It has been very difficult to accurately define when Buckie Thistle FC was formed, but it is thought that the club was in existence in some form between 1885 and 1889.

The first mention of Buckie Thistle FC appeared in both the Banffshire Advertiser and the Elgin Courant (a fore-runner of the Northern Scot), in October 1889, which referred to the election of Office Bearers of the Thistle FC.

Both papers alluded to the formation of a new football club, Buckie FC, not specifically linked to Thistle, but without actual records to research, it is very difficult to pin the club's formation to an accurate date.

It has, however, become widely accepted that 1889 was the foundation year and, as a result, the club's centenary was celebrated in 1989.

The early years saw the club play a number of challenge matches, but they eventually were accepted into the Banff and district league, which already boasted the likes of Huntly, United, Keith Strathisla and Banff as Members.

Their first home grounds were Cluny Park (now Linzee Gordon Park) and Hector's Park, an area of ground between the present day Queen Street and West Street, with the club's first pavilion being built on the latter property, which became their home ground, until the outbreak of the Great War.

From the early years of the 20th century, the club's registered colours have been their famous green and white hoops and a folk legend has developed that the original jerseys were donated by Glasgow Celtic, although there are no documents in existence which support this notion.

The Jags became the first team outwith Inverness to be accepted into the Highland League, for the 1909/1910 season and within three years had achieved runners-up place, losing out by a single point to Caledonian.

During the Great War, many players and officials were called up into the services and the pitch returned to its former agricultural state, in support of the war effort.

During the war years, Jones Shipyard had played friendlies in the Jags' colours and a misunderstanding apparently arose that this side intended re-constituting Buckie Thistle FC; actually their true intention was to form a new senior club, called Buckie FC and they even played a number of matches under that guise.

Thistle reformed after hostilities ceased and once players and officials returned home, they began playing friendlies, but relationships between the organisations began to break down, with both teams making concerted efforts to sign the best players available, while even arranging matches with clashing kickoff times, on the same day.

After an acrimonious period, the clubs eventually kissed and made up, with the resulting Limited Company formed in 1919 reverting to the favoured Buckie Thistle FC cognomen and almost immediately, achieving success, in the shape of their first ever Highland League Championship, in the 1919-1920 season.

In 1920, the club also secured a lease on their present ground, Victoria Park, eventually moving from the temporary pitch they had occupied, about 100 yards to the North. Work began on their classic Grandstand and two local joiners completed its construction in 13 weeks, the costs being underwritten by Club President, Mr George McKenzie, a local butcher.

This edifice has remained the club's grandstand until the present day, a testimony to the quality of the joiners' work, although it has undergone a variety of cosmetic and recently, radical change to its external appearance.

Thistle's success story continued with the passing years and, after entering the Aberdeen and District League found that they were able to match the likes of Montrose and Brechin, even dishing out comprehensive beatings to their opponents on occasion.

These improvements were matched by further achievements in their Highland League aspirations, adding titles to their growing pedigree in 1926/27 and 1927/28; names which probably mean little to present day fans, such as "Toshie' McIntosh, Geordie Kay, Edmund Geddes and Norman "Blimey' Woods, were legendary in the North at that time, true giants in Football, enhancing the view of many that this era was one of the brightest in Thistle history.

Thistle built on this dynasty and continued to play a major role in North football through the thirties, where further legends, such as "Dally" Duncan, "Kitchy" Cormack, Sandy Middleton, Willie Laing and the famous Bowie partnership at fullback, helped win championships in 1933/34 and 1938/39, while the coveted, but previously elusive Aberdeenshire Cup, was captured in 1936/37 and 1938/39.

This "thirties" side was truly remarkable unit, who too had their devotees as the greatest side ever to play in the hoops and apart from the stars named in the previous paragraph, mention must also be made of the like of "Stir" Milne, Alex Smith, John "Dyles" Cowie and Peter Bain were whisked off to a higher level at Arsenal, Liverpool, Falkirk and Partick Thistle, respectively.

Again, wartime intervened and the Jags great side was disassembled, with the club playing in Aberdeenshire and "A" Leagues, until hostilities ceased, allowing the Limited Company, which had been dissolved, reform.

Prior to the reformation of the Limited Company, Thistle recruited locally based servicemen, many of whom had English League experience, as well as local players who were available at the time.

Most of these "imports" drifted away, after demobilisation and the club resumed, with the fully refurbished Victoria Park, now one of the finest football stadia outside the Scottish League, as a stage to perform upon.

Unfortunately, there was little to cheer in these austere, post war years, but with the dawning of the next decade, much glory was to follow, as another dynasty arose. The final trophy to be annexed - the Qualifying Cup, was lifted in 1952/53 season, with a 4-3 victory over Clachnacuddin, in the final.

