Ah, the good old days. This is a report on a local cup final between two of Renfrewshire's finest early sides, in April 1887:
   Abercorn v Arthurlie - Disgraceful scenes.  While this match was being played at Paisley on Saturday, through the violent charge of McCormick, Hamilton of the Arthurlie had to be carried unconscious off the field and play had to be stopped. As soon as play was resumed, there was a free fight between T. Johnstone and one of the Arthurlie backs, and the men had to be separated.
   From a brilliant run taken part in by the Arthurlie's front lot, Seymour got a chance and put the first point for the Arthurlie. Later, McCormick scored the equalising point for the Abercorn. As soon as the ball was started, Allison rushed right along his wing, and registered the second point for the Abercorn. At this time, five of the players were limping with kicks received on the legs. Against this second goal the Arthurlie protested, claiming that the ball had not gone through. As the referee allowed the goal, the Arthurlie left the field, and scenes of great confusion followed.
   The crowd broke into the field, free fights were general, and a rush made for the money boxes. Two boxes of money were carried away. Later when the policeman had got the crowd cleared away from the entrance to the main gate, it was found that not only had the greater part of the money been carried off, but that two of the money collectors - a young man from Thornliebank and a young man from Busby - had been seriously assaulted. One of them was rescued from a crowd of roughs in an exhausted condition, and had to be carried into the pavilion.
   During this time free fights were taking place all over the field. The crowd refused to move until they got their money back, as the match had been stopped exactly a minute before half-time. Inside the pavilion were the two teams and a number of their supporters, and there angry words were also taking place. The principal officials and the Renfrewshire Association urged the two teams to reappear on the field to please the crowd. About six o'clock the two teams reappeared on the field the finish the game in a friendly manner, but neither would resume the cup-tie.
   NB - playing in 'friendly' fashion, Abercorn scored three more goals and the final score was 5-1 for them. A few days later, the Renfrewshire FA decided that the rest of the match was, after all, going to count and promptly awarded the cup to Abercorn.

I spent an afternoon in London this week tracking down the grave of another of the first football internationalists, Scotland's JJ Thomson. He is a character who I plan to research in more detail as his life went far beyond his sporting prowess. He not only played for Scotland in 1872, he also captained Queen's Park to victory in the first Scottish Cup in 1874, but later that year gave up the game for a job in the meat trade in Liverpool with Eastman and Co. He then moved to London and became the company's managing director, and was so successful that when he died in 1915 he left over £46,000 in his will - that's about £2.8m in today's money.
   The grave is in East Finchley Cemetery, close to his home in Highgate, and I am delighted that the cemetery is well looked after, although the headstone itself is leaning at quite an angle and may require stabilisation. Also recorded on the grave are his wife Sara and four of his children.
   As detailed in my book, James John Thomson was born near Annan on Christmas Day 1851. His cap (pictured) and Scottish Cup medal are both in the Scottish Football Museum, rare survivors from the pioneer days of football.