3rd Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers

As we ascend toward our Centenary, we have been busy researching the origins of the football and athletic club. This has led to a fresh appraisal of the beginnings of the regiment of the 3rd LRV and the entire volunteer movement of the mid 19th Century. Chairman Simon Weir spent a fascinating morning in the Glasgow Museums Archive this week in the company of Mr Mark Roberts as they devoured the official regimental records and some fascinating artefacts.Not only that but a fascinating story is emerging of the beginnings of the 3rd LRV and why they were held in such high esteem by southsiders by the time the football club was constituted on the 12th December 1872.By 1908 and the latest Army Reforms the regiment was absorbed into the larger Cameronians, but their identity was cemented by their exploits with the Scottish Rifles(pictured above) in the 2nd Boer War in 1900... MUCH more to follow folks...!!!

3rd Lanark Centenary Dinner

As our official Centenary approaches we would like to invite all of our fans and well-wishers to join us in marking the date in which the football club was actually founded. On the 12th of December 1872 in the Regimental Orderly Room in East Howard Street a meeting of the 3rd Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers proposed the formation of a football team.Private Broadfoot explained that the meeting was called for the purpose of organising, if possible, a Football Club in connection with the Third Regiment. He further reported that Lieutenant-Colonel H E Crum-Ewing, the majority of the Officers and twenty-five other members of the Regiment had signified their willingness to support such a club.
Sergeant Wilson then moved: "That we, the Members now assembled should form ourselves into a club, to be called the 3rd Lanark Rifle Volunteers Football Club." The motion was seconded by Private Taylor, and unanimously approved of. First to be debated was the 'uniform,' which was to consist of:

1) A scarlet Guernsey or Jersey (the colour of the regiment uniform) 2) Blue trousers or knickerbockers 3) Blue stockings

A subsequent meeting decreed that the number 3 should be displayed on the Guernsey

On the 12th of December 2012 we will be holding a Centenary Dinner in honour of our 100th year of football & the 150th Anniversary of the famous old Regiment. Come along and join us as our Sponsors The Langside Bar. Tickets can be purchased from the bar priced 10 pounds beforehand. We hope to see you there!

140th Anniversary Match Scotland v England

On Saturday 30th November 1872 Scotland took on England in the first ever International football match. Members of the 3rd Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers were present and resolved to form their own football team. Two weeks later the 3rd LRV football club was formed. Last Saturday, 1st December 2012 the game was replayed at the original venue, West Of Scotland Cricket Club's Hamilton Crescent between teams of Scottish & English Writers, including Chris Brookmyre, Kevin Williamson and Allan Wilson on the 140th Anniversary saturday. Despite frozen conditions the Scots recorded a remarkable 4-2 win to claim the inaugural Hamilton Crescent Cup. The 3rd Lanark connections continue as the Scotland goalkeeper that day was our very own Chairman Simon Weir, with Committee Member Don Craig cheering the team on. The grandson of striker Thirds John Weir (1916-1919)was also there as the trophy was presented to the delighted Scotland Captain, Wilson. Fond memories from former Thirds supporters were shared in the wonderful pavilion bar at the post-match buffet and we'd like to thank George(Snr) and George(Jnr) for helping to make us feel very welcome. We look forward to fostering continued close links with West Of Scotland CC in the future and to welcoming the Scotland Writers FC to Cathkin Park/Old Hampden in 2013.

Tonight at the Camphill Bowling Club, Queens Park, a very special screening of long-forgotten film footage of Third Lanark in their prime. Come along to this event and see Cathkin as it was (and how one day it will be again). This night has been organized by our ever-faithful Supporters Club stalwarts Matt Curry & Pat McGeady with film from the collections of Bob Laird & Bert Bell and we will be joined by some of our venerated ex-players. Tickets are 5 pounds and we hope to see many of you there tonight!

THIRD LANARK QUIZ NIGHT !!

