Edinburgh's Meadows: a crucible for football in Scotland's capital

Plaque on North Meadow Walk, unveiled in 2026

I recently spoke at the International Football History Conference in London, about the significance of the Meadows for the early development of football in Edinburgh.
   It is well known that Hibs and Hearts took their first steps on the Meadows, but in fact the story goes back much further. This historic green space was formed in 1855 as Edinburgh's first public park, and one of its most surprising features is that the City Council specifically mentioned football as one of its key attractions.
   In my paper, I explain how and why the Meadows was so important for football in the capital, outlining the social and economic changes that enabled young working class men to take up the sport, long before association rules came along in the 1870s.
​   The full illustrated presentation can be read by clicking on this link, which will open up as a pdf.

Front cover of the prize-winning design for laying out the Meadows in 1855.

For further reading, have a look at some of my earlier blogs:

The birth of football in Edinburgh.

How Edinburgh could have been a 'home of football'

For a more detailed history, the book '1824: The World's First Foot-Ball Club' is available on Amazon.