SPORTS HISTORY BLOG
Over 250 articles on all aspects of Scottish sport
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A team group of Blackburn Rovers in 1895, with Tom Brandon sitting proudly in the centre of the front row
Tom Brandon was one of the most prominent Scottish footballers of the 1890s, a powerful full back who was capped against England and won the FA Cup with Blackburn Rovers. Yet despite his rugged image he is remembered in a surprisingly unique way, as he must be the only player ever to have a dancing school named after him.
I write this on the 80th anniversary of his death, having uncovered the mystery of his life story. For years, Brandon was thought to have emigrated to the USA after losing a court case when he was shamed for abandoning his wife and son. However, there was no further trace of him and it was assumed he had died there. Quite by chance I found he had later returned to Scotland, and settled into a new life in Edinburgh, where he died in 1941. He was one of the last players to be discovered while I was researching The Men Who Made Scotland.
Brandon was born in the Ayrshire mining village of Glengarnock, near Kilbirnie, in 1867. His Irish Catholic parents registered him as William but as he was known throughout his life as Tom I believe they added Thomas at his baptism. He had a fine football pedigree as his elder brothers Robert and James were also professionals on both sides of the border, as was a cousin called Harry, but Tom was the finest of them all. The family moved when he was very young to Kilbarchan in Renfrewshire, where he started his football career with local clubs Johnstone, Port Glasgow Athletic and St Mirren where he played alongside his brothers.
I write this on the 80th anniversary of his death, having uncovered the mystery of his life story. For years, Brandon was thought to have emigrated to the USA after losing a court case when he was shamed for abandoning his wife and son. However, there was no further trace of him and it was assumed he had died there. Quite by chance I found he had later returned to Scotland, and settled into a new life in Edinburgh, where he died in 1941. He was one of the last players to be discovered while I was researching The Men Who Made Scotland.
Brandon was born in the Ayrshire mining village of Glengarnock, near Kilbirnie, in 1867. His Irish Catholic parents registered him as William but as he was known throughout his life as Tom I believe they added Thomas at his baptism. He had a fine football pedigree as his elder brothers Robert and James were also professionals on both sides of the border, as was a cousin called Harry, but Tom was the finest of them all. The family moved when he was very young to Kilbarchan in Renfrewshire, where he started his football career with local clubs Johnstone, Port Glasgow Athletic and St Mirren where he played alongside his brothers.
Tom Brandon
Tom was recognised as a talent early on and was selected several times for Renfrewshire from 1887, also winning the Renfrewshire Cup with St Mirren in 1888. He was considered the finest full back in Scotland when he was signed by Blackburn Rovers in 1889, who spent freely that summer to attract the best. Their investment paid off as Rovers won the FA Cup in 1890 but Brandon was discovered to be ineligible under the rules of the time, and after playing in every other game that season he had to be dropped for the semi-final and final.
However, he did win an FA Cup medal in 1891 when Rovers retained the cup, beating Notts County in the final, and was selected for the Football League against the Football Alliance. By then, he had signed a controversial pre-contract agreement to move to Sheffield Wednesday, and part of the deal was him taking over the Woodman Inn.
He returned to Blackburn in September to get married to Elizabeth Duckworth, whose sister had already married fellow internationalist George Dewar. Appointed club captain, he fulfilled two years with Wednesday then wanted to return to Blackburn in 1893 but his club refused to grant him a transfer, as they were entitled to do under Football League regulations. As a way out of the impasse he signed for Nelson, in the Lancashire League, until Wednesday caved in and took a fee for his transfer to Rovers in December – one of the earliest examples of a transfer fee, with the amount widely quoted (and then denied) as £150.
He made his international debut in 1896 when the SFA finally ended its policy of selecting only Scottish-based players, and Brandon was one of several to feature against England. Although he did well in a 2-1 victory at Celtic Park, it turned out to be his only cap as his life took an unfortunate turn.
That summer he hit the headlines for the wrong reasons, as he was charged with persistent cruelty to his wife, who appeared in the witness box with a black eye and was duly granted a separation order and a weekly maintenance payment. Tom remained in Blackburn but his career was clearly waning, and he played his last match for Rovers in March 1900.
He returned to St Mirren that autumn but within a month he was back in court, charged with arrears on maintenance for his wife and was sent to prison for one month with the option to settle the arrears. He chose the latter, made his last appearance for Saints in January 1901 and left the country.
However, he did win an FA Cup medal in 1891 when Rovers retained the cup, beating Notts County in the final, and was selected for the Football League against the Football Alliance. By then, he had signed a controversial pre-contract agreement to move to Sheffield Wednesday, and part of the deal was him taking over the Woodman Inn.
He returned to Blackburn in September to get married to Elizabeth Duckworth, whose sister had already married fellow internationalist George Dewar. Appointed club captain, he fulfilled two years with Wednesday then wanted to return to Blackburn in 1893 but his club refused to grant him a transfer, as they were entitled to do under Football League regulations. As a way out of the impasse he signed for Nelson, in the Lancashire League, until Wednesday caved in and took a fee for his transfer to Rovers in December – one of the earliest examples of a transfer fee, with the amount widely quoted (and then denied) as £150.
He made his international debut in 1896 when the SFA finally ended its policy of selecting only Scottish-based players, and Brandon was one of several to feature against England. Although he did well in a 2-1 victory at Celtic Park, it turned out to be his only cap as his life took an unfortunate turn.
That summer he hit the headlines for the wrong reasons, as he was charged with persistent cruelty to his wife, who appeared in the witness box with a black eye and was duly granted a separation order and a weekly maintenance payment. Tom remained in Blackburn but his career was clearly waning, and he played his last match for Rovers in March 1900.
He returned to St Mirren that autumn but within a month he was back in court, charged with arrears on maintenance for his wife and was sent to prison for one month with the option to settle the arrears. He chose the latter, made his last appearance for Saints in January 1901 and left the country.
Tom Brandon's gravestone at Warriston Cemetery in Edinburgh
He was soon reported to be living in Rhode Island, USA, and that was the last anyone heard of him.
However, it appears that after the First World War he returned to Scotland to go back to work as a coal miner. He settled in central Edinburgh with his new partner, Mary Kemp, and while she called herself Mrs Brandon they never married. He lived with her and her family in Keir Street until his death.
However, it appears that after the First World War he returned to Scotland to go back to work as a coal miner. He settled in central Edinburgh with his new partner, Mary Kemp, and while she called herself Mrs Brandon they never married. He lived with her and her family in Keir Street until his death.
