I've just finished reading a fascinating new book on Canadian football, and while that may not immediately seem relevant to Scottish sport, there is a wealth of material unearthed by Les Jones in Soccer: Canada's National Sport.
This excellent coffee-table size volume is packed with anecdotes and photos in its 250 pages. Of particular interest to Scotland there are the stories of pioneers such as Perthshire-born David Forsyth, considered as the father of Canadian football, and David Kerr Brown from Ayrshire, who promoted the ambitious 1880 tour of Canada by the Scottish FA (which was abandoned following the death of SFA secretary William Dick).
Football was played in Canada by Scots long before the foundation even of the Scottish FA: as early as 1823, Hudson's Bay employees played a Christmas challenge; and in 1864 the St Andrew's Society of Ottawa organised matches. Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, the SFA's official annual contained detailed accounts of Canadian soccer, emphasising the links that were sealed by tours of the British Isles in 1888 and 1891.
And there is much more, through the tours of the 1920s and 1930s, to the modern era. It is, primarily, a celebration of the sport and all makes for an entertaining and informative volume.
You can read all about Canada Soccer Stories at this link, and while airmail postage may make it expensive for UK purchasers, it does represent a worthwhile investment.
This excellent coffee-table size volume is packed with anecdotes and photos in its 250 pages. Of particular interest to Scotland there are the stories of pioneers such as Perthshire-born David Forsyth, considered as the father of Canadian football, and David Kerr Brown from Ayrshire, who promoted the ambitious 1880 tour of Canada by the Scottish FA (which was abandoned following the death of SFA secretary William Dick).
Football was played in Canada by Scots long before the foundation even of the Scottish FA: as early as 1823, Hudson's Bay employees played a Christmas challenge; and in 1864 the St Andrew's Society of Ottawa organised matches. Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, the SFA's official annual contained detailed accounts of Canadian soccer, emphasising the links that were sealed by tours of the British Isles in 1888 and 1891.
And there is much more, through the tours of the 1920s and 1930s, to the modern era. It is, primarily, a celebration of the sport and all makes for an entertaining and informative volume.
You can read all about Canada Soccer Stories at this link, and while airmail postage may make it expensive for UK purchasers, it does represent a worthwhile investment.
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