An Introduction & History

Willie Newbigging has built a team based on experience mixed with youth and enthusiasm to push for junior honours.

Supported by the Committee, Oakley are focussed on the development of both the playing staff as well as Blairwood Park itself. Plans have been drawn up to build a new Pavilion that is in keeping with the modern junior game.

But Oakley was almost not a Junior Club! It came into existence on Sunday 5th April 1964 at a public meeting held in the Community Centre Oakley, It was decided that a NEW Club previously playing as “Comrie Colliery Junior Football Club” would by a vote of 10 to 8 be formed, to play as a Junior club rather than a Juvenile one and would be known as OAKLEY UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB.

With that agreed the grand sum of £369 was transferred from the account of Comrie Colliery Juniors and Oakley United was formed.

The 22nd August 1964 was a red letter day for Oakley United when they played their very first match versus LOCHORE WELFARE. The gate made £8-3-0 and after expenses Oakley made £3-6-4, the Score is unknown for that first game but the Oakley team on the day was..

J Wilson
H Wilson Ferguson
Dow Porteous Westwater
Gray Millar Morgan Spence Johnstone

It took Oakley seven years to make their mark on Junior Football winning the “Cowdenbeath Cup” during the 1970/71 season, and winning the league Title the following year.

Oakley went on to win the League again on 5 more occasions the most recent being in 2000/01. (Full list of Honours shown right).

But information found in the Club’s minutes, show that despite not winning any trophies in those early years Oakley still contributed to the Junior game, Supplying a number of players to senior clubs between the years 1964-70 such as John Fyffe & B Poole to Cowdenbeath, Robert Aitken to Raith Rovers, Stewart Wheatley to Falkirk, Arthur Walsh to Dunfermline Athletic and Richard Mowbray to Aston Villa.

Another interesting fact found in the minutes, that during the seasons 64-66 Oakley United played a young goalkeeper called William Newbigging, father of today’s Player/manager.

One of the funniest entries was in Dec 1966, when Aberdeen club Sunnybank were so appreciative of Oakley’s hospitality during their 2nd round Scottish Cup match that they sent the club a box of KIPPERS!

Another entry of Interest was that current Dunfermline Manager JIM LEISHMAN was at Oakley for a Short time and I do mean SHORT! An entry in the minutes dated 3rd March 1981 mentions his agreement to join Oakley as their Manager and on the 12th March ( 9 days Later ) It mentions his letter of resignation … Not even long enough for a verse in one of his Infamous poems.

Trophies and titles came on a regular basis over the next few years and In 2001/02, Oakley won promotion to the newly formed “Super League-East Region” and in that their first year, finished in seventh place staying up on the very last day after beating Tayport who were the current League Champions and OVD Scottish Cup holders 1 – 0 thanks to a Callum Graham goal who slammed the ball into the net after a young Craig Morrison had tested the Tayport keeper.

Oakley survived for another two seasons in the top league but were relegated at the end of the 04/05 season.

Oakley’s first season back in Fife football was a successful one winning the ACA sponsored league Cup beating Kelty Hearts in the final and more Importantly Winning the Fife League for a seventh time.

So it’s back to the Whyte & MacKay Super League (East), to what will be one again a hard season. Along with other newcomers Kinnoull, Oakley are one of the favorites to go back down but hopefully our past experiences will stand us in good stead.

So Welcome to our website, enjoy and we hope to see you at Blairwood Park soon.

Taking Our First Steps

Our first season as a Junior Club 1964/65

Oakley’s first steps as a Junior Club were taken as stated in the Introduction during the 1964-65 Season. Following the Clubs “birth” on the 22nd April their inaugural League game was at home to the then Triple League Champions LOCHORE WELFARE. The score on that day we’ve recently found out went in favour of the visitors who ran out 5-2 winners.
Oakley United had an indifferent first season in the Fife League Winning only 10 of their 28 league games, drawing 3 but unfortunately losing 15. Scoring a total of 55 goals in the process versus the 74 scored against.

Overall it was a creditable first year, finishing tenth out of fifteen but well behind that year’s Champions ST ANDREWS UNITED. Oakley’s biggest win of the season within the league program was a 5-2 victory away to Frances Colliery, with their most satisfying result a 2-2 home draw versus St Andrews. At that time Oakley United played all their matches at Woodside Park, Blairhall as their new ground in Oakley was not yet ready.

If the League performance was “Indifferent” within the Cups the season can only be termed as “POOR” . In each of the seven cup competitions Oakley only progressed to the second round on two occasions and on each of those they got beat again. The full Cup data for that season was….

Scottish Cup
1st Rd (A) St Andrews United, Lost 1-3
Fife Cup
1st Rd (H) Lochgelly Albert, Won 4-2
2nd Rd (H) Lochore Welfare, Lost 0-1
Cowdenbeath Cup
1st Rd (A) Dundonald Bluebell, Lost 3-6
West Fife Cup
1st Rd (A) Glenrothes, Lost 1-5
Mitchell Cup
1st Rd (A) Tulliallan Thistle, Lost 2-4
Express Cup
1st Rd (A) Frances Colliery Won 7-1
2nd Rd (A) Nairn Thistle, Lost 2-5
League Cup (Not all results available)
(H) Lochore Welfare, Lost 0-2
(A) Blairhall Colliery, Lost 2-5
(H) Clackmannan, Lost 1-4
(A) Lochgelly Albert, Drew 2-2
(H) Comrie Colliery, Lost 1-7
(A) Lochore Welfare, Lost 0-2
(H) Jubilee Athletic, Lost 3-4
(A) Tulliallan Thistle, Won 3-2

It was tentative first steps, but it was steps that were being taken around that time by numerous “new” Junior Clubs. Clackmannan had joined the Junior ranks just a few years earlier in the 61/62 season, Tulliallan Thistle and Comrie Colliery during 62/63 and Valleyfield Colliery in 65/66 as did Kelty Rangers. The Interesting fact in this however is that Oakley United is the only one of these clubs still playing today.
Comrie Colliery technically is still playing as they later changed their name back to that of Steelend Victoria.

First Steps maybe, but every journey to success has them...

Fife League 1964/65 Season