Kelty Hearts JFC |
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Kelty Football Football came to Kelty in the early 1880's when a senior club called Blairadam FC was in existence, this team was one of the founding clubs of the Fifeshire Football Association. Blairadam FC played until 1891. Junior football became established in the village with Kelty Rangers in 1901. This combination was formed by an amalgamation between Kelty Rangers and Mayflower. Kelty Rangers played at Seefar park and soon became a force to be reckoned with. 1903 produced successes in the Cowdenbeath Cup and the Wilkinson Cup whilst 1904 was a tremendous season as Kelty Rangers proved themselves to be 'top dogs' in Fife Junior circles. The Fife, Cowdenbeath and Dunfermline Cups as well as the Fife League Championship all ended up at Seefar park. However, senior raiders targeted Kelty and virtually the whole side was 'body snatched'. Such depredations stymied the club's ambition to turn senior. 1911 saw a revival of sorts with the Fife shield being won. In addition, Kelty Rangers became one of the few clubs to reach the final of the East of Scotland Junior Cup. Rangers lost to Penicuik in the final at the Royal Gymnasium Ground in Edinburgh. Kelty Rangers remained a useful side throughout the 1920's and enjoyed sporadic successes in the Fife Cup (1927), West Fife Cup (1923) and the Fife Consolation Cup (1924 + 1925). Their best season in the Scottish Junior Cup was in 1923 when it reached the seventh round before losing to Carluke Rovers. Seefar Park produced a prolific amount of talent which graduated to senior ranks. Ranger's players went to such clubs as Dunfermline, Stoke, Barnsley, Sunderland, Glasgow Rangers, Liverpool and even a Scotland International rugby captain! Unfortunately this outflow of talent led to the club going to the wall in 1929. Junior football returned to normality in Fife for season 1946/47 and both North End and Kelty Our Boys returned as members of the Fife Junior League. However, Our Boys completed only 13 matches, fielding teams made up of Poles, Bevin Boys, Naval Ratings etc. A total of 72 players were utilised in these thirteen games and some double figure defeats were suffered. Our Boys then failed to fulfil a league fixture with Comrie Colliery and were fined £5 by the League. Our Boys refused to pay up and the upshot was that the club was thrown out of the League and disbanded. Kelty North End Rangers then changed its name to Kelty Rangers. This version of Kelty Rangers enjoyed a modicum of success with triumphs in the Cowdenbeath Cup (1952) and West Fife Cup (1951). However, Kelty Rangers had financial problems in 1954 with many home games drawing less than £1 at the gate. In 1954, the club went into abeyance whilst ground renovations at North End Park were being undertaking. At the same time an appeal for financial assistance was made to the miners at the local pits, the Aitken and the Lindsay. Kelty Rangers were then dormant for four years until they were revived as a juvenile club. One of their rivals at that time was another club entitled Kelty Our Boys. However, the Rangers main local rivals were Kelty Hibs who were formed in 1961. Rangers returned to the Junior ranks after an eleven year absence in 1965 albeit they had to play out their first season back in the Juniors at Humbug Park, Crossgates. Rangers took up residence in Kelty again in 1966 but this version of the Rangers only lasted until 1970. Junior football was absent from Kelty for the next decade. In 1980, local amateur side Kelty Hearts turned Junior. Kelty