Strathmore and Perthshire Cricket Union Handbook 2005

27 Park, was not only his business address, but as close to a registered office, as Kinloch have ever had. Early successes in two of the Dundee parks based competitions, The Irvine Cup in 1908 and Wilsher Cup in 1910, were strangely out with the pattern of the clubs first sixty years. It was 1921 before a full season of fixtures was undertaken and 1955 before more than one game per week was ever attempted. Kinloch survival was perhaps down to its conservatism. The advent of the 1960s and the arrival of perhaps the clubs best known player, Jack Hirst, saw the change from social outfit that tended to make up the numbers, to a team that won three Lochee Park Championships and a Caird Park Championship in a four year period. By 1970 Kinloch were in the Strathmore Union and by 1979 had won its first of four 2 nd Division titles. Of those the 1988 success is perhaps the most impressive. With a side that was a mixture of three generations of players, they piped fellow Lochee Park side Lawside in a tight finish. They needed to be good as Lawside had a strong side and ended with a percentage in the mid 80s. Kinloch however lost just once and took the title with 92.50% - the best in the clubs history. They also won over 20 games in all competitions that season. Lawside players dubbed their rivals “The Vultures” due to a habit of the younger element of that team attending Lawside matches to offer vocal support to their opponents. The fact that this was possible was down to Kinloch’s rapid manner of winning many of their games. At Lochee Park just about anything was acceptable. Reaching the Small Clubs Cup semi final in 1992 was perhaps the high point of the clubs history. It is another source of pride that of all Continued from page 20 Continued on page 30