Seeing Things in Black and White - Celebration of 1989-1990 - Elgin City Football Club
A4 size booklet published by Elgin City FC in 1990, 24 pages (S8271YWSO)
From the foreword: Just as Celtic dominated Scottish soccer for a decade from the mid 1960s, so too Elgin City were the most feared team in North football, Doyen of Highland, sports writers, Bill McAllister, coined the phrase' 'the Black and White Minstrel Show", and certainly season in season out, North football danced to Elgin's tune. City set the standards. Others followed ... and eventually emulated. Such is the way in football.
The late 1970s witnessed a sad decline in Elgin's fortunes and there were those who now began to speak of the Black and Whites in the past tense. But in football there are no lost causes especially in a club with a long and proud tradition of success.
And so, after a series of at times bewildering managerial changes, revival came under the guidance of Ian Cumming in 1982-3. But the League flag remained elusive. As runners-up we could only finish 15 points behind Caledonian in their record-breaking surge to the title.
Mr Cumming's successor, Malcolm Cowie, underwent the frustration of having his side dubbed "Malcolm's nearly men". A fine win over Forres Mechanics appeared to have opened a path to the Championship but to their great credit Mechanics regrouped and their nerve held in the run-in to the title. By the time Steve Paterson was appointed player-manager, City kitman and major domo, Danny Russell, had one task less in his routine. Winter winds and rain had rendered the Championship flag of 1973-4 beyond repair, no further need for the ritual of its fortnightly unfurling. Mr Paterson acted quickly to create his own team, regarding his first signing as his most astute. He invited Mike Winton to be his deputy at Borough Briggs. And so season 1988-9 saw the young Elgin supporters chant "Elgin are Back!" when City won the splendid North of Scotland Cup, a trophy first won by the club in 1896. The springboard made, City proved in 1989-90 that history can repeat itself and gave a new generation of fans in the Laich of Moray a season to remember. In November the Qualifying Cup was at last recaptured and the supporters anticipated Scottish Cup football once more. In Spring the club retained the North Cup and talk was now of "The Treble."
In April that expectation was at last fulfilled. Once again the Championship flag has been unfurled with pride. Much is the way in football. In the pages that follow we celebrate season 1989-90 attempting to give players, officials and supporters of Elgin City Football Club a lasting record of a famous season...
The condition of the booklet is generally ok. The cover has several scuffs and creases, and light wear along the edges and corners, but the staple spine is intact and all pages are intact, unblemished and tightly bound.
From the foreword: Just as Celtic dominated Scottish soccer for a decade from the mid 1960s, so too Elgin City were the most feared team in North football, Doyen of Highland, sports writers, Bill McAllister, coined the phrase' 'the Black and White Minstrel Show", and certainly season in season out, North football danced to Elgin's tune. City set the standards. Others followed ... and eventually emulated. Such is the way in football.
The late 1970s witnessed a sad decline in Elgin's fortunes and there were those who now began to speak of the Black and Whites in the past tense. But in football there are no lost causes especially in a club with a long and proud tradition of success.
And so, after a series of at times bewildering managerial changes, revival came under the guidance of Ian Cumming in 1982-3. But the League flag remained elusive. As runners-up we could only finish 15 points behind Caledonian in their record-breaking surge to the title.
Mr Cumming's successor, Malcolm Cowie, underwent the frustration of having his side dubbed "Malcolm's nearly men". A fine win over Forres Mechanics appeared to have opened a path to the Championship but to their great credit Mechanics regrouped and their nerve held in the run-in to the title. By the time Steve Paterson was appointed player-manager, City kitman and major domo, Danny Russell, had one task less in his routine. Winter winds and rain had rendered the Championship flag of 1973-4 beyond repair, no further need for the ritual of its fortnightly unfurling. Mr Paterson acted quickly to create his own team, regarding his first signing as his most astute. He invited Mike Winton to be his deputy at Borough Briggs. And so season 1988-9 saw the young Elgin supporters chant "Elgin are Back!" when City won the splendid North of Scotland Cup, a trophy first won by the club in 1896. The springboard made, City proved in 1989-90 that history can repeat itself and gave a new generation of fans in the Laich of Moray a season to remember. In November the Qualifying Cup was at last recaptured and the supporters anticipated Scottish Cup football once more. In Spring the club retained the North Cup and talk was now of "The Treble."
In April that expectation was at last fulfilled. Once again the Championship flag has been unfurled with pride. Much is the way in football. In the pages that follow we celebrate season 1989-90 attempting to give players, officials and supporters of Elgin City Football Club a lasting record of a famous season...
The condition of the booklet is generally ok. The cover has several scuffs and creases, and light wear along the edges and corners, but the staple spine is intact and all pages are intact, unblemished and tightly bound.