This famous Scottish Football Club was formed on 12^th December 1872 in the Orderly Room of the 3^rd Regiment of Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers at East Howard Street, Glasgow shortly after the first ever England v Scotland international football match. Sport was popular in Volunteer units, the predecessors of the Territorial Force formed later in 1904, and the club, whose membership was originally restricted to the regiment, was supported by all ranks.

3^rd Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers were formed as part of the Rifle Volunteer movement in September 1859 and was mainly made up of men from Messrs Cogan’s Spinning Factory, the Etna Foundry and various temperance organisations on the south side of Glasgow. After 1881 they became a Volunteer battalion of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and were later numbered the 7^th Battalion. During the First World War the 7^th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) fought in Gallipoli, Egypt, Palestine and on the Western Front.   

3rd Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers Football Club was one of the founder members of the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish League. They emerged from the 1888/89 season as Scottish Cup holders and in 1903 the Club became a limited company and registered as Third Lanark Athletic Club. In the years that followed they also won the First Division Championship, the Glasgow Cup, the Charity Cup and the Inner City League.

They continued to have some success between the wars and again in the 1950s when they once more won promotion to the First Division. In 1960 they went full time but after the loss of three key players to English clubs Third Lanark were the subject of a takeover. The manager resigned, the new stand was never finished, support dwindled and the team was relegated. On the 28^th of April 1967 Third Lanark played their last game and the liquidators were called in.  Thus ended the history of a football club that had perpetuated the name of the Rifle Volunteers well into the second half of the 20^th century.