Princes Park FC
| Full name | Princes Park Football Club |
|---|---|
| Ground | Princes Park, Glasgow, Scotland |
| League | Scottish Premier League |
Princes Park are a fictional football team with whom Hamish Balfour spent most of his illustrious career in the British comic strip Roy of the Rovers, which first appeared in Tiger at its inception in 1973. The club also appeared in the Football Picture Story Monthlies by D.C. Thompson in the late 1990s. The club was a direct refence to Queen's Park from Glasgow.
History[edit]
In the early 70s Princes Park F.C. were the Cinderella of Scottish Football. Overshadowed by the great sides of Glasgow Princes Park languished at the foot of the Second division of the Scottish League but manager Ian McWhacker was determined the 1973-1974 season should see a vast improvement. This happened when the Princes Park team visited the Hebrides discovering Hamish Balfour, a boy with a figure of a giant and the most powerful shot in the world. Ian McWhacker said that Hamish could be the signing of the century!
Hamish Balfour soon became supporters favorite but after a fall-out with the directors he was placed on the transfer list. Crawford Town, an English club of the first division where the first to sign the new talent, with young Balfour debuting for them in a 1974 World Cup warm-up match against a South American team in London. But Princes Park's supporters demonstrated for his return which was realized shortly after, and Hamish gave them a massive compensation: Princes Park won the Scottish Cup for the very first time of its history in 1974 after beating Ratch Rovers at Hampden Park.
Within 6 years (1974-1980) thanks to Balfour's fireballs Princes Park would enjoy promotion to the Premier division, suffer relegation and promotion again. The 1979-80 found Princes Park back to the first division, but relegated. In 1980-81 Princes were finding for promotion to Premier League again, needing just 2 points to clinch it on 25 April 1981.[1] Thus, Princes promoted to Premier League again.
Tiger cover in Janury 1982, with Princes Park playing in Premier League.[2]
Hamish Balfour would give the Cup to Princes Park for the second time in 1982, and two years later he would stand on the high pedestal of Scottish Football, the Premier Division title.
Ian McWhacker had managed to build a strong team with the likes of Hamish Balfour, Mighty Mouse and Wee Wally. The all-conquering trio helped Princes Park be crowned Cup winners in 1987 and reached the top of Europe the following year by beating Bumchen Munchen in the European Cup Winners' Cup Final.
One year later McWhacker signed Mouse and Balfour for his new team Glengow Rangers.
Princes is mentioned again in the 1990s in the Football Picture Story Monthly as a Scottish Premier league side.
Colours and kits[edit]
Honours[edit]
Domestic[edit]
- Scottish Premier Division:
- Winners (1): 1983-84
- Scottish Cup:
- Winners (4): 1973-74, 1981–82, 1986–87, 1989-90
- Scottish First Division (second tier)::[3]
- Winners (2): 1982
- Scottish Second Division (third tier):
- Winners (1):
European[edit]
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1
- 1987-88
Stadium[edit]
Notable players[edit]
Hamish Balfour
Kevin Mouse- Wee Wally
- Joe McBraid
- Ian Stewart
Sources[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ On this day, 25 April 1981: Tiger and Speed - greatnewsforallreaders.com
- ↑ On this day, 30 January 1982: Tiger - greatnewsforallreaders.com
- ↑ Known as second division prior to 1975
