a football club from Pitlochry in Scotland.

## History

The club was founded in 1878, originally under the name Vale of Athole, a name it used until 1889.
The club was one of the inaugural clubs to take part in the Scottish Amateur Cup and as at 2022 is one of the three remaining clubs still entering the competition, although it has never reached the final.
The club's main historical significance is as an entrant to the Scottish Cup from 1882 to 1884 and 1888 to 1966. The club did so without any success. The Vale reached the second round proper on only two occasions, the first time in 1883–84, after first round opponents Aberfeldy Breadalbane scratched. The Vale in turn scratched from the second round tie with Dundee Harp F.C.
The club won through the qualifying rounds in 1907–08, 1921–22, 1922–23, and 1926–27, before the club finally won its first tie in the competition proper in 1927–28, beating Newton Stewart F.C. 2–1 in the first round; the club lost at St Mirren F.C. in the second, startling the home side by equalizing an early St Mirren goal after Kirk headed a cross from Watson, but conceding a further four goals despite a "heroic" defence.
The Vale only reached the first round once more via the qualifying rounds, in 1934–35, being drawn to play Hibernian F.C. at home. The club forfeited home advantage to play at Easter Road, and lost 5–0 in front of a crowd of 3,815. In 1954–55, the Scottish Football Association briefly re-organized the competition, by abolishing the qualifying rounds and putting the lower-ranked entrants in the Cup at the first round stage. This lasted three seasons and the Vale lost in the first round every time, the last time 8–2 at Albion Rovers.
Despite being an amateur club in an amateur league, the Vale retained its senior status until it was expelled from the Scottish Cup qualifying rounds for 1966–67. This was because the Highland Games were taking place at the Recreation Park when the Scottish FA was demanding its use for Cup ties. Having lost its senior status, the club was never in a high enough league to regain it.
The club won the amateur Perthshire League six times between 1920 and 1931; its last triumph in the competition was in 1972. The club was also a 11-time winner of the Perthshire Cup, although that competition was abandoned in 1975. For the 2022–23 season the club is playing in the second division of the Perthshire Amateur Football League.

## Colours

The club's known colours are as follows:
Vale of Atholl colours :
| Years | Shirts | Shorts |
| 1878–84 | Red and white | Navy |
| 1889–90 | White | Athole tartan |
| 1890–1913 | White | Navy |
| 1913–14 | Gold and red | |
| 1914–15 | Gold and black | |
| 1915–16 | White | |
| 1916–19 | Yellow and black | |
| 1919–2018? | White | Black |
| 2018– | Black & white hoops | Black |

## Ground

The club played at the original Recreation Park in Pitlochry, which now lies at the bottom of Loch Faskally, the area being flooded in 1947 after a dam was built. The club removed its pavilion for reconstruction at a new Recreation Park.

## Notable players

The most famous Vale player is Paul Sturrock, who played for the club in 1973–74, and the following players also played for Scottish League clubs:
* Jimmy Gourlay (scorer of the winning goal for Morton in the 1922 Scottish Cup Final)
* Marty Wilson (Brechin)
* Aya Thorne (Forfar Athletic)
* Derek Dewar (Arbroath F.C.)
* Barclay Gunn (Dundee Utd)
* Stevie Fullarton (St Johnstone, Brechin)
* Davie Gillies (Dunfermline Athletic)
* Kenny Seaton (Dunfermline Athletic)
* Bill Rutherford (Hibernian)
* Bogdan Darabus (CS Minaur Baia Mare, Romania)
* János Tompa (Tiszakécske FC, Hungary)

### Domestic

Scotland
* Perthshire League
** First place (7): 1920-21,1925–26,1927–28,1928–29,1929-30,1931-32,1948–49
* Atholl League
** Winners (2): 1905-06,1906-07
* North Perthshire League
** Winners (2): 1921-22,1922-23
* Perthshire Amateur League
** Winners (2): 1970-71,1971-72
* Perthshire Cup
** Winners (11): 1896-97,1921-22,1922–23,1932–33,1948-49,1955-56,1970-71,1971-72,1972-73,2011-12.
* Atholl Cup
** Winners (31): 1887-88,1888-89,1889-90 1890-91,1891-92,1893-94,1895-96,1896-97,1897-98,1902-03,1903-04,1904-05,1919-20,1922-23,1924-25,1925-26,1927-28,1928-29,1929-30,1932-33,1933-34,1934-35,1935-36,1936-37,1937-38,1938-39,1947-48,1952-53,1953-54,1955-56,2011-12
* Scottish Cup
** Second Round (1): 1928–29