This led to what is arguably the finest year in Buckie Thistle's history, when the all conquering Jags won a weather - ravaged league championship by eight points, retained the Qualifying Cup, with a memorable 4-2 victory over Inverness Thistle, beat Caledonian 3-2 in the Morganti (Highland League) Cup Final, won the Dewar Shield with a stunning 5-1 aggregate win over Brechin City but sadly, due to fixture congestion causing its cancellation, were unable to retain the Aberdeenshire Cup.

There was no doubt that this final piece of the jigsaw would have fallen into place and any doubts were dispelled, when the aforementioned "County Cup" was rescheduled and comprehensively won, the following season.

Although much is made today, of the allegedly superior fitness of players, the side of ‘53/54 continually picked itself with the famous, weekly call, as the team lines were posted - "same again, lads!" heralding that legendary XI,:- Hamilton, Tough, Leask; Thain, Dutch, Jeffrey; (G) Cowie, (W) Cowie, McIntyre, Buchan, Stewart.

Sadly, these legendary figures have gradually slipped away, leaving only George Cowie (a regular visitor to matches, when commitments allow) and Jimmy Thain, whose son, Alan, went on to wear the famous hoops as a fullback in the 1980s.

George Cowie's exploits have been immortalised for all Jags fans, in perpetuity, as he donated his extensive medal collection to Buckie Thistle early in season 2004/5 and it is permanently on display within the club's salubrious Function Suite.

In all, the fifties were the club's finest decade, with three League titles (1953/4, 56/57 and 57/58) added to the club's battle honours, alongside three Qualifying Cup wins (1952/53, 53/54, 58/59), four Highland League (Morganti) Cups (1953/54, 55/56, 56/57, 57/58), four Aberdeenshire Cups (1952/53, 53/54, 54/55, 56/57), three Aberdeenshire League titles (1949/50, 51/52, 52/53) and two Dewar Shield wins (1953/54, 57/58).

This golden era sadly drew to a conclusion and bitter times were ahead, as the club's fortunes plummeted, with a solitary Highland League Cup win, in 1960/61 being their only success in a decade which saw further ignominy heaped on the club, as they finished last in the League without a league win, throughout the entire season.

In the seventies, fortunes showed signs of a revival, with a new set of floodlights being erected at Victoria Park and opened on 6 December 1978, when the Jags drew 2-2 with a Highland League select side.

Prior to this milestone, was the formation of Buckie Thistle Social Club, which opened premises in the former TA Drill Hall in West Church Street; the clubrooms famously bulging at the seams on the evening that the Jags beat Inverness Thistle 3-2 in the 1979/80 Highland League Cup Final, when Gordon Robertson netted the decisive goal, minutes from full time.

This period saw the arrival of more familiar names to the majority of present day fans, including Spencer Lyon, "Peem" MacDonald, Joe Wood and Robbie Nicol.

The club reached the Qualifying Cup final at Boroughbriggs in 1980 but, amid unfortunate crowd scenes, which occurred as a result of ineffective stewarding, the side was soundly drubbed 5-0 by Inverness Thistle.

For the first time in 23 years, the club mounted a serious challenge for League honours, but wretched form during the run-in saw them only manage 3 points from their final eleven games and as a result, they stumbled and fell away.

A league-wide investigation into club finances and expenses payments in 1981 saw many clubs hit with huge tax liabilities, with the Jags being one of the hardest hit, so much so that they were on the point of going out of existence.

The existing management committee had resigned and a public meeting had been arranged, ostensibly to wind the club up, but an eleventh hour mission was mounted to save the glorious institution.

Former Player and Manager, Jim Leask was persuaded to step in as President and along with Francis Ritchie, Les Douglass, Alec Ritchie, Johnny Walker, Joe Jappy, Paul Munch and Bill Lobban, an interim committee was formed, with a view to ensuring the club's survival, in the short term, at least.

Club captain and centre half, Dave Watson was appointed manager and a long struggle was embarked upon to try and stabilise the haemorraging finances.

A successful fund-raising campaign saw the club eventually manage to pull away from the threat of sequestration and a measure of success, in the shape of six cup finals, of which, three led to success, in the League Cup (1986/87) and Aberdeenshire Cup (1984/85, 86/87).

Season 1987/88 saw Thistle snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, when they stormed through the second half of the league card to overtake leaders Caledonian, courtesy of a stirring 4-3 victory at Telofrd Street, having been 3-1 down, with barely 20 minutes remaining.

With hopes of a first league title in 30 long years looming large, the Jags had two home and two away games in which to collect seven points, but defeats by Keith(2-1) and Peterhead (2-0), both at Victoria Park, put paid to the vain hopes of the long suffering Buckie public.

