Dumfries and District Amateur Football League

Kelloholm started out in the Dumfries Sunday League where they were one of the most successful team in the history of that league. Seeking a new challenge they joined the Dumfries and District Amateur League in time for the 1995/96 season and managed to win promotion to the top division in their first year, finishing second to the undefeated Kirkpatrick Fleming team. They also were runners up to Lochmaben in the League Cup that year.

The club have strong links to one family in particular. Billy Wells and his three sons have been key members of the Club from the very early days. Billy works away in the background to keep things ticking over while 'Skinny', Dick and Mark Wells all played on a regular basis. Other stalwarts of the club on the playing side were Ted Miller, Andy Kilpatrick and Derek McWilliams.

In their time in the league they have had their ups and downs and in recent years have concentrated on bringing young players through their ranks.  Unfortunately sometimes their hard work benefits other clubs in the area as players move on.  Their best season saw them finishing as runners up in the league in 05/06 season with Ted Miller and James Gallacher sharing managerial duties at that time. Ted who shared his playing days with Kelloholm and Kirkconnel Amateurs is now in sole control and Kelloholm continue to produce a stream of good young players.

The team plays its home games at the Tony Pierog Park in the centre of Kelloholm and have share changing facilities at the community centre with Kirkconnel Amateurs.

The club have taken part in nine cup finals in their time in the league winning four. The clubs last victories come in the 2002/03 season when the club won the Presidents and McCall Cup finals as well as finishing runners-up in division 2.

Unfortunately due to a lack of committee to help Ted Miller the club folded at the end of the 2007/08 season. Most of the players moved to the Kirkconnel team at that time.

Honours

Division 1              Runners-up         2005/06

Division 2              Winners            2001/02

Division 2              Runners-up         1995/96, 2002/03

Presidents Cup          Winners            2001/02, 2002/03

British Legion Cup      Runners-up         2003/04

Queen of the South Cup  Runners-up         2003/04

McCall Cup              Winners            2002/03

McCall Cup              Runners-up         2001/02

League Cup              Runners-up         1995/96

Tony Pierog Cup         Winners            2005/06

Tony Pierog Cup         Runners-up         2004/05, 2005/06

Kirkpatrick Fleming joined the league in 1984 and played their games at the park in the middle of the village, although occasionally games were played at Canonbie. The club always produced a decent side but it took over ten years to gain promotion to division 1 which was achieved in the 1995/96 season. That was probably the best year for club as they not only finished undefeated in the league but featured in three cup finals, winning two of them.

A second promotion season a few years later and the odd appearance in a cup final kept things ticking over before they finally called it a day at the end of 2000/2001 season. Graham Lockhart the long serving league secretary played his football for Kirkpatrick before taking over official duties in the early 1990s.

Honours

Division 2              Winners      1995/96

Division 2              Runners-up   1998/99

Presidents Cup          Winners      1992/93

Presidents Cup          Runners-up   1989/90, 1995/96

McCall Cup              Winners      1995/96

McCall Cup              Runners-up   1992/93, 1993/94

Tennent Caledonian Cup  Winners      1995/96

Queen of the South      Runners-up   1996/97

British Legion Cup      Runners-up   1998/99

Tony Pierog Trophy      Winners      1986/87, 1993/94, 1997/98

Kirkton AFC played in the D&DAFL for 6 successive seasons between 1989/90 and 1996/97 seasons with another season 2 years later in 1999/00. In that time they won promotion to the first division 2 times, the first as division 2 runners-up in the 93/94 and again in the 95/96 season, this time finishing 3rd but with Galloway Rovers pulling out of the league promotion was given.

Cup success was secured when the Presidents Cup was won by defeating Kirkpatrick Fleming on penalties after extra time at Annan in the 95/96 season. That same season they also finished as runners-up in the McCall and Nivison Cups to Kirkpatrick and Lochmaben respectively. In 96/97 a mid table position was secured in the top division and they again finished as runners-up in Nivison Cup, losing 2-1 to Lochmaben at Lockerbie. They also finished runners up to Kirkpatrick in the Supplementary Cup that season, losing narrowly 1-0 at the Home Park. But this was to be the end of the line for the club due to the lack of committee members meaning that all the work was falling on only one or two individuals who then decided to call it a day.

