Tollcross Football Club was a 19th-century football club from Tollcross, in the east end of Glasgow.
The club was founded in 1879, under the name Tollcross Athletic. The club changed its name in 1883 to Tollcross.
Tollcross entered the Scottish Cup from 1880âÂÂ81 to 1887âÂÂ88, apart from 1882 to 1883 when the club was mostly inactive. The club only won two ties, but twice reached the third round, thanks to disqualifications to other sides.
Its first win in the competition came in 1883âÂÂ84, when beating Airdrie in a replay; Tollcross lost the original tie 1âÂÂ0, but, in what would become a theme, protested, on the basis that the touchlines were not "discernable"; the Scottish Football Association agreed switched the tie to Tollcross. Tollcross came from 2âÂÂ1 down at half-time to bring the scores level at 3âÂÂ3, and in the second period of extra-time, Tollcross scored the winner "amidst great cheering and excitement".
The first time Tollcross reached the third round was in 1885âÂÂ86, thanks to a 4âÂÂ2 win at Clydesdale of Rutherglen, and a successful protest against Dykehead's win in the second round, on the basis that not one of the Dykehead players had been registered. In the third, the club visited Airdrieonians, originally to general apathy as the tie was considered almost a walkover for the home side, but Tollcross caused a stir by coming from 2âÂÂ0 down to equalize the tie; however the Onians soon pulled away, the score being 4âÂÂ2 at half-time and 8âÂÂ2 by the end.
The following season the club made the third round again. Once more it won on a protest about the non-registration of players, this time against Royal Albert in the first round, and drew a bye from the second. The prospect of an away tie with eventual finalists Dumbarton in the third proved too much for some of the Tollcross side, as only eight players turned up, so the club scratched from the tie. As 1,000 spectators had also turned up, Dumbarton lent Tollcross three reserves, so the clubs could play out a friendly, which a showboating Dumbarton won 6âÂÂ1.
Although a Glasgow club, Tollcross was more active against teams in Lanarkshire than in the city, and played in the Lanarkshire Cup in 1880âÂÂ81 and from 1883âÂÂ84 to 1886âÂÂ87. It lost every tie it played, including a defeat to West Benhar in 1884âÂÂ85 that was given as 14âÂÂ2 or 15âÂÂ2.
The club's most notable tie was a first round defeat to Airdrieonians in 1885âÂÂ86, the tie played a week after the FA Cup tie between the sides, and Tollcross' unexpected moxie in the tie encouraging a larger than expected crowd of 800 to attend; however this time Airdrieonians scored eight without reply. Nevertheless, Tollcross protested against four of the Onians players as not being "local" within the meaning of the competition rules, as they had been brought over from West Benhar, 16 miles from Airdrie; Airdrieonians claiming "local" in this instance meant the county, not the club. On the casting vote of the chairman (William Macintyre of Drumpellier) the Lanarkshire FA ordered a replay to take place, this time at Tollcross.
The decision was not popular, with even the Tollcross representative, Mr M'Nish, embarrassed about the grounds of the protest, and concerned that half of his team may fall foul of such a strict interpretation. Rather than prove the point by replaying the tie without the four players, Airdrieonians took the matter further, and a flurry of meetings took place within the Association, as well as within member clubs (including Drumpellier voting confidence in Mr Macintyre). Eventually the Lanarkshire FA voted to overturn its previous decision and dismiss the protest, thanks to the evidence of former LFA president Mr Dyer who confirmed that the rule was aimed at stopping importation of players from Glasgow, rather than within the shire.
The club did enjoy one success in local competition, winning the North Eastern Cup for clubs in Glasgow in 1886âÂÂ87; although the competition was by now attracting very few entrants, four would join the Scottish League in future seasons. Tollcross beat Shettleston in the semi-final to meet Cowlairs in the final, at Northern's Hyde Park ground; however Cowlairs did not turn up, as it was playing a more lucrative friendly against Partick Thistle on the day of the final, so Tollcross won by default. Legend had it that Tollcross, tasked with kicking off and putting the ball through the posts, somehow missed.
The cup win may have been the club's last appearance; there are no matches recorded for the club afterwards. It evidently struggled with consistency, never staying at a ground for more than three years, and changing colours radically twice. It reached its peak membership of 100 in 1885, but its membership had nearly halved the following season, with nearby Shettleston's rising in concert, despite the clubs' rivalry - the Tollcross supporters turned up to a Shettleston friendly against King's Park in March 1887 to cheer on the visitors. Its last manifestation was its entry to the 1887âÂÂ88 Scottish Cup, scratching before the first round, and the club was formally struck from the membership roll of the Association before the 1888âÂÂ89 season.
The club originally played in blue jerseys and white knickers. In 1884 it changed to scarlet jerseys, and in 1885 was one of the first clubs to don vertical stripes, Tollcross' schema being black and gold, with white knickers; however the following season the club changed the design to hoops, possibly because of the expense of supply.
The club had a nomadic existence in the east end of Glasgow:
At the start of the 1886âÂÂ87 season, the club was without a ground, which forced it to cede home advantage in its Cup tie with Royal Albert.