[1] Indeed, the club finished the half-season by winning the Johnstone & District Cup, beating Kilbarchan 3–2 in the final.

The club won in the Scottish Cup for the first time in 1883–84, with a 3–2 win over Johnstone Athletic in round 1,[4] and survived a protest about players wearing "tacketed" boots (i.e. with nails in the soles),[5] but lost 5–0 in the second round at Olympic of Greenock.

Johnstone Athletic gained revenge in the Renfrewshire Cup second round, beating Clippens 4–0 in a "somewhat rough" tie.

[6] Before the 1884–85 season, Clippens took over the Linwood club, making Clippens a "much stronger combination", first seen to good effect with a win over Greenock Rovers in the first round of the Scottish Cup; the score was 3–1, with two more goal disputed.

[8] The club did get its best result in the Renfrewshire Cup, with a narrow 1–0 defeat to Morton in the second round.