Broxburn Shamrock F.C. was an association football club from Broxburn in West Lothian.
History
The club was founded in 1881 and was the first of at least four senior clubs to bear the Broxburn Shamrock name. Its first recorded match was a 1–0 defeat at Bellstane Birds in October 1881; the following month saw the club's first recorded win, over Addiewell.
Early competitions
It first came to attention in the Edinburgh Shield in 1883–84. Although the club was eliminated in the second round, it had a promising run in the Consolation Cup, for sides which had been knocked out in the main competition. After Selkirk failed to turn up to the quarter-final tie, the Shamrock faced Armadale in the semi-final, and was beaten 5–0. However the Shamrock protested that the Armadale captain had not handed to the referee a list of the players, and the Consolation Cup committee disqualified the Dale, putting the Shamrock into the final against Bo'ness. The final went to a replay, which Bo'ness won 4–0.
The club's rivalry with Armadale continued with a win in the Edinburgh Shield first round in 1884–85, put down to the Shamrock importing players from Edinburgh and Airdrie. Armadale gained a revenge by beating the Shamrock in the Consolation Cup that year, and a more important one in the Linlithgowshire Cup in 1885–86; it was the second year of the county competition and the two clubs met in the final, which the Dale won 2–1 with a goal in the last 90 seconds.
Scottish Cup
The Shamrock had at least the consolation of turning senior at the start of the 1885–86 season, and therefore entering the Scottish Cup for the first time. It was however a competition in which the club did not have any success. It entered from 1885–86 to 1888–89, and never won a tie. The Shamrock did reach the second round in 1887–88, having lost 4–0 to Mossend Swifts in the first round, but the Swifts were disqualified for the non-registration of Dickson before the tie. The Shamrock went out 4–1 to St Bernard's in a second round replay, even though the Saints lost Low through injury for part of the match, McFaulds scoring for Shamrock 30 seconds from time.
Local competitions
In 1886–87, the club had its best run in the competition; it survived a protest from Bo'ness for fielding players from outside the county, on the basis that there was no rule against it. In the third round, against expectations, the Shamrock beat Mossend Swifts 4–2, albeit "a dirtier game has not for a long time been seen in this county". Mossend protested on the grounds of rough play, and referee Smith complained that, when he gave a decision against the Shamrock, he was surrounded by five or six players, plus the Shamrock umpire. The Edinburgh association declined to punish the club, but Turner, Mulvey, and C. McFaulds were suspended from the competition, and umpire Slaven - said to be "the worst referee ever seen on a football field" - was barred from officiating again.
With Shamrock missing three key players, the Swifts gained a significant revenge against it in the King Cup (for clubs outside Edinburgh in the East of Scotland area) - after the Shamrock protested a 3–1 defeat on the basis that the Royal Gymnasium pitch was unfit, the Swifts had no mercy in the second match, winning 10–0, in a match that was paradoxically played "on the friendliest terms".
It is possible that the players' attention was elsewhere, as the following week the Shamrock was to play Armadale in the semi-final of the Linlithgowshire Cup. Shamrock did not enjoy the luck of the Irish, as the referee did not turn up, and the match - which lasted an hour, and which Shamrock won 2–1 - was declared a friendly.
Before the match could be played out, the club had to take on the mighty Heart of Midlothian in the semi-final of the Edinburgh Shield. The Hearts asked in vain for the semi-final to be played on neutral ground, but with the Greens having to field five reserves, the result was not considered to be in any doubt; that the score was only 3–1 to Hearts was considered a "good show". The Shamrock did not recover in time for the Linlithgowshire semi-final on the Sports Field, which Armadale won 4–2, the fourth goal being a breakaway in the 85th minute as Shamrock looked for the equalizer; notably, "although some foul work took place", the game was played in a "friendly spirit".
