Image description

SPORTS HISTORY BLOG

Over 250 articles on all aspects of Scottish sport

Image description
Published on
Picture

Cathcart Public School class in 1896. John Harley, then aged 10, is front row, second from left.

A truly remarkable coincidence has brought together my own family history and the life of a Uruguayan football legend, a Scotsman called John Harley. 
   I was recently discussing with fellow historians the proposal to build a statue to John Harley at his birthplace in Cathcart, to the south of Glasgow. A fundraising campaign has now been launched to pay for a fitting memorial (see below).
   Although little known in Scotland, Harley is celebrated as 'El Reformador' in Uruguay for his influence in changing the style of the game there from the long ball to short passing in the traditional Scottish manner. It is a transition that is credited with taking Uruguay to two Olympic titles in 1924 and 1928, then to two World Cups in 1930 and 1950.
   On learning that Harley was born in Cathcart in 1886, a light bulb went on in my head as I recalled that my own grandfather, John Fowler Mitchell, was also born in 1886 and lived in Cathcart. I knew that somewhere in the family archive were some old school photos, and after a lengthy rummage I found no less than four class groups taken in the 1890s. Every single one of them features not only my grandfather but also a young John Harley. 
   The images on the four cabinet photos are still sharp, taken outside Cathcart Public School. And on the back of the cards, my prescient grandfather had taken the trouble to write down the names of everyone he could remember, creating a fantastic record of late Victorian schooling.
Picture

Cathcart Public School, which opened in 1876 in Craig Road. The building was demolished in the 1960s.

The earliest picture is dated June 1891 and shows the infant class of 4- and 5-year-old boys and girls with their teacher, Miss Minnie Christie. It was known as the 'tuppeny class' as the parents paid twopence a week for the children to attend. John Harley is sitting in the front row, wearing a sailor suit, and what makes this particularly interesting is that two months earlier he was recorded in the 1891 census as a patient at the Victoria Infirmary. Whatever was wrong with him, he had clearly recovered sufficiently to go to school by this time.
Picture

Cathcart Public School 'tuppeny class' in 1891 with John Harley circled at the front and JF Mitchell circled at the back.

There are further class photos from 1893, 1895 and 1896, all of which include boys only, because they were taught separately from the girls.
   In each case, my grandfather wrote 'Jock' rather than John Harley which indicates he was on friendly terms. And that can be backed up by the fact that they lived in the same street, Holmhead Crescent - the Harleys at number 2, the Mitchells at number 6.
   Very likely they enjoyed football together. I have a recording of my grandfather talking about his childhood where he says one of his favourite activities was playing football in the street ('there wasn't much traffic then'), and I also recall him telling me that, as a boy, he sneaked into Hampden to watch Queen's Park take on the famous Corinthians.
Picture

Class photo of 1893 with John Harley back row, far right, and my grandfather in the middle of the front row

Picture

Class photo of 1895, with John Harley front row far right, my grandfather middle of third row.

From schooldays in Cathcart, their lives took different paths, to opposite sides of the world.
   Harley embarked on a career in railway engineering which took him to Springburn in north Glasgow, then to Argentina and finally Uruguay, where he spent the rest of his life. Others have researched and written about his life and football career, and a great place to start is the Scots Football Historians Group website.
   My grandfather, on the other hand, went on to secondary school at Allan Glen's in Glasgow before university in London and Glasgow, and a career in the Indian Civil Service. He did carry on playing football but it was of the rugby variety, appearing for his university teams. He died in 1984, aged 97. 
Picture

An issue of the Penarol club magazine from 1952 dedicated as a tribute to John (or Juan) Harley

The move for a permanent memorial to John Harley has now been launched with an ambitious crowdfunding campaign. It will need private and corporate donations, as the aim is to raise £35,000 for a statue or bust near Harley's birthplace.
   The immediate area around Braehead in Cathcart has changed little since he was born there on 5 March 1886, next to the picturesque bridge where his grandfather worked at the Old Snuff Mill.
   A tribute to John Harley in Cathcart would celebrate his influence, like so many other 'Scotch professors', in taking Scottish football around the world. 
Picture

Braehead houses in Cathcart, where John Harley was born (Glasgow School of Art archive)

Picture

The birth record of John Harley at Braehead, Cathcart, on 5 March 1886 (National Records of Scotland)

Picture

Old Snuff Mill Bridge, Cathcart, adjacent to John Harley's birthplace at Braehead