Although a 1-0 victory over the Forces of Darkness, at Boroughbriggs gave the slimmest of hopes, a win at Clach by eight clear goals was never a possibility and the 2-2 draw which the players managed, handed Caledonian the title by two points.

The Club's centenary was celebrated in 1989, with the generous construction and donation to the club by Mr John Duncan, a local businessman, of a new cover to the South terracing, replacing the one which had originally been built in 1953 by the Supporters Club.

The original cover had been damaged by storms the previous winter and was in a perilous state.

The last decade of the century failed to inspire, with a miserly one trophy to show for the hard-working committee's efforts, a win in the resurrected Aberdeenshire Shield competition in season 1992/93.

In the new millennium, the club reached the Qualifying Cup Final in 2001/02, but suffered defeat at the hands of Deveronvale, at Kynoch Park, then in 2003/04, Clachnacuddin were defeated in a penalty shoot out, following a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes, at Mosset Park, bringing the grand, old trophy back to Buckie for the first time since 1958/59, forty five years previously!

A string of top three finishes in the opening years of the third millenium had hopes high of a League Flag, at long last, however, for whatever reason the Jags always failed at the final hurdle, but who knows, perhaps 2005/2006 will be the year when fortunes revive again.

To that end, Duncan Shearer and Graeme McBeath have coached their side to the final of the Aberdeenshire Cup on the back of victories away at Inverurie and Fraserburgh, the first "County Cup" final the Jags have contested since 1987, with coastal rivals, Deveronvale the opposition, at Christie Park, Huntly.

The final was a hotly contested affair, which the Jags ultimately won by virtue of a 3-2 penalty shoot-out, after the side tied 2-2 following 120 minutes of end to end action.

The Jags took the lead in 22 minutes, when David Angus netted from the spot after Coutts was fouled in the 'box. The Buckie fans' hate-totem, Ian Murray pulled the Vale back on level terms as regulation time ran out, then put his side into the lead in 99 minutes to pile the pressure on the Jags.

Kevin Small equalised, five minutes later and the 120 minutes ran out. In a pulsating shoot-out duel, the Jags triumphed, when local hero Jamie Shewan netted the vital spot kick to send the Buckie faithful home, happy.

Thistle's Scottish Cup cup odyssey began in 1921-22 with a home game with Scottish League side Royal Albert but there was no glorious start as the visitors won 2-1. In their next two sorties the Jags secured marvellous draws at Alloa (1923-24) and at Dumbarton (1925-26) but sadly both replays were to end in defeat.

History was made though on 15th January 1927 when goals from ‘Abbie' Gowie and 'Geordie' Kay secured a 2-1 win over Fraserburgh. More glory followed in the next round as an Abbie Gowie double saw off League side Beith 2-0 at Victoria Park. The run ended in the next round, a 3-0 home defeat to Bo'ness.

Thistle next tasted glory in 1934-35 with another home win over Beith and then the Jags put on a magnificent display at home to St. Johnstone and only an 85th minute goal won the day for the Saints. The Perth side left Buckie with a healthy respect for the Jags plus a present of two boxes of kippers!  One season on and Thistle scored another superb draw away to Scottish League opposition with a 3-3 scoreline at Leith Athletic but unfortunately the replay against the now defunct Edinburgh side ended in defeat 1-2.

In the last season before WWII, 1938-39, the Jags created more memories. The run started with a long trip to face Nithsdale Wanderers. A quite astonishing game ended five each, but Thistle won the replay 5-2. Next up was Blairgowrie and, after a superb three each draw in Perthshire, Thistle romped to a 4-1 replay victory at Victoria Park. They were rewarded with a plum tie in the next round at home to Third Lanark but the upper echelon visitors were simply too good on the day and cruised to a 6-0 over the chastened Jags.

The 1950's were Thistle's glory days with no less than 13 trophies secured and not surprisingly, there was a spiralling of Scottish Cup success but also some memorable defeats! In 1953-54 the Jags completed the 'Grand Slam' in domestic, highland football but also played one of their greatest Scottish Cup games ever, though it ended in a defeat.

After seeing off Peebles Rovers easily, the Jags headed for Firhill in Glasgow to face the ‘Maryhill Magyars', A.K.A. Partick Thistle, then in the top Division - surely no chance for the Buckie Jags, you might consider. - Au contraire, mon ami! The Buckie Jags put on a brilliant display and only lost out 5 -2 partly as a result of two late, Partick penalties. The Buckie boys left the field to a standing ovation and Partick's internationalist Jimmy Davidson admitted that the better team lost on the day.

On to 1954-55 and the glory in a memorable run came against Queen's Park. It ended 1-1 at Buckie and Thistle were Hampden Bound for the replay where the Spiders were favourites but great goals from Alex Stewart and the late Willie Cowie secured a famous win and Thistle remain the only non-league side ever to have beaten Queen's Park at the National Stadium.

