Council honours 150 years of Greenock Morton
A CIVIC reception was held to mark the 150th anniversary of Greenock Morton Football Club.
The event, organised by Inverclyde Council, took place in the Grand Corridor of the Municipal Buildings on Wednesday 20 November 2024 hosted by Provost Drew McKenzie.
The special reception was a chance to commemorate the Cappielow club’s milestone anniversary, as well as celebrate the achievements of one of Scotland’s oldest professional football clubs.
Provost McKenzie, who is also a life-long Morton supporter, said: “It was an honour on behalf of the council and the people of Inverclyde to welcome some familiar faces from Morton’s past and present to the Grand Corridor to celebrate 150 years of an Inverclyde institution that is Greenock Morton Football Club.
“Like many people, I grew up going to games at Cappielow with my grandfather and it has sort of gone full circle as I now go to the match with my son and often my grandchild so it was extra-special for me to host the reception.
“Morton is one of the oldest professional clubs in the country and it’s no mean feat, especially in the current climate, to keep a football club going and a full-time one at that so that it itself is worthy of celebration.
“The club is, of course, more than just a football team. It’s a way of life for many – on and off the pitch.
“Morton has evolved so much from the early days in 1874 and as well as the men’s football team, there are now successful women’s and girls’ teams, a vibrant youth academy for boys and girls, and the Morton in the Community charitable trust that provides so many opportunities for people of all abilities and backgrounds right across Inverclyde and is a cause that we, as a council, are also proud to support.
“Central to all that goes on at Morton are the people and specifically the fans who have kept this club going for 150 years through thick and thin so it is quite apt that the club is now fan-owned and moving in a positive direction.
“Congratulations to Morton on achieving 150 years and I wish them every possible success for the future.”
Greenock Morton Football Club, commonly known as Morton or ‘The Ton’, the club was established as Morton Football Club on 4 October 1874.
It is one of the oldest senior football clubs in Scotland and changed its name to Greenock Morton in 1994.
A founder member of the Scottish Second Division in 1893, Morton first gained promotion to the Scottish First Division six years later, finishing fourth in its first season in the top flight.
The club now competes in the Scottish Championship and plays home matches at Cappielow Park, their home since 1879.
Since June 2021, the football club has been community owned through the majority shareholding of Morton Club Together and is one of only a small number of community-owned clubs in the world.
John Laird, chairman of Greenock Morton FC, said: “We have just started a programme of events to celebrate the club’s 150th anniversary but it was extra-special to have had the honour of a civic reception to help mark this special occasion.
“It felt quite fitting that the reception was held in the Municipal Buildings because, to put it into context, Morton was founded in 1874 and the Municipal Buildings were constructed in the late 1880s.
“Our thanks to Inverclyde Council, Provost Drew McKenzie and everyone involved in hosting the event and marking this milestone moment in the history of Greenock Morton.”
The club also has a charitable arm, Morton in the Community, which runs numerous programmes locally, including mental health and rehabilitation activities, and participants range in age from three years to 93 years old.
Morton in the Community has been an active part of Inverclyde for 11 years and continues to thrive and provide meaningful impact for the people in their programmes.
Greenock Morton Football Club
Club Honours
Scottish Cup
Winners: 1921–22
Runners-up: 1947–48
Scottish League Cup
Runners-up: 1963–64
Scottish Challenge Cup
Runners-up: 1992
Scottish Football League
Runners-up: 1916–17
Scottish First Division/Division Two
Champions: (6) 1949–50, 1963–64, 1966–67, 1977–78, 1983–84, 1986–1987
Runners-up: (4) 1899–1900, 1928–29, 1936–37, 2012–13
Scottish Second Division/League One
Champions: (3) 1994–95, 2006–07, 2014–15
Runners-up: 2005–06
Scottish Third Division
Champions: 2002–03
