Chairman John Kirkland Founded 1934 | Manager Andy Healy | |
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Full name Lochore Welfare Junior Football and Athletic Club 2016-17 SJFA East Region North Division, 6th League Scottish Junior Football East Region North Division Grounds Central Park Cowdenbeath, Crosshill, Fife | ||
Lochore Welfare Junior Football and Athletic Club are a Scottish football club from the village of Crosshill, Fife. Members of the Scottish Junior Football Association, the club currently compete in the SJFA East Region North Division. Originally formed in 1934, the club are based at Central Park and their present home colours are black and white.
Contents
History
Lochore Welfare are a club formed from mergers between various other Junior clubs over the years, firstly with local amateur side, Lochore Miners to become Lochore Miners Welfare. Then, in the late 1990s, it merged with Benarty JFC and reverted to its original name of Lochore Welfare. Crosshill was once a prosperous mining village but the decline of this industry has had a substantial impact on the community and hence the club, although the community is making strong efforts to fight against this.
The club can boast of giving some football’s talented players their first footing on the ladder to success and stardom. Among these are Willie Johnston, who could often be seen playing for Lochore before going on to play for Rangers and Scotland and Ian Porterfield, whose greatest moment of glory was scoring the winning goal for Sunderland in the FA Cup final. Craig Levein was another Lochore old boy who went on to play for Scotland and Hearts and most recently Colin Cameron.
Other Lochore players who have stepped up include Tommy Callaghan with Celtic; Cammy Fraser, Willie Gibson, Arthur Mann, Peter Oliver and Willie Benvie at Hearts; Alec Edwards with Dunfermline and Hibernian; Ian Campbell with Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline and Brechin; Jimmy Logie with Arsenal; Chris Anderson at Blackburn Rovers; Garry Patterson with Dundee.
The team have been managed since July 2016 by Andy Healy.
Ground
Central Park has a capacity of 1,300. There is a small covered enclosure and a refreshment kiosk. The pitch itself was relaid at considerable cost to the club in 1998. The ground itself is credited as being of a very clean and tidy standard. Home attendances can reach around 200 for more significant games.
Honours
League record since 1990
1990–91: 3rd Fife Division B, 23 pts from 21 games (2pts per win)
1991–92: 13th Fife League, 10 pts from 26 games (2pts per win)
1992–93: 8th Fife League, 25 pts from 26 games (2pts per win)
1993–94: 12th Fife League, 25 pts from 28 games (2pts per win)
1994–95: 9th Fife League, 29 pts from 28 games (2pts per win)
1995–96: 14th Fife League, 7 pts from 28 games (2pts per win)
1996–97: 15th Fife League, 4 pts from 28 games (2pts per win)
1997–98: 9th Fife League, 33 pts from 28 games
1998–99: 7th Fife League, 38 pts from 30 games (as Lochore Miners Welfare)
1999–00: 4th Fife League, 53 pts from 28 games (as Lochore Miners Welfare)
2000–01: 3rd Fife League, 60 pts from 28 games (as Lochore Miners Welfare)
2001–02: 5th Fife League, 52 pts from 28 games
2002–03: 4th Fife League, 38 pts from 22 games
2003–04: 6th Fife League, 22pts from 18 games
2004–05: 4th Fife League, 34pts from 22 games
2005–06: 12th Fife League, 22pts from 24 games
2006–07: 5th East Region Central Division, 33pts from 22 games
2007–08: 7th East Region Central Division, 27pts from 22 games
2008–09: 6th East Region Central Division, 34pts from 24 games
2009–10: 6th East Region Central Division, 39pts from 26 games