Fair City had beaten Dunblane in the 1887–88 Scottish Cup, and won the final later in the season on the South Inch (by now St Johnstone's ground) 7–4, scoring four times in the first ten minutes, and another two before the break.

However, the referee, Mr Carmichael, had declared the surface unplayable due to ice before the match; the City players had added India-rubber strips to their boots to cope with the conditions, and Dunblane put in a pre-emptive protest.

[7] The Perthshire FA upheld the protest,[8] and Dunblane won the replayed final 7–3, changing ends at half-time 5–1 to the good.

[9] Fair City was the marginal favourite for the 1888–89 final, played at St Johnstone's Recreation Park.

to Balhousie Park, but, in wretched conditions, the visitors were 3–0 up at half-time, and, although City pulled one goal back, Arbroath also struck the woodwork twice.

For the match, the club changed at the Waverley Park hotel, and, en routel, their brake lost a wheel and overturned, but fortunately none of the players was seriously injured.

The club hammered St Johnstone 9–0 in the semi-final, although the Saints were not fielding a first choice side, and beat Vale of Atholl F.C.

in April 1900, the visitors winning 7–1,[21] and after the end of the season held a "sale of work" in the Masonic Hall in order to pay off debts as a result of "acquiring the large park".

[28] Towards the end of the season, St Johnstone agreed to play a benefit match "in order to assist the City officials out of their troubles".

The club's first-ever competitive match, against Pullars Rangers in the 1884–85 Perthshire Cup, was re-played because of their continual pitch invasions.

[33] After the 1888 Perthshire Cup final, Dunblane supporters had to buy "Play Up, City" favours to place in their hats, in order to "obtain freedom from unpleasant attention" from the crowd.

"[37] The result was allowed to stand[38] despite an Athletics protest against rough play, considered ironic given "there is not a dirtier team going".

[51] City was evicted from Balhousie a second time in November 1898, and used the Perth Academy Former Pupils' ground at South Inch as a temporary venue.

[52] The club's new ground was held on a 9-year tenancy from a Mr Cunningham at Atholl Bank farm.