Tontine Park – Renton 1878-1928 Renton is a village in Dunbartonshire situated The first public park in Renton had been on the River Leven with a present population of opened on 31st May 1873 and covered 13 acres of just over 2,000. It is 3 miles north of Dumbarton land to the south of the village. Half of the rent for and about 20 miles north-west of Glasgow. Yet for the land was guaranteed by three local a number of years in the late 1880s, this otherwise benefactors while the other half was paid for by unremarkable village was home to the best, or the villagers who clubbed together so that they one of the best, football teams in the world. would be able to enjoy the benefits of their new Renton F.C. was formed in 1872 as a result, it is recreation area. In 1877, Renton F.C. began thought, of enthusiasts from the village visiting playing their home games in this new park which nearby Alexandria early in the 1872-73 season to soon became known as Tontine Park. watch the recently formed Vale of Leven play the A tontine is a financial instrument whereby famous Glasgow club Queens Park. Renton joined subscribers pay an amount of money into a fund the Scottish F.A. soon after that body was formed and then each receives a lifetime benefit from the in 1873 and were one of 16 clubs that entered the fund. In this case, the benefit from the rent fund inaugural Scottish Cup in 1873-74. They took part was the use of the land for recreation and so the in one of the first three games played in the arrangement could be described as a tontine, competition, beating Kilmarnock 2-0 in Glasgow hence the ground’s name. In recent years, teams on 18th October, and went on to reach the semi- from the village have played on pitches that are finals before going out 2-0 to Queens Park. In close to the original Tontine Park but on the 1874-75, they went all the way to the final only to opposite side of the road to Dumbarton. Although this area is officially known as Wylie Park, it too lose once again to Queens Park, 3-0. has become known locally as Tontine Park. After that encouraging start though, Renton The second half of the 1870s and the early slowly faded into the background, caught in the 1880s were not though a good period for Renton. shadow of their two more successful They did continue to enter the Scottish Cup and Dunbartonshire neighbours – Vale of Leven, just a on 19th October 1878, in one of their first games at mile to the north in Alexandria and Dumbarton, their new home, they attracted an estimated three miles to the south. Vale of Leven won the crowd of 4,000 for a Cup derby with Dumbarton. Scottish Cup three times in succession between Renton though were well beaten, 6-0, and the 1876 and 1879 while after being beaten finalists in club was gradually fading away. Although they did both 1881 and 1882, Dumbarton won the 1883 as usual enter the Scottish Cup in 1881-82, they final by beating Vale of Leven 2-1 in a replay. were struggling to raise a team and withdrew In those earliest days, Renton played in a without playing a game, resigning their private park to the north of the village. It is not membership of the Scottish F.A. at the same time. certain exactly where this was but the most likely The club’s revival began in 1882-83. They site appears to be the land to the west of Cordale rejoined the Scottish F.A. and won three games in House, today mostly covered by housing between the Scottish Cup, including a 14-1 win away to New Cordale Road and Cordale Avenue. Southfield (of Slamannan, Stirlingshire) and also Below: The area the north of Renton in 1862. The beat Falkirk in a replay, before going out 5-3 in the open field to the west of Cordale House seems to Fourth Round at home to the Ayrshire side Lugar be the most likely location of Renton’s first ground. Boswell in front of a 2,000 crowd. This revival of a village team in the Vale of Leven attracted little attention outside the immediate area but that all changed on 8th September 1883. Renton had as usual entered the Scottish Cup and in the First Round, were drawn at home to the cup holders, Dumbarton. Renton were by then so disregarded that it was assumed that they would offer little more than token resistance to their illustrious neighbours yet the village team sent shockwaves through Scottish football by winning the game 2-1 in front of a “large concourse of spectators”. The players were carried off the field on the quick goals from M’Intyre soon followed and shoulders of their enthusiastic supporters and although the Vale got a late consolation, it was thus commenced a season when suddenly, all the Renton who lifted the Scottish Cup with a 3-1 win. leading Scottish clubs wanted to arrange fixtures Nor were the village team a one-season with them. Renton beat King’s Park 6-1 in the wonder. In 1885-86, they mounted a strong Second Round of the Cup before going out 4-1 defence of their trophy, winning 15-0 away to away to eventual finalists Vale of Leven in the Kirkintilloch, then 7-2 away to Dumbarton Athletic Third Round but they acquitted themselves well (not the same team as Dumbarton) before a more throughout the season which ended with a 2-0 modest 1-0 win away to another Dumbarton club, win away to Vale of Leven in front of a 1,000 Albion. Cowlairs were beaten 4-0 at Tontine Park crowd. In January, Renton had played Vale of but Vale of Leven took Renton to a replay with a Leven at home and although they lost 2-1, they 2-2 draw at Tontine Park before being beaten 3-0 were able to attract a crowd of 2,000. on their own ground in Alexandria. Tontine Park was first enclosed in 1883 but For the second year in succession, Renton were initially there were no facilities actually on the drawn to play Hibernian in the semi-finals at ground, even for players, as the dressing rooms Easter Road and for the second year in succession, were about 100 yards away. However during the they proved superior to the Edinburgh club, 1884-85 season, a small grandstand was erected winning 2-0 and qualifying to meet Queens Park in which seems from later maps to have been the final at Third Lanark’s Cathkin Park ground. positioned on the east side of the ground, A crowd variously estimated at between 7,000 straddling the half-way line. The exact date when and 10.000 saw Queens take an early lead which this first appeared is not clear but it was certainly they held until Renton equalised early in the in use by January 1885 as the advertisement second half. However Renton seemed to tire below from the Lennox Herald clearly shows. towards the end and Queens scored twice more to win the cup 3-1. Although disappointed at not being able to retain the Scottish Cup, there was considerable consolation for Renton in May when they won Scotland’s second most prestigious trophy, the Glasgow Charity Cup. This was competed for by five invited clubs with Renton beating Queens Park 5-2 in their semi-final and then Vale of Leven 3-1 in the final. Both games were played at Renton began the 1884-85 season in fine form Hampden Park with crowds of between 3,000 and and were unbeaten until 1st November when they 4,000. The trophy was afterwards put on display in lost 4-0 at Dumbarton in the Dumbartonshire Cup. the window of James Cameron, drapers, in Main In the Scottish Cup though, they were carrying all Street, Renton. before them. They beat Vale of Leven Wanderers Below: Tontine Park in 1898, sandwiched between 2-1 at Tontine Park, East Stirlingshire 10-2 away, the road to Dumbarton and the Dalquhurn Dye Northern 9-2 and St. Mirren 2-1, both at Tontine Works. Note the small building in the north-west Park and then on 27th December, they beat corner of the ground, thought to be the 1886 Rangers 5-3 at Tontine Park in the quarter-finals in pavilion and the larger building on the east side, front of an estimated crowd of 4,000. thought to be the original grandstand. The Renton’s semi-final opponents were Hibernian Recreation Ground on the opposite side of the who had home advantage with the game being road is now where teams from the village play and played at Easter Road in front of an 8,000 crowd. is known officially as Wylie Park but by locals as Hibs twice took the lead and were twice pegged Tontine Park. back before half-time but just a few minutes from the end, Renton snatched the winner. The final was a very local affair between Renton and Vale of Leven, played at Hampden Park in a gale force wind that ruined the game as a spectacle for the 5,000 crowd. Almost inevitably, given the conditions, the game ended goalless and so the sides had to return a week later for the replay.