About Us

Prior to the present club setting up in early 1959, in order to join the Lanarkshire Amateur Football Association for season 59/60, there had been a former pupil’s football club. It had broken up due to disharmony amongst its members. None of the lads who started the existing club had been involved with the previous set up, but were determined that this would not happen again. It is fair to say that after fifty years the ideals of these original members have been achieved.

The club’s first secretary was John Cranston who took on the job in spite of the fact that he was dying of kidney disease and obviously was unable to play. He made all the early arrangements, but unfortunately died before the team could play their first competitive game.

The John Cranston Memorial Trophy is still the premier trophy within the club and is awarded annually to the person who has done most for the club during the season. The original trophy was bought by all the players 49 years ago, but has since been retired, due to wear and tear, and a new trophy purchased. New trophy, same perspective.

Over the fifty years the set up of the club has changed greatly, going from one team in 1959 to a second team in 1973, playing in the Scottish Amateur League. The club was thrown out of this league because the manager kicked the ball away at the end of a game and it almost hit the referee. The poor wee soul reported this to the league and the club were asked to leave. This turned out to be the best move ever as they then joined the Glasgow and District Former Pupils League, entering one team in season 1974/75 and adding a further team two years later. The club and the F.P. league were good for each other with the club soon providing the league match secretary, who some years later became the league president, and two successive minute secretaries.

Unfortunately the F.P. league had a stipulation built into its constitution that clubs had to have a connection with a school. This eventually proved to be the league’s downfall and it was forced to fold in 1990. By this time the third team was proving to be too much and the club then moved its second team into the West of Scotland League. This was short lived and by 1992 the second team was abandoned and instead the club ventured into the Scottish Juvenile League with an under 21 team. This experiment lasted only one season, but proved very useful.

A lot of the first team players in the Lanarkshire league were ageing and during the course of the season the first team manager was taking young lads from the under 21 team and playing them in the Lanarkshire team. This helped the Lanarkshire team but greatly weakened the under 21s. A lot of the players from this under 21 team stayed with the club and indeed, are there to this day, playing veteran’s football.

That was the next step for the club. The lads who had become too old to maintain a place in the Lanarkshire team were keen to remain with the club. It was discovered that a veteran’s league existed, the Hamilton and District Veteran’s League and entry to this was secured for season 1993/94. The club enjoyed a very successful nine years in this league, until the players became too old even for the veteran’s league. However, the former under 21 side has since formed the basis of a new veteran’s team and they re-entered the league, now called the West of Veteran’s League, and are currently in their third season back.

The old veteran’s team won the league on three separate occasions and two or three cups into the bargain, but the present team has yet to achieve such high standards.

Whilst in the Glasgow and District Veteran’s League the club won a few trophies, but it is the Lanarkshire side which over the years has achieved the greatest glory. They won the third division and second division titles in successive years in the mid seventies and over the years have added a number of cups to this tally, but in season 2002/2003 they won the Lanarkshire Premier League title and in 2007 added the Lanarkshire Premier Divisional Cup to the tally.

Although this would have marked the club’s fiftieth year in the Lanarkshire league a decision was taken, and rightly so, to move out of a league which has become a mere shadow of its former self, into the Central Scottish League. This has been a whole new challenge and the players have responded magnificently, narrowly missing out on promotion to the Premier league in their 1^st season.

Wishaw High School Former Pupils Football Club is not just about playing football. For instance, the school closed its doors in 1992 and none of the present crop of players ever attended the school. This does not stop them playing their hearts out for the club. As was stated at the beginning, the founders of the club set high standards of comradeship and loyalty in the beginning and this is still very much in focus. Players who played in the first season are still actively involved with the club and many lads played for twenty years or more. It has long been accepted that, whenever possible, players will try to help each other. No payment, no thanks needed as it is understood that the favour will be readily returned if required. One of the celebration events planned for later this year is a dinner for players old and new and it is hoped to have at least 300 attend.

Over the years players have worked at almost every type of occupation and profession, from labourers to tradesmen to bankers, civil servants, lawyers, doctors and even religious leaders. One former player is a Church of Scotland minister, another a Roman Catholic priest. Yes we are very ecumenical. The gentleman in charge of all the football referees in Scotland, Donald MacVicar is a former player.

Another event being planned for this year is a match between Motherwell F.C. old boys and the club’s old boys. Former Motherwell captain, Joe Wark is organising the Motherwell lads, but might just pull on a strip for the F.P’s during the game as he and a few other ex-Motherwell lads played with the club at veteran’s level.

The club also has a sense of social awareness and over the years has given donations to various charities and causes, from Cancer Care Centres and other such organisations to Talking Newspaper for the blind and local youth football clubs. The club also donated a trophy to North Lanarkshire Council Education Department for competition between primary schools in the region.

The committee are currently considering a sponsored 5 or 10k run, the proceeds of which would go to charity. This is not just an amateur football club. It is more a way of life, and all the lads associated with the club are proud to go down that particular road.

Club Honours Over the past 10 years