The 2nd XI are holding a QUIZ NIGHT at our sponsors The Langside Bar in Battlefield on Tuesday 6th Of November 2012. The quiz starts at 7.30pm and top prize is 50 pounds, as well as lots of other gifts and 3rd Lanark goodies! Entry is 2 pounds and all gate money will go towards buying the new 'Away' kits for the Sunday side. The Langside have been really supportive of our Club this season and we hope to draw a good crowd to this event.There will be a special 3rd Lanark Questions Round for all you history buffs out there, prepared by our own superfan Don Craig. See you all there...!

Latest Press 2012

http://www.third-lanark.co.uk A huge thanks again to BACKPASS MAGAZINE on their continued coverage of Thirds return to Cathkin Park in this month's edition. Since the beginning of the season we have put a 3rd XI out on 5 occasions to play local saturday & sunday teams and select XIs at Cathkin Park as well as having 2 'Clear-Up Cathkin' days when the pitches were deemed unplayable. The playing surface is in poor condition and the times of our let mean that we do not have access to changing nor shower facilities, as nearby Holyrood closes at 3pm. So it has been a Herculean effort to just get games played there and Third Lanark would like to thank all of the players, referees & fans for really pulling together and making these events happen. All games have been played in great spirit and we are again battling the elements to improve the look of the ground, whilst we rebuild the football club and plans for the possible future of Cathkin Park are drawn up. Thirds are at Cathkin every saturday from 2pm, please come along and lend your support!

Filming at Cathkin Park

The most famous forgotten football ground in the world received the Hollywood treatment last week when CAMERON STONE, a spoof documentary of a legendary actor was partly shot there. Thirds were playing a friendly v Blanefield Select XI and at half-time an Escape To Victory scenario was played out! The film is an entry into the worldwide 48 hour film challenge and we wish Silly Wee Films all the best for the competition. You can see the finished film here: (contains strong language) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ4rrwYTVBQ

2nd XI new sponsor!!!

We would like to thank Craig & all of the staff at THE LANGSIDE BAR in Battlefield,Glasgow for agreeing to sponsor the Sunday 2nd XI for this upcoming season.The Club looks forward to hosting lots of events in the near future at the Southside's new favourite haunt and the lads were delighted with the welcome (and top nosh!!) they received following last sunday's victory. The bar is a free-kick away from our Cathkin Park home and we would encourage all of our fans to try out this excellent local pub.Third Lanark will be hosting quiz nights,film events and get-togethers in the next few months,so keep an eye here or on Twitter or Facebook and www.third-lanark.co.uk for the latest details. We look forward to a long and happy relationship with our friends at The Langside. Wonder if they'd consider changing the name to THE RIFLE VOLUNTEERS ARMS though ?? Only kidding...Or am I ? The teams all performed really well at the weekend and over 20 goals scored across the four matches,so not a bad start!

Thirds win the Rifle Volunteers Cup 2012

On a beautiful sunny day for football, Thirds welcomed our Edinburgh cousins, St Bernards to Petershill Park inSpringburn for our annual curtain opener to the new season. This excellent venue played it's part in an excellent match. The first 30 minutes were tough as both teams battled hard to get a foothold on the game and St Bernards looked dangerous. the first goal settled the home crowd nerves and second late in the first half seemed to bring out the best in 3rds.In the second half Thirds were fastest out of the traps and their superior fitness showed with two quick goals. St Bernards continued to battle though and only when goals number 5 and 6 went in did the game seem beyond reach.Both full squads managed to get on and play a part in this historic occasion and 3rds played some lovely one touch football on the ground and did a professional job in finishing off St Bernards with four more excellent goals. Make no mistake, St Bernards refused to let their heads go down and fought until the final whistle, but 3rds dominated and the crowd were delighted by the style of play and marksman-like finishing of the 3rd Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers side. Final score was 10-0. 3rds scoreers were Alan Semple(3) Michael Cross (2) Tam McQuade (2) Simone Enrici, Mark Robertson and Barry Mulling. Medals were presented by St Bernards Chairman George Park and the cup presented to Third Lanark Club Captain Simone Enrici by former Motherwell player Billy Hunter. Our thanks to all who attended and to Ronnie & The St Bernards AFC side for generous donation of a Roseberry shirt and copies of original 1929 programmes from games between the old clubs. We look forward to next year's match in Edinburgh with relish! Thank you to Scotcrystal, to Ross McFarlane at Glasgow Life and the support of all the 3rd Lanark teams who came along to support such a memorable victory.Thank you also to Finlays Bar in Cambuslang for the post-match bee& pies!! And finally a huge thanks to Craig Stewart and The Scottish Football League for the continued support.

