The 1920s

On February 7th 1920, Vale took part in the Scottish Cup proper for the first time, travelling to Hampden to play Queen’s Park. Queen’s were still one of the top sides in Scotland at the time and featured the legendary Alan Morton, who would go on to join Rangers and become known as the ‘Wee Blue Devil’. Not surprisingly Vale’s maiden voyage into the Scottish Cup ended with a 3-0 defeat.

Vale retained the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup in season 1920-21, beating Selkirk and Edinburgh Civil Service before defeating Peebles Rovers after a replay in the semi finals. The final, against Berwick Rangers, went to three games with a 1-1 draw in Peebles followed by a scoreless draw at Coldstream. The third game took place at Caddon Park, with home advantage telling as Vale edged the game 2-1 to lift the cup for the second year running. There was also an appearance in the King Cup final, but the Innerleithen men were beaten 4-0 by Edinburgh Civil Service at Peebles.

Among the famous players from this time were; Hugh Aird, Ford Currie, Andrew Dickson, Jimsie Green, Wat Kerr, Bert Pearce, Jock Robson, Andrew Turner, George Turner, George Yellowlees and Willie Wilson. With such a good side it was inevitable that bigger sides would be interested. Goalkeeper Jock Robson (reckoned by many to be the greatest player ever to represent Vale) and Ford Currie went to Arsenal, Airdieonians took Hugh Aird and George Turner, while Bert Pearce played trials with Blackburn Rovers.

In January 1922, Vale found themselves drawn at home against Morton in the Scottish Cup, a top division side at the time. The game was too big for Caddon Park to host, so was switched to Greenock, with the game ending 4-0 in favour of the Renfrewshire side. Morton went on to reach their first ever Scottish Cup Final that season, a goal from Jim Gourlay enough to defeat Rangers – who featured the ‘Wee Blue Devil’ Alan Morton by this point – at Hampden and lift the trophy for the only time in their history so far.

The following month, Vale won the King Cup for the first time after winning a replay against Leith Athletic. The first game at Logie Green had finished 2-2 and again Peebles was the venue for the final, with Vale winning 3-2. 1922 was also the year the club moved from Caddon Park to their present home of Victoria Park, leased from the town council.

Season 1922-23 saw the club lift the Consolation Cup for the second time after beating Gala Fairydean 2-0 in the final at Peebles. Earlier in the season Vale had met Peebles Rovers in the semi final of the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup, but lost out on a place in the final as Rovers ran out 2-1 winners in front of a crowd of 2000 spectators. In season 1924-25 Vale did win the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup, beating Clerwood 1-0 in the final.

A new version of the Eastern League was formed in 1921, comprising Vale, Gala Fairydean, Peebles Rovers and Selkirk from the Borders, along with Edinburgh sides Edinburgh Civil Service and Civil Service Strollers. This lasted just one season though and Vale returned to playing in the Border League. But it was a haphazard affair, with clubs playing fixtures whenever they wanted and many seasons ended unfinished, which was often the way football was in those days. The East of Scotland Football Association decided to step in and form the East of Scotland League in 1923, which featured the participants from the ill-fated last Eastern League – apart from Peebles – plus two more Border clubs in Berwick Rangers and Coldstream. Edinburgh Civil Service dropped out after six games of the season and were replaced by Leith Amateurs from the Lothian Amateur League. Coldstream were the first winners of the East of Scotland League, but the following year Vale took the championship, losing only one game and with a goal difference of +32.

Vale had mainly drawn players from Innerleithen and Walkerburn, but transport links were improving with Harper’s Buses from Peebles and Brooke & Amos from Galashiels providing regular bus services to the area. The result was that players were starting to move to and from other areas. Peebles Rovers were playing in the Scottish League 3rd Division at this time and a number of players moved between the clubs, with local men Wat Kerr, Andrew Dickson, George Turner, Hugh Aird and Bert Pearce seeing Scottish League action with Rovers. Peebles players who gave service to Vale included Ben Greaves, Pens Anderson, Jim Dodds, Donald Murray, Cuth Wells, Same James, Tony French and Sandy Euman. Players from Edinburgh also started to feature in the Vale team. In fact such was the movement of players that when the club party boarded the train at Innerleithen Station en route to the Scottish Cup tie at Brechin in 1927, only two local players – Jackie Patterson and Bert Pearce – were alongside club officials, with the rest joining the train at Peebles and Edinburgh. The trip ended in disappointment as Vale went down 8-3 in Angus.