Betty Brandon (real name Elizabeth Morrison) standing on the right, with her young dancers from the popular Betty Brandon School of Dancing in Edinburgh
Unusually, the Brandon name lived on after his death. Mary Kemp had three daughters from her first marriage to William Morrison, and one of them was Betty, a talented dance teacher. When she set up a dance school in the 1930s she decided to name it after her mother's partner, so the Betty Brandon School of Dancing was founded. It became renowned as one of the best dance schools in Edinburgh for many years, and many hundreds of young girls and boys passed through its doors until at least the 1970s, little suspecting the footballer origins of the school's name.
Tom Brandon rests in Warriston Cemetery, his gravestone lying flat after falling from its plinth. It is the last reminder of a man who made a lasting impact not just as a footballer but in other fields as well.
William Thomas Brandon
Born 3 October 1867 at 136 Glengarnock, Ayrshire, to Robert Brandon and Eliza Smith.
Died 24 November 1941 at 18 Keir Street, Edinburgh.
Tom Brandon rests in Warriston Cemetery, his gravestone lying flat after falling from its plinth. It is the last reminder of a man who made a lasting impact not just as a footballer but in other fields as well.
William Thomas Brandon
Born 3 October 1867 at 136 Glengarnock, Ayrshire, to Robert Brandon and Eliza Smith.
Died 24 November 1941 at 18 Keir Street, Edinburgh.
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It's amazing what can turn up. This silver buckle, attached to its original belt, was presented in 1865 by the 14th Earl of Eglinton for competition by cricket clubs in Cunninghame, north Ayrshire. I believe this was the world's first knock-out cricket tournament, a distinction which has apparently not previously been recognised.
In fact the Earl presented three prizes that summer: a silver ball for the winners, the silver-mounted belt for the runners-up, and a cricket bat for third place. Having added the belt to my collection following a chance find on eBay, I decided to look into its history, and the wider sporting patronage of the Earls of Eglinton in the Victorian era.
In fact the Earl presented three prizes that summer: a silver ball for the winners, the silver-mounted belt for the runners-up, and a cricket bat for third place. Having added the belt to my collection following a chance find on eBay, I decided to look into its history, and the wider sporting patronage of the Earls of Eglinton in the Victorian era.
The Eglinton silver belt, won in 1865 by Irvine Eglinton cricket club
It was first announced in the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald on 13 May 1865: 'CRICKET - The Earl of Eglinton has resolved to come out as a patron of this fine manly game and has intimated to the cricketers in the district of Cunninghame that he intends giving them three prizes, to be competed for annually.'
The prizes attracted five local cricket clubs to enter the competition. It was an awkward number for a knock-out competition, but the ties were drawn and in the first round Ardeer beat Kilmarnock Junior on 3 June, then Kilwinning Monkcastle beat Kilmarnock Winton on 17 June, while Irvine Eglinton were given a bye. In the second round, effectively the semi-final, Irvine Eglinton beat Ardeer on 1 July while Kilwinning Monkcastle received a bye.
This set up a final which was played on 22 July at the Earl's own cricket pitch at Eglinton Castle. Kilwinning Monkcastle took the honours, and the silver ball, by beating Irvine Eglinton by 45 runs after two innings.
The prizes attracted five local cricket clubs to enter the competition. It was an awkward number for a knock-out competition, but the ties were drawn and in the first round Ardeer beat Kilmarnock Junior on 3 June, then Kilwinning Monkcastle beat Kilmarnock Winton on 17 June, while Irvine Eglinton were given a bye. In the second round, effectively the semi-final, Irvine Eglinton beat Ardeer on 1 July while Kilwinning Monkcastle received a bye.
This set up a final which was played on 22 July at the Earl's own cricket pitch at Eglinton Castle. Kilwinning Monkcastle took the honours, and the silver ball, by beating Irvine Eglinton by 45 runs after two innings.
Report of the first Eglinton cricket final in the Kilmarnock Weekly Post of 29 July 1865 (BNA)
There was still a need for a third place match, and Ardeer won the silver-mounted bat on 19 August, defeating Kilmarnock Winton by 17 runs.
The Eglinton prizes for Cunninghame clubs continued each year until 1882 when the silver ball was won by Beith. by this time, there was no mention of a silver belt for the runners-up, and the current whereabouts of the silver ball is (I believe) unknown.
Hence the little belt and buckle, which I now own, appears to be Scotland's oldest surviving cricket trophy. There were earlier cricket cups in England, but only for direct competition between two teams. I can find no earlier instance of a knock-out tournament.
The original winners of the belt, Irvine Eglinton, had been founded in the town in 1858, and not surprisingly the club's patron was the Earl of Eglinton himself. The club was one of the leading sides in Ayrshire in the 1860s but had a chequered history, having to bounce back from losing its ground to coal mining in 1867 and then became homeless again in 1874, after which it was wound up.
The 14th Earl was clearly a cricket enthusiast and delighted at the success of his tournament, so in 1867 he went one bigger and provided a trophy for the whole of Ayrshire (or more formally for Carrick, Kyle and Cunninghame). He had announced the previous summer that he would offer a silver cup, value £40, and the first edition of the competition attracted eleven entries. The first winners were Irvine Eglinton, defeating Ayr in the final. In succeeding years the winners always came from Ayr until Ayr CC won it three years in a row to take permanent possession of the trophy in 1875. It was in fact three trophies, a silver gilt claret jug with two goblets, all in the same velvet-lined box.
The Eglinton Cup, still held by Ayr CC, came back into public view in 2017 when it took pride of place at a Scottish cricket exhibition within the Football Museum at Hampden Park.
The Eglinton prizes for Cunninghame clubs continued each year until 1882 when the silver ball was won by Beith. by this time, there was no mention of a silver belt for the runners-up, and the current whereabouts of the silver ball is (I believe) unknown.
Hence the little belt and buckle, which I now own, appears to be Scotland's oldest surviving cricket trophy. There were earlier cricket cups in England, but only for direct competition between two teams. I can find no earlier instance of a knock-out tournament.
The original winners of the belt, Irvine Eglinton, had been founded in the town in 1858, and not surprisingly the club's patron was the Earl of Eglinton himself. The club was one of the leading sides in Ayrshire in the 1860s but had a chequered history, having to bounce back from losing its ground to coal mining in 1867 and then became homeless again in 1874, after which it was wound up.
