Downfield F.C.

Association football club in Scotland

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Football club

Downfield

Full name| Downfield Junior Football Club
Nickname(s)| The Spiders
Founded| 1904; 120 years ago (1904)
Ground| Downfield Park
Balgowan Avenue
Dundee
Chairman| Barry Cooney
Manager| Davie Beveridge Co Manager Danny Martin
League| SJFA Midlands League
2023–24| SJFA Midlands League, 4th of 20

Home colours

Away colours

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Downfield Football Club are a Scottish junior football club based in the Downfield area of Dundee. Their home ground is Downfield Park.

## History

[edit]

The club's nickname, "The Spiders", comes from the same term applied to Queen's Park, due to Downfield playing in the same narrow black-and-white hooped strips as Scotland's oldest club. When Downfield were first founded, Queen's donated a set of strips to them to assist with the start-up.

Downfield Park is situated in the Kirkton area of Dundee. The far side has a covered enclosure named after Eric Clark, a long-serving committee member now deceased. The south side of the ground contains the club's Social Club, incorporating the changing facilities. The west end has recently seen a flattening of the earth banking at that end, with a view to eventual construction of new facilities. The ground also occasionally plays host to Tayside Police's football side. From 2017, Downfield have groundshared Downfield Park with Lochee Harp whilst their new ground went through development, and plan to leave in late 2020.

Up until the end of the 2005–06 season, they played in the Tayside Premier League of the Scottish Junior Football Association's Eastern Region. The SJFA restructured prior to the 2006–07 season, and Downfield found themselves in the twelve-team East Region, North Division. They finished third in their first season in the division.

Downfield became the East Region, North Division champions in 2010–11. In terms of all-time trophy records, Downfield are second only to Tayport in the Tayside / North District roll of honour. The Scottish Junior Cup, along with the more recently created East Region Cup and Tayside/Fife Cup are the only honours to elude the club. The Spiders side which won the Tayside League three times in a row at the end of the 1980s is generally considered to be the best footballing side in Tayside's recent history.

Due to the mass exodus of teams from the SJFA's East Region to the East of Scotland Football League after the 2017–18 season, Downfield were placed into the SJFA East Super League for the 2018–19 season, finishing 11th place that season. After further defections to the EoSFL causing the East Super League to be split into divisions, the Spiders managed to get up to 4th place in the Super League North in 2019–20 season, before it being abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

### 2021 takeover

[edit]

In 2021, the club announced a takeover from Peter and Paul Marr, with a new committee led by David Beveridge to lead the club forward.[2][3]

## Honours

[edit]

North-Tayside Inter Regional Cup: 1989–90, 1990–91

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Reilly, John (20 April 2020). "2019/20 Season Announcement". Scottish Junior Football Association. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
2. ^ "CLUB STATEMENT – Downfield FC on Facebook". facebook.com. 20 March 2021. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
3. ^ "Downfield FC on Facebook". facebook.com. 21 April 2021. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.

## External links

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* Google ground view

56°29′36″N 2°59′30″W﻿ / ﻿56.493212°N 2.991572°W﻿ / 56.493212; -2.991572

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Scottish Junior Football Association, East Region

Current teams
(Midlands League)|

* Arbroath Victoria
* Blairgowrie
* Brechin Victoria
* Broughty Athletic
* Carnoustie Panmure
* Coupar Angus
* Downfield
* Dundee North End
* Dundee St James
* Dundee Violet
* East Craigie
* Forfar United
* Forfar West End
* Kirriemuir Thistle
* Letham
* Lochee Harp
* Lochee United
* Montrose Roselea
* Scone Thistle
* Tayport

Leagues|

* Midlands League

Cups|

* East of Scotland Junior Cup

Seasons|

* 2010–11
* 2011–12
* 2012–13
* 2013–14
* 2014–15
* 2015–16
* 2016–17
* 2017–18
* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24

Former Leagues|

* Super League
* Premier League
* Central Division
* (Premier) North Division
* (Premier) South Division

Former teams|

* Arbroath Sporting Club
* Armadale Thistle
* Arniston Rangers
* Ballingry Rovers
* Bankfoot Athletic
* Bathgate Thistle
* Blackburn United
* Bo’ness Athletic
* Bo'ness United
* Bonnyrigg Rose
* Broxburn Athletic
* Camelon Juniors
* Crossgates Primrose
* Dalkeith Thistle
* Dundonald Bluebell
* Dunbar United
* Easthouses Lily
* Edinburgh United
* Falkirk Juniors
* Fauldhouse United
* Glenrothes
* Haddington Athletic
* Harthill Royal
* Hill of Beath Hawthorn
* Jeanfield Swifts
* Kelty Hearts
* Kennoway Star Hearts
* Kinnoull
* Kirkcaldy & Dysart
* Linlithgow Rose
* Livingston United
* Lochgelly Albert
* Lochore Welfare
* Luncarty
* Musselburgh Athletic
* Newburgh
* Newtongrange Star
* Oakley United
* Penicuik Athletic
* Pumpherston
* Rosyth
* Sauchie Juniors
* Steelend Victoria
* Stoneyburn
* St Andrews United
* Syngenta
* Thornton Hibs
* Tranent Juniors
* West Calder United
* Whitburn

* v
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* e

Football in Dundee

SPFL teams|

* Premiership: Dundee
* Dundee United

Former senior teams|

* Balgay
* Broughty
* Dundee East End
* Dundee Harp
* Dundee Hibernian (1879–84)
* Dundee Our Boys
* Dundee Wanderers
* Dundee West End
* Harp (1894–97)
* Johnstone Wanderers
* Lochee
* Lochee United (1890–1909)
* Perseverance
* St Clement's
* Strathmore
* Strathmore Athletic

Junior / Midlands League teams|

* Broughty Athletic
* Downfield
* Dundee North End
* Dundee St James
* Dundee Violet
* East Craigie
* Lochee Harp
* Lochee United

Women's teams|

* Dundee United W.F.C.

Venues|

* Current
* Dens Park
* Tannadice Park
* Historic
* Carolina Port
* East Dock Street
* West Craigie Park

Major cup finals played in Dundee|

* December 1979 Scottish League Cup Final replay
* 1980 Scottish League Cup final
* 1987 UEFA Cup final
* 2007 Scottish Challenge Cup final

Other topics|

* Dundee derby
* Evening Telegraph Challenge Cup
* Forfarshire Cup
* Midlands Amateur Football Association
* New Firm
* Tayside derby
* Tayside Junior Football League

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