Armadale Thistle
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Armadale Thistle
JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB
Armadale Thistle Junior Football Club was founded in
the season 1935/36 and came into being following the
wind up of the town’s senior team, Armadale Football
Club in 1935. The Club’s nickname is the Dale. They
currently play in the Scottish Junior Football Association
(SJFA) East Region South Premier League.
Football Focus Magazine recently caught up with the Club
Representative Bill Baird to find out more about the good
work they’ve been doing lately. He told us, “I decided to get
involved with the Club as I felt I could use the experience I
gained working in the leisure industry to bring some much-
needed investment to the Club.”
“My aim is to try to improve the Club’s infrastructure by
applying for grant funding and hopefully tapping into the
affection that the local community has for the Club to improve
their fortunes both on and off the park.
“Our ground, the Volunteer Park, locally known as the
Volley, dates from 1881 and much of the current infrastructure
was put in place in the 1930’s so there is quite a bit of work
required to try and refresh much of the stadium.
“One of the biggest challenges has been the lack of
investment in infrastructure over the years, which has seen
areas of the ground fall into a state of disrepair. We recently
secured a grant from the Council, which among other things
allowed us to replace the roof of our main enclosure.
“Probably one of the most rewarding aspects of my role
is working with an enormously talented group of committee
members and volunteers. They are an enthusiastic bunch of
committed individuals who all give up their time freely to keep
the Club ticking over.
“I believe that it’s fair to say that the team has had a slightly
patchy start to this season’s campaign. We were tipped to do
well this year based on our performances last season where we
finished as league runners up and were the only team in the
league to remain unbeaten at home all season. However, the
mood remains buoyant and we are optimistic that a couple of
decent results will see the team climb up the league placings.
24 Issue 81
Armadale Thistle captain Colin Leiper
Image courtesy of Mr Ian Cunningham