The 14th Earl was clearly a cricket enthusiast and delighted at the success of his tournament, so in 1867 he went one bigger and provided a trophy for the whole of Ayrshire (or more formally for Carrick, Kyle and Cunninghame). He had announced the previous summer that he would offer a silver cup, value £40, and the first edition of the competition attracted eleven entries. The first winners were Irvine Eglinton, defeating Ayr in the final. In succeeding years the winners always came from Ayr until Ayr CC won it three years in a row to take permanent possession of the trophy in 1875. It was in fact three trophies, a silver gilt claret jug with two goblets, all in the same velvet-lined box.
The Eglinton Cup, still held by Ayr CC, came back into public view in 2017 when it took pride of place at a Scottish cricket exhibition within the Football Museum at Hampden Park.
Ayr cricket historian Norman Simpson with the Eglinton trophy (Ayrshire Post, 4 August 2017)
At that time, the Eglinton cup was hailed as the world's oldest cricket trophy but I think I can now dispute that claim by two years (although whether a silver belt can claim to be a trophy is another question).
The 14th Earl of Eglinton and Winton, pictured in 1881
While the 14th Earl, who died in 1892 aged 50, can be credited with creating the first cricket tournaments, it has to be said he was a sporting lightweight compared to his father, who had an extraordinary record of patronage that endures to this day.
The 13th Earl of Eglinton (1812-1861) is perhaps best known for his extravagant Eglinton Tournament which he hosted in 1839. However his lasting legacy was in sport. Described as 'the generous patron of every manly exercise', over the following two decades until his death he lavished his wealth on a huge variety of prizes which encouraged sporting competition in Scotland and far beyond.
His personal passion was horse racing and he kept a large racing stud, the greatest exponent being Flying Dutchman which won the Derby and the St Leger in 1849. The Earl also provided the Eglinton Cup at the Curragh racecourse in Kildare while he was Viceroy of Ireland.
In bowls, he donated the Eglinton Gold and Silver Bowls for clubs in Ayrshire (1854) and the magnificent Eglinton Silver Jug (1857) for annual competition between Ayrshire and Glasgow. These are all still competed for today.
In curling, he presented the Eglinton Jug in 1851 for Ayrshire clubs and it is also still going as a vibrant competition.
In golf, the Earl was a founder of Prestwick Golf Club in 1851 and provided the silver belt which was won on the course by Willie Park at the very first Open Championship in 1860. It continued to be the prize for the winner of the Open each year until Tom Morris junior won it outright in 1871, and it was replaced with the famous claret jug. The belt now resides in the R&A World Golf Museum in St Andrews.
The 13th Earl of Eglinton (1812-1861) is perhaps best known for his extravagant Eglinton Tournament which he hosted in 1839. However his lasting legacy was in sport. Described as 'the generous patron of every manly exercise', over the following two decades until his death he lavished his wealth on a huge variety of prizes which encouraged sporting competition in Scotland and far beyond.
His personal passion was horse racing and he kept a large racing stud, the greatest exponent being Flying Dutchman which won the Derby and the St Leger in 1849. The Earl also provided the Eglinton Cup at the Curragh racecourse in Kildare while he was Viceroy of Ireland.
In bowls, he donated the Eglinton Gold and Silver Bowls for clubs in Ayrshire (1854) and the magnificent Eglinton Silver Jug (1857) for annual competition between Ayrshire and Glasgow. These are all still competed for today.
In curling, he presented the Eglinton Jug in 1851 for Ayrshire clubs and it is also still going as a vibrant competition.
In golf, the Earl was a founder of Prestwick Golf Club in 1851 and provided the silver belt which was won on the course by Willie Park at the very first Open Championship in 1860. It continued to be the prize for the winner of the Open each year until Tom Morris junior won it outright in 1871, and it was replaced with the famous claret jug. The belt now resides in the R&A World Golf Museum in St Andrews.
A group of bowlers on the bowling green at Eglinton Castle circa 1870, including the 14th Earl of Eglinton fourth from right. (Picture courtesy of David Rice).
The Eglinton Silver Jug (bowls)
The Eglinton Silver Jug (curling)
The Eglinton Silver Belt, the prize for the first Open Championship in 1860
Those are the best known Eglinton trophies but he also provided a silver cup for Glasgow Regatta, a silver cup for shooting by the West of Scotland Volunteers, and a gold belt and quiver for Irvine archers. He founded the Eglinton Hunt and gave the Eglinton Hunt Cup to Ayr races. What is more, Eglinton Castle was superbly equipped with a rackets hall, a cricket pitch, a curling pond and a croquet lawn. Most of the castle is now ruins in the country park, but the rackets hall is a rare survivor, the oldest indoor sports building in Scotland.
Overall the patronage of the 13th Earl of Eglinton helped to encourage Scottish sport in many fields. After his death, the 14th Earl was less extravagant but he still made a key contribution to cricket and I am delighted to have discovered one of his original prizes.
Overall the patronage of the 13th Earl of Eglinton helped to encourage Scottish sport in many fields. After his death, the 14th Earl was less extravagant but he still made a key contribution to cricket and I am delighted to have discovered one of his original prizes.
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It was one of the most unlikely pairings for a friendly match: Birmingham City, a top ten side in the English first division, hosted Irvine Meadow, a Scottish junior team.
Sixty years ago, in March 1959 the Scots flew to the West Midlands and ran their mighty opponents close, losing just 4-3 to a last minute penalty.
The match had been arranged three months earlier when Birmingham City invited the juniors to head south, even offering to arrange flights. At the time, there was no question Irvine Meadow XI (to give them their full title) was the top junior side in Scotland, as they were virtually unbeatable and went on to lift the Scottish Junior Cup that season. Even so, pitting them against full-time professionals seemed a big ask, although Birmingham promised to put out a young side with limited first team experience.
It was originally scheduled for Wednesday 21 January but had to be postponed (with several days' notice) due to the severe winter weather, and rearranged for Monday 16 March.
Sixty years ago, in March 1959 the Scots flew to the West Midlands and ran their mighty opponents close, losing just 4-3 to a last minute penalty.
The match had been arranged three months earlier when Birmingham City invited the juniors to head south, even offering to arrange flights. At the time, there was no question Irvine Meadow XI (to give them their full title) was the top junior side in Scotland, as they were virtually unbeatable and went on to lift the Scottish Junior Cup that season. Even so, pitting them against full-time professionals seemed a big ask, although Birmingham promised to put out a young side with limited first team experience.
It was originally scheduled for Wednesday 21 January but had to be postponed (with several days' notice) due to the severe winter weather, and rearranged for Monday 16 March.
