THIS IS GLENBUCK

19/10/2026

For anyone with a connection to Glenbuck or an interest in its future.

An opportunity to hear the proposals, ask questions and share your memories and views.

📍 St Thomas’ Church Hall, Muirkirk
📅 Tuesday 20 October, 2–7pm

Reminder of our event!
We’re inviting everyone with a connection to Glenbuck, Muirkirk and the surrounding communities to come along and meet us.
Come and share your memories, hear about our plans, give us your views and help shape the future of Glenbuck. Your voice really matters to us.re
Whether you have memories of Glenbuck, family connections, ideas for the future, or simply want to find out more — we’d love to see you.

17/10/2026

🎬 FROM GLENBUCK TO THE SCREEN ⚽❤️

Exciting news for everyone who holds Bill Shankly close to their heart: according to Deadline, Jude Law is set to portray the Liverpool legend in a new drama series written by Jack Thorne, the writer behind Adolescence.

For us, here in Glenbuck, there is an extra reason to feel proud.

Before Anfield, before the trophies and before his name echoed around the world, there was a young lad from a small Ayrshire mining village. A community shaped by hard work, solidarity and a deep love of football. ❤️

We hope the series finds room for those beginnings. To understand the man Shankly became, you have to remember the place and the people who shaped him.

That is why keeping Glenbuck’s story alive—and caring for places such as Burnside Park—means so much. These places help us tell that story to the next generation.

The world remembers a Liverpool legend. Glenbuck remembers one of its own. ❤️⚽

What do you think of Jude Law taking on the role? 👇

EXCLUSIVE: Jude Law might be a Tottenham Hotspur fan but he’s potentially heading to Anfield for his next role.

The ‘Black Rabbit’ star is set to star as legendary Liverpool FC manager Bill Shankly in a series from ‘Adolescence’ writer Jack Thorne and A24.

See more here: https://deadline.com/2026/10/jude-law-liverpool-fc-manager-bill-shankly-a24-series-1237155045/ (Photos: Getty)

15/10/2026

There’s something about BURNSIDE PARK that makes every bit of effort worthwhile. ⚽️🏟

Cutting the grass has been hard, wet work. Some areas are still very wet, and the muddy boots tell their own story! But standing on this old pitch, surrounded by the Glenbuck hills, I feel AN AFFECTION FOR THIS PLACE that’s difficult to put into words!

This ground nurtured generations of footballers. Some went on to play professionally, carrying GLENBUCK’S name far beyond these hills. Others played simply for the love of the game, their village and their teammates. Every one of them belongs to its story.

And on the terracing, generations of GLENBUCKIANS stood watching their team, sharing the hopes, cheers and disappointments that made this ground part of village life. Their memories belong here too.

Today, there’s a quiet satisfaction in caring for this ground and seeing the shape of the old pitch emerge again.

There’s still plenty to do. But for a place that has given football so many memories, a little time, sweat and love feels a fitting thing to give back.

Tired, muddy, and happy to have been here. And if you ask me whether it was worth it? Yes. Absolutely!!❤️😃

THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️ 🍒

08/10/2026

📸 On this day, 8th October 1959, Glenbuck’s own BOB SHANKLY was appointed manager of Dundee FC. 67 years ago today!

From wearing the Glenbuck Cherrypickers shirt at Burnside Park to leading Dundee to the Scottish League Championship in 1962 and a European Cup semi-final in 1963, Bob’s journey was truly remarkable. 🏆

The first photograph shows Sammy Kean and Bobby Cox introducing Bob to players Albert Henderson, Doug Cowie, Billy McMillan and Pat Liney. It was the beginning of an unforgettable chapter in Dundee’s history.

📰 The second shows Bob at Dens Park with Sporting Lisbon’s administrative manager, Armando Ferreira, finalising arrangements for Dundee’s European Cup fixtures—a wonderful glimpse of how far the former Glenbuck Cherrypicker had travelled.

From our small mining village in Ayrshire to the biggest stages of European football, Bob carried Glenbuck’s footballing tradition with him.

His story reminds us why Burnside Park and the legacy of those who played there deserve to be preserved for future generations! 😀😀

THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️🍒

📷 Appointment photograph: The Dee Archive
📰 Historic newspaper clipping, digitally enhanced.

