The History of Newtongrange Star
1970/71
Back: Knox, Hogg, Printy, Sproull, Rennie, Gardner, Hay
Front: Anderson, Hancock, Stoddart, Purcell, Hastie
STORY OF THE SEASON
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    This was a season that nearly turned into one of the greatest in the Star's history. In the end, there was no silverware to adorn the Star's trophy cabinet, but there was a wonderful journey to the Scottish Junior Cup final for all those associated with the Star.

    The campaign began with a draw away to Shotts Bon Accord. The Star won the replay 2-0, but a protest against an ineligible player meant that the game had to be replayed. The Star repeated the scoreline in the rematch. Further victories over Craigmark Bruntonians, Vale of Leven and Dundee North End took the Star through to a difficult away tie at Glenrothes. A 2-1 victory sent the Star into the quarter-finals where a Stoddart double dispatched Cumbernauld United 2-1 at home. The semi-final draw paired the Star with local rivals Dalkeith Thistle. The match was played at Easter Road in front of 12,000 spectators and was a great advert for the Junior game with the Star eventually triumphing 3-2 with goals from Purcell, Hancock and Stoddart. The final was played at Hampden Park before 24,676 spectators against the dominant side of the era, Cambuslang Rangers. The Star took the lead through Stoddart, but were 2-1 down by half time. More disappointment was to follow when goalkeeper Bobby Hogg was unable to continue playing forcing Ian Printy into goal. The Star came close to an equaliser on numerous occasions in the second half, but it was not to be. The cup went to the Glasgow side, but the Star team could be rightly proud of their efforts in reaching the final.

    The Star were to also finish runners-up in the league and were to reach another cup final. Once again the team met Dalkeith Thistle at Easter Road in the R L Rae Cup, but unlike the Scottish Junior Cup semi-final, it was Dalkeith Thistle that emerged victorious to wrest the cup away from the Star and leave the Star supporters thinking of what might have been.

    Source: The History of Newtongrange Star FC [2010]
EAST REGION MID/EAST DIVISION
Pld W D L F A Pts
Musselburgh Athletic 19 15 3 1 33
Newtongrange Star 20 12 6 2 30
Arniston Rangers 18 11 2 5 24
Tranent Juniors 19 9 4 6 22
Bonnyrigg Rose 19 9 3 7 21
Haddington Athletic 20 8 5 7 21
Penicuik Athletic 18 7 3 8 17
Dalkeith Thistle 20 7 2 11 16
Dunbar United 20 5 4 11 14
Peebles Rovers 20 3 2 15 8
Preston Athletic 18 1 4 13 6
Opponents Venue F A Scorers Team Info
Arniston Rangers H 2 2 Anderson, Hancock
A 2 1 Purcell 2
Bonnyrigg Rose H 3 1 Anderson, Purcell, Hancock
A 3 2 ?
Dalkeith Thistle H 5 2 Hancock 3, Stoddart 2
A 8 0 Anderson 4, Hancock 2, Purcell, Stoddart
Dunbar United H 3 1 ?
A
Haddington Athletic H 2 1 ?
A 1 1 ?
Musselburgh Athletic H
A 1 1 ?
Peebles Rovers H 7 0 Purcell 4, Stoddart, Hancock, Hay
A 4 0 Hay 3, Purcell
Penicuik Athletic H 2 2 Stoddart Newman, McGillivray, Forrester, Sproull, Rennie, Gardner, Hay, Hancock, Stoddart, Purcell, Hastie. Sub: Anderson.
A 4 1 Stoddart 2, Hancock, Anderson
Preston Athletic H 2 0 Hay, Middlemist
A
Tranent Juniors H
A 3 3 ?
SCOTTISH JUNIOR CUP
Round Venue Opponents F A PenF PenA Scorers Team Crowd
1 A Shotts Bon Accord 1 1 Anderson
H Shotts Bon Accord* 2 0 Stoddart, Hancock (* Shotts Bon Accord lodged a successful protest against an ineligible player.)
H Shotts Bon Accord 2 0 Hancock, Hastie
2 A Craigmark Burntonians 5 2 Hay 3, Anderson, Hastie
3 H Vale of Leven 3 0 Hancock, Purcell, Hay
4 H Dundee North End 1 0 Hancock
5 A Glenrothes 2 1 Anderson, Hastie Hogg, Knox, Printy, Sproull, Rennie, Gardner, Anderson, Hancock, Hay, Purcell, Hastie. 3500
QF H Cumbernauld United 2 1 Stoddart 2
SF N Dalkeith Thistle 3 2 Purcell, Hancock, Stoddart Hogg, Knox, Printy, Sproull, Rennie, Gardner, Anderson, Hancock, Stoddart, Purcell, Hastie. Sub: Hay. 12,159
F N Cambuslang Rangers 1 2 Stoddart Hogg, Knox, Printy, Sproull, Rennie, Gardner, Anderson, Hancock, Stoddart, Purcell, Hastie. Sub: Forrester. 24,676