The Meadow team had little time to prepare for the trip as on the Saturday they had a tough Junior Cup quarter final in Blairgowrie (which they won 5-1). They flew south on Monday from Glasgow Airport (then known as Renfrew) and a planeload of supporters followed them on a chartered 36-seat Dakota. The match that evening attracted a decent crowd of 3,200 to St Andrew's, and to their astonishment they saw the Scots sweep to a two goal lead in the first ten minutes, through Hookey Walker and Tommy Wark. They were still ahead at half-time, albeit Brian Abbott had reduced the deficit and centre half George Sinclair was hobbling with a knee injury; he was replaced at half-time by Bill Currie.
In the second half, the superior fitness of the Birmingham youngsters started to tell and they equalised through David Jones, then went ahead from Dennis Harper. However, Irvine continued to press forward and managed to make it 3-3 when Maurice Partridge put through his own goal. The winner came in the final minute after Abbott was brought down in the box and Jimmy McLaughlin, a future Northern Ireland international, scored with the resulting penalty to make it 4-3. It was Meadow's first defeat in nine months.
After the match, Irvine Meadow presented Birmingham City with an inscribed musical cigarette box, and the team had a lively night in their hotel before flying home the following day. The match programme, pictured above, is a pertinent souvenir of this rare occasion.
Monday, 16 March 1959
Birmingham City 4 (Abbott, Jones, Harper, McLaughlin pen), Irvine Meadow XI 3 (Walker, Wark, Partridge og).
Birmingham City: Draper; Kennea, Partridge; Abbott, Small, Hume; Harper, Hinton, Jackson, Jones, McLaughlin.
Irvine Meadow: Prentice; Crawford, Isaacs; Carr, Sinclair (sub Currie HT), Dickie; Carroll, Strain, Wark, Morrison, Walker.
After the match, Irvine Meadow presented Birmingham City with an inscribed musical cigarette box, and the team had a lively night in their hotel before flying home the following day. The match programme, pictured above, is a pertinent souvenir of this rare occasion.
Monday, 16 March 1959
Birmingham City 4 (Abbott, Jones, Harper, McLaughlin pen), Irvine Meadow XI 3 (Walker, Wark, Partridge og).
Birmingham City: Draper; Kennea, Partridge; Abbott, Small, Hume; Harper, Hinton, Jackson, Jones, McLaughlin.
Irvine Meadow: Prentice; Crawford, Isaacs; Carr, Sinclair (sub Currie HT), Dickie; Carroll, Strain, Wark, Morrison, Walker.
The match was advertised in Birmingham City's previous match programme (National Library of Scotland)
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When England meet Scotland on 10 June there will be intensive, round-the-clock preparation, with every movement of the players planned and monitored. They are thorough professionals, their focus entirely on the match. They will fly into Glasgow the day before and leave immediately afterwards.
It wasn’t always like that, though. We’ve been taking a dip into the archives to see how the players used to fill their time before the big match, and have found some surprising diversions which kept them occupied.
First, Douglas Gorman tells the story of a magnificent signed sheet from the Turnberrry Lighthouse, then Andy Mitchell relates a few anecdotes of past visits.
It wasn’t always like that, though. We’ve been taking a dip into the archives to see how the players used to fill their time before the big match, and have found some surprising diversions which kept them occupied.
First, Douglas Gorman tells the story of a magnificent signed sheet from the Turnberrry Lighthouse, then Andy Mitchell relates a few anecdotes of past visits.
Signed page from the Turnberry Lighthouse visitors' book. Image provided by National Records of Scotland, NLC110/3/1
When the England international team alighted from their train at Mauchline in Ayrshire on Thursday 13 April 1939 they were met by driving wind and rain, and a warning from the stationmaster that they would face 'an awfu licking' at Hampden Park on the Saturday.
As they quickly transferred to a motor bus, Stanley Rous, FA Secretary, retorted 'We have a grand team and I am confident that we will win' and they travelled the twenty miles to their pre-match base at the Turnberry Hotel on the Ayrshire coast. Tom Whittaker of Arsenal, trainer to the team, reported that his eleven was fighting fit. At this time the Football Association did not, and indeed would not, appoint a manager for its international team but Rous understood the need for proper preparation and probably worked with Whittaker to get the team together for a full day before the game. In earlier years some England teams had simply arrived in Glasgow on the Friday night.
However, their preparation did not extend to packing a spare kit. The rain fell so heavily on Saturday that a drenched team needed to change their shirts, and had to borrow replacements from Queen's Park for the second half.
This was one of the first all-ticket matches at Hampden Park and apparently when SFA President Douglas Bowie travelled from Ayr to welcome the visitors at Turnberry his first question to Will Cuff, Everton Chairman and FA Vice President, was did he have any tickets to spare!
On the Friday the English team had the opportunity to relax and paid a visit to the Turnberry Lighthouse. We know this as eleven members of the party signed the visitors’ book, including some of the most famous names in English football: Stanley Matthews, Tommy Lawton, Stan Cullis, Eddie Hapgood among them. Also on the page are Tom Whittaker, Frank Broome (a travelling reserve), Vic Woodley, Joe Mercer, Len Goulden, Ken Willingham and Bill Morris.
Not all the players signed, and perhaps they did not go: the signatures of Willie Hall, Pat Beasley (a late substitute for Eric Brook of Manchester City), Wilf Copping (the other reserve) and Stanley Rous do not appear. Hall was a keen golfer so that may explain his absence, while Rous would have had administrative details to attend to, and indeed had to provide a late substitute for a talk he was due to give to Glasgow referees.
Curiously, Stanley Matthews signed the visitors' book for a second time when he returned, this time with his family, in 1947.
The Turnberry Lighthouse visitors’ book is preserved in the Northern Lighthouse Board archive, which is now held at the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh. The former keepers’ accommodation is now a luxury retreat in the Trump empire, which would take a footballer’s salary to hire at a reported £7,000 a night, while the lighthouse itself remains an important aid to navigation in the Firth of Clyde.
As they quickly transferred to a motor bus, Stanley Rous, FA Secretary, retorted 'We have a grand team and I am confident that we will win' and they travelled the twenty miles to their pre-match base at the Turnberry Hotel on the Ayrshire coast. Tom Whittaker of Arsenal, trainer to the team, reported that his eleven was fighting fit. At this time the Football Association did not, and indeed would not, appoint a manager for its international team but Rous understood the need for proper preparation and probably worked with Whittaker to get the team together for a full day before the game. In earlier years some England teams had simply arrived in Glasgow on the Friday night.
However, their preparation did not extend to packing a spare kit. The rain fell so heavily on Saturday that a drenched team needed to change their shirts, and had to borrow replacements from Queen's Park for the second half.