In 1927 Vale resigned from the East of Scotland League to compete in the Edinburgh & District League, which had been formerly known as the Midlothian Junior League and was run by the Scottish Junior FA. They were joined by some familiar faces as fellow Borderers Peebles Rovers and Duns also took part. This only lasted one season however, and by the time the following season came around, all three teams were back in the East of Scotland League fold, which had by now expanded to 15 clubs; eight from the Borders and seven from Edinburgh. By the end of the decade, capital sides Clerwood Amateurs and Corstorphine Amateurs had merged under the Clerwood name, while Bathgate and Cameron Highlanders had entered into the league to bring membership up to 16.

Tables & Results from the 1920s
1921-22 Eastern League
Pos
Team
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Goals For
Goals Against
Goal Difference
Points
1
Gala Fairydean (Champions)
10
8
1
1
26
12
+14
17
2
Vale of Leithen
9
4
4
1
18
14
+4
12
3
Peebles Rovers
9
3
3
3
21
16
+5
9
4
Edinburgh Civil Service
5
1
3
1
9
10
-1
5
5
Selkirk
7
1
1
5
9
16
-7
3
6
Civil Service Strollers
8
0
2
6
5
20
-15
2
1921-22 Eastern League Results
19/11/21 Peebles Rovers
(A)
1-1
25/02/22 Civil Service Strollers
(H)
1-1
10/12/21 Selkirk
(H)
3-1
11/03/22 Selkirk
(A)
4-2
24/12/21 Gala Fairydean
(A)
2-4
18/03/22 Edinburgh Civil Service
(H)
1-1
31/12/21 Peebles Rovers
(H)
2-2
08/04/22 Civil Service Strollers
(A)
2-1
07/01/22 Gala Fairydean
(H)
2-1
Edinburgh Civil Service (A) – not played
1923-24 East of Scotland League
Pos
Team
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Goals For
Goals Against
Goal Difference
Points
1
Coldstream (Champions)
12
7
3
2
28
15
+13
17
2
Berwick Rangers
12
6
4
2
25
12
+13
16
3
Gala Fairydean
12
6
1
5
25
19
+6
13
4
Leith Amateurs
12
5
1
6
18
24
-6
11
5
Civil Service Strollers
12
3
4
5
18
14
+4
10
6
Vale of Leithen
12
3
4
5
23
37
-14
10
7
Selkirk
12
1
5
6
14
30
-16
7
NOTE: Leith Amateurs replaced Edinburgh Civil Service after six matches of the season.
1923-24 East of Scotland League Results
08/09/23 Coldstream
(H)
1-1
24/11/23 Selkirk
(H)
2-2
15/09/23 Edinburgh Civil Service
(A)
5-1
15/12/23 Gala Fairydean
(A)
0-8
22/09/23 Civil Service Strollers
(H)
1-0
22/12/23 Coldstream
(A)
4-7
29/09/23 Edinburgh Civil Service
(H)
3-0
05/01/24 Berwick Rangers
(H)
2-2
13/10/12 Civil Service Strollers
(A)
1-4
02/02/24 Berwick Rangers
(A)
0-7
10/11/23 Gala Fairydean
(H)
1-2
? Selkirk
(A)
3-3
1924-25 East of Scotland League
Pos
Team
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Goals For
Goals Against
Goal Difference
Points
1
Vale of Leithen (Champions) 
12
8
3
1
49
17
+32
19
2
Civil Service Strollers
12
8
1
3
23
15
+8
17
3
Berwick Rangers
12
4
4
4
26
25
+1
12
4
Coldstream
10
4
3
3
20
19
+1
11
5
Leith Amateurs
9
4
0
5
13
18
-5
8
6
Selkirk
12
2
3
7
14
24
-10
7
7
Gala Fairydean
11
1
2
8
13
40
-27
4
1924-25 East of Scotland League Results
01/11/24 Gala Fairydean
(A)
6-1
03/01/25 Leith Amateurs
(H)
4-2
08/11/24 Berwick Rangers
(H)
10-4
17/01/25 Selkirk
(H)
4-0
15/11/24 Berwick Rangers
(A)
0-4
