There had been just 14 teams in the Edinburgh and District league for 1945/6 but this rose to 20 for 1946/7. Bonnyrigg Rose, Dalkeith Thistle and Rosewell Rosedale all made welcome returns, which meant plenty of local derby games - Arniston had resumed for 1945/6 along with Star. There were a few more name sin the league that will be unfamiliar to today's fans - Thorntree United (from Port Seton), Grange Rovers (from Grangemouth) and Polkemmet (from Harthill) all taking part.

Star had a season that could best be described as 'average'. They played 38 League games and gained 38 points - in those days it was two points for a win, and one for a draw. 17 games were won, 17 lost and just 4 drawn. League games certainly didn't lack entertainment -Star scored an impressive 103 goals, but conceded a spectacular 105. League Champions were Bo'ness United, who also reached the Scottish Junior Cup Final, and the East of Scotland Cup Final. Star's League results included an excellent 7-3 win at Dunbar, but also a less satisfactory 1-6 reversal at Grange Rovers.

Star's own Scottish Cup campaign began and ended against Fife opposition. In Round One Kelty Our Boys came over the Forth to Newtongrange and were defeated 7-1. Williams (4), Tait (2) and Pryde scored Star's goals in an excellent performance. But Round Two brought a trip to Fife to face Lochgelly Albert, where Star lost 1-0.

In the East of Scotland Cup Star fell at the first hurdle, going down 5-2 at home to Bathgate Thistle. Star fared little better in the other local Cup competitions.

Throughout that season Star were strengthened by the arrival of two Hearts reserve players 'on loan'. Right Half Freddie Glidden was a West Lothian lad who had progressed through schools and juvenile football and joined Whitburn Juniors. Hearts signed him in 1946 but quickly farmed him out to Newtongrange for two seasons. While with Star he was capped by Junior Scotland. Glidden went back to Hearts in 1948 and spent 11 years at Tynecastle, winning all three major Scottish Honours - a Championship (1957/8), the Scottish Cup (1955/6) and the League Cup (1954/5 and 1958/9). Despite outstanding performances for Hearts down the years Glidden was overlooked by the international selectors. Perhaps if he had played for a more fashionable team in the West ... In those days a career in top flight football did not lead to fortune; Glidden retired from football in 1962 and became a sub-postmaster in Edinburgh.

Star's other loan signing from Hearts was the great Willie Bauld. His goalscoring exploits with the juveniles (latterly Musselburgh Union) attracted senior scouts. Sunderland thought they had signed him and the SFA had to arbitrate before ruling that Hearts had got him first - that was in May 1946. Hearts sent him out to Newtongrange at the start of 46/7 and he spent most of the season at Victoria Park before switching to a second loan deal at Edinburgh City. Bauld went back to Hearts in 1947 and scored 183 League goals for the Tynecastle side. Like Glidden, he also won the 'full set' of domestic honours, but his total of 3 international caps was a small reward for a long career at the top. He became a newsagent close to Tynecastle. His death at the age of 49 in 1977 came as a great shock.

Source: Newtongrange Star FC match programme [24-Jul-2008]