THIS IS GLENBUCK

19/09/2026

⚽ BILLY BLYTH — A GLENBUCK MAN WHO MADE CARLISLE HISTORY

These fascinating images help tell the story of WILLIAM JAMES “BILLY ” BLYTH, one of the many outstanding footballers to emerge from the small Ayrshire mining village of GLENBUCK.

Billy worked in the pits during his early life before graduating from the nursery team of the celebrated GLENBUCK CHERRYPICKERS at the age of 18. His footballing journey began at BURNSIDE PARK, the historic home of the Cherrypickers, before taking him into the professional game.

He followed his elder brother Robert to PORTSMOUTH and later played for PRESTON NORTH END.

Billy arrived in CARLISLE from Deepdale during the 1905–06 season and helped CARLISLE UNITED win promotion to the First Division of the Lancashire Combination.

The official programme pictured is from CARLISLE UNITED’S match against CHORLEY at DEVONSHIRE PARK on 7 September 1907, with Billy named as the club’s captain.

Before moving to their present home at BRUNTON PARK in 1909, CARLISLE UNITED played their home matches at DEVONSHIRE PARK. Appropriately, the scorer of the final goal at the old ground was BILLY BLYTH, giving this GLENBUCK footballer a permanent place in the club’s history.

The CARLISLE UNITED team photograph from the 1908–09 season shows Billy in the back row and provides another wonderful record of his time with the club.

He continued playing for CARLISLE until the 1914–15 season, when a knee injury brought his playing career to an end. His association with the club continued, however, and he eventually became a director of CARLISLE UNITED.

Billy also became a well-known figure within the city. In May 1920, he took over as manager of the BOWLING GREEN HOTEL. Years later, his nephew BILL SHANKLY stayed at Billy’s hotel during his own time in CARLISLE, adding another personal connection between the BLYTH and SHANKLY families, GLENBUCK and CARLISLE UNITED.

When Billy died on 3 NOVEMBER 1950, aged 67, representatives from CARLISLE UNITED, the FOOTBALL LEAGUE, the FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION and numerous local organisations attended his funeral. The club’s directors acted as pallbearers, and it was also recorded that BILL SHANKLY —then manager of CARLISLE UNITED —attended the service.

Billy was laid to rest at STANWIX CEMETERY alongside his wife ETHEL and their son JAMES DONALD BLYTH.

From working in the Ayrshire pits and playing at BURNSIDE PARK to becoming CARLISLE UNITED’S captain, goalscorer and director, BILLY BLYTH left a lasting legacy in both communities.

His remarkable story forms part of the great footballing legacy shared between CARLISLE UNITED and GLENBUCK —a connection built through the players and personalities who travelled south from this small mining village and became part of CARLISLE’S history.

It is also another reminder of why BURNSIDE PARK and its extraordinary football heritage deserve to be preserved for future generations.

A special thank you to RON MADDISON and the CARLISLE UNITED HERITAGE GROUP for sharing these wonderful images and helping to preserve BILLY BLYTHS story!

THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️ 🍒

14/09/2026

⚽ FROM PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS TO... CLUB CHAIRMEN!

When this photograph appeared in the Portsmouth Evening News on 16 February 1931, Robert Blyth of Portsmouth and William “Billy” Bassett of West Bromwich Albion were described as the only two former professional footballers who had gone on to become chairmen of their old clubs.

That alone makes this a remarkable image.

Both men were born in 1869 and rose from the football pitch to the very top of their respective clubs—but each followed an extraordinary path to get there.

Billy Bassett was one of the outstanding players of football’s early years. He made 311 competitive appearances for West Bromwich Albion, won the FA Cup in 1888 and 1892, and represented England 16 times, scoring eight goals.

He later became chairman of Albion and helped rescue the club from serious financial difficulties. In 1910, he even paid the players’ summer wages from his own pocket! He remained chairman until his death in 1937, completing more than half a century of service to the club.

Beside him sits Glenbuck-born Robert Blyth.

From our small Ayrshire mining village, Blyth’s footballing journey took him to Middlesbrough Ironopolis, Rangers, Preston North End, Dundee and Portsmouth.

At Portsmouth, he rose through virtually every position within the club: player, captain, player-manager, manager, director, vice-chairman and finally chairman. As manager, he also led Portsmouth to the Southern League championship in 1901–02.