Hearts home ground was Central Park and they were then managed by a young man just starting out on his managerial career, Jim Leishman (later to be in charge at Dunfermline, Montrose, Inverness Thistle, Rosyth Recreation and Livingston). The Hearts quickly established themselves as a power in the local Juniors and have been regular winners of all Fife Junior trophies. Recent seasons have seen them vying with Hill of Beath Hawthorn as the number one club in Fife. Former Kelty Hearts players are Dunfermline Athletic's Andy Tod, Hearts and Scotland midfielder Colin Cameron and Dundee United's goalkeeper Alan Combe. __________________________________________________________________________________ Players Kelty Hearts celebrated their silver jubilee in 2000 below is a list of players signed during this period Brian Inglis, Andy Forbes, Billy McKenzie, Melville Dow, Bob Fair, Alan Martin, Alex Bremner, Gordon Keatings, Mike Lochrie, Frank Williamson, John Campbell, Bobby Morrison, Jimmy Brown, Owen Mcguire, Bobby Crawford, Bobby Mclure, Drew Cassells, Tommy Harwood, Willie Hall, Charlie Mitchell, Johnny Turner, Alan Dyce, Ian Widridge, Hugh Scott, Duncan Campbell, Davie Hunter, Drew Paterson, Charlie Brine, Ray Fairbairn, Alan Hunter, Billy Gillies, Russel Brebner, Brian Ferrier, Tom Brown, Neil Cruden, Neal Fotheringham, Les McLellan, John Huskie, Davie Berry, Errol Scott, Colin Downie, John Etherington, Clark Allison, Shane Daniels, Davie Lessels, Derek Paterson, Tommy McDonald, Tam McCallum, Adam Moffat, Robbie Ferguson, Jimmy Arnott, Davie Mitchell, Billy Steel, Kenny Breen, Craig Wilson, Russell Dunlop, Fred Aitken, Campbell Durie, Billy George, Dougie Daily, Kevin Beveridge, Alan Rennie, Jock McFadyen, Stuart Mill, Keith Ferguson, John McLean, Martin Caithness, Gearge Ritchie, Les Hooley, Alan Sharp, John Allison, Kevin Taylor, Stevie Barry, Ian Horn, Gary Dakers, Tommy Tulloch, Billy Renton, Jim Semple, Tommy Bryce, Charlie Stenhouse, Craig Timney, Alan Guild, Stevie O’donnell, Stevie Leighton, Calum Chalmers, John Connor, Andrew Tod, Tommy Condie, Giles McGuire, Alan Hampson, Willie Callaghan, Paul Richardson, Alan Mackie, Craig Paterson, Jim Sneddon, Robert Gardner, Fraser Ogston, Barrie McMahon, Mark Wilson, Alan Archibald, Colin Cameron, David Fairnie, Grant Gay, David Sheach, John Paterno, Billy Spence, Craig Gilbert, John Brown, Andy Harrow, Anwar Therat, Alan Combe, Dom Maratia, Derek Arnott, John Kane, Stevie Charlton, Scott Ferguson, Kenny Taylor, Stuart McVicars, Greg Mcneil, Gary Law, Gary McCouatt, Scott Ross, Barry Chalmers, Stephen Reid, Colin Ferguson, Kevin Miles, David Thompson, John Fitzgerald, Stefan Winiarski, Paul Lowe, Gary Bowman, Scott Logan, Ian Pryde, Ian Downie, Callum Graham, Scott Milne, Stewart Ollis, Dave McCaw, Rab Morris, Alan McKillop, David Howse, Greg Donaldson, Jock Lister, Chris Mills, Colin Harris, Dave Beaumont, Jimmy Mackie, Kevin Yardley, Craig Reynolds, Ian Heddle, Dick Baillie, Mark Tanner, Graeme Wheatley, Ryan Dinse, Alan Blyth, David Wilson, Alan Gill, Brian Roberts, Lee Sutherland, Tam McGeorge, Steven Beaumont, Billy McNeil, John Drummond, Robin Livingstone, Robert Ryan. Managers / Coaches / Physios John Forrester, Jim Leishman, Billy Gillies, John Short, Eric McMillan, Walter Logie, Fred Aitken, Ian Dair, Pete McQuade, Jim McArthur, Andy Campbell, Brian Inglis, Les McLellan, Andy Harrow, Danny Hendry, Rab Morris, Billy Bennet, Brian Marr, Russel Dunlop, Rab Wilson, Gordon Edwards, Colin Harris, Billy McKenzie, Craig Robertson
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