04/10/2026

🏆 WHEN GLENBUCK CONQUERED SCOTLAND!! — 1923

GLENBUCK is famous throughout the football world, but this remarkable little AYRSHIRE mining village also produced some of Scotland’s finest quoiters.

QUOITING —pronounced “KOY-ting”— was once enormously popular throughout Scotland’s mining communities. Players threw heavy iron rings, called quoits, towards a metal pin embedded in a prepared bed of clay. A quoit encircling the pin, or landing closer than an opponent’s, earned the shots. It demanded strength, judgement and exceptional accuracy.

In August 1923, GLENBUCK QUOITING CLUB won the Scottish Cup after one of the most dramatic campaigns in the competition’s history.

In the semi-final at RENFREW, Glenbuck were 31 shots behind at the interval, but staged an extraordinary comeback to draw 82–82.

The replay took place at Glenbuck, where another incredibly close contest ended:

Glenbuck 82 – Renfrew 81

The Scottish Cup final was played at BARRHEAD on Saturday, 11 August 1923, against the highly regarded AUCHENTIBBER team.

The GLENBUCK pairs and their scores were:

🔸 Willie Cringan and George Bain — 25
🔸 William Knox and D. Bain — 10
🔸 Matthew Park and David Bone — 25
🔸 George Davidson and Thomas Smith — 25

With three rinks completed, the teams were level at 83–83. Everything depended upon the final rink. Glenbuck held their nerve, secured the decisive shots and became champions of Scotland.

🏆 Final score: Glenbuck 85 – Auchentibber 83

Cairntable Recollections captured the reaction of the Glenbuck supporters beautifully:

“Then the heather was on fire, and for a time the Glenbuck supporters were boys again!.”

The victorious team was captained by WILLIE CRINGAN, the celebrated CELTIC and SCOTLAND half-back who was born in MUIRKIRK. Remarkably, Cringan had also captained Celtic when they won the Scottish Cup earlier in 1923—an extraordinary double achievement in two completely different sports!

The players were warmly received on their return to Glenbuck by the local brass band, bringing the village together to celebrate another remarkable sporting achievement.

The victory continued the proud tradition created by legendary Glenbuck champion TOM BONE, one of the greatest quoiters of his generation. BONE first became Scottish champion in 1889, won the BALLOCHMYLE SILVER QUOIT fourteen times and became champion of GREAT BRITAIN in 1908!

GLENBUCK had its own quoiting green near the ROYAL Arms, identified as number 6 on the surviving village map. It was once an important gathering place in a community where sport formed such a central part of everyday life.

Perhaps the historic quoiting green is another part of GLENBUCK’S remarkable sporting heritage worth locating precisely, protecting and if practical exploring for future restoration.

Footballers, internationalists and champion quoiters—GLENBUCK’S remarkable sporting heritage extended far beyond football! ❤️🏆

THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️ 🍒

19/09/2026

⚽ BILLY BLYTH — A GLENBUCK MAN WHO MADE CARLISLE HISTORY

These fascinating images help tell the story of WILLIAM JAMES “BILLY ” BLYTH, one of the many outstanding footballers to emerge from the small Ayrshire mining village of GLENBUCK.

Billy worked in the pits during his early life before graduating from the nursery team of the celebrated GLENBUCK CHERRYPICKERS at the age of 18. His footballing journey began at BURNSIDE PARK, the historic home of the Cherrypickers, before taking him into the professional game.

He followed his elder brother Robert to PORTSMOUTH and later played for PRESTON NORTH END.

Billy arrived in CARLISLE from Deepdale during the 1905–06 season and helped CARLISLE UNITED win promotion to the First Division of the Lancashire Combination.

The official programme pictured is from CARLISLE UNITED’S match against CHORLEY at DEVONSHIRE PARK on 7 September 1907, with Billy named as the club’s captain.

Before moving to their present home at BRUNTON PARK in 1909, CARLISLE UNITED played their home matches at DEVONSHIRE PARK. Appropriately, the scorer of the final goal at the old ground was BILLY BLYTH, giving this GLENBUCK footballer a permanent place in the club’s history.

The CARLISLE UNITED team photograph from the 1908–09 season shows Billy in the back row and provides another wonderful record of his time with the club.

He continued playing for CARLISLE until the 1914–15 season, when a knee injury brought his playing career to an end. His association with the club continued, however, and he eventually became a director of CARLISLE UNITED.