The second photograph, published in January 1932 under the title “Old Team Mates,” reunited Blyth with Phil Bach at Fratton Park.

The two men had played together for the short-lived Middlesbrough Ironopolis many years earlier. By the time they met again, Blyth was chairman of Portsmouth and Bach was chairman of Middlesbrough F.C.

Bach had also played for Reading, Sunderland and Bristol City, and represented England in the famous 13–2 victory over Ireland in 1899. He later served two separate periods as chairman of Middlesbrough.

Three footballers who reached the boardroom—and at the centre of these two historic photographs is Robert Blyth, whose remarkable journey began in Glenbuck.

From a little Ayrshire mining village to the chairman’s office at Portsmouth. What an achievement—and what a story! ⚽😃

THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️ 🍒

02/09/2026

Exciting news for Glenbuck! We at THIS IS GLENBUCK warmly welcome these plans and the possibilities they bring for our village’s future!

For the past eight years, we’ve been proud to play our part in keeping Glenbuck’s story alive.

We’re ready to build on that work and contribute as the plans develop, continuing to care for BURNSIDE PARK and preserve and celebrate our village’s remarkable football heritage!

Restoration and remembrance for new project in Bill Shankly's hometown - Liverpool FC https://share.google/cZDYGF4iPsbkhRXVk




THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️ 🍒

01/09/2026

A young Bill Shankly, with so much still ahead of him!

Ahead of his birthday tomorrow, 2 September, Carlisle United Heritage Group continue their week of tributes with photographs from his playing days and a look at his friendship with trainer Tom Curry.

THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️ 🍒

Lovely to see these glimpses of Glenbuck’s most famous son at the beginning of his professional football journey. ⚽

31/08/2026

With Bill Shankly’s birthday falling on 2 September, Carlisle United Heritage Society are celebrating Glenbuck’s most famous son throughout this week.

It was at Carlisle that an 18-year-old Shankly took his first steps in professional football, following a path already established by his uncle, Billy Blyth — a former Carlisle captain and later a director of the club.

We look forward to following their posts throughout the week. A proud connection between our village and Carlisle, and a shared history worth celebrating!

THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️ 🍒

24/08/2026

Pre-season in GLENBUCK — 1903 ⚽

With another football season getting underway, here’s a fascinating look back at GLENBUCK CHERRYPICKERS preparing for the new season in AUGUST 1903.

The Dalry & Kilbirnie Herald reported that prospects at Glenbuck were “very bright”, with most of the previous season’s players retained and several new faces joining the club.

There are some familiar names in the team, including Bob Blyth, Willie Blyth and Willie Wallace, and the report gives a real sense of the quality of football being played in Glenbuck at the time.

Willie Blyth was described as “one of the finest left-halves playing junior at the present time”, (he would later join Carlisle United) while Willie Wallace was said to have “no equal as an inside right.”

The report also shows Glenbuck players continuing to make the step into senior football.

One small correction to the newspaper: Jock Bone was the player who went to Aston Villa.

And two details at the bottom of the clipping are particularly nice to see:

Ground — Burnside Park.
Secretary — John Shankly, father of the famous Shankly brothers.

123 years later, BURNSIDE PARK is still there! ❤️

A wonderful snapshot of a new football season beginning in our little Ayrshire village all those years ago!

📜 Dalry & Kilbirnie Herald, 7 August
1903

THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️🍒

18/08/2026

⚽ On this day in 1951, Glenbuck’s most famous son, Bill Shankly, took charge of his first game as Grimsby Town manager.

In his first season, Shankly guided the Mariners to 2nd place in Division Three North, just missing out on promotion by three points, with only the champions going up.

His team also set a club record of 11 straight league wins — a record that still stands today.

Shankly later said of that Grimsby side:

“Pound for pound, and class for class, the best football team I have seen in England since the war!.”

Long before he became a Liverpool legend, the Glenbuck lad was already showing the signs of the manager he’d go on to become!

THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️ 🍒

📷 Bill Shankly during his time as Grimsby Town manager.

On this day in 1951, the legendary Bill Shankly took charge of his first game as Grimsby Town manager.

His first season would see Grimsby finish runners up to Lincoln in Division Three North. However at that time, only the Champions were promoted.