Dave Pryde shows the squad a picture of the 1930 Scottish Junior Cup winners


Nelson scores the winning goal for Cambuslang Rangers
Match Report
    VALIANT STAR PIPPED IN FINAL

    NEWTONGRANGE Star did enough to win the Scottish Junior Cup at Hampden Park on Saturday. With only three minutes of the first half left, they were leading 1-0. At halftime they were trailing by one goal. The score then was probably a fair reflection of the play.

    But the second half belonged to the Star. They were in complete command and always looked like scoring but never did. And so the cup went to the odds-on favourites, Cambuslang Rangers, in one of the most sporting finals for many a year.

    The Hampden pitch was bone hard with a slippery film on top caused by a downpour shortly before the kick-off. Newtongrange fielded the side that beat Dalkeith Thistle in the semi-final.

    In the first minute they almost stole a shock lead. From a corner, Anderson floated a high ball into the goalmouth. Centre forward Stoddart climbed above the defence but his header went straight into the arms of keeper White.

    Crisp inter-passing by the Cambuslang forwards ended in a corner which was punched clear by Bobby Hogg.

    Rangers were beginning to adapt more to the slippery conditions and their cohesive play had the Star defence in all sorts of trouble. Left winger McCallum was floating over some very useful balls but his fellow forwards found it difficult to keep their footing on the tricky conditions.

    Star's best move of the game came in the 17th minute when Steve Hancock chipped a neat hall to Stoddart who forced Mordue to concede a corner. The next minute saw Anderson dispossess Craig to gain another corner.

    PRESSURE

    Stoddart was Star’s best forward. His timing in the air was superb and was causing havoc among the tall Cambuslang defenders.

    Newtongrange were under constant pressure and in a number of goalmouth scrambles they were fortunate not to lose a goal.

    Their passing was poor and inaccurate and their marking too loose. Cambuslang were completely on top.

    But in the 27th minute it was Newtongrange who took an undeserved lead.

    The ball was pumped upfield by Gardner but went straight into the hands of White who let it slip behind to give Stoddart the easiest task of prodding the ball into the empty net.

    The pressure was kept up and Hastie had a fierce angled shot which hit the side rigging. The slippery conditions were spoiling promising moves from both teams.

    Then, just as the Star defence were beginning to look composed, Cambuslang got the equaliser they deserved. A header from Cummings found Paterson who slammed the ball past Hogg from ten yards.

    The Star were hardly recovered from this blow when Cambuslang went into the lead. In a goalmouth scramble Nelson harassed Hogg to slip the ball into the net.

    Hogg required attention from veteran trainer Jock Denholm. At half-time he limped towards the dressingroom.

    SHOCK

    The second half started, as in the first half, with Newtongrange winning a corner which resulted in a goal kick.

    A shot from Celtic buy Steve Hancock was deflected for a corner which was also fruitless. All the pressure was coming from the Star at this stage.

    Then in the 55th minute “Nitten” were dealt a severe blow – goalkeeper Bobby Hogg was helped to the dressingroom after being injured during a corner clearance.

    Forrester came on as substitute for Star and Printy took over in goal. But the shock of losing their keeper did not deter Star and immediately they were back on the attack.

    From a corner in the 58th minute Stoddart almost got the equaliser, but his header was well handled by goalkeeper White.

    Stoddart was close again when his shot went narrowly past the post.

    In the next minute, a defence-splitting pass left Neilson in the clear but his shot went well wide of the post when had only Printy to beat. Soon after, Cummings had a chance to increase his team’s lead, but his header hit the bar and was cleared.