31/01/25 Leith Amateurs
(A)
4-1
22/11/24 Gala Fairydean
(H)
6-0
21/03/25 Civil Service Strollers
(A)
1-1
06/12/24 Coldstream
(A)
1-1
04/04/25 Civil Service Strollers
(H)
2-0
13/12/24 Coldstream
(H)
9-1
? Selkirk
(A)
2-2
1925-26 East of Scotland League
Pos
Team
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Goals For
Goals Against
Goal Difference
Points
1
Civil Service Strollers (Champions)
11
8
1
2
29
13
+16
17
2
Gala Fairydean
12
8
0
4
39
31
+8
16
3
Leith Amateurs
12
7
1
4
40
28
+12
15
4
Coldstream
11
5
3
3
24
20
+4
13
5
Berwick Rangers
12
5
1
6
29
23
+6
11
6
Vale of Leithen
12
2
3
7
18
32
-14
7
7
Selkirk
12
1
1
10
14
44
-30
3
1925-26 East of Scotland League Results
29/08/25 Civil Service Strollers
(A)
0-2
12/12/25 Leith Amateurs
(A)
0-6
17/10/25 Leith Amateurs
(H)
2-5
13/02/26 Gala Fairydean
(H)
3-4
24/10/25 Selkirk
(H)
4-3
06/03/26 Berwick Rangers
(A)
1-3
07/11/25 Selkirk
(A)
0-0
13/03/26 Civil Service Strollers
(H)
0-2
14/11/25 Berwick Rangers
(H)
4-2
? Coldstream
(H)
drawn
28/11/25 Gala Fairydean
(A)
1-2
? Coldstream
(A)
drawn
1926-27 East of Scotland League
Pos
Team
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Goals For
Goals Against
Goal Difference
Points
1
Civil Service Strollers (Champions)
16
8
5
3
49
24
+25
21
2
Selkirk
16
8
3
5
33
24
+9
19
3
Gala Fairydean
16
9
1
6
55
48
+7
19
4
Coldstream
16
8
3
5
38
30
+8
19
5
Berwick Rangers
16
8
2
6
40
33
+7
18
6
Vale of Leithen
16
7
2
7
51
55
-4
16
7
Leith Amateurs
16
5
4
7
39
39
=
14
8
Edinburgh University
16
4
3
9
33
43
-10
11
9
Hawick United
16
2
3
11
37
79
-42
7
1926-27 East of Scotland League Results
28/08/26 Civil Service Strollers
(A)
2-3
18/12/26 Coldstream
(H)
4-5
18/09/26 Hawick United
(H)
7-3
25/12/26 Leith Amateurs
(A)
2-3
16/10/26 Gala Fairydean
(H)
5-4
08/01/27 Gala Fairydean
(A)
4-10
30/10/26 Berwick Rangers
(A)
1-4
12/02/27 Civil Service Strollers
(H)
0-0
06/11/26 Hawick United
(A)
7-7
19/02/27 Coldstream
(A)
2-3
13/11/26 Selkirk
(H)
2-1
05/03/27 Edinburgh University
(H)
4-3
04/12/26 Berwick Rangers
(H)
3-1
26/03/27 Edinburgh University
(A)
4-3
11/12/26 Selkirk
(A)
1-2
16/04/27 Leith Amateurs
(H)
3-2
1927-28 Edinburgh & District League Division ‘A’
Pos
Team
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Goals For
Goals Against
Goal Difference
Points
1
Dalkeith Thistle (Champions)
22
18
2
2
84
32
+52
38
2
Arniston Rangers
21
14
4
3
62
33
+29
32
3
Newtongrange Star
21
13
4
4
65
33
+32
30
4
Ormiston Primrose
19
10
4
5
53
31
+22
24
5
Rosewell Rosedale
19
9
3
7
50
39
+11
21
6
Portobello Thistle
21
10
4
7
59
55
+4
21
7
Duns Juniors
23
8
2
13
45
72
-27
18
8
Vale of Leithen
21
6
4
11
49
72
-23
16
9
Penicuik Juniors
22
7
2
13
41
62
-21
16
10
Gala Hailes Villa
20
6
3
11
51
66
-15
15
11
Peebles Rovers
23
4
5
14
42
66
-24
13
12
Bonnyrigg Rose
24
4
4
16
49
79
-30
12
13
Loanhead Mayflower*
12
3
3
6
19
29
-10
9
* NOTE: Loanhead Mayflower folded during season.
1928-29 East of Scotland League
Pos
Team
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Goals For
Goals Against
Goal Difference
Points
1
Peebles Rovers (Champions)
28
17
5
6
81
45
+36
39
2
Berwick Rangers
28
16
6
6
88
51
+37
