Tomorrow the Glens travel the roads and the miles to bonnie Dundee (or Brought Ferry to be precise) to face Lochee Harp in the Scottish Junior Cup 1st Round.
The two sides have only met once before, way back in Season 1935/36 in the 4th Round of the competition.
So how did the teams get there?
In the early round the ties were drawn at regional levels.
Scottish Junior Cup 1st Round.
GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 4 IRVINE VICTORIA 2
McGill scored the opener at Connel Park for the Vics. A few minutes later John Irvine set up a Tommy Langan to draw sides the level. Outside left John Reid then found John Campbell to put the Glens ahead before he added a third putting the finishing touch to a cross from Bill Gray. Vics halved the deficit with a goal from Donnelly before Irvine completed the scoring with a “rocket shot”.
LOCHEE HARP 3 DUNDEE ST. JOSEPH’S 1
The game boiled down to a struggle between the respective half-back lines, and Harp’s trio emerged with honours in the second half. Beattie opened the scoring for St. Joseph’s with a brilliant shot and a clever lob by Forbes saw Adamson equalise. In the second half the Harp forwards saw more of the ball, and good goals by McEwan and Adamson sealed the Joey’s fate.
Scottish Junior Cup 2nd Round.
DALRY THISTLE 1 GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 4
A large crowd, augmented by 600 excursionists from New Cumnock, were somewhat disappointed by this display. although McLuckie put the home side ahead, goals from Bobby Hawthorn, John Campbell and a brace from John Reid saw the visitors run out comfortable winners.
LOCHEE HARP 2 DUNDEE STOBSWELL 1
The Harp were still smarting from a severe 8-3 defeat in the Courier Cup at the hands of Stobswell when the two sides faced each other in front of a crowd of 9,000 at Lochee Park. In a dour game Harp were consider the better spoilers. Each side scored from the penalty spot due to impetuous handling by the defenders. Harp’s winner was a fine effort after Adamson and Forbes combined before Reynold banged the ball into the net.
Scottish Junior Cup 3rd Round.
GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 2 BLANTYRE CELTIC 1
Glenafton went into the 3rd round draw with other clubs from Ayrshire, Dumbartonshire, Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Stirlingshire and were drawn at home to Blantyre Celtic.
The star of the day was Tom Doyle, the Celtic keeper. This Blantyre lad was a marvel of alertness and courage and well deserved the warm applause given him at the close from friend and opponent. Willie Ferguson broke the deadlock to put the Glens ahead with the last kick of the first half – from the penalty spot. John Reid doubled the home side’s advantage but Rowse pulled one back to ensure a rousing finish
LOCHEE HARP 5 DUNDEE NORTH END 2
Harp went into the 3rd round draw with other clubs from Forfarshire and Perthshire and were drawn at home to Dundee North End.
The Lochee lads had to fight a lot harder than the score suggests in front of a crowd of 5,000 at Lochee Park. Even late in the second half when Harp had a clear two goal margin, it was still anybody’s game. The pick of the goals a Richie rocket for North End and a brace from Harp’s Adamson.
Scottish Junior Cup 4th Round.
Glenesk Park, Dundee | 2nd January 1936
The Glens had finished the year in good shape sitting top of the Western Junior League, still in all the domestic cup competitions and were the only Western Junior League side to progress to the 4th round of the Scottish Junior Cup.
A newspaper report suggested that a local minister, the Reverend William Bodin may have a keen interest in the outcome of the game “his sympathies my lie with the Ayrshire side. In his early days he was a playing member of New Cumnock United, and Glenafton are an off-shoot club”. Indeed the Rev. Bodin was the minister of the parish of New Cumnock from 1920—1926 during which time he had a short spell as New Cumnock United’s goalkeeper including in the 1920/21 Scottish Junior Cup 2nd round 1-0 victory over Dalry Thistle – the same round the Glens had defeated Dalry this season. The Reverend Bodin and his family later moved to Ardrossan and the in 1929, he filled the vacancy at at St. Luke’s Parish Church, Lochee.
Dundee Courier – Friday 03 January 1936
LOCHEE HARP 2 GLENAFTON ATHLETIC 1
10,000 SEE HARP WIN A THRILLER
Harp a diminutive combination in comparison with their Ayrshire opponents deservedly passed into the fifth round of the Scottish Junior Cup at Glenesk Park.
The Dundonians showed their giant opponents crisp and clever football, and delighted a crowd of 10,335, who paid gate money to the extent of £208. It was a sixpenny gate. The exchanges all through were exceptionally keen, and there were frequent displays of temper. It was unfortunate that such a rousing game should be marred by the ordering off of two players. Foster, Harp’s right-back, and Langan, Glenafton’s centre- forward fell foul of each other, and without more ado the referee ordered both to the pavilion. Many were inclined to think the official’s action was harsh, but Mr. C. Kernohan, Glasgow had warned players before the ordering off incident about the 15th minute.
SECRET OF SUCCESS
Harp owed their success to their ability to carry the ball and make contacts by perfect low passes. The hefty Ayrshire boys were too fond of first-time tactics.
Yet Harp have to thank goalkeeper Mauchland for defying the last-minute efforts of the southerners. A flying leap when Hawthorn connected with the head following a corner was really brilliant. The keeper turned the ball aside when a replay seemed a certainty.
Mauchland did many classic things, and one of the most brilliant was the saving of a penalty in the first-half. Left-back Ferguson took the spot kick, but Mauchland palmed the terrific drive against the crossbar and ultimately cleared.
TWO FOR FORBES
Both Harp goals were scored by Forbes the first in 10 minutes and the second within 60 seconds of the resumption. Reid was the Glenafton marksman. The way in which Forbes notched the goals classed him as a real opportunist. He was well supported with two grand inside men and wingers who know how to cross a ball.
Chaplain played a heroic after he lost his partner, and it was fitting that he and Mauchland should be carried shoulder- high off the field at the end. The Harp trio were also O.K. They seldom made the mistake of lifting the ball when they assayed a forward pass, and altogether showed real craft:
HARP: Mauchland; Foster and Chaplain; Scott, Farquharson and Duffy; Fleming, Duncan, Forbes, Renolds and Adamsom
GLENAFTON: McEwan; Brown and Ferguson; Craig, Gray and Ballantyne; Irvine, Hawthorn, Langan, Campbell and Reid.
ECHO OF GLENAFTON
An echo of Glenafton’s visit to Glenesk has reached me in a statement by a Harp official that the Ayrshire club has notified Lochee club they are absolutely satisfied with the procedure adopted regarding the admission of Dundee Violet’s ticket holders to their game. They also express appreciation the arrangements made for their comfort when in the city and extend best wishes for future success in the “Scottish”. Nice to hear of theses spontaneous compliments from defeated opponents
Footnote: In the Scottish Junior Cup 5th round Lochee Harp drew 3-3 at home to Royal Albert before losing 2-0 in the replay at Larkhall.
Glenesk Park
Of course we have more recent, happier memories in the Scottish Junior Cup at Glenesk Park, home of Dundee Violet.
Glenafton Athletic 