Billy also became a well-known figure within the city. In May 1920, he took over as manager of the BOWLING GREEN HOTEL. Years later, his nephew BILL SHANKLY stayed at Billy’s hotel during his own time in CARLISLE, adding another personal connection between the BLYTH and SHANKLY families, GLENBUCK and CARLISLE UNITED.

When Billy died on 3 NOVEMBER 1950, aged 67, representatives from CARLISLE UNITED, the FOOTBALL LEAGUE, the FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION and numerous local organisations attended his funeral. The club’s directors acted as pallbearers, and it was also recorded that BILL SHANKLY —then manager of CARLISLE UNITED —attended the service.

Billy was laid to rest at STANWIX CEMETERY alongside his wife ETHEL and their son JAMES DONALD BLYTH.

From working in the Ayrshire pits and playing at BURNSIDE PARK to becoming CARLISLE UNITED’S captain, goalscorer and director, BILLY BLYTH left a lasting legacy in both communities.

His remarkable story forms part of the great footballing legacy shared between CARLISLE UNITED and GLENBUCK —a connection built through the players and personalities who travelled south from this small mining village and became part of CARLISLE’S history.

It is also another reminder of why BURNSIDE PARK and its extraordinary football heritage deserve to be preserved for future generations.

A special thank you to RON MADDISON and the CARLISLE UNITED HERITAGE GROUP for sharing these wonderful images and helping to preserve BILLY BLYTHS story!

THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️ 🍒

14/09/2026

⚽ FROM PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS TO... CLUB CHAIRMEN!

When this photograph appeared in the Portsmouth Evening News on 16 February 1931, Robert Blyth of Portsmouth and William “Billy” Bassett of West Bromwich Albion were described as the only two former professional footballers who had gone on to become chairmen of their old clubs.

That alone makes this a remarkable image.

Both men were born in 1869 and rose from the football pitch to the very top of their respective clubs—but each followed an extraordinary path to get there.

Billy Bassett was one of the outstanding players of football’s early years. He made 311 competitive appearances for West Bromwich Albion, won the FA Cup in 1888 and 1892, and represented England 16 times, scoring eight goals.

He later became chairman of Albion and helped rescue the club from serious financial difficulties. In 1910, he even paid the players’ summer wages from his own pocket! He remained chairman until his death in 1937, completing more than half a century of service to the club.

Beside him sits Glenbuck-born Robert Blyth.

From our small Ayrshire mining village, Blyth’s footballing journey took him to Middlesbrough Ironopolis, Rangers, Preston North End, Dundee and Portsmouth.

At Portsmouth, he rose through virtually every position within the club: player, captain, player-manager, manager, director, vice-chairman and finally chairman. As manager, he also led Portsmouth to the Southern League championship in 1901–02.

The second photograph, published in January 1932 under the title “Old Team Mates,” reunited Blyth with Phil Bach at Fratton Park.

The two men had played together for the short-lived Middlesbrough Ironopolis many years earlier. By the time they met again, Blyth was chairman of Portsmouth and Bach was chairman of Middlesbrough F.C.

Bach had also played for Reading, Sunderland and Bristol City, and represented England in the famous 13–2 victory over Ireland in 1899. He later served two separate periods as chairman of Middlesbrough.

Three footballers who reached the boardroom—and at the centre of these two historic photographs is Robert Blyth, whose remarkable journey began in Glenbuck.

From a little Ayrshire mining village to the chairman’s office at Portsmouth. What an achievement—and what a story! ⚽😃

THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️ 🍒

02/09/2026

Exciting news for Glenbuck! We at THIS IS GLENBUCK warmly welcome these plans and the possibilities they bring for our village’s future!

For the past eight years, we’ve been proud to play our part in keeping Glenbuck’s story alive.

We’re ready to build on that work and contribute as the plans develop, continuing to care for BURNSIDE PARK and preserve and celebrate our village’s remarkable football heritage!

Restoration and remembrance for new project in Bill Shankly's hometown - Liverpool FC https://share.google/cZDYGF4iPsbkhRXVk




THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️ 🍒

15/06/2026

A fascinating early image of a young BILL SHANKLY from his CARLISLE UNITED days!

The cutting mentions GLENBUCK CHERRYPICKERS, although SHANKLY started his football career with CRONBERRY EGLINTON before joining CARLISLE UNITED!

What remains beyond doubt is that his story began in GLENBUCK, our small AYRSHIRE mining village with a unique football legacy!

THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️ 🍒