This was one of the first all-ticket matches at Hampden Park and apparently when SFA President Douglas Bowie travelled from Ayr to welcome the visitors at Turnberry his first question to Will Cuff, Everton Chairman and FA Vice President, was did he have any tickets to spare!
On the Friday the English team had the opportunity to relax and paid a visit to the Turnberry Lighthouse. We know this as eleven members of the party signed the visitors’ book, including some of the most famous names in English football: Stanley Matthews, Tommy Lawton, Stan Cullis, Eddie Hapgood among them. Also on the page are Tom Whittaker, Frank Broome (a travelling reserve), Vic Woodley, Joe Mercer, Len Goulden, Ken Willingham and Bill Morris.
Not all the players signed, and perhaps they did not go: the signatures of Willie Hall, Pat Beasley (a late substitute for Eric Brook of Manchester City), Wilf Copping (the other reserve) and Stanley Rous do not appear. Hall was a keen golfer so that may explain his absence, while Rous would have had administrative details to attend to, and indeed had to provide a late substitute for a talk he was due to give to Glasgow referees.
Curiously, Stanley Matthews signed the visitors' book for a second time when he returned, this time with his family, in 1947.
The Turnberry Lighthouse visitors’ book is preserved in the Northern Lighthouse Board archive, which is now held at the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh. The former keepers’ accommodation is now a luxury retreat in the Trump empire, which would take a footballer’s salary to hire at a reported £7,000 a night, while the lighthouse itself remains an important aid to navigation in the Firth of Clyde.
The Daily Record published this on 14 April 1939 showing the England players at the Turnberry Hotel. From left: Whittaker (trainer), Woodley, Copping, Willingham, Beasley and Hapgood. (British Newspaper Archive)
While we tend to think of the cross-border invasion being a Tartan Army thing, it also used to happen in the opposition direction.
In 1939, over 40,000 England supporters reportedly travelled to the match, with the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) running 33 special trains for 16,000 supporters, including 600 who 'invaded' Ardrossan early on Saturday morning on two excursions organised by Sheffield and Manchester newspapers.
Each train had two kitchens which served supper on departure, breakfast on arrival at Ardrossan and, after a stroll around the town, lunch en route to King’s Park station near Hampden. It was all rounded off by dinner on the return journey. The on-board darts competition to pass the time seemed a risky endeavour!
They squeezed into a packed Hampden and had an outing to remember, as England bounced back from a half-time deficit to win the match through Tommy Lawton’s late header. At the time it was a rare triumph for the visitors, but it would be 1962 before the next Scotland win at Hampden over the old enemy.
Saturday 15 April 1939
Hampden Park, Glasgow (149,269)
Scotland 1 (Dougal 20), England 2 (Beasley 67, Lawton 88).
Scotland: Jerry Dawson (Rangers); Jimmy Carabine (Third Lanark) and George Cummings (Aston Villa); Bill Shankly (Preston North End), Bobby Baxter (captain, Middlesbrough) and Sandy McNab (West Bromwich Albion); Alex McSpadyen (Partick Thistle), Tommy Walker (Heart of Midlothian), Jimmy Dougal (Preston North End), Alex Venters (Rangers) and Jackie Milne (Middlesbrough).
England: Vic Woodley (Chelsea); Bill Morris (Wolverhampton Wanderers) and Eddie Hapgood (captain, Arsenal); Ken Willingham (Huddersfield Town), Stan Cullis (Wolverhampton Wanderers) and Joe Mercer (Everton); Stanley Matthews (Stoke City), Willie Hall (Tottenham Hotspur), Tommy Lawton (Everton), Len Goulden (West Ham United) and Pat Beasley (Huddersfield Town).
Referee: William R Hamilton (Belfast)
The Ayrshire coast remained a popular training base, for both countries, from the 1920s to the 1950s. The English generally stayed at Troon, sometimes arriving as early as Wednesday evening, and trained at Somerset Park in Ayr. The Scotland team base was not far away at the Marine Hotel in Largs, with training sessions at the local junior team’s Barrfield Park.
In 1939, over 40,000 England supporters reportedly travelled to the match, with the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) running 33 special trains for 16,000 supporters, including 600 who 'invaded' Ardrossan early on Saturday morning on two excursions organised by Sheffield and Manchester newspapers.
Each train had two kitchens which served supper on departure, breakfast on arrival at Ardrossan and, after a stroll around the town, lunch en route to King’s Park station near Hampden. It was all rounded off by dinner on the return journey. The on-board darts competition to pass the time seemed a risky endeavour!
They squeezed into a packed Hampden and had an outing to remember, as England bounced back from a half-time deficit to win the match through Tommy Lawton’s late header. At the time it was a rare triumph for the visitors, but it would be 1962 before the next Scotland win at Hampden over the old enemy.
Saturday 15 April 1939
Hampden Park, Glasgow (149,269)
Scotland 1 (Dougal 20), England 2 (Beasley 67, Lawton 88).
Scotland: Jerry Dawson (Rangers); Jimmy Carabine (Third Lanark) and George Cummings (Aston Villa); Bill Shankly (Preston North End), Bobby Baxter (captain, Middlesbrough) and Sandy McNab (West Bromwich Albion); Alex McSpadyen (Partick Thistle), Tommy Walker (Heart of Midlothian), Jimmy Dougal (Preston North End), Alex Venters (Rangers) and Jackie Milne (Middlesbrough).
England: Vic Woodley (Chelsea); Bill Morris (Wolverhampton Wanderers) and Eddie Hapgood (captain, Arsenal); Ken Willingham (Huddersfield Town), Stan Cullis (Wolverhampton Wanderers) and Joe Mercer (Everton); Stanley Matthews (Stoke City), Willie Hall (Tottenham Hotspur), Tommy Lawton (Everton), Len Goulden (West Ham United) and Pat Beasley (Huddersfield Town).
Referee: William R Hamilton (Belfast)
The Ayrshire coast remained a popular training base, for both countries, from the 1920s to the 1950s. The English generally stayed at Troon, sometimes arriving as early as Wednesday evening, and trained at Somerset Park in Ayr. The Scotland team base was not far away at the Marine Hotel in Largs, with training sessions at the local junior team’s Barrfield Park.
This itinerary for the England party travelling to Scotland in April 1906 originally belonged to Colin Veitch
It reflects an era when internationals were more relaxed, but in the very early days, the England team barely had time to sample the Scottish air. This itinerary from 1906 show that the players travelled on the Friday, catching a train at their nearest suitable station, either on the east or west coast, joining forces at Carlisle, then on to Glasgow. They had afternoon tea in the saloon coach and arrived at Glasgow Central at 6.15pm, with dinner served in the St Enoch Hotel at 7pm prompt.
