Whitefield F.C.

The club had the same lack of success in the Glasgow Cup, the strongest of the local competitions. In six entries the club only won one tie. Its best run - to the quarter-final in 1892–93 - was thanks to a walkover and a bye.[5]

On a district level the club was more successful. The club's highest profile honour was winning the Jubilee Cup in 1887–88. Whitefield beat neighbours Linthouse 2–1 away from home en route to the final, in a match which attracted a crowd of 2,000,[6] and in the final (in front of 1,500, at Argyll Park) the club beat Kelvinside Athletic F.C. 4–0.[7] The club's first match in defence of its Jubilee cup in December 1888 should have been the club's biggest competitive win, as Whitefield beat Govan Athletic F.C. 13–1; however the Athletics scratched from the competition before the match started, so it was played as a friendly instead.[8]

The Govan Charity Cup was played in two seasons, in 1885–86 and 1886–87, and Whitefield won on both occasions.[9] The triumph in 1887 was controversial, as the final tie with Linthouse was acrimonious. After a draw, it seemed that Whitefield had won the trophy by beating Linthouse 2–0 in a replay at Victoria Park[10] (the home of Summerton Athletic). However Linthouse protested and in a further game at Victoria Park, in front of 2,000 fans, the Linties won 3–1.[11] Whitefield put in a counter-protest and was awarded the trophy, possibly on the basis that the Linthouse protest had been invalid.

The clubs were drawn against each other in the first round of the 1887–88 Scottish Cup. The tie at Craigton Park was witnessed by 1,000 spectators and ended 3–3.[12] Whitefield won the replay 2–1 at home, with Linthouse having players cautioned for violent play almost from the start, and "feelings ran high among the spectators" due to the "highly questionable tactics of the Linthouse".[13]

The rivalry however swung in Linthouse's favour soon afterwards; in the Govan & Ibrox Cup of 1888–89, before another large crowd of 2,000, the Linties beat Whitefield 9–0, with all nine goals coming in the second half.[14] When the Scottish Football Alliance was formed in 1891–92, Linthouse was a founder member, and Whitefield was left behind without a league competition.

Linthouse 5–2 Whitefield, Glasgow Cup 1st Round, from the Glasgow Herald, 9 November 1891

Whitefield's final Scottish Cup ties came in the 1891–92 preliminary rounds. In the first preliminary round, the club beat Clydesdale of Rutherglen 7–0 in a replay,[15] but lost 9–0 - the club's heaviest Scottish Cup defeat - at Battlefield F.C. in the second.[16]

In the Glasgow Cup, the club's quarter-final tie with Linthouse was switched from Whitefield Park to Linthouse's Langlands Park, "owing to the big attraction", but at kick-off time Whitefield had not turned up; Linthouse therefore kicked a goal and claimed the tie.[17] The two sides did play the tie properly the following week, with Linthouse winning 5–2.

The club had disbanded by the time the 1892–93 season started, so it could not take part in its first qualifying round match in the Scottish Cup.[18] However, because opponents Summertown Athletic had also been wound up, some club members re-started the Whitefield to play a second round tie with Motherwell. On arrival at Motherwell, Whitefield scratched from the competition, and the clubs played out a friendly instead, Motherwell winning 3–0; this seems to have been Whitefield's final match.[19] As was common with defunct clubs hoping for a revival or one final payday, the club entered both the Scottish Cup and Glasgow Cup in 1893–94, but scratched from both competitions before playing a match.