The History of Newtongrange Star
1969/70
STORY OF THE SEASON
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    The season began with a friendly match against Celtic. The Celtic team featured two young players who would go on to great things - Kenny Dalglish and Danny McGrain. The Star, not surprisingly against such quality, lost 5-0.

    Back in the less glamorous realm of Scottish Junior football, the Star took an early exit from the Scottish Junior Cup losing 3-1 at home to Blantyre Victoria, a team that would eventually go all the way to the final and lift the cup with a replay win over Penicuik Athletic.

    There were also early exits in the Fife & Lothians Cup, St Michaels Cup and Brown Cup, yet the Star did reach the final of two other competitions. In the East of Scotland Cup, the Star met Whitburn at Tynecastle. The Star scored through John Hay, but the match finished all-square at 1-1. In the replay at Prestonfield the Burnie ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.

    Eventually silverware was secured in the form of the R L Rae Cup, ending a lengthy eight-year spell without a trophy. The final was played at Easter Road between the Star and Bo'ness United. Despite going a goal down, goals from Anderson and Stoddart gave the Star a narrow 2-1 victory. The Star team that day was: Williamson, Dickson, Printy, Knox, Gardiner, Hancock, Stoddart, Purcell, Anderson, Aitchison, Hay. Sub: Middlemist.

    The Star came up short in the league. The team did win 13 out of 20 games, but it was a record only good enough to finish second to Arniston Rangers who would win the overall championship with a 6-2 aggregate victory over surprise West Division winners Pumpherston.

    Source: The History of Newtongrange Star FC [2010]
EAST REGION MID/EAST DIVISION
Pld W D L F A Pts
Arniston Rangers 20 14 4 2 32
Newtongrange Star 20 13 2 5 28
Bonnyrigg Rose 20 13 2 5 28
Penicuik Athletic 20 12 3 5 27
Haddington Athletic 20 10 2 8 22
Tranent Juniors 20 8 4 8 20
Dalkeith Thistle 20 6 5 9 17
Peebles Rovers 20 5 4 11 14
Musselburgh Athletic 20 4 5 12 13
Dunbar United 20 4 3 13 11
Preston Athletic 20 4 1 15 9
Opponents Venue F A Scorers Team Info
Arniston Rangers H
A
Bonnyrigg Rose H 2 3 Hastie, Fraser
A
Dalkeith Thistle H 3 1 Logan, Anderson, Stoddart
A
Dunbar United H 5 2 Anderson 3, Hastie, Stoddart
A 3 0 ?
Haddington Athletic H 0 2
A 2 1 Anderson, Purcell
Musselburgh Athletic H 3 0 Anderson, Aitchison, Hastie
A 6 2 ? Williamson, Dickson, Printy, Stoddart, Hancock, Aitchison, Greenan, Anderson, Purcell, Hastie, Logan.
Peebles Rovers H 2 1 Aitchison, Logan
A 5 1 ?
Penicuik Athletic H 1 1 ?
A 3 1 ?
Preston Athletic H 3 1 ?
A 1 0 Hastie
Tranent Juniors H 3 1 Greenan, Hastie, Anderson
A 3 5 Anderson, Gardiner, ?
SCOTTISH JUNIOR CUP
Round Venue Opponents F A PenF PenA Scorers Team Info
1 Bye
2 H Blantyre Victoria 1 3 ?
FIFE & LOTHIANS CUP
Round Venue Opponents F A PenF PenA Scorers Team Info
1 Bye
2 A Valleyfield Colliery 5 1 Anderson 3, Knox, Hastie
3 ? Dalkeith Thistle 0 2
EAST OF SCOTLAND CUP
Round Venue Opponents F A PenF PenA Scorers Team Info
1 H Armadale Thistle 5 1 Greenan 3, Hastie, Stoddart Williamson, Hunter, Prentice, Knox, Fraser, Hancock, Hay, Aitchison, Anderson, Greenan, Hastie. Sub: Stoddart.
2 A Preston Athletic 6 0 Hay 4, Anderson, ?
QF A Bonnybridge Juniors 4 3 Hastie, Hay, Knox, Anderson
SF H Musselburgh Athletic 5 0 Purcell 2, ?
F N Whitburn Juniors 1 1 Hay Williamson, Dickson, Printy, Knox, Gardner, Hancock, Hay, Purcell, Anderson, Aitchison, Hastie. Sub: Stoddart.
N Whitburn Juniors 0 3 Wagley, Dickson, Printy, Middlemist, Gardner, Hancock, Purcell, Stoddart, Anderson, Aitchison, Hastie. Sub: Hay.
ST MICHAELS CUP
Round Venue Opponents F A PenF PenA Scorers Team Info
1 A Dalkeith Thistle 0 1
BROWN CUP
Round Venue Opponents F A PenF PenA Scorers Team Info
1 H Arniston Rangers 2 5 Stoddart, Anderson
R L RAE CUP
Round Venue Opponents F A PenF PenA Scorers Team Info
1 H Fauldhouse United 4 2 Anderson 2, Purcell, Hastie Williamson, Dickson, Printy, Knox, Fraser, Hancock, Hay, Greenan, Anderson, Purcell, Hastie. Sub: Stoddart.
2 H Preston Athletic 3 0 Anderson 3
QF A Whitburn Juniors 4 1 Anderson 2, Hastie, Hay Williamson, Dickson, Printy, Knox, Gardner, Hancock, Hay, Russell, Anderson, Aitchison, Hastie. Sub: Middlemist.
SF H Arniston Rangers D D
A Arniston Rangers 1 0 Hastie
F N Bo'ness United 2 1 Anderson, Stoddart Williamson, Dickson, Printy, Knox, Gardiner, Hancock, Stoddart, Purcell, Anderson, Aitchison, Hay. Sub: Middlemist.
Match Report
    FIRST CUP WIN IN EIGHT YEARS
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    In the first final of the season Newtongrange gained a major trophy success, their first for the past eight season. They defeated the United of Bo’ness in the R. L. Rae Cup (the only cup which the Star had never previously won), at Easter Road, Edinburgh. This success avenged the Star defeat in last season’s League championship play-off by the United.

    In a goalless first period in which the respective defences were on top throughout. Play livened up on the restart and the United in 15 minutes gained the lead when, from a Donnelly free kick, Ure smashed home a first timed drive past a helpless Williamson.

    Undaunted by this reverse the Star stormed into the attack and were rewarded in the 75th minute when Anderson headed past McCluskey to level the scores. This success spurred on the Star and seven minutes later from a well-placed corner Stoddart headed a glorious Star winning goal. Overall the Star fully merited their victory.

    Teams:

    Newtongrange Star: Williamson, Dickson, Printy, Knox, Gardiner, Hancock, Stoddart, Purcell, Anderson, Aitchison, Hay. Sub: Middlemist.
    Bo'ness United: McCluskey, Simpson, McOwat, Ure, Hamilton, Donnelly, Lourie, Sneddon, Wodecki, Leitch, Martin. Sub: Ramsay.