Some players belong as much to Falkirk as they do to East Stirlingshire. Most of these players can be identified with one club over the other, however there are a rare few who rise above that nonsense, they are simply players for both clubs.
The first known player to have played for both clubs ticked a lot of these boxes, playing for most of Falkirk's early years before transferring his allegiances to his more local club. He was also the first player for both clubs to have died. I have to thank Drummond Calder of the Shire Trust for doing a lot of leg work on this one.
Jamie Neil came from Kilmarnock, and whilst I can not blame him for getting out of such a no-place to Falkirk, he came before the football, he came for work. Living towards Bainsford he, like most, being an Iron Moulder. He lived in John Street and would have probably worked in the Falkirk or Grahamston Works in the 1870s.
His name is an oddity as over his career in match reports and official documents it was spelt Neil, Niel, Neill & Niell regularly. I have gone with the name on the Birth Certificate [thanks Drummond] but can never be sure. As you will be sure if you have ever tried to read anything handwritten in copperplate from the mid 19th Century.
![]()
Jamie Neil from the start mostly played at Outside-Right for the Falkirk club, a regular in the early years when not many goals were recorded, but consistent. He played their until suddenly, one season he just appeared in the East Stirlingshire side, and stayed there until he quit the game [you must remember there was little transfer gossip back then]
When he died shockingly early in 1888, he was living in Carron, maybe he was then working at the Carron Iron Works there was nothing except a line in the Carron Local Notes to tell the world, no mention of the football, nothing mentioned in the football notes. Ah, well ... I am mentioning it.
It almost goes without saying that no picture of him has been found, it was the wrong era. Still searching for his gravestone though ...
James Neil
b 26th October 1854, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire
d 21st October 1888, Carron, Stirlingshire
Debut – Saturday March 23rd 1878 v Grasshoppers (H) Friendly
Positions – Outside-Right, Inside-Right
Falkirk FC Matches
Scottish Cup Matches /Goals [5/-]
Other Matches/Goals [23/4]
East Stirlingshire FC Matches
Scottish Cup Matches /Goals [3/1]
Stirlingshire Cup Matches/Goals [1/-]
Other Matches/Goals [9/4]
Known Matches
Scottish Cup Matches/Goals [8/1]
Stirlinghire Cup Matches/Goals [1/-]
Other Matches/Goals [32/8]
Total Matches/Goals [41/9]
Known Career – Falkirk [1877/78-1881/82], East Stirlingshire [1882/83-1884/85]
Played in Falkirk's first ever Senior Competitive Match v Campsie Glen (H) Scottish Cup, 28th September1878
The first player of many to cross the great Falkirk-East Stirlingshire divide
As far as I’m aware the first former East Stirlingshire & Falkirk player to pass on
The first known player to have played for both clubs ticked a lot of these boxes, playing for most of Falkirk's early years before transferring his allegiances to his more local club. He was also the first player for both clubs to have died. I have to thank Drummond Calder of the Shire Trust for doing a lot of leg work on this one.
Jamie Neil came from Kilmarnock, and whilst I can not blame him for getting out of such a no-place to Falkirk, he came before the football, he came for work. Living towards Bainsford he, like most, being an Iron Moulder. He lived in John Street and would have probably worked in the Falkirk or Grahamston Works in the 1870s.
His name is an oddity as over his career in match reports and official documents it was spelt Neil, Niel, Neill & Niell regularly. I have gone with the name on the Birth Certificate [thanks Drummond] but can never be sure. As you will be sure if you have ever tried to read anything handwritten in copperplate from the mid 19th Century.
Jamie Neil from the start mostly played at Outside-Right for the Falkirk club, a regular in the early years when not many goals were recorded, but consistent. He played their until suddenly, one season he just appeared in the East Stirlingshire side, and stayed there until he quit the game [you must remember there was little transfer gossip back then]
When he died shockingly early in 1888, he was living in Carron, maybe he was then working at the Carron Iron Works there was nothing except a line in the Carron Local Notes to tell the world, no mention of the football, nothing mentioned in the football notes. Ah, well ... I am mentioning it.
It almost goes without saying that no picture of him has been found, it was the wrong era. Still searching for his gravestone though ...
James Neil
b 26th October 1854, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire
d 21st October 1888, Carron, Stirlingshire
Debut – Saturday March 23rd 1878 v Grasshoppers (H) Friendly
Positions – Outside-Right, Inside-Right
Falkirk FC Matches
Scottish Cup Matches /Goals [5/-]
Other Matches/Goals [23/4]
East Stirlingshire FC Matches
Scottish Cup Matches /Goals [3/1]
Stirlingshire Cup Matches/Goals [1/-]
Other Matches/Goals [9/4]
Known Matches
Scottish Cup Matches/Goals [8/1]
Stirlinghire Cup Matches/Goals [1/-]
Other Matches/Goals [32/8]
Total Matches/Goals [41/9]
Known Career – Falkirk [1877/78-1881/82], East Stirlingshire [1882/83-1884/85]
Played in Falkirk's first ever Senior Competitive Match v Campsie Glen (H) Scottish Cup, 28th September1878
The first player of many to cross the great Falkirk-East Stirlingshire divide
As far as I’m aware the first former East Stirlingshire & Falkirk player to pass on