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Blackburn United F.C.

Coordinates: 55°52′24″N 3°37′09″W / 55.873368°N 3.619214°W / 55.873368; -3.619214
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Blackburn United
Full nameBlackburn United Football Club
Nickname(s)The Burnie
Founded1978
GroundPurdie Worldwide Community Stadium
(New Murrayfield Park)
Ash Grove
Blackburn
Capacity1,500
PresidentIan McGinty
ManagerJamie McCormick
LeagueEast of Scotland League First Division
2023–24East of Scotland League First Division, 10th of 15
WebsiteClub website

Blackburn United Football Club are a Scottish football club from the town of Blackburn, West Lothian. The team plays at Tier 6 of the Scottish Football Pyramid in the East of Scotland League First Division having moved from the junior leagues in 2018.[1] Blackburn United became full members of the Scottish Football Association in June 2019.

History

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Formed in 1978, the club joined the junior grade of football two years later before taking the step up into Senior football in 2018. United play their home matches at the purpose-built Purdie Worldwide Community Stadium (New Murrayfield Park), which has room for 1,100 spectators, in the centre of the town. The whole facility that is the Purdie Worldwide Community Stadium complex boasts a six-dressing room pavilion and associated amenities, an enclosed and floodlit 3G main Stadium pitch and three further 11-a-side pitches.

The club was one of many to move from junior football to the East of Scotland Football League in 2018.[1]

Community Club

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The Club forms the pinnacle of the Blackburn United Community Sports Club, a fully accredited SFA Community Club and Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation which, in addition to adult semi-professional football, caters for under age football at all ages from under-9 to under-20 as well as ladies, girls and additional needs football and a variety of other sporting activities. For younger age groups there is a soccer school with its own dedicated coaches.

Current squad

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As of 14 November 2020[2]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK Scotland SCO Craig Saunders
GK Scotland SCO Gavin King
DF Scotland SCO Martin Lawrie
DF Scotland SCO James Mildren
DF Scotland SCO Finlay Anderson
DF Scotland SCO Kyle McClung
DF Scotland SCO John Drummond
DF Scotland SCO Lewis Alexander
MF Scotland SCO Stuart MacLeod
MF Scotland SCO David Howe
MF Scotland SCO Michael Browne (captain)
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF Scotland SCO Kieran Swanson
MF Scotland SCO Dominic Kane
MF Scotland SCO Marc Smith (on loan from Livingston)
MF Scotland SCO Justin Watson (on loan from Livingston)
MF Scotland SCO Richie Hutton
MF Scotland SCO Marley Redfern (on loan from Hamilton Academical)
MF Scotland SCO Calum McDowall
FW Scotland SCO Danny Campbell
FW Scotland SCO Laurie Devine
FW Scotland SCO Jordan Devine

Club staff

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Board of directors

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Role Nationality Name
President Scotland Ian McGinty
Vice-president Scotland James Johnstone
Secretary Scotland David Jones
Treasurer Scotland Angela Campbell
Coach Development Officer Scotland Brian Smillie

Coaching staff

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Role Nationality Name
Manager Scotland Jamie McCormick
Assistant manager Scotland Craig Young
Coach Scotland Gavin King
Coach Scotland Andrew Meechan
Coach Scotland Dougie McIntyre
Physio Scotland Lee Reid

Source

Managerial history

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Name Nationality Years
Alex 'Kitty' Dunnigan Scotland 1984-1986[3]
Dick Hodgson Scotland 1986[4]
Jim Henderson Scotland 1986-1989[5]
Mark Campbell Scotland 2005-2022[6]
Jamie McCormick Scotland 2022-[6]

c Caretaker manager

Club records

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Appearances

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The club's record appearance holder until March 2014 was Craig Spence who, after signing from Airdrieonians at the beginning of the 1998–99 season, made 375 appearances and scored 20 goals before retiring in August 2012.[7] On 15 March 2014, fellow Airdrie man Alan Brown, signed as a teenager at the beginning of the 1997–98 season and who had three spells at the club, surpassed Spence's record when making his 376th appearance for the club, scoring his 68th goal in the process. Alan went onto make a total of 409 appearances, scoring 69 goals, before leaving the club at the end of the 2014/15 season.[7]

Goals

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The club's record goalscorer is Andy McQuillan who, at the beginning of season 2019–20, had netted 173 goals in 235 starts and 24 substitute appearances.[7]

Notable former players

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The following players have either played for Blackburn United before going onto forge careers at a higher level or have played for one of the club's predecessors before similarly going onto play at a higher level;

References

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  1. ^ a b McLauchlin, Brian (7 June 2018). "East of Scotland League vote signals exodus of 25 junior clubs". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Squad – Blackburn United Football Club". Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Celebrating 30 years of Blackburn Utd".
  4. ^ "Vol 26 No 6 Programme v Glenrothes".
  5. ^ "37 The Bear facts tigers may appeal DAILY RECORD Thursday February 16 1989 Mighty Milne has run out of time".
  6. ^ a b "Blackburn United boss reflects on amazing 27-year spell with club as he retires".
  7. ^ a b c d e Historical club website
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55°52′24″N 3°37′09″W / 55.873368°N 3.619214°W / 55.873368; -3.619214