Two years later the team had one last flourish when John Kennedy entered a team in the league again in time for the 1999/00 season. The team struggled that year in the league but did manage to win their way through to the Presidents Cup final at the David Keswick Centre against a young and talented Abbey Vale team who ran out as 3-1 winners.

Further back the roots of Kirkton AFC lie in the Dumfries Sunday League. Sandy McNay and Les Adamson started the team in time for the 1987/88 season and with Davie Birrell on board as trainer they got together a mix of young lads from the Locharbriggs and Kirkton area. Sandy was famous for recruiting people who came for prescriptions at the pharmacy where he worked, especially if they were new to the area. Dirk Peters was one such lad, a German exchange student who was teaching for a year in Dumfries. He played during the 95/96 season and starred for the team for the whole year.

Managers   Sandy McNay - formation to end of  91/92, 93/94, Les Martin - 92/93, Steven Todd/Tommy Henderson - 94/95 to 96/97, John Kennedy 99/00

The following players all played for Kirkton AFC at one time or another.

Kenny Wilson, Kenny Fyfe, Steven Todd, Davie Kirk, Brian Nish, Dougie Nish, Davie Nish, David Kennedy, John Kennedy, Tommy Henderson, Craig Lauder, Jason Brown, Mark Montgomery, Chris O'Toole, Mark Johnstone, Cris Cavens, Zoran Zutic, Derek McGregor, Jamie Doyle, Neil MacKenzie, Colin Coulter, Ian Rogerson, Garry Patterson, Nino Brown, Ross Slaven, Dirk Peters, Alan Cameron, Dougie Campbell, Dougie Leslie, Midge Tate, Kenny Little (Snr), Howard Bradley, Derek McGinley, Greg Atchison, "Winkie".................................

Probably the best player to come through the Kirkton ranks over the years was Davie Kennedy who first played as a 15 year old and featured in every season the team played in the D&DAFL including the second spell in 1999/00. Davie later played for Morton Thistle before joining Kirkconnel Amateurs where he won many league division 1 titles and cup silverware including the South of Scotland Cup. Now playing for a successful Nithsdale Amateurs team in the Southern Counties League, Davie continues to play to a very high standard.

Presidents Cup Final 94/95

As mentioned above the team's one and only honour came in the 95/96 season when they defeated Kirkpatrick Fleming in the final of the Presidents Cup. Played at Annan the Monday night game finished 2-2 after extra time and Kirkton then went on to win 4-1 on penalties, with goalkeeper Craig Lauder the hero of the shootout with 3 penalty saves.

The squad that night were; Craig Lauder, Dougie Nish, Davie Nish, Brian Nish, Colin Coulter, Davie Kirk, Jamie Doyle, Cris Cavens, David Kennedy, Dougie Campbell, Derek McGinley, Steven Todd, Mark Johnstone and Kenny Little(Snr). Kirkpatrick were 2-1 up at half time and it remained that way until the 90th minute when the important equaliser was scored by Stevie Todd from a corner. With no score in extra time the tie went to penalties and Kirkton won 4-1. The referee that night was Willie Martin.

Honours

Division 2                 Runners-up   1993/94

Presidents Cup             Winners      1995/96

Presidents Cup             Runners-up   1999/00

Tennents Caledonian Cup    Runners-up   1995/96

Nivision Cup               Runners-up   1995/96, 1996/97

Nithsdale Supersports Cup  Runners-up   1996/97

Kirkholm hailed from the Upper Nithsdale area. They were a regular force in youth football for many years. They fielded a team in the D&DAFL in time for the 66/67 season. They didn’t last long and resigned from the league during their first season.

Honours

None