The club was formed in 1882, made up of abstemious Clyde shipyard workers[1] of Irish extraction,[2] and, after an 1883–84 season in which it won 12 of 22 matches,[3] it joined the Scottish Football Association.

[4] The club may have been influenced by having a match secretary, William Meikle, who had previously held the role at Pollokshields Athletic.

The club's Irish links helped it get an invitation to Ireland to play a friendly with Limavady, which Rock won 6–4,[8] and strong enough to draw with a strong Dundee Our Boys on a trip to Tayside at the end of the season.

[9] The club seemed to have finished the season on a high, as its reserve side reached the final of the Dumbartonshire Junior Cup by beating Renton Athletic,[10] but for some reason the Athletic was put into the final, which it duly won.

It seems to have had its talent raided by other local sides - in the 1885–86 season, centre-half Hartley[13] and forward Gourlay were playing for Dumbarton, itself having lost players to the professional English game,[14] and left-forwards Kerr and Galbraith were at Dumbarton Athletic.