Picture

Map of Cathcart at the time John Harley lived there. The Old Snuff Mill Bridge over the river is to the right, while Cathcart Public School, now demolished, is left of centre. (National Library of Scotland)

Published on
Picture
A fitting tribute to Scottish football pioneer Joseph Taylor was unveiled this week, following the restoration of his grave at Cathcart Cemetery in Glasgow.
   Taylor was one of the 'originals', a key member of the Scotland team that faced England in the world's first international match in 1872. He went on to play six times for Scotland, twice as captain, and also won the first three Scottish Cups with Queen's Park, the latter two as captain. On giving up playing he was elected President of Queen's Park and continued to guide the progress of the game until tragedy intervened and he was struck down by pleurisy and tuberculosis. He died aged just 37, leaving a wife and four children. 
Picture

Joseph Taylor, Queen's Park and Scotland

Picture

The restored grave is unveiled by Ally Firth (left) and Colin Taylor, who is Joseph's great grandson. (Photo: Ross Turpie, Daily Record)

I first visited the grave in 2012, tracking it down through the undergrowth as part of a project to trace the last resting places of the Scotland team from 1872. All of them are now known with the frustrating exception of the captain, Robert Gardner, as I wrote about a few years ago. 
   I was then contacted by Colin Taylor, a great grandson of Joseph who spotted my article, and we have been in regular contact over the years. To my delight, he told me that some of Joseph's prize possessions remained in the family, including his Scottish Cup medal from 1876 (pictured below).
   However, the grave was in a poor condition, leaning dangerously forward, hidden by ivy, and had lost the fleur-de-lys on top. It needed to be saved before it was too late, and a fundraiser last year raised over £1,000 for its restoration. There were contributions from a number of fans (the biggest from the West of Scotland Tartan Army) but fell short of the goal of £2,500, with the shortfall met by Joseph's descendants. The work took place over the winter.
   Colin Taylor and his cousin Alex were guests of the Scottish FA at the 150th anniversary match between Scotland and England last year, and this week they travelled back to Glasgow for the unveiling of the restored grave. It can now be safely visited and admired at Cathcart Cemetery, where it is in Section I, Lair 567.
Picture

Joseph Taylor's restored grave in all its glory. It includes an additional plaque which records his achievements and contains a QR code for further information.

Cathcart Cemetery is 'home' to an extraordinary number of Scottish football giants, some of which have now been restored in recognition of their importance to the game. You can read about them at the Scots Football Historians Group website, or with the Friends of Cathcart Cemetery.
Picture

The Queen's Park team which won the first Scottish Cup in 1874. Joseph Taylor is front row, second from left, proudly wearing the lion rampant that denotes him as a Scotland internationalist. His Scottish Cup medal from 1876, when he captained the team, is below.

Picture
Picture
Picture

A ticket to the memorial match played after Taylor's death, to raise funds for his widow and four children. Not only did 7,000 spectators turn out to pay their respects, Queen's Park added a further £50 to the fund.

Picture

A gathering of football fans witnessed the unveiling of the restored grave in Cathcart Cemetery (Photo: Ged O'Brien)

Joseph Taylor
Profile from The Men Who Made Scotland

Born 16 December 1850; Wellington Street, Dunoon, Argyllshire.
Died 4 October 1888; Victoria Terrace, Mount Florida, Glasgow.

Son of a hotel keeper in Dunoon, Taylor grew up in the town and was successful locally as a runner, winning numerous athletic contests at the Cowal Gathering in 1869 and 1870. When he came to Glasgow to work around that time, he joined Queen's Park and they soon made use of his athleticism, speed and leadership on the football field. He was selected at full back for the first Scotland international in 1872 and retained his place every year until 1876, captaining the side twice against England. He also won the first three Scottish Cups, the latter two as team captain. According to DD Bone: 'No man who captained the Queen's Park was so much respected both on the field and in private life. None hated unfair or rough play more.' After giving up playing in 1877, still only 26 years old, he continued his involvement with the club and was elected President for 1878-79, while he worked as a clerk for a drapery wholesaler. Sadly, he was struck down with pleurisy and tuberculosis and although he went to New Zealand in an attempt to clear his lungs, it was to no avail. He returned home to Mount Florida and died there in 1888, aged 37, leaving a wife and four children. ​

Honours
Scotland v England 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875c, 1876c; Wales 1876.
Queen's Park player 1870-77 (Scottish Cup winner 1874, 1875c, 1876c).

Archives

Author

All blog posts, unless stated, are written by Andy Mitchell.