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TAYPORT THISTLE
Tayport Thistle football club was inaugurated in August 1981.
A committee was formed
with the sole purpose of giving the youth
of Tayport, and surrounding areas, a much needed football club,
Tayport Thistle Boys F .C. The club was registered with the Dundee
Sunday Boys League with the promise of weekly football.
SUPPORT
Throughout the formative years much hard work was done to ensure
that the club was kept
up and running and firmly established as an
efficiently run organisation, and, respected as such throughout the
areas of Fife and Dundee. This task was accomplished by numerous
fund
raising events, such as, bingo, whist drives, and also an annual Gala
Day for the public, for whom we are indebted, and without whose generous
support we would have struggled to succeed. Football kit, strips, footballs
and nets depended on the success of such events. Committee members, many
of whom were, and still are, parents of the boys,
ensured a continuation of parental interest through the years. Although the
club is in Tayport, the catchment area ensures that many youngsters from nearby
towns and villages such as, Newport, Wormit, Leuchars, Balmullo, St Andrews and
Dundee can benefit from the club.
In the early years the club attempted to run
two minibuses but this became a huge financial burden and thus the transportation
dependency fell on the parents.
CLUB PREMISES
During this time the use of changing facilities for the club members and also
the visiting teams was dependant on, variously the renting of premises at cost to
the club, changing into football gear in houses, or, at times, outside at the mercy
of the elements. Thus, after much hard work to ensure a bank balance would be maintained,
it was decided by the committee
to purchase premises at great cost.
The premises, a large wooden hut, known as The Church Hut, that consisted of
two large rooms, one small room, plus a small area for refreshments, gave the club
a welcome independence. The premises were also helpful in respect of fund raising
in that we could now operate out with the dependency of others, i.e. running a few
events such as jumble sales, bingo, sponsored events and occasional lending and
renting
out of the premises to other organisations in the area.
However, due to a senseless act of vandalism, the hut was burned to the ground.
Needless to say, the cost of rebuilding new premises is prohibitive. Because of this
set back the progress of the club was hampered and the victims are not just the
players of Tayport Thistle, who are dependent on such facilities, but also the
Tayport public in general.
P.S.
The Phoenix ; Since the above article was written the calibre of the
club committee and the generosity of the Tayport public must again be
acknowledged. Their determination to succeed in rising above any setbacks
has ensured that new premises have risen from the ashes.
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