| Vale of Leithen Football Club were
formed in May 1891, making them one of the oldest football clubs
in the Scottish Borders. Selkirk Football Club had been formed
in 1880, and Berwick Rangers and Duns the following year. The
brothers R and W Hume, originally from Selkirk, were the main
protagonists in the founding of the club. The club became full
members of the Scottish Football Association in 1897 and have
remained so ever since, apart from a brief spell in Junior Football
in the 1920's. They play in the East of Scotland league, the
level directly below the Scottish Football League, and each
year participate in the Scottish FA Cup by entering the qualifying
rounds.
The club are based in Innerleithen, 6 miles
east of Peebles and 12 miles west of Galashiels. With a population
of around 2,500 it is the eighth largest settlement in the
Borders, and is situated at the junction of the Leithen Water
and the River Tweed in the eastern part of Tweeddale formerly
known as Peeblesshire.
The club found a home at Caddon Park, opposite
the old slaughterhouse and played their first two games as
'Leithen Vale', but thereafter changed their name to 'Vale
of Leithen Football Club.' The reason why the club opted for
this choice of name is obscure, but 'Vale' means valley and
Leithen Valley has long been referred to as the Vale of Leithen
in local publications. In 1922 Vale moved to their present
home at Victoria Park, Hall Street. In August 1974 the old
pavilion, which was situated at the east end of the ground,
was completely destroyed by fire and in the process the club,
as well as losing equipment, sadly lost irreplaceable club
records.
Vale of Leithen play in the colours of navy
blue and white, the reason for which is again obscure. The
civic colours of Innerleithen are light blue and white and
in old pictures from the 1890's Vale players appear to be
wearing light blue shirts, but by the 1900's they were clad
in the now familiar navy blue. A third colour, red, has also
featured throughout the years on socks and as a trim. It is
also the colour of Vale's change strip.
In sporting terms Innerleithen's traditional
enthusiasm for football is something of an anomaly in the
rugby dominated Scottish Borders. Innerleithen did send a
rugby team to the earliest editions of the oldest and most
famous Rugby Sevens tournament at Melrose, but the sad deaths
of two rugby players convinced locals that it might be safer
to play soccer. However, in the early part of last century,
several players turned out for both Vale and for nearby Walkerburn
Rugby Club. During the 1920's the enthusiasm for football
was such that Innerleithen had five teams; Vale, Vale reserves,
St Ronan's Thistle, Leithen Rovers and Innerleithen Bluebell.
Nowadays Vale and Leithen Rovers are joined by Leithen Vale
Sports Club, which fields boys teams of various age groups
and Leithen Rovers also run an under-16 side. Unlike certain
other, 'Borders,' sides, Vale train locally and try to field
players from the area whenever they can. Hopefully the set
up in place at the moment will see local lads coming through
to join the likes of Alan Notman, Stuart Robertson and Lindsay
Rathie in playing at East of Scotland League level.
The club crest reproduced above left,
features the figure of St Ronan in his boat, to depict the
sojourn through life. St Ronan is a major figure in the folklore
of Innerleithen and surrounding area, with street names, local
landmarks, a school, a silver band and a hotel/bar named after
him, while his legend features heavily during the annual summer
festival. St Ronan is said to protect Innerleithen from the
devil and uses the crook in his left hand to 'cleik' (catch)
him. In his right hand he holds a lantern to show him the
way. As well as featuring the club name, the crest also features
the club motto, 'Keep Faith'.
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