Rifle Volunteers Cup Sponsored

We would like to thank Joe at SCOTCRYSTAL for sponsoring this weekend's big match with St Bernards FC. The game kicks off at 2pm at Petershill Park,Springburn and we would be delighted if you all would come along and support the Club.This historic event is free entry and promises to be a smashing occasion for both Clubs and has become established as our competitive season opening game. Last year's game was a 3-2 cracker and we feel sure this will be the match of the day on the 4th of August 2012.

Third Lanark Are Back At Cathkin Park..!!!!!!

We are delighted to announce that THIRD LANARK are to return to Cathkin Park in season 2012/2013. We have managed to secure a regular season long 'let' at our ancestral home and are honoured to report that every second Saturday between 2&4pm a Third Lanark XI will take to the field at this historic old ground. We have waited three years for this opportunity and worked and campaigned hard to return to the ground,now owned by Glasgow City Council and managed by Glasgow Life. We would like to thank Matt & Pat from our Supporters Club as well as all involved in 3rds Committees over the years for their sterling work in helping us go 'home'. May we also pass on our sincerest thanks to Lisa Rutherford at Glasgow Life for her help and assistance with the application and we will do all in our power to help restore and rebuild this wonderful sporting arena. We believe that this is an historic moment in our Club's rebirth and look forward to this upcoming season with even more optimism than ever before. Can we also thank everyone who has signed our petition and sent letters of support to the Club over the last months and years as every supportive comment has helped us to push onwards with our seemingly impossible dream.Without you and the depth of feeling still there in the game for the grand old name of 3rd Lanark this would not have been achieved. Football in Scotland has been through a torrid time recently and it's great to report a 'Good News' story at last! Clubs can and do come back from the dead,if there are still fans and good feelings towards them. What happened to Thirds in 1967 was dreadful,but hope springs eternal and from the ashes a phoenix arose in 2007 and is soaring high now in 2012,our 100th year of playing Association Football. Or should that read..'Hi-Hi'..?

2012 Rifle Volunteers Cup Venue Announced!!

We are delighted to welcome our Edinburgh Rifle Volunteers Cousins, St Bernards FC to the annual RIFLE VOLUNTEERS CUP match on Saturday the 4th of August 2012. 3rd Lanark ran out 3-2 winners in the Capital in 2011 and St Bernards will be gunning for revenge this time round. This historic fixture is now an annual event and this year's match will be held at Petershill Park, the home of Junior club Petershill FCand is a splendid venue indeed. Kick off will be at 2pm and we are hoping for a decent crowd to see two good footballing sides going head to head for this lovely trophy. Refreshments will be provided in Findlay's Bar in Cambuslang Main Street after the match for players and fans alike. Third Lanark would like to thank Glasgow Life's Ross McFarlane and both Rossvale & Petershill FC for helping the Club to make this fixture a reality and here's to another great event in the resurgence of The Hi-Hi...

First XI - Champions!!

The First XI have been crowned Champions of the Greater Glasgow Premier Division 1 at the first attempt!! The team have had a meteoric rise through the divisions since the Club was reformed in 2007 and full credit goes to the players and coaching staff for the sheer effort and attacking football that fans of Third Lanark always expect of their team. The Club is progressing well and all involved are extremely proud of the lads achievements in season 2011/2012, in which the league was won(having only just been promoted!), a successful couple of cup runs and of course the capture of the inaugural Rifle Volunteers Cup way back at the beginning of the season v St Bernards in Edinburgh. The success in winning the Championship was even mentioned in the Scottish Parliament in June 2012, thanks to James Dornan,MSP, as was our quest to return to our spiritual home of Cathkin Park. We have once again applied to Glasgow City Council for a regular 'let' at the old stadium and keenly await their decision. Here's a few photos c/o Steph Campbell,who is also pictured with the league trophy. looks like the first thing we'd have to rebuild at Cathkin will be a new trophy room!! We will keep you posted on all developments.........

