Pollok
were homeless, and remained so for more than a year, playing a number of games
at Roseberry Park, the home of Shawfield Juniors, and the football park at the
Queen Mary Tea Gardens, Speirsbridge. In
a district booming with new buildings, it was not easy for the club to find a
suitable piece of ground to use as a park. Messrs.
Stevenson, McKellar Ltd., who ran Newlandsfield Works, had a large coup for the
works on the site of the present-day park, and it was decided to approach them
with a view to secure the use of the ground. Ex-Provost McDougall and the club
secretary, Wm Govan, had a meeting with Mr. D. McKellar, the managing director
of the above company, and secured the lease of the ground at a rental of £10
per annum. Now the work to convert the coup into a football park had to begin. The
coup was free, and with so much building work going on in the district it was
no problem getting the coup filled and level. Even so it took nearly a year to
achieve this. The next problem was to enclose the ground, and this was only possible
through a local firm prepared to grant the club credit for erecting fencing, entrance
gates and six pay boxes. The
ground was named Newlandsfield Park, and passed for football in 1928-29. Pollok
were playing Intermediate football between seasons 1927-28 to 1930-31, and large
attendances were common at Newlandsfield. Pollok
had several Intermediate Cup successes in this period, and among their many personality
players of the day, 'Erry' Armstrong at centre forward scored over 100 goals in
one season. One
the settlement of the Intermediate dispute, Pollok transferred the following players
to the Seniors, and the cash received was a record for a Junior club at the time:- J.
McBride, J. Robertson and R. Griffiths to Chelsea FC.
C. Thomson to Sunderland
FC.
T. Armstrong to Airdrieonians FC. Pollok
found it difficult to revert to Junior football, and little success, other than
the Kirkwood Shield, followed until 1941-42. At
the beginning of the Second World War Pollok lost their pavilion and equipment
when it was destroyed by fire due to an electrical fault. The club could not get
permission to build a new pavilion due to the war, and after playing many games
away from home the club managed to obtain temporary changing accommodation. It
should also be noted that Newlands Transport Depot provided the use of changing
accommodation on occasions. In
season 1941-42 Pollok won the Central League Cup, beating Petershill in the Final
3-2 at Shawfield. They also won the Glasgow Challenge Cup that season, beating
Rutherglen Glencairn 4-1. Pollok
continued to play football during the war years, and at the end of the war the
existing brick pavilion was built (now the equipment store - J. Wire, 2007). Season
1944-45 will be said by many to be the most successful by the club, going through
to the semi-final of the Scottish Cup, losing out by 0-1 to Burnbank Athletic
at Shawfield before a crowd of 25,000, the gates being closed an hour before the
kick-off. In
the quarter-final at Newlandsfield Pollok lost 1-2 to Fauldhouse United, but after
a protest beat them 3-1 in the replay. It is claimed that 15,000 people were allowed
into Newlandsfield for this match, but many had to leave the ground, unable to
see. They made their way to the nearby Pollokshaws East Station, and for the price
of a platform ticket had a grandstand view of the match. It is certain that the
size of the crowd will not be repeated at the present Newlandsfield Park. Pollok
won the West of Scotland Cup and the North Eastern Cup that season, and were beaten
in the semi-finals of the Glasgow Charity Cup and Central League Cup. They lost
also in the semi-final of the Central League championship decider to Clydebank
at Firhill. In
season 1945-46 Pollok retained the North Eastern Cup and in 1946-47 won the Glasgow
Charity Cup. The
1947-48 season saw Pollok going down in the Central League championship Final
1-2 to Kilsyth Rangers at Shawfield. The loss of the League title was not the
only blow the club suffered that season: they were told to purchase Newlandsfield
Park or vacate it. The
owners of the ground, the Bleachers Association Ltd., Manchester, decided to sell
it, and the price asked was £4,980. Despite the improvements made by the
club, they were given six weeks to find the cash or get out. The
club had some money in the bank, but received a further set-back when its bankers
refused to grant a loan. The
club found its saviour in the Pollokshaws Co-Operative Society Ltd., who granted
them a loan at very favourable interest terms. The
ground now belonged to the club, and after many improvements which are continuing
to this day is proving a fine investment. In
season 1948-49 Pollok won the Central League Cup, beating Strathclyde 3-1 in the
Final at Shawfield. (There
was also a notable event not mentioned in these articles about Lok's pavilion
- which they did not own - being removed in July 1950 by Caledonia Amateurs).
