This was the biggest day for Bo’ness United Football Club and its supporters for 28 years as they prepared to meet Darvel Juniors in the 1976 Scottish Junior Cup Final at Hampden Park. The last time the club won the Junior premier trophy was in 1948 when Willie Mitchell, the existing secretary and team manager, captained the BUs to Scottish Cup glory in only the teams third season in existence.

Saturday morning 24th April there was great excitement in the town as everyone prepared for the event. Over 10.000 planned to make the journey from Bo’ness to Glasgow to see the team that had won their way to the final with a combination of strength, power and skill to beat fancied teams on their way such as Arthurlie, Cumnock and Lanark.

Lulu was appearing at La Fabrique and Old Firm tickets were about to go on sale for 70p, but most were oblivious of these distractions as Hampden beckoned. The Saturday night for many of Dixon of Dock Green followed by The Black and White Minstrel Show or The Sale of the Century would hopefully be replaced by going out to greet the local team bringing home the cup.

A stream of buses and cars left Bo’ness filled with supporters bedecked in the blue and white of Bo’ness United.

A crowd of 20,000 saw the BUs line up in the now expected and familiar formation. Willie Ferguson was in goal with fullbacks Jim McQueen and Andrew McGuiness. Ian McQueen and young George McGeachie were in the centre of defence and the midfield trio of Ian Miller, Tom Balanowski and Jimmy Anderson. Andrew Scobie, Willie Mitchell and Willie Temperley were the strike force with Robinson and McIntosh on the bench.

Willie Ferguson was making his second appearance in the final having played in the Bonnyrigg side beaten by Cambuslang in 1972. There was a familiar face in the Darvel side with goalkeeper Harry “Junior” McLuskey having played for Bo’ness when they won the league in 1969.

Willie Temperley was only sixteen at the time and one of the stars of that year’s cup run. He remembers the occasion well and felt he was well prepared for the occasion. “At that time I was on the ground staff with Celtic and training with the likes of Jimmy Johnstone and Bobby Lennox. I was travelling every day to Parkhead with George Connelly and current BU assistant coach Brian McLauchlan. These players helped me greatly and anyway if there were any problems on the park Andy McGuiness and Jimmy Anderson looked after me.”

Bo’ness had most of the play in the first half though Darvel did provide the occasional scare but were unable to penetrate the stout Bo’ness defence. Bo’ness did eventually score with Scobie putting the BUs ahead. There was controversy about the goal, not in the way it was scored, but the fact that it was scored after 52 minutes of the first half. The referee had added seven minutes on to the half.

Bo’ness’s second goal was scored after only six minutes into the second half. Scobie took a corner and a short stint of head tennis finished with Miller heading the ball home from close in. Six minutes later Bo’ness were cruising after Balanowski lobbed the ball over the Darvel defence for Temperley to chase. He took the ball past the goalkeeper and seemed to have taken the ball too far as he arrived at the touchline but he steered the ball back before slamming it in the net past the despairing defenders. Willie described the goal as he rounded “Junior” McLuskey but was forced wide of the goal. “ I was going to hit the ball in but decided I was too wide and chose to drag the ball back to get the shot in. I didn’t realise that half the Darvel were bearing down on me as I shot the ball into the net.”

The contest was over and the strong Bo’ness side could have added to their tally but the final whistle sounded and Bo’ness had won the cup. Joyous scenes greeted the whistle and a jubilant Ian McQueen collected the cup to give Bo’ness the cup for the second time in their history.

Willie recalls, “It was a great feeling when the final whistle went and when we were in the dressing room I was told there was someone wanting to talk to me outside. When I went out it was my gaffer at Celtic Jock Stein. I thought he was going to congratulate me but he asked me why I hadn’t shot first time when I went round the keeper but not to worry as we would work on it at training. Typical of the big man.”

The team returned to Bo’ness and were welcomed as thousands lined the streets as the cup was paraded on an open top bus.

The team mascot that day was a young John “Jud” Snedden. “My name was picked out of a hat as a member of Bo’ness United Boys Club.” Recalls Jud “I went to see Bo’ness home and away and knew all the players.” Apparently Jud nearly didn’t get into Hampden with the team as he didn’t have a pass. “Tiger Mitchell sorted it out telling them I was the mascot and I warmed up with the team and sat in the dugout during the game. I remember Tiger kept bumping his head on the top of the dugout but I was to small.” Jud stated the highlight for him was Willie Temperley scoring the third goal. “ Willie was the local lad and I looked up to him.”

This was a momentous occasion for Willie Temperley and John Snedden who both agree that they will never forget the experience. However it was also a momentous occasion for everyone connected with Bo’ness United and who was to realise it at the time that the experience was to be repeated in 1984 in another monumental cup adventure. However that is a story for another time.

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