Lincoln beat Town by three points (two for a win). In only the second game of the season, Town would lose 3-2 at home to their rivals. However the Mariners ended the game with only 9 men after keeper Stan Hayhurst had to leave the field with a broken finger and later in the game Alex McCue with a broken leg on debut. No subs in those days.

They would also set a still unbeaten club record of 11 successive league wins between 19th January and 29th March.

30/07/2026

⚽ GEORGE HALLEY IN THE GREEN AND WHITE OF BRADFORD PARK AVENUE

For the first time on THIS IS GLENBUCK, we are delighted to share a photograph of GEORGE HALLEY wearing the shirt of BRADFORD PARK AVENUE in 1913.

Halley joined the Yorkshire club from KILMARNOCK in 1911, signed by the influential TOM MALEY for what was reported to be a record transfer fee received by Kilmarnock at the time.

Maley was a former Celtic player, the brother of legendary Celtic manager Willie Maley, and had already made history by leading Manchester City to the FA Cup in 1904.

One of Maley’s most visible changes at Bradford Park Avenue was persuading the club to replace its traditional red, amber and black colours with the famous GREEN-AND-WHITE HOOPS of his former club, CELTIC—the very shirt George Halley is proudly wearing in this photograph.

Bradford Park Avenue had only been elected to the Football League in 1908 and were competing in the SECOND DIVISION when Halley arrived. Maley recruited several talented Scottish players as he began building the team that would eventually win promotion to the First Division in 1914.

Halley became an important member of the side, making 62 Football League appearances and scoring eight goals between 1911 and 1913.

Before Kilmarnock and Bradford, however, Halley’s remarkable footballing journey had begun at BURNSIDE PARK, home of the GLENBUCK CHERRYPICKERS.

It is incredible to think that a young footballer who developed his talent on that small village pitch would become valuable enough to command a reported record fee and continue his career in the English Football League.

He later joined Burnley, where he became an FA CUP WINNER in 1914 and an ENGLISH LEAGUE CHAMPION in 1921.

George Halley’s achievements are already well known, but seeing him for the first time in the green and white of Bradford Park Avenue adds another special image to the story of one of GLENBUCK’S greatest footballing sons.

From BURNSIDE PARK to Bradford Park Avenue—another wonderful piece of Glenbuck football history!
💚🤍⚽

THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️ 🍒

20/07/2026

⚫ A SAD DAY FOR FOOTBALL — KEVIN KEEGAN, 1951–2026
Today, football has lost one of its most loved and inspirational figures.
This remarkable photograph shows a young KEVIN KEEGAN alongside Glenbuck’s own BILL SHANKLY at Anfield — two giants of the game whose lives became forever connected.

It was Shankly who recognised Keegan’s potential and brought him from Scunthorpe United to Liverpool in 1971. That decision helped launch one of the greatest careers in British football.

But their connection went far beyond that of manager and player. Keegan later said that Shankly had changed his life forever and that he owed him so much. He regarded him as a mentor and father figure, learning from him the importance of honesty, hard work, enthusiasm and giving everything to whatever you do. Shankly did not simply give Keegan his opportunity — he gave him belief and values that remained with him throughout his life.

Shankly once summed up the fearless energy he wanted from the young Keegan by telling him to go out and “drop a few hand grenades all over the place.” Keegan did exactly that, becoming the beating heart of a Liverpool side that conquered England and Europe.

He went on to become a European Cup winner, twice European Footballer of the Year, captain of England and an enduring legend at Liverpool, Hamburg and Newcastle United.

For Glenbuck, this photograph is a powerful reminder that Shankly’s influence was not measured only in trophies. It was also found in the people he inspired — and few carried his passion, determination and love of football more proudly than Kevin Keegan.

Our deepest condolences go to Kevin’s family, friends and the countless supporters who loved him.
Rest in peace, King Kev. ⚽🖤

THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️🍒

15/06/2026

A fascinating early image of a young BILL SHANKLY from his CARLISLE UNITED days!

The cutting mentions GLENBUCK CHERRYPICKERS, although SHANKLY started his football career with CRONBERRY EGLINTON before joining CARLISLE UNITED!

What remains beyond doubt is that his story began in GLENBUCK, our small AYRSHIRE mining village with a unique football legacy!

THIS IS GLENBUCK ⚽️ 🍒