Pollok
won the Glasgow Challenge Cup in season 1953-54, beating St. Roch's 3-2 in the
Final at Parkhead, and added the Erskine Hospital Cup at the expense of Yoker
Athletic. Season
1957-58 brought the Glasgow Charity Cup to Newlandsfield, Pollok beating Maryhill
Harp 6-4 at Shettleston in an evening match after winning the Erskine Hospital
Cup in the afternoon, beating Clydebank 6-2 at Tinto. The
next season Pollok won the Pompey Cup, beating Duntocher Hibs 5-3 at Holm Park. Season
1961-62 saw the Glasgow Challenge Cup and Pompey Cup at Newlandsfield, St. Roch's
being beaten 2-1 at Parkhead in the Final of the Glasgow Challenge Cup and Ashfield
going down 1-0 in the Final of the Pompey Cup at Newlandsfield. In
season 1968-69 Pollok reached the Final of the Central League Championship, but
went down 1-3 to Petershill at Saracen Park after two drawn games. The
Pollok F.C. Social Club opened on 14th September 1971, with a view to providing
entertainment and social facilities for our supporters and to ensure the financial
future of the club. The
undoubted success of the Social Club has been due to the patronage of the members
and hard work of the committee, and the benefits to the football club can be seen
in the improvements to the ground and the completion of a new pavilion in the
near future."
THE
FORMAL OPENING OF HAGGS PARK
Pollokshaws News, 2/10/1908 (reproduced in Lok
Talk, 20/8/94) Though
Pollok Football Club have played two home games on Haggs Park preivous to Saturday
last, the formal opening of the ground did not take place 'till the afternoon
of that day when the First Round of the Scottish Junior Cup ties was played. The
combined event brought out a large number of spectators, about 1000 spectators
being present. The Burgh Band was present and played a number of selections before
the opening ceremony abd also at half-time. Sir
John Stirling Maxwell, Bart of Pollok who gifted the field to the Working Lads
Club, of which the Pollok F.C. is a section, was invited to open the ground, but
being at Corrour, was unable to be present and his place was taken by Provost
MacDougall, the President.
Others
present were ex-Provost Cameron, ex-Baillie Adam, Councillors Mathieson, McKenna
and Mr R. B. Walker, Town Clerk, The Secretary of the Working Lads Club. The Provost
at the outset, intimated apologies from Sir John, Mr Robert Laidlaw MP, Captain
Gilmour, Mr William Hepburn, G. Crum and Baillie McLellan. Sir
John in his letter, expressed the hope that the opening of the park that afternoon,
the Pollok club would be launched on a successful career (applause). The
Provost asked the company to allow him to explain the origin of the club. When
he was appointed by his colleagues in the Town Council to the office of Provost,
he considered in what way outside the ordinary work of the Council he could acknowledge
the kindness he had received and the confidence which had been proposed in him.
He
thought that the best thing to do would be to try and establish a Working Lads
Club and through the kindness of Sir John Stirling Maxwell and other gentlemen
that object was accomplished two years ago. Two hundred members were enroled but
like all other institutions the club suffered some changes and the Provost expressed
then his intention, if the club held together, of approaching Sir John with a
view to getting a football pitch. The
members of the Pollok Thistle, to the number of about 80 had adhered to the club
and they deserved credit for the support which they had given. Accordingly, in
January of this year, the Provost approached Sir John on the subject and in June,
Mr Campbell Murphy was able to inform him that Sir John had selected this field
as the most suitable for the purpose and with his usual kindness had fenced it
and handed it over to the club without any condition attached to the gift. Mr
Campbell Murray as is duty bound, however, pointed out one condition and that
wasthe surrounding property would have to be respected. The Provost trusted that
he and only to mention this condition to ensure that it would be observed (applause).
The Provost concluded by calling for three hearty cheers to Sir John and asked
the company to allow him to send a telegram to Sir John wishing him long life
and prosperity. He then in the name of Sir John declared the ground open for all
recreative purposs and added the hopes that the largest possible number would
avail themselves of the opportunities which it presented. Mr
Milne, Vice-President of the Pollok FC, proposed a vote of thanks to the Provost
for his services and cheers were also given for the Pollok FC on the call of the
Maryhill Club who were their opponents in the cup tie. The Provost, in reply acknowledged
the excellent work done by R.B. Walker and he also thanked the Burgh Band, through
Mr Galbraith, Leader and Mr Noble, Secretary, for entertaining them that afternoon.
Mr
Wilson afterword dispatched the following telegram to Sir John "Pollokshaws
Working Lads Club, Maryhill FC and gathering at the opening of Haggs Park give
three hearty cheers for you and yours on Provost MacDougall's call and wish you
long life and prosperity." At
half-time, a collection was taken for the Provost's Unemployed Fund and a sum
of £1-120-8d raised. The Eastwood Ambulance was in attendance but their
services were happily not required. | 
