Scottish Amateur Football Association - 1980 - 1989 Momentous Change

1989 Momentous Change

After three years deliberation the SFA announced that nylon studs were permitted to be worn on all surfaces. Founder members of the SAFA, Glasgow & District FP FL, celebrated their 75th anniversary in February 1980. Bellahouston Academy FP were the only original member club still in the League though Clydebank HSFP formed in 1919 and Govan HSFP founded in 1909 were still members of the League. By the 1980 AGM, the SAFA had one hundred and twelve Associations/Leagues with nineteen hundred and forty six clubs and eight hundred and sixty seven youth teams which translated to around fifty five thousand people involved in amateur football each week. They had heard fifty six Appeals in the past season but a further fifty five were improperly lodged. In October 1980, the talk was all of illegal substances, not those taken by individuals but lime, paraquat and creosote used for line markings. The SFA were requested to rule on this matter.

In November of that year the SAFA

announced their largest ever sponsorship deal to date when the producers of Vladimir Vodka put their name to a package of sponsorship including a National 5-a-side Tournament, a new innovation. The initial deal was for one year, but hopes were high that the National Tournament would be highly successful and raise the profile of the SAFA for years to come. It was decided the entrants for the 5-a-side Tournament would be by invitation only, and after protracted discussions, that it would be a one day event in the Kelvin Hall Glasgow in April 1981. David Francey, the voice of BBC Scotland’s football commentaries, agreed to act as Master of Ceremonies. The winners of the Scottish Cup and the District Cups were thus assembled with an army of SAFA volunteer stewards etc, to witness Dingwall Thistle Afc winning the competition.

At the 1981 AGM, a possible financial light was shining on the horizon when it was suggested that the SAFA should run a Lottery being promoted by the SFA. This was to lead to another quantum leap forward in the development of the SAFA by providing the means and momentum to appoint a full-time official, the first in the SAFA’s history. The SAFA continued to grow, this being reflected in the six hundred and fifty four entrants for the Scottish Cup and an incredible two hundred and forty for the Scottish Sunday Trophy. Fife AFA celebrated their Golden Jubilee. The 80s continued to reap a harvest of sponsors. In addition to the aforementioned Vladimir Vodka, deals were struck with Tennent Caledonian Brewers for a further three year extension to their sponsorship of the Scottish Cup, The North of Scotland Cup had an anonymous backer for three years, the Under 18, 16, and 15 national cup competitions were sponsored by Transalpino, a travel agency dealing mainly with students. Scottish Brewers sponsored the Fife Cup, Matthew Gloag the Scottish Sunday Trophy for three years, The Press & Journal The Highland Cup, Broughton Brewery the South of Scotland Cup, The Tartan Arms Bannockburn the West of Scotland Cup. In 1982 the Ballot Box presented to the SFA in memory of former SAFA secretary Murray McNab was returned to the Association by the SFA. A Scottish AFL team drew a team from Islay AFL in The AF Baxter Trophy and it cost over £700.00 to fulfill the fixture.

After considerable discussion, by April 1982 it was decided that a full time Secretary/Treasurer should be appointed though Alexander Sloan & Co, the Association treasurers would continue to deal with the financial matters. The post was to be advertised and duties to include attending all SAFA meetings and to be secretary of the Selection and Appeals committees. It was anticipated the post would be funded from investment income and proceeds from the SFA Lottery. There were two hundred and twenty applicants and a subcommittee was set up to prepare a short leet. Five applicants, three of which were currently involved with the SAFA, were interviewed from which Iain McTweed, the SAFA Honorary Secretary since 1976, was selected and offered the post. The SAFA’s first full time employee took up his employment on 1st September 1983. The Secretary worked from his house and was to have a six month probationary period before final confirmation of his employment. There would be a salary review annually in May. This was yet another major step in the development of the SAFA.

The SFA Lottery administered by the SAFA was now beginning to plough funds into both the SAFA and its member clubs by way of commission on sales. By the 1984 AGM, six hundred clubs were participating.

In 1983 the Caledonian League was formed when sixteen invited teams played in the inaugural season. The rationale was that clubs of proven ability, with good playing surfaces and social facilities, competing against each other would raise the status of amateur football.

In 1984 the Kingdom Caledonian AFA started in Fife, with invited clubs forming one division in an effort to raise the standard of football in the area by attracting clubs from throughout Fife.

In August 1984, the Strathpeffer Pipe Band offered to play at the final of the Highland Cup for payment of £50.00. The canny secretary of the competition refused but compromised by allowing them play and to take a collection at half time. The pipe major had great satisfaction in announcing they had collected £100.00! Incidentally, the cup was won by Ness from Stornoway who defeated Bishopmill Villa by 4-1.

Lothian AFA celebrated their 75th anniversary, and a West Executive Sub Committee was set up on a temporary basis to assist with the large workload caused by the West of Scotland Cup and the Scottish Sunday Trophy. In 1985 Ayrshire AFA celebrated their Golden Jubilee, and a year later the SAFA permitted their flagship competition, the Scottish Cup to be renamed the Tennents Scottish Amateur Cup. Tom Wilkie, the SAFA President, was awarded Life Membership of the SFA for his contribution to amateur football.

At the 1986 AGM, it was announced that two substitutes would be allowed from next season. One hundred and thirty Appeals had been heard during the season of which forty six were incorrectly lodged.

A donation of £1500.00 was made to the Jock Stein Memorial Fund.

In August 1987, a Match Secretary for the Scottish Sunday Trophy, George Steel, was appointed for the first time. By the end of the year structural changes were made within the Lottery with the SAFA Secretary/Treasurer assuming responsibility for its supervision and a separate Lottery account opened. In January 1988, Hugh Knapp was welcomed as the Council delegate for Lanarkshire AFA. An unusual Appeal was considered when the Strathtay v Stow Scottish Sunday Trophy tie was abandoned after eighty four minutes as the strong wind brought down the crossbar. Adjacent parks were available but the losing club refused to move. The Appeal for the tie was dismissed and the game recast as both clubs would have had to agree to move parks.

In August 1988, George Watson became Assistant Match Secretary and in October Andrew S Laird who had served thirty years as Match Secretary, was made a Life Member of the SFA. In March the SFA confirmed taping of nets to the posts and bar was acceptable, and the SAFA announced that from next season nets

must be used in all Scottish Sunday Trophy ties. As a result of a high number of Appeals to the SFA, which they termed frivolous, the SFA warned that in future clubs submitting Appeals considered thus might be levied expenses which could amount to £200.00. In 1989 The Greater Glasgow Premier League commenced with twenty invited clubs mainly from the Eastwood area of Glasgow. The intention was to provide competitive football, on good grass pitches and with limited travel. The decade closed with the presentation of a SFA Long Service Award to A B Bennie (Lanarkshire AFA) for over fifty years

Throughout the 80s the SAFA grew at a great pace, and at the end of the decade it had one hundred and fifty Associations/Leagues with two thousand nine hundred fifty clubs and three thousand seven hundred teams. Between 1975 and 1983 the Association had doubled in size. This growth was due in the main to the popularity of Sunday football and the rapid growth of youth football. The Scottish Cup entries had reached eight hundred and two with six hundred and fifty for the Famous Grouse Scotch Whisky Amateur Football Trophy.