Euroscot Engineering Sectional League Cup in 2014
The arrival at Guy’s Meadow of the Euroscot Engineering Sectional League Cup in 2014 ended a 36 year wait for some silverware to polish.
The last time Cumbernauld won silverware was in 1978 when a dramatic season culminated in United winning the Evening Times Cup. The season started well with only one defeat in the opening half leading up to the New Year. The club also beat Dundee North End, Hurlford and Irvine Vics to progress to the Fourth Round of the Scottish Cup, only to lose out to Petershill 3-1 after a 1-1 draw.
Heavy snow saw a large gap between games, with United not playing again until March. Their good League form continued, and they welcomed a Celtic Select to Guy’s Meadow in April, to play the Frank Meechan Memorial Charity Match. The select included the likes of Jimmy Johnstone, Pat Stanton, Paul Wilson, Ronnie Glavin and Roy Baines, but United triumphed 3-2. Jim Traynor put the home side ahead before a Godzik equaliser. Traynor chipped in a Sloan cross to make it 2-1, but ‘Jinky’ Johnstone equalised from the spot. United was awarded a second-half penalty after a foul on Danny Smith, who promptly missed from the spot. However, the referee made United take it again, and this time Traynor stepped up to complete his hat-trick.
Another talking point took place later that month when Yoker failed to turn up for a League match at Guy’s Meadow. Yoker claimed that they were unable to arrange transport, but it was later discovered that their players were at a Scottish Cup Semi Final in Paisley. United claimed the two points and asked for compensation, but the Management Committee of the Central League postponed the decision. When they did finally rule, Yoker were fined the statutory £1 fine and the match was ordered replayed, much to Cumbernauld’s disgust. In the tension-packed replay, despite Yoker being bottom of the League, the sides drew 1-1, a result that saw United drop to second behind East Kilbride, albeit with two games in hand.
A 1-1 draw at Greenock was followed by a victory over Scottish Cup Finalist Stonehouse Violet, and United claimed the Division ‘B’ Championship. With the title came the opportunity to play in the League Championship Cup, which pitted the winners of Divisions ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ against each other.
First up was Maryhill, who had qualified as Division ‘C’ champions. United beat them 2-1 thanks to a double from Jim Traynor. That put Cumbernauld through to face Division ‘A’ champions Lesmahagow. Danny Smith was the hero this time, scoring the only goal of the game that saw United claim the Central League Championship Cup, otherwise known as The Evening Times Cup.
Long-time Cumbernauld fan Eric Drever, who was on the Cumbernauld committee at the time, feels that the 2014 side’s triumph was a different kind of success to the win in 1978:
“I don’t know if I can compare when we won the Evening Times Trophy. We’d won the ‘B’ Division of the Central League. And at that time, the Evening Times Trophy was played between the division winners of ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’. So we had to play ‘C’ in the Semi Final, which we did and won, and then we had to play Lesmahagow, winners of the ‘A’ in the Final, so beating the champions of the ‘A’ Division at that time was a big feat for us.”
“I had the pleasure and honour of looking after The Evening Times Trophy for the whole year. I was in charge of the Rent Office in the town centre. It was an old building with a vault, and I was able to keep it under safekeeping because I believe it’s solid silver and it’s huge.”
“It’s also irreplaceable and every time I opened up the vault, there was The Evening Times Trophy! I felt it was mine by the end of the year”