38
3
Corstorphine Amateurs
27
14
4
9
89
54
+35
32
4
Clerwood Amateurs
27
14
2
11
71
60
+11
30
5
Gala Fairydean
25
12
6
7
70
57
+13
30
6
Civil Service Strollers
23
13
3
7
53
36
+17
29
7
Murrayfield Amateurs
17
13
2
2
51
30
+21
28
8
Edinburgh City
27
11
5
11
64
60
+4
27
9
Coldstream
23
10
5
8
73
54
+19
25
10
Vale of Leithen
28
8
8
12
59
69
-10
24
11
Edinburgh University
25
8
4
13
62
80
-18
20
12
Duns
21
7
3
11
49
52
-3
17
13
Selkirk
26
6
5
15
38
62
-24
17
14
Leith Amateurs
25
6
3
16
50
87
-37
15
15
Hawick United
24
1
1
22
37
138
-101
3
1928-29 East of Scotland League Results
25/08/28 Peebles Rovers
(H)
1-4
02/02/29 Coldstream
(H)
2-2
15/09/28 Selkirk
(H)
1-2
09/02/29 Coldstream
(A)
4-9
22/09/28 Murrayfield
(H)
1-4
16/03/29 Gala Fairydean
(A)
2-1
06/10/28 Hawick United
(H)
2-0
20/03/29 Berwick Rangers
(H)
2-2
20/10/28 Selkirk
(A)
2-0
23/03/29 Edinburgh University
(H)
2-3
27/10/28 Edinburgh University
(A)
6-4
30/03/29 Edinburgh City
(A)
1-1
03/11/28 Leith Amateurs
(H)
11-2
06/04/29 Clerwood
(A)
2-1
10/11/28 Edinburgh City
(H)
0-0
37/04/29 Peebles Rovers
(A)
1-1
17/11/28 Murrayfield
(A)
2-5
? Civil Service Strollers
(H)
?
08/12/28 Corstorphine
(A)
2-1
? Civil Service Strollers
(A)
?
22/12/28 Gala Fairydean
(H)
2-2
? Clerwood
(H)
?
29/12/28 Hawick United
(A)
2-2
? Corstorphine
(H)
?
12/01/29 Berwick Rangers
(A)
1-3
? Duns
(H)
?
26/01/29 Leith Amateurs
(A)
2-5
? Duns
(A)
?
1929-30 East of Scotland League
Pos
Team
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Goals For
Goals Against
Goal Difference
Points
1
Bathgate (Champions)
27
22
4
1
88
29
+59
48
2
Edinburgh City
30
19
5
6
86
34
+52
43
3
Cameron Highlanders
28
19
1
8
92
60
+32
39
4
Murrayfield Amateurs
22
18
1
3
75
25
+50
37
5
Berwick Rangers
28
12
6
10
74
59
+15
30
6
Peebles Rovers
28
14
1
13
60
57
+3
29
7
Gala Fairydean
28
13
3
12
63
72
-9
29
8
Vale of Leithen
27
12
4
11
55
59
-4
28
9
Clerwood Amateurs
22
11
6
6
67
44
+23
26
10
Leith Amateurs
27
7
7
13
59
63
-4
21
11
Civil Service Strollers
26
7
6
13
38
73
-35
20
12
Selkirk
27
7
5
15
47
80
-33
19
13
Hawick United
28
8
1
20
55
94
-39
17
14
Coldstream
30
6
4
20
63
102
-39
16
15
Duns
28
5
2
21
51
99
-48
12
16
Edinburgh University
17
4
2
11
37
60
-23
10
1929-30 East of Scotland League Results
24/08/29 Edinburgh City
(A)
2-4
08/02/30 Peebles Rovers
(A)
0-1
14/09/29 Civil Service Strollers
(A)
3-0
15/02/30 Leith Amateurs
(A)
3-2
21/09/29 Clerwood
(A)
3-2
08/03/30 Berwick Rangers
(H)
3-3
28/09/29 Clerwood
(H)
2-1
15/03/30 Selkirk
(H)
1-0
12/10/29 Selkirk
(A)
2-0
22/03/30 Bathgate
(A)
3-8
26/10/29 Gala Fairydean
(H)
4-1
29/03/30 Civil Service Strollers
(H)
2-1
02/11/29 Duns
(A)
2-2
05/04/30 Cameron Highlanders
(H)
2-3
09/11/29 Hawick United
(H)
3-2
12/04/30 Bathgate
(H)
1-1
16/11/29 Murrayfield
(A)
2-3
19/04/30 Leith Amateurs
(H)
1-0
07/12/29 Gala Fairydean
(A)
2-4
? Berwick Rangers
(A)
?
14/12/29 Duns
(H)
5-3
? Cameron Highlanders
(A)
?
21/12/29 Peebles Rovers
(H)
0-1
? Coldstream
(H)
?
28/12/29 Coldstream
(A)
3-6
? Edinburgh University
(H)
?
04/01/30 Edinburgh City
(H)
0-4
? Edinburgh University
(A)
?
11/01/30 Hawick United
(A)
4-2
? Murrayfield
(H)
?