A series of articles on the history of Pollok FC were printed in 'Pollok People', a folded A3 news sheet about the Pollok Football and Social Club during late 1977 (issues 5-9). The articles are credited to W. Govan (Honorary President). An update to the below to take us to present day will hopefully follow.

"The main purpose of (these articles are) to let the supporters and friends know something of the history of Pollok FC, which was formed as the football section of the Pollokshaws Working Lads Club in 1908.

The first problem was the essential one of getting a suitable park and through the generosity of the late Sir John Stirling Maxwell, Pollok were allowed the use of an area in Pollok Estate which was known as Haggs Park.

Haggs Park had a fine grass surface, and set in the woodlands of Pollok Estate was the envy of many.

The club paid tribute to Sir John Stirling Maxwell by adopting as the club colours, black and white, these being taken from the heraldic shield of Pollok House.

Pollok played a few years in the Scottish Junior League before going into the Glasgow Junior League. Pollok had very little luck in winning any of the major trophies, but had to settle for some minor trophies such as the North Eastern Cup, Kirkwood Shield and the Glasgow Consolation Cup.

In season 1926-27 the club suffered a severe blow when they were instructed to vacate Haggs Park. The Glasgow Education Authority required all the playing fields at Pollok Estate, and so the club lost its fine park despite having spent hundreds of pounds on ground improvements. The club, with the help of local councillors and friends, put up a good fight to retain the ground but there was no redress.

Pollok were homeless, and remained so for more than a year, playing a number of games at Roseberry Park, the home of Shawfield Juniors, and the football park at the Queen Mary Tea Gardens, Speirsbridge.

In a district booming with new buildings, it was not easy for the club to find a suitable piece of ground to use as a park.

Messrs. Stevenson, McKellar Ltd., who ran Newlandsfield Works, had a large coup for the works on the site of the present-day park, and it was decided to approach them with a view to secure the use of the ground. Ex-Provost McDougall and the club secretary, Wm Govan, had a meeting with Mr. D. McKellar, the managing director of the above company, and secured the lease of the ground at a rental of £10 per annum. Now the work to convert the coup into a football park had to begin.

The coup was free, and with so much building work going on in the district it was no problem getting the coup filled and level. Even so it took nearly a year to achieve this. The next problem was to enclose the ground, and this was only possible through a local firm prepared to grant the club credit for erecting fencing, entrance gates and six pay boxes.

The ground was named Newlandsfield Park, and passed for football in 1928-29.

Pollok were playing Intermediate football between seasons 1927-28 to 1930-31, and large attendances were common at Newlandsfield.

Pollok had several Intermediate Cup successes in this period, and among their many personality players of the day, 'Erry' Armstrong at centre forward scored over 100 goals in one season.

One the settlement of the Intermediate dispute, Pollok transferred the following players to the Seniors, and the cash received was a record for a Junior club at the time:-

J. McBride, J. Robertson and R. Griffiths to Chelsea FC.
C. Thomson to Sunderland FC.
T. Armstrong to Airdrieonians FC.

Pollok found it difficult to revert to Junior football, and little success, other than the Kirkwood Shield, followed until 1941-42.

At the beginning of the Second World War Pollok lost their pavilion and equipment when it was destroyed by fire due to an electrical fault. The club could not get permission to build a new pavilion due to the war, and after playing many games away from home the club managed to obtain temporary changing accommodation. It should also be noted that Newlands Transport Depot provided the use of changing accommodation on occasions.

In season 1941-42 Pollok won the Central League Cup, beating Petershill in the Final 3-2 at Shawfield. They also won the Glasgow Challenge Cup that season, beating Rutherglen Glencairn 4-1.

Pollok continued to play football during the war years, and at the end of the war the existing brick pavilion was built (now the equipment store - J. Wire, 2007).

Season 1944-45 will be said by many to be the most successful by the club, going through to the semi-final of the Scottish Cup, losing out by 0-1 to Burnbank Athletic at Shawfield before a crowd of 25,000, the gates being closed an hour before the kick-off.

In the quarter-final at Newlandsfield Pollok lost 1-2 to Fauldhouse United, but after a protest beat them 3-1 in the replay. It is claimed that 15,000 people were allowed into Newlandsfield for this match, but many had to leave the ground, unable to see. They made their way to the nearby Pollokshaws East Station, and for the price of a platform ticket had a grandstand view of the match. It is certain that the size of the crowd will not be repeated at the present Newlandsfield Park.

Pollok won the West of Scotland Cup and the North Eastern Cup that season, and were beaten in the semi-finals of the Glasgow Charity Cup and Central League Cup. They lost also in the semi-final of the Central League championship decider to Clydebank at Firhill.

In season 1945-46 Pollok retained the North Eastern Cup and in 1946-47 won the Glasgow Charity Cup.

The 1947-48 season saw Pollok going down in the Central League championship Final 1-2 to Kilsyth Rangers at Shawfield. The loss of the League title was not the only blow the club suffered that season: they were told to purchase Newlandsfield Park or vacate it.

The owners of the ground, the Bleachers Association Ltd., Manchester, decided to sell it, and the price asked was £4,980. Despite the improvements made by the club, they were given six weeks to find the cash or get out.

The club had some money in the bank, but received a further set-back when its bankers refused to grant a loan.

The club found its saviour in the Pollokshaws Co-Operative Society Ltd., who granted them a loan at very favourable interest terms.

The ground now belonged to the club, and after many improvements which are continuing to this day is proving a fine investment.

In season 1948-49 Pollok won the Central League Cup, beating Strathclyde 3-1 in the Final at Shawfield.

Pollok won the Glasgow Challenge Cup in season 1953-54, beating St. Roch's 3-2 in the Final at Parkhead, and added the Erskine Hospital Cup at the expense of Yoker Athletic.

Season 1957-58 brought the Glasgow Charity Cup to Newlandsfield, Pollok beating Maryhill Harp 6-4 at Shettleston in an evening match after winning the Erskine Hospital Cup in the afternoon, beating Clydebank 6-2 at Tinto.

The next season Pollok won the Pompey Cup, beating Duntocher Hibs 5-3 at Holm Park.

Season 1961-62 saw the Glasgow Challenge Cup and Pompey Cup at Newlandsfield, St. Roch's being beaten 2-1 at Parkhead in the Final of the Glasgow Challenge Cup and Ashfield going down 1-0 in the Final of the Pompey Cup at Newlandsfield.

In season 1968-69 Pollok reached the Final of the Central League Championship, but went down 1-3 to Petershill at Saracen Park after two drawn games.

The Pollok F.C. Social Club opened on 14th September 1971, with a view to providing entertainment and social facilities for our supporters and to ensure the financial future of the club.

The undoubted success of the Social Club has been due to the patronage of the members and hard work of the committee, and the benefits to the football club can be seen in the improvements to the ground and the completion of a new pavilion in the near future."