There was no time to hang around. The Saturday schedule included lunch at 12.30, departure from the hotel at 2.30, kick-off at 3.30, and the post-match dinner back at the hotel at 6.30. The train south departed Glasgow Central just after 9pm, and dropped people off through the night at various stations en route to London where it arrived at 6.30 am. For those fearful a sleepless night, 'Arrangements can be made for sleeping accommodation to Euston if required, and at the Park Hotel, Preston, for those members who cannot reach home.'
The next visit in 1908 saw a complete change of pace. The England team stayed at Dunblane Hydro, where former Scotland international Robert Christie (now a local architect) was delegated to look after them and was ‘assiduous in seeing to their comfort and fraternising with them.’ His programme for the guests included a visit to Dunblane Cathedral, where the players and officials were entertained by an organ recital. Changed days! But they must have enjoyed it as the team returned to Dunblane in 1910.
There was no time to hang around. The Saturday schedule included lunch at 12.30, departure from the hotel at 2.30, kick-off at 3.30, and the post-match dinner back at the hotel at 6.30. The train south departed Glasgow Central just after 9pm, and dropped people off through the night at various stations en route to London where it arrived at 6.30 am. For those fearful a sleepless night, 'Arrangements can be made for sleeping accommodation to Euston if required, and at the Park Hotel, Preston, for those members who cannot reach home.'
The next visit in 1908 saw a complete change of pace. The England team stayed at Dunblane Hydro, where former Scotland international Robert Christie (now a local architect) was delegated to look after them and was ‘assiduous in seeing to their comfort and fraternising with them.’ His programme for the guests included a visit to Dunblane Cathedral, where the players and officials were entertained by an organ recital. Changed days! But they must have enjoyed it as the team returned to Dunblane in 1910.
Players together in 1927: Rigby of England has the cue, the others are Thomson and McMullan (Scotland) and Kelly, Brown, Bishop, Hulme and Goodall (England). (British Newspaper Archive)
On occasion, the players even socialised together. In 1927, the Sunday Post took the above photo of the Scotland and England players over a billiards table.
It was not just the players who enjoyed spending time in Scotland. We often think of the Tartan Army excursions down south, but it was the same in the other direction. The mass invasion by visiting England fans started early in the century and continued long after the War. In 1956, for example, there were 16 special trains from England, not to mention 11 plane-loads from London and Birmingham and hundreds of buses.
As a final comment, have a read of my article about the Scots who felt at home in London, published in the Scotsman in August 2013: http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/scots-footballers-history-with-london-1-3039856
It was not just the players who enjoyed spending time in Scotland. We often think of the Tartan Army excursions down south, but it was the same in the other direction. The mass invasion by visiting England fans started early in the century and continued long after the War. In 1956, for example, there were 16 special trains from England, not to mention 11 plane-loads from London and Birmingham and hundreds of buses.
As a final comment, have a read of my article about the Scots who felt at home in London, published in the Scotsman in August 2013: http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/scots-footballers-history-with-london-1-3039856
- Published on
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the challenges in tracking the clubs of two high-profile footballers with the same name, Thomas McInnes. But while their careers coincided, at least they did not play for the same team.
Now, I've finally cracked a mystery that has eluded me for a long long time: the two players called James Gourlay who both played for Cambuslang and were both capped by Scotland.
Most reference books simply state that J Gourlay of Cambuslang won two Scotland caps in 1886 and 1888. Doug Lamming's Who's Who of Scotland Internationalists identifies him as James McCrorie Gourlay (1860-1939).
But a few years ago I stumbled across an obituary that revealed the man capped in 1886 was James Gourlay (1862-1926). This was covered in a discussion thread on the scottishleague.net forum.
It gets complicated, so bear with me. The Cambuslang team that played in the 1888 Scottish Cup Final, losing 6-1 to Renton, contained three Gourlays: H Gourlay who scored, J Gourlay in midfield, and J Gourlay on the left wing. Newspapers of the day generally called the latter J Gourlay (1) and the midfielder J Gourlay (2). Contemporary books confirmed there were two players called J Gourlay, and mentioned an Annbank (Ayrshire) family connection. DD Bone's Scottish Football Reminiscences gave their names as James and John. This caused me all sorts of confusion as I searched for a John Gourlay who fitted the bill.
I drew up detailed family trees for Gourlays in Cambuslang and Annbank, and found to my horror that there were two large families, each with numerous Johns and James. All I could be certain of was that they were not related - the Gourlay family of Annbank had come from Ireland early in the 19th century, while the others had always been in Cambuslang. However, several of the Annbank Gourlays had moved in the 1880s to Cambuslang to work in the coal mines so even the census returns were confusing.
There was also an S Gourlay at Cambuslang from 1892, and various other Gourlays playing at Annbank, including two called Owen, senior and junior. Where did they all fit in?
After a long sequence of trial and error, I could not find a John Gourlay who could have been the missing internationalist of 1888. So this week I went to the National Library of Scotland and looked up obituaries on microfilm, which finally revealed the second J Gourlay's identity.
The Ayr Advertiser of 16 March 1939 had an obituary for James McCrorie Gourlay who had died the previous week at Annbank. He was "one of three Gourlays in the Cambuslang team, better known as 'White' Gourlay, centre half. His cousin Hugh, whose death took place at Annbank a few weeks ago, was inside left, and another James Gourlay, a native of Kirkhill, was inside left. 'White' Gourlay was capped for Scotland v Wales in 1888." Mystery solved! And, after all, Doug Lamming was half right in his Who's Who.
In brief here are the summaries of the footballers:
J Gourlay (1) capped for Scotland v Ireland in 1886, was James Gourlay, born Cambuslang 30 October 1862, died in Cambuslang 8 June 1926 (killed by a bus). He played for the town team from about 1884-1890. He is not related to any of the other Gourlays below.
J Gourlay (2) capped for Scotland v Wales in 1888, was James McCrorie Gourlay, born Annbank 1 November 1860, died Annbank 10 March 1939. He played for Annbank, then Cambuslang just 1887-88 before returning to Annbank. His brother Owen Gourlay (1856-1932) played for Annbank; his brother Samuel (1873-?) played for Cambuslang in the early 1890s. His son James Gourlay (11 Jan 1888-12 Sept 1970) played for Everton and Morton, scoring the winner in the 1922 Scottish Cup final; another son John (1885-1930) played for Annbank. His cousin Hugh McKail Gourlay (1865-1939) played and scored for Cambuslang in the 1888 Scottish Cup final; Hugh's brother Owen (1861-?) played for Annbank and was club secretary in the 1880s. There were other football relatives, and also James's descendants include David Gourlay, the world bowls champion. All in all, an extraordinary sporting family!