2nd XI looking for Players...

The Sunday 2nd XI are looking for players to strengthen our squad for the upcoming season. we have been promoted to Division 1A of the Sunday Central AFL and looking for good players in all positions. If you see yourself in the famous scarlet jersey in our Centenary Season, please email the manager on : thirdlanarkrv@hotmail.co.uk or call Davie Crawford (Asst Manager) on 07540 325700. Training is on Wednesday evenings 7-9pm and all games ar Sunday afternoons at 2pm in an exciting and challenging league.

Supporters Club Fundraiser Night

The 3rd Lanark Supporters Club will be holding their first Official fundraiser on the 28th of April 2012 at the Wellcroft Bowling Club. Pat & Matt have organized a great evening's nostalgia
with a full team of ex-Thirds players coming along to meet the fans of the great old club and
lending their support of our quest to have Third
Lanark back playing at Cathkin Park in our Centenary Season of 2012/2013. Tickets are priced at £20 each and available from Pat McGeady on Tel No: 0141 427 9317 or Matt Curry on 0141 632 3821. We look forward to seeing you all there and thank you to the Supporters Club for setting this night up, hopefully the first of many to come!!!

New Website Sponsor

Many many thanks to Affiniti Response and Chris Paterson for

recently sponsoring the football club. Thirds are still in need

of kit as we are completely rebuilding the Club and this money

has enabled us to push on with plans for another Youth side

next season. With the current side moving up to Under 17s we will be adding a new Under 16 team to our portfolio. We are also planning kids coaching in Cambuslang and another Adult side to play in the Sunday Central's new Development League in 2012/13. And rest assured we will be applying for permission to play at Cathkin Park as part of this expansion. In these difficult times for football clubs it is sponsors such as Chris and Affiniti that really help to keep clubs afloat and we are indebted to both for their kindness and support.

Pitch Damage

This playing surface was once the best in Britain. The grass came from Sweden and was replaced in the 1930s with more of the same. Ex-players still rave about the surface when the ground was in it's pomp. However recent events have taken

an unsavoury turn recently. Over the last three

weeks we have noticed that joyriders and boy

racers have been driving across the pitch at night. To turn the once famous pitch into a local

skid pan is galling and the grass is simply not recovering from last year's frozen snap. There are large deep holes in the pitch and it looks unplayable. Surely now Summer Football would be better for this pitch? We are pushing for a Summer League this season and would love to play on grass.However the grass surfaces all shut down during the summer. Next season we will again be applying to Glasgow Life to play our home Sunday League matches here at Cathkin again...but results will have to improve...as well as the playing surface.! December 2012 marks our 140th year as Third Lanark and our 100th as a football and athletic sporting club. We intend to be back playing at our old ground by that date. If you share our dream to play here again please sign our online Petition, join the Supporters Club and get involved in our Fundraising activities. We have some great new merchandise coming soon, sponsorship opportunities and Fundraising Events, so 2012 promises to be a really exciting Centenary Year.

Weather Damage at Cathkin Park 2012

Recent bad weather had left our old ground in a dreadful state, with 11 trees down and three across the playing surface. One huge tree has uprooted and collapsed the fence and floodlight of the 5-a-side court and there is a lot of damage there too. We contacted the Council and sent photos and they have swiftly restored the place so bravo to Glasgow City Council and their overworked tree surgeons! We have our plans to remove all of the trees at Cathkin and to completely restore and rebuild the ground(depending on permission) and so this latest 'Act Of God' has actually helped! 11 down, only 111 trees still to go! We were down clearing & chiopping branches last week and restored all of the public pathways again. We will get back into full restoration flow when the inclement weather improves!