 It is said that in these pre live telecast days, that when the result was phoned through to the Scottish herring drifter fleets in Yarmouth and Lowestoft, the townsfolk were deafened by the sound of hooters and whistles as the North fishers rejoiced!

In 1956-57 the Jags recorded their best Scottish cup win by hammering Newton Stewart 9-2 at home. Another record stands from that game with George Cowie grabbing five goals. One season on came Thistle's most infamous defeat in a glorious performance. Scottish Cup holders Falkirk were in town - surely no chance? With nine minutes remaining in the cup-tie Martin Buchan hammered the ball home, after a solo run which left the visitors' defence floundering.

The ground erupted and the Falkirk heads went down but suddenly disbelief ensued, as the infamous Mr Kilpatrick, the match referee, disallowed the goal and to rub salt into the wound "the Bairns" went up the other end and scored the winner.

After the break-up of the 50's team the Jags form suffered and between 1960 and 1978 there were only two Scottish Cup appearances against Raith Rovers 1960-61 (covered on TV) and Ayr United in 1963-64, both matches ending in defeat for the Jags.

In the late 1970's the Jags came out of the shadows and reached the cup proper  in 1977-78 but a huge travelling support was denied celebrations due to last minute goal by Albion Rovers.

Two seasons on they won a dramatic replay at Brora (2-1 aet), maintaining their proud record of never having lost to Highland League opposition in a Scottish Cup tie, which led to a mouthwatering clash at Dunfermline. The first game was dubiously postponed, at a very late stage, allegedly due to a frosted surface, although to the army of disgruntled Jags fans who had travelled in a fleet of buses and cars, it appeared perfectly playable.

The Jags faithful were turned away however and the Pars went on to win the re-arranged midweek game 2-0.

In 1980-81 Thistle drew with Meadowbank 2-2 and won the replay in Buckie 3-2, the first coming from future Thistle manager, Alan Scott. In the following round they played Stranraer and the scorelines were exactly as the previous tie, a 2-2 away draw followed by a home 3-2 win.

Much was expected of the Jaunty Jags, after taking these scalps, but they were eliminated in the next round 3-1 by Stirling Albion, during which match, John Colquhoun made his senior debut as a second half substitute and a goalscorer to boot!

 There were two more 80's games but these ended in defeat by Queens Park (A)(1985-86) and to East Stirling (H)(1987-88). The only 90's game at home to Berwick in 1994 also ended in a 4-2 defeat.

Qualification for the season 2000/2001 cup 1st Rd, Thistle advanced courtesy of a 1-0 win over Edinburgh City following a midweek return to "Auld Reekie" after the Saturday contest was controversially cancelled due to an allegedly frost-bound pitch.

Thereafter followed, on 6 January, the famous 2-0 2nd Rd win over Hamilton Academicals, with Craig Stewart and Levi Stephen notching the vital goals against the fancied central belt side, the story continued for the Jags' faithful.

The 3rd round saw Thistle travel to Dingwall, to take on their former Highland League opponents, Ross County, at their re-vamped Victoria Park.

Despite going behind, to a Henderson strike, after an evenly balanced start to the game, the Jags equalised courtesy of a Charlie Rowley goal and really had their senior opponents under the cosh, but a stroke of misfortune saw County pull ahead in the final stages then hold on to win.

Henderson's off target shot struck the rear end of Paul Lamberton and the subsequent deflection wrong footed Mike Rae to restore the Dingwall side's lead, which they hung on to, grimly, to win through to a lucrative 4th round tie against the mighty Glasgow Rangers.

The following season, 2001 / 2002, Stirling Albion provided the opposition and it was off to Forthbank for the substantial Buckie following, but despite taking an early lead with a Mark Holmes goal, they were to be disappointed as the Jags lost out to the "Binos" 1-2 in the end, when the home side scored a late winner.

Perhaps one of the more ignominious days in Buckie's Scottish Cup history came in season 2003- 2004, as the Scottish cup draw paired the Jags with another Edinburgh side, Spartans FC.

Although their hosts were not thought to be soft touches, many people gave the Jags a more than fighting chance of making it to the 2nd round and Alloa Athletic FC, but it was not to be.

Despite taking an early lead through a Franny More strike, the Jags never really got going and at the end of the day came home chastened, following a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of the East League side.

Hopefully, the coming season will allow Duncan Shearer to redress the balance a little, given some luck with the Qualifying Cup draw, which sees the Jags paired with Nairn County, at Station Park, where their 2003/04 Q / Cup winning run got underway; hopefully, it will progress in similar fashion.

Bill Lobban .