Now, I've finally cracked a mystery that has eluded me for a long long time: the two players called James Gourlay who both played for Cambuslang and were both capped by Scotland.
Most reference books simply state that J Gourlay of Cambuslang won two Scotland caps in 1886 and 1888. Doug Lamming's Who's Who of Scotland Internationalists identifies him as James McCrorie Gourlay (1860-1939).
But a few years ago I stumbled across an obituary that revealed the man capped in 1886 was James Gourlay (1862-1926). This was covered in a discussion thread on the scottishleague.net forum.
It gets complicated, so bear with me. The Cambuslang team that played in the 1888 Scottish Cup Final, losing 6-1 to Renton, contained three Gourlays: H Gourlay who scored, J Gourlay in midfield, and J Gourlay on the left wing. Newspapers of the day generally called the latter J Gourlay (1) and the midfielder J Gourlay (2). Contemporary books confirmed there were two players called J Gourlay, and mentioned an Annbank (Ayrshire) family connection. DD Bone's Scottish Football Reminiscences gave their names as James and John. This caused me all sorts of confusion as I searched for a John Gourlay who fitted the bill.
I drew up detailed family trees for Gourlays in Cambuslang and Annbank, and found to my horror that there were two large families, each with numerous Johns and James. All I could be certain of was that they were not related - the Gourlay family of Annbank had come from Ireland early in the 19th century, while the others had always been in Cambuslang. However, several of the Annbank Gourlays had moved in the 1880s to Cambuslang to work in the coal mines so even the census returns were confusing.
There was also an S Gourlay at Cambuslang from 1892, and various other Gourlays playing at Annbank, including two called Owen, senior and junior. Where did they all fit in?
After a long sequence of trial and error, I could not find a John Gourlay who could have been the missing internationalist of 1888. So this week I went to the National Library of Scotland and looked up obituaries on microfilm, which finally revealed the second J Gourlay's identity.
The Ayr Advertiser of 16 March 1939 had an obituary for James McCrorie Gourlay who had died the previous week at Annbank. He was "one of three Gourlays in the Cambuslang team, better known as 'White' Gourlay, centre half. His cousin Hugh, whose death took place at Annbank a few weeks ago, was inside left, and another James Gourlay, a native of Kirkhill, was inside left. 'White' Gourlay was capped for Scotland v Wales in 1888." Mystery solved! And, after all, Doug Lamming was half right in his Who's Who.
In brief here are the summaries of the footballers:
J Gourlay (1) capped for Scotland v Ireland in 1886, was James Gourlay, born Cambuslang 30 October 1862, died in Cambuslang 8 June 1926 (killed by a bus). He played for the town team from about 1884-1890. He is not related to any of the other Gourlays below.
J Gourlay (2) capped for Scotland v Wales in 1888, was James McCrorie Gourlay, born Annbank 1 November 1860, died Annbank 10 March 1939. He played for Annbank, then Cambuslang just 1887-88 before returning to Annbank. His brother Owen Gourlay (1856-1932) played for Annbank; his brother Samuel (1873-?) played for Cambuslang in the early 1890s. His son James Gourlay (11 Jan 1888-12 Sept 1970) played for Everton and Morton, scoring the winner in the 1922 Scottish Cup final; another son John (1885-1930) played for Annbank. His cousin Hugh McKail Gourlay (1865-1939) played and scored for Cambuslang in the 1888 Scottish Cup final; Hugh's brother Owen (1861-?) played for Annbank and was club secretary in the 1880s. There were other football relatives, and also James's descendants include David Gourlay, the world bowls champion. All in all, an extraordinary sporting family!
- Published on
Today marks the centenary of the birth of the legendary Bill Shankly in the Ayrshire mining village of Glenbuck. This little community, now virtually wiped from the map, had an extraordinary record of producing top class footballers and long before the Shankly family came to prominence there were a number of others who grew up in Glenbuck and would go on to play for Scotland.
The very first of these was the mercurial Alexander 'Sandy' Brown, whose great claim to fame was scoring in every round of the FA Cup in 1900-01 as Tottenham Hotspur won the trophy for the first time. He is in the middle of the front row in the above photo, and there is also online footage of the final, one of the earliest films of a football game. Sandy scored twice in the first match, a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United, and the third goal in the replay which Spurs won 3-1.
The following year he was selected for Scotland against England, and he duly marked his debut with a goal, but it would never appear in the record books. Early in the second half, part of the terracing at Ibrox collapsed, killing 25 people, and although the game was played to a finish it was immediately declared void. When the match was replayed the following month, Sandy was not in the team.
He had to wait a further two years for his one 'official' Scotland cap. By then playing with Middlesbrough, he failed to impress against England as Scotland lost 1-0 at Celtic Park, and he was never troubled by the selectors again.
Sandy Brown started out with Glenbuck Athletic and his football talent rescued him from a life in the coal mines. He turned professional with St Bernard's in Edinburgh early in 1896, just after his 18th birthday, and was an immediate success, scoring 8 goals in 15 league matches. That summer he was snapped up by Preston North End, where he played for three seasons, scoring regularly. But he could not settle, and his career was a progression of moves from club to club: Portsmouth in 1899, Spurs in 1900 for a year, back to Portsmouth, Middlesbrough in 1903 for two seasons, then Luton Town for three years. He set up in Luton as landlord of a pub, the Dewdrop Inn, but well-publicised marital difficulties forced him to give it up.
I recently did some research into his background (helped by contributors to the scottishleague.net message board). It had long been thought Sandy was born in 1879, but a careful analysis of birth records in Glenbuck showed that his date of birth was in fact 21 December 1877 and his mother Margaret White was not married. However, six months later she married the father, William Brown - and the following year they had another son, Tommy, who would later also become a professional footballer with Leicester Fosse and Portsmouth. Sandy ultimately emigrated to New Zealand, and died there in the town of Granity on 6 March 1944.
The village football team is generally known as Glenbuck Cherrypickers, but their original name was Glenbuck Athletic, founded around 1877 by three men including William Brown - possibly Sandy's father. The 'Cherrypicker' name was adopted around the turn of the 19th century and the picture below shows the team just after they won the Ayrshire Junior League in 1897. There are two players in the photo called Brown (without initials), and one of them is Sandy's younger brother Tommy before he moved south.
