Returning to Humbug on the 27th of June, the Primrose purchased the new ground for £65. Only 5 years after they had been in danger of withdrawing from the league through lack of funds. The potential of the new enclosure was soon realised by the Fife Junior F.A. which organised the Fife Cup Final here on the 21st March 1936 attracting 2000 supporters for the game between Kirkford and Thornton Hibs.

The post war boom in football attendances did not pass Humbug by and a requirement was recognised to extend the terracing for a Scottish 4th Round Cup game due for January 1953 against Blantyre Victoria. Four hundred railway sleepers were ordered to build up the embanking for the game that attracted 5000 supporters. The ground record was recorded in the 5th round tie against Auchinleck Talbot when 7600 supporters packed into Humbug Park on 14th February 1953.

Only 5000 attended the replay. The 6th round (which is the furthest the Primrose have gone in the Scottish Junior Cup) tie was against the less charismatic Annbank United and attracted only 4485 supporters, the game at Humbug was a draw and the Primrose lost the replay 0 - 3.


Greyhound racing around the park was abandoned at this time, perhaps a vital source of income that could have been used later! Flush from their Cup exploits, the Primrose attempted to install floodlights in 1956, although this may have only been for training purposes. Whether the lights were used or not the darkest days for the Primrose were only around the corner and the club folded in November 1960. Humbug Park was then sold to Dunfermline Athletic Football Club for £900, then under the astute management of Jock Stein. It was used as a training ground and Dunfermline upgraded the park in May 1968, rotating the pitch 90 degrees to its present position running parallel to the B981 road to the Forth Road Bridge. An eight foot high wall was constructed to further obscure the view from the road and a caretakers house was constructed to the south of the park.

While in abeyance, the Primrose continued to run Pools competitionss in the Dundee Courier and Advertiser. Using these monies or others an overhaul of the park was carried
out for the rebirth of Crossgates Primrose in 1983
and played their first game on the 13th August
against Dundonald Bluebell at Humbug Park
winning 3 - 1. The Primrose have enjoyed a fair
bit of success since their reforming and have
appeared in seven local Junior Fife Cup Finals,
alas ending up as losing finalists in all of them!


Football has been played in Crossgates sporadically for more than a century. In 1887 a team of the same name played a South End team in Cowdenbeath, in a Cowdenbeath Cup match. Crossgates Thistle played at Allan park after being formed in 1906; the park, which was only an ash park, was based to the north of the village.

During the first decade of the 20th century, Humbug Pit
No.12 was situated at the end of the tramway
operated by the Dunfermline & District Tramways.
This had been changed into a football Park with
embankments by the 1913 Ordnance Survey
and Thistle had reportedly moved to this park in
season 1911-12.
Crossgates Primrose was formed in 1926, and won the Cowdenbeath Cup in season 1928-29. They planned a new Humbug Park in 1933, which was duly laid by local miners using divots of grass. While the new park was being laid Primrose moved onto a nearby roped-off park in the lea of Crossgates Primary School, appropriately named Schoolview Park, behind the school on the south side of the A907.
Humbug Park 2005
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