Clydebank

The red saltire on the white field is for the ancient province of Lennox and for the town's historic links with Ireland. The cog-wheel symbolises all the local industries and the demi-figure of St. Patrick refers to Old Kilpatrick, a burgh of barony from 1672, and where the saint is reputed to have been born. A representation of part of the Roman Antonine’s Wall has been included as the Wall and Roman forts at Old Kilpatrick and Greenhill are features common to the burgh and to the villages in the District. The lymphad is for Clyde shipbuilding. The Latin Motto - "By Work and by Knowledge" - was the motto of the burgh of Clydebank. In 1985, a dove of peace was added to the coat of arms. The coat of arms was replaced by that of West Dunbartonshire in 1995.

Clydebank is a town in west central Scotland, lying on the north bank of the river Clyde. The town was created in the late 19th century to house workers for the ship building yards and in 1886 was made a Royal Burgh (Borough).

Clydebank is currently the largest town in the 'county' of West Dunbartonshire (officially a Local Authority Area); with a population of around 46,000 it is home to roughly half the county's people.

Although not part of the Local Authority Area of the City of Glasgow, Clydebank is part of the city's conurbation and many neighbouring houses and streets fall within the limits of the 2 counties. The town is part of a single urban area which is commonly known to most people as the City of Glasgow and includes areas that fall within the limits of the following counties: West Dunbartonshire, East Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire and all of the City Glasgow. Clydebank residents (nicknamed Bankies) usually claim to be Glaswegians and most give their address as Clydebank, Glasgow rather than the technically accurate Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire. A 2003 poll conducted by the Scottish National Party suggested that Clydebank residents were unhappy with the town's status as part of West Dunbartonshire and would prefer the restoration of the town's own council, which was scrapped in the 1994 restructuring of Scottish local government. The poll found a common irritation at the location of the 'county' government in Dumbarton, the second largest town (20,000 population) and a view that despite 11 of the total 22 'county' councillors being elected to represent wards within Clydebank, the town residents were distant from their representatives. Also of concern was that Clydebank will no longer share an MP (Member of Parliament) with Milingavie (a neighbouring town in East Dunbartonshire) but from the next election will be represented by a single MP for West Dunbartonshire.

Clydebank has two semi-proffessional football (soccer) teams, Clydebank FC and Yoker Athletic FC. Both are members of the Scottish Junior Football Association and play in the Central League Division 2. Clydebank FC formerly held status as a senior league club but went out of bussiness in 2002. The vast majority of football fans in the town support either Glasgow Celtic or Glasgow Rangers.

During World War II Clydebank's production of ships and munitions for the allies made the town a target for the German Luftwaffe: 439 bombers dropped over 1000 bombs on 13th and 14th of March 1941. Of 12,000 homes in the town less than a dozen were undamaged and over 35,000 people were made homeless. The raid, known as the Clydebank Blitz, was the worst suffered by Scotland during the war and resulted in 578 civilian deaths. A memorial exists opposite the Town Hall to the "Defenders of Clydebank", the officers and sailors of the Free Polish ship, ORP Piorun, which was docked in the town and fired its guns, shooting down two bombers.

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