The New Century

During the last days of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, Junior football was in a state of transit. The 20th century was coming and so was change, the old Donaldson League had gone and the Midlothian Championship, that was the predecessor of the Midlothian Junior League, folded in 1900. Results and football were at a premium between 1899 and 1901 with the end of one era and the beginning of another. The Midlothian Junior League formed for season 1901/2 brought football into the 20th century. In that early League were teams like Edinburgh Myrtle, Prestonpans Athletic, Musselburgh Fern, and more familiar names like, Arniston Rangers, Bonnyrigg Rose, Newtongrange Star and Dalkeith Thistle. Arniston Rangers we are told, won the League Championship between 1899 and 1902. An Arniston clipping taken from the original photograph verifies the League Championship wins, and also gives us a team list of the following; Robert Hadden, James Ormonde, Archie Neilson, Henry Kinghorn, Thomas Chatham, Alex Ritchie, James Walkingshaw, John Deans, John Ferrier, Thomas Winning and James Smith. How many of these players descendants are around today, one wonders? We can now continue our story, and put my nostalgia away.