    An angled shot from Hastie in the 65th minute was well stopped by White, who was also on hand to stop a dangerous header from Stoddart. Star were now well on top and it only seemed a matter of time before they would score.

    Steve Hancock nearly got the equaliser with a superb flying header which skimmed across the goal face narrowly missing the target. Hancock, who had been prominent in the early stages, showed what a good forward he is when in the 72nd minute he rose high to head narrowly over the bar from 12 yards.

    In the 73rd minute Hastie was brought down in the box and the referee, Mr A. McGunnigle, of Glasgow, was greeted with a hail of protests when he awarded an indirect free kick which resulted in a goal kick.

    In the dying minutes, Hancock shot narrowly wide after a good chip from Hastie, and Stoddart came close with a header and later a shot. Star were still on the attack when the final whistle went.

    Teams:
    Newtongrange Star: Hogg, Knox, Printy, Sproull, Rennie, Gardner, Anderson, Hancock, Stoddart, Purcell, Hastie. Sub: Forrester.
    Cambuslang Rangers: White, Sturgeon, Scullion, McNeill, Mordue, Lowrie, Cumming, Craig, Paterson, Nelson. Sub: Gibson.

    Ref: A. McGunnigle (Glasgow)
FIFE & LOTHIANS CUP
Round Venue Opponents F A PenF PenA Scorers Team Info
1 Bye
2 H Valleyfield Colliery 4 1 Stoddart, Hastie, Anderson, ?
3 H Newburgh 3 2 ?
QF A Tulliallan Thistle 5 2 Purcell 2, Hay, Hancock, Anderson
SF ? Glenrothes or Camelon L L
EAST OF SCOTLAND CUP
Round Venue Opponents F A PenF PenA Scorers Team Info
1 H Linlithgow Rose 1 0 Hancock Hogg, B. Hancock, Printy, Sproull, Rennie, Gardner, Anderson, Stoddart, S. Hancock, Purcell, Hastie. Sub: Forrester.
2 A Broxburn Athletic 0 2 Hogg, McGillivray, Printy, Forrester, Rennie, Gardner, Stoddart, Sproull, Hay, Hancock, Hastie. Sub: Knox.
ST MICHAELS CUP
Round Venue Opponents F A PenF PenA Scorers Team Info
1 A Bonnybridge Juniors 2 1 Hancock, Hastie
2 H Broxburn Athletic 1 1 Hancock Hogg, Knox, Printy, Sproull, Rennie, Gardner, Anderson, Hancock, Hay, Purcell, Hastie. Sub: Forrester.
A Broxburn Athletic 2 3 ?
BROWN CUP
Round Venue Opponents F A PenF PenA Scorers Team Info
1 H Whitburn Juniors 1 1 Anderson Hogg, McGillivray, Printy, Aitchison, Gardner, B. Hancock, Anderson, S. Hancock, Stoddart, Forrester, Hastie. Sub: Purcell.
A Whitburn Juniors 1 3 Hancock Hogg, Printy, Gardner, Sproull, Rennie, Forrester, Anderson, Hancock, Hay, Purcell, Hastie. Sub: McGillivray.
R L RAE CUP
Round Venue Opponents F A PenF PenA Scorers Team Info
1 H Bathgate Thistle 2 1 Anderson, Forrester Hogg, McGillivray, Printy, Knox, Rennie, B. Hancock, Anderson, S. Hancock, Stoddart, Forrester, Hastie. Sub: Burt.
2 A Camelon Juniors 4 1 Hancock 2, Stoddart, Hastie
QF H West Calder United 7 1 Hancock 3, Hastie 3, Purcell Hogg, Knox, Printy, Sproull, Forrester, Gardner, Anderson, Hancock, Hay, Purcell, Hastie. Sub: Stoddart.
SF H Tranent Juniors 2 2 Purcell, Hastie
A Tranent Juniors 2 0 Hancock, Hay
F N Dalkeith Thistle 0 2


Goalmouth action from the R L Rae Cup Final at Easter Road Stadium - Dalkeith Thistle v Newtongrange Star.
(This photograph was originally published in The Scotsman and was kindly provided by Iain Anderson)
NATIONAL DRYBOROUGH CUP
Round Venue Opponents F A PenF PenA Scorers Team Info
1 ? Cambuslang Rangers 0 2