The Browns were among the earliest of the long conveyor belt of talent from Glenbuck who became professional footballers, an extraordinary record for such an obscure village. Bill Shankly and his brothers are the most famous, but other Scotland internationals include goalkeeper Willie Muir of Dundee (capped in 1907) and John Crosbie of Ayr United and Birmingham (capped 1920-22).
The very first of these was the mercurial Alexander 'Sandy' Brown, whose great claim to fame was scoring in every round of the FA Cup in 1900-01 as Tottenham Hotspur won the trophy for the first time. He is in the middle of the front row in the above photo, and there is also online footage of the final, one of the earliest films of a football game. Sandy scored twice in the first match, a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United, and the third goal in the replay which Spurs won 3-1.
The following year he was selected for Scotland against England, and he duly marked his debut with a goal, but it would never appear in the record books. Early in the second half, part of the terracing at Ibrox collapsed, killing 25 people, and although the game was played to a finish it was immediately declared void. When the match was replayed the following month, Sandy was not in the team.
He had to wait a further two years for his one 'official' Scotland cap. By then playing with Middlesbrough, he failed to impress against England as Scotland lost 1-0 at Celtic Park, and he was never troubled by the selectors again.
Sandy Brown started out with Glenbuck Athletic and his football talent rescued him from a life in the coal mines. He turned professional with St Bernard's in Edinburgh early in 1896, just after his 18th birthday, and was an immediate success, scoring 8 goals in 15 league matches. That summer he was snapped up by Preston North End, where he played for three seasons, scoring regularly. But he could not settle, and his career was a progression of moves from club to club: Portsmouth in 1899, Spurs in 1900 for a year, back to Portsmouth, Middlesbrough in 1903 for two seasons, then Luton Town for three years. He set up in Luton as landlord of a pub, the Dewdrop Inn, but well-publicised marital difficulties forced him to give it up.
I recently did some research into his background (helped by contributors to the scottishleague.net message board). It had long been thought Sandy was born in 1879, but a careful analysis of birth records in Glenbuck showed that his date of birth was in fact 21 December 1877 and his mother Margaret White was not married. However, six months later she married the father, William Brown - and the following year they had another son, Tommy, who would later also become a professional footballer with Leicester Fosse and Portsmouth. Sandy ultimately emigrated to New Zealand, and died there in the town of Granity on 6 March 1944.
The village football team is generally known as Glenbuck Cherrypickers, but their original name was Glenbuck Athletic, founded around 1877 by three men including William Brown - possibly Sandy's father. The 'Cherrypicker' name was adopted around the turn of the 19th century and the picture below shows the team just after they won the Ayrshire Junior League in 1897. There are two players in the photo called Brown (without initials), and one of them is Sandy's younger brother Tommy before he moved south.
The Browns were among the earliest of the long conveyor belt of talent from Glenbuck who became professional footballers, an extraordinary record for such an obscure village. Bill Shankly and his brothers are the most famous, but other Scotland internationals include goalkeeper Willie Muir of Dundee (capped in 1907) and John Crosbie of Ayr United and Birmingham (capped 1920-22).
- Published on
Sad to hear of the death today of Mike Denness, the only Scots-born cricketer to captain England. I met him once at the ceremony when he was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame, a fascinating and friendly man, and I'm glad to say I voted for him as a member of the selection panel.
While the obituaries will inevitably focus on his cricket career with Kent and England, and his subsequent role as a referee, it should not be forgotten that he learned the game in Scotland and was capped by his native country 19 times between 1959 and 1967. He was a 15-year-old pupil at Ayr Academy when he made his debut for Ayr Cricket Club in 1956, and is pictured here (front row, first left) with the Ayr team that was Western Union champions in 1960. He was only 18 when he made his debut for Scotland in 1959, playing against India, Ireland, Warwickshire and MCC that summer, and his final appearance was at Edgbaston against Warwickshire in August 1967 - two years before his England test debut.
Others will no doubt be much better placed than me to write about his life and achievements, but I hope his contribution to Scottish sport is not forgotten.
While the obituaries will inevitably focus on his cricket career with Kent and England, and his subsequent role as a referee, it should not be forgotten that he learned the game in Scotland and was capped by his native country 19 times between 1959 and 1967. He was a 15-year-old pupil at Ayr Academy when he made his debut for Ayr Cricket Club in 1956, and is pictured here (front row, first left) with the Ayr team that was Western Union champions in 1960. He was only 18 when he made his debut for Scotland in 1959, playing against India, Ireland, Warwickshire and MCC that summer, and his final appearance was at Edgbaston against Warwickshire in August 1967 - two years before his England test debut.
Others will no doubt be much better placed than me to write about his life and achievements, but I hope his contribution to Scottish sport is not forgotten.
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I've spent a bit of time recently digitising early football texts, and will continue to upload more to this website from time to time, posted on the publications page.
To start with, these rare histories of Ayr FC and Kilmarnock FC are now available online to fellow historians for the first time.
The Ayr booklet was produced in 1901, for a fund-raising bazaar - so financial difficulties are nothing new for Scottish football clubs. In this instance, the club had overspent on installing a cycle track and had to raise over £500 to clear the debt. At that time, Ayr (which merged with Ayr Parkhouse in 1910 to become Ayr United) was a multi-sports club, so football lived alongside athletics, cycling and tug of war. In an obscure coincidence of football history, the bazaar was opened by Sir William Arrol, the local MP, whose main claim to fame was the construction of the Forth Bridge; his cousin Mary Arrol had married Scotland's first football captain, Robert Gardner, who died in 1887 while working on ... the Forth Bridge.
The Kilmarnock history is more straightforward, having been issued to commemorate the club's jubilee in 1919.
To read either text, just click on the front cover images or visit my Sporting Anthology.
To start with, these rare histories of Ayr FC and Kilmarnock FC are now available online to fellow historians for the first time.
The Ayr booklet was produced in 1901, for a fund-raising bazaar - so financial difficulties are nothing new for Scottish football clubs. In this instance, the club had overspent on installing a cycle track and had to raise over £500 to clear the debt. At that time, Ayr (which merged with Ayr Parkhouse in 1910 to become Ayr United) was a multi-sports club, so football lived alongside athletics, cycling and tug of war. In an obscure coincidence of football history, the bazaar was opened by Sir William Arrol, the local MP, whose main claim to fame was the construction of the Forth Bridge; his cousin Mary Arrol had married Scotland's first football captain, Robert Gardner, who died in 1887 while working on ... the Forth Bridge.
The Kilmarnock history is more straightforward, having been issued to commemorate the club's jubilee in 1919.
To read either text, just click on the front cover images or visit my Sporting Anthology.
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Author
All blog posts, unless stated, are written by Andy Mitchell.