Cambuslang RFC - Club History

Club History

On the 7th August 1903, a meeting was held under the Presidency of the late H. Shepherd, Esq., at which it was decided to form a Rugby Club at Cambuslang.

The Club commenced playing at Greenlees Farm, and under the guidance of Mr. Shepherd and the benevolent auspices of the late Dr. T. D. Laird, its Honorary President, went from strength to strength until the beginning of the 1914-1918 War. During this period, the Club progressed to the extent of running two teams and of raising funds and building a small Clubhouse.

During the same period, there was in existence, the Cambuslang Cricket Club, which was then under the wing of the late J. S. Paul, esq. For some time the two Clubs worked together, but owing to the difficulty of finding a field which the farmer did not require in the summer time, no permanent arrangement was made and indeed the Rugby Club itself had, latterly, to change its ground to a field at Eastfield.

All through this period the Club took a leading place in sport in the West of Scotland, and was a member of the Old Football Union. It was only natural that after the Armistice, the Club should revive. For a short period the club played at Greenlees Farm but in 1921 a lease of the ground at Coats Park was arranged and the Club took up residence in what was to become its permanent home. At this time, with a ground of its own, the Club joined up with the Cricket Club, and was re-constituted as the "Cambuslang Athletic Club." In addition to Rugby and Cricket, there were sections for Hockey, and at one time, Association Football. The Cricket Club, under the guidance of C.W.Gibb, Esq., progressed from strength to strength and was only eclipsed by a halcyon period in the Rugby Section's history when stalwarts such as G. Marquand, Dan Spence, the Lairds and other illustrious figures brought much credit and kudos to the Club's name.