Scottish Sport History - devoted to our sporting heritage
  • Home
  • Books for sale
    • The men who made Scotland
    • World's First Foot-Ball Club
    • First Elevens
    • Arthur Kinnaird
    • History of Dunblane Football Club
  • Sports History News and Blog
  • Scottish sports bibilography
    • Scottish sport general
    • Football books
    • Football books (non league)
    • Rugby books
    • Cricket books
    • Athletics books
    • Shinty books
    • Curling books
    • Bowling books
    • Swimming books
    • Hockey books
    • Ice hockey books
    • Tennis books
    • Boxing books
  • Digitised books and articles
  • Scotland v England: the origins
    • England v Scotland 1870
    • Scotland v England 1872
    • England v Scotland 1873
    • Scotland v England 1874
  • Arthur Kinnaird: First Lord of Football
    • Kinnaird's FA Cup
    • Kinnaird blog archive
    • Kinnaird the canoeist
    • Kinnaird family history
    • Rossie Priory
  • Contact / About Me
  • Links

Hugh Wilson of Dumbarton, a 'missing' internationalist

31/5/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
Mauchline FC in 1878 with the Ayrshire Cup
It never ceases to amaze me that a footballer can play for Scotland yet his name does not appear in the record books. That is the unfortunate fate of Hugh Wilson of Dumbarton, whose cap has somehow gone 'missing'.
   It was a chance discovery when I was reading a report of Wales v Scotland on 23 March 1885, which we won 8-1. It mentioned the Scotland team's selection problems, including this sentence: 'It was anticipated that Keir of Dumbarton would make the special journey to Wales but he scratched.'  This was Leitch Keir, who is credited in every reference book with playing in this match, the first of his five caps.
   But he didn't play. In fact, the Scotland half-back was his team mate Hugh Wilson. 

   This is confirmed by the line-ups printed in all the next day's papers, as well as the following few years of Scottish FA Annuals. Yet somehow Keir has been credited with the cap and Wilson is forgotten, until now.
   I am currently working on the details of his career, but it is clear he was an accomplished player. He started out with Mauchline, and is in the picture above with the team which won the Ayrshire Cup in 1878, its very first season. Wilson is on the far left of the front row. Another famous name in the team is Dr John Smith (middle of back row), who won 10 caps including six against England.

   Wilson remained with Mauchline until 1884, winning numerous county honours for Ayrshire and also playing three times for Scotch Counties. Then he moved to Dumbarton, apparently after finding work in the town, and played for a couple of seasons. I can find no record of him after 1886, the year after he won his cap.
   Who knows if there are more discoveries to be made of 'lost' internationalists. But in the meantime, the record books can be corrected and Hugh Wilson recognised for his Scotland appearance. Leitch Keir, on the other hand, can only be credited with four rather than five caps.


NB: He is not the same man as Hugh Wilson of Newmilns, Sunderland and Third Lanark, who was capped in the 1890s.
2 Comments
Octavio Rivero
16/6/2020 07:34:14 am

Hi, I m writing from México, recently we have tracked the origins of football in the country as late as 1891. In a note wrote by a anglo american magazine in Mexico City, they notice that a famous international scotish player named Hugh Wilson played as a new signing for one of the teams. I m wondering if my Hugh Wilson is your guy. He could be one of the mexican football fathers.

Reply
Andy Mitchell
16/6/2020 09:46:42 am

Hi Octavio, thanks for your comment. Since I wrote that article four years ago, I have established that Hugh Wilson lived and worked in Dumbarton for the rest of his life. So, although it would be a great story, I am fairly sure he did not go to Mexico!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

    Categories

    All

    Author

    All blog posts, unless stated, are written by Andy Mitchell, who is researching Scottish sport on a regular basis.