Redding Athletic Football Club was a Scottish association football club based in the village of Redding, Stirlingshire.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Redding Athletic Football Club |
| Nickname | the Athletic |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Dissolved | 1889 |
| Ground | Meadow Park (previously Broomfield Park) |
| Secretary | James Sims |
| Home colours | Black and blue hooped shirts, white shorts |
History
The club was founded in 1886, at a time when there were a dozen senior clubs in Stirlingshire, making Redding the smallest village to host a club. The club entered the 1887–88 Scottish Cup and lost 4–3 to Grahamston in the first round. Redding received a reprieve when Grahamston was disqualified for fielding two unregistered players, but in the second round the club was defeated 17–0 at home by Camelon.
Its first entry to the Stirlingshire Cup in 1887–88 ended in the first round with a 5–3 home loss to Vale of Bannock. The gate receipts for that tie were 9s 10d, suggesting a paying attendance of around 20, and the club made a loss on the match, having to pay 5s to the referee for travel costs and 5s in publicity. Redding's finances were so strained that Vale of Bannock contributed a penny towards the deficit.
There is no record of the club having ever won a match against another senior side. "Home and home" fixtures with Laurieston in 1887–88 ended in 10–2 and 12–0 defeats. Even the Camelon reserve side beat the Athletic 6–1 at the start of the 1888–89 season.
These results may have led the club to scratch from its first-round tie in the Scottish Cup against Gairdoch. The club did play in the Stirlingshire Cup in 1888–89 but suffered a 15–1 defeat in the first round at King's Park; the Athletic held out for 20 minutes before conceding heavily, with Gow scoring an unexpected consolation.
Fatal Incident
On 23 February 1889, during a friendly against Southfield of Slamannan, 23-year-old player Robert Whyte suffered a kick to the abdomen. He initially retired to the dressing room to rest, but on Sunday it was noticed that his injury was more serious than thought, and he was taken for further medical care. Whyte died two days later. This may have been the club's final match, as no reports of subsequent fixtures exist.
Dissolution
Redding Athletic's short and tragic existence ended before the 1889–90 season, when the Scottish Football Association struck the club from the roll for non-payment of subscriptions. The name was revived briefly for a couple of pre-season five-a-side competitions in 1890 and 1891.
Colours
The club wore black and blue hooped shirts with white knickers (shorts).
Ground
The club originally played at Broomfield Park. In 1888, the club moved to Meadow Park.
