THIS coming May, Rhu Amateurs mark the 50th anniversary of the club’s finest hour when they won the Scottish Amateur Cup.

They will be marking the occasion at their annual dinner in the Rosslea Country Hall Hotel, Rhu. The guest speaker will be former Glasgow Rangers and Scotland legend Derek Parlane.

On, May 13, 1967, Rhu Amateur Football Club, led by team coach Donnie Thomson, won the highest honour in amateur football by claiming the Scottish Cup at Hampden in a 3-1 win against Penilee.

In reaching the final Rhu played nines games, scoring 37 goals and conceding just nine.

In round two they had overcome local rivals Arrochar 5-1 away.

But when they were 3-2 down to Bearsden at Ardenconnel Park with only minutes to go, they looked destined to miss out on their dream day at Hampden.

However, Joe McKell conjured up a piece of last gasp magic and forced a replay.

That second game proved more straightforward as they won 2-0. After defeating Windsor 4-1 in the quarter-final and Crosshouse 3-0 in the semi-final, the Rhu team, captained by Finlay Colquhoun, were in the final for the first time ever. Rhu played in front of nearly 4,000 people in the final, the vast majority coming from Helensburgh and Rhu.

Rhu had to dig deep once again as they found themselves 1-0 down at half-time.

During the interval Donnie Thomson moved Neil Walsh to centre forward and he duly delivered by crossing for Barry Irvine to head the equaliser, and then Walsh netted two goals of his own.

The trophy was in Rhu hands and the celebrations were about to begin. The local fans greeted the presentation of the cup to Finlay Colquhoun with a roar which seemed as though there was 40,000 in the stadium.

The Rhu bus returned to Helensburgh, but was forced to stop at the East Esplanade to show the cup off to the assembled crowds.

Then with a pipe band as an escort they marched along the sea front cheered on by hundreds of local residents.

A tour of Rhu village was also on the agenda, before players, officials and supporters adjourned to the Ardencaple Hotel to continue the celebrations.

Sadly many of the playing squad are no longer with us, Neil Walsh, Alistair Glendye, Barry Irvine, Billy Mooney, Billy Goodall, Jim Aitken, Finlay MacDonald, Joe McKell, Arthur Thomson, team boss Donnie Thomson, president Richard Don and vice president Iain MacKay.

The club hopes Jim Shields, Finlay Colquhoun, Paul Robertson and Johnny Armstrong, will be in attendance.