remarkable about him. The combination, as I have already said, was so
good among the Vale of Leven at the time when this great contest took
place that an inferior or selfish player would soon have found his
level. The forwards, in fact, were all pretty much alike, but with
clearly defined degrees of brilliancy, and Mr. James Baird was one of
the lesser lights. He was a good runner and smart at following up, but
his dribbling was sometimes too wide for the others when following up on
the enemy's lines. When hard pressed he often lost the ball, but in a
scrimmage in front of the posts he was a rare shot at goal, and scored a
good many for his club.
~J. C. Baird.~
Of all the forwards who learned the game at Alexandria, on the old
ground belonging to the Vale, perhaps, in many respects, Mr. J. C. Baird
was the most distinguished, and, at the same time, the most gentlemanly.
When the Vale of Leven beat the Queen's Park for the first time in one
of the ties for the Association Challenge Cup, on Hampden Park, Mr. J.
C. Baird played a perfect "demon." On the slippery ground he kept his
feet against all comers, dribbled and passed on splendidly, and fairly
took the breath away from John Dickson when scoring the goal which gave
his club the victory. Mr. Baird was chosen to face England in 1876, and
again in 1880.
~J. M'Gregor.~
If one had met Mr. M'Gregor off the football stage, so to speak, they
would never for a moment have taken him for a brilliant and accomplished
player at all points. He was all nerve and sinew, and always in grand
form. His disadvantages in appearance and weight, however, were kind of
blessings in disguise to his club, for the opposing backs sometimes
treated him with indifference, and even contempt. This was M'Gregor's
opportunity, and never man used it better. If ever he made his way past
the backs, and was alone with the goalkeeper, ten to one but his team
was a goal to the good in a few minutes. He played against England in
1877, 1878, and 1880.
~J. M'Dougall.~
Two years previous to this final tie, Mr. M'Dougall was the most
brilliant forward in Scotland, and he and Mr. J. T. Richmond (Queen's
Park) were the first two forwards selected to play against England. A
fine figure on the field, and a capital dribbler, without being showy,
M'Dougall was always near the ball when wanted, and it sometimes took a
couple of opponents to get the leather away from him. For three years in
succession he was selected to appear against England. In the tie with
the Rangers, Mr. M'Dougall was captain of the team, and scored the only
goal made for the defeated club.
~The Great International of 1882.~
The eleven who were chosen to do battle for Scotland in this contest,
close upon nine years ago, were considered in many respects the best
that had ever donned International caps in any tussle before or since,
and a better illustration of the wisdom of the Association Committee in
their selection could not have been given than the result itself--viz.,
Scotland, five goals; England, one. Hampden Park was the meeting-place,
and as one of the football giants of the day (E. Fraser) is, like some
of my dear old friends, now lying in the grave, and others who took part
in the memorable event divided by thousands of miles from those with
whom they fought and won for Scotland, I should like to pay a tribute of
respect to their football ability, and let the young and rising
generation of players know that such men appeared in the arena, and
played the game as well as it is done now. The match took place on the
11th March, 1882, and as England mustered a very powerful eleven, the
issue was doubtful. About a quarter of an hour, however, after the
start, Mr. Ker and Mr. Harrower had a fine run, and Harrower made the
first point for Scotland but at half-time the score stood--Scotland, two
goals; England, one--Ker having added the second, and Vaughton the one
for England. In the last round, the Scotchmen, although playing against
a good breeze, had it all to themselves, and scored other three points
by Messrs. M'Pherson, Ker, and Kaye. In giving short sketches of the
International eleven, I have only to deal with eight of the players, as
Messrs. Charles Campbell, A. M'Intyre, and G. Gillespie have already
been noticed in previous articles while engaged in other matches. I
shall accordingly begin with
~Andrew Watson (Queen's Park).~
Mr. Watson did a great deal for football in the Glasgow district a dozen
years ago, both with his ready purse and personal ability in the game.
It was in a great measure owing to his interest and energy that the
young Parkgrove Club obtained proper ground, and was fairly put on its
way rejoicing. The Parkgrove had a lot of very fine young fellows in its
ranks, and for several years made a capital record in numerous matches
under the captaincy of Mr. Watson. In this International he played as
right-side back in company with Mr. Andrew M'Intyre, and, as an
indication of how he and his companion behaved, it is necessary to say
that only one goal was got against them. Mr. Watson was a rare
"header-out," and was famed for his fine tackling and neat kicking. He
had one fault, however, and this consisted in kicking over his own lines
occasionally when hard pressed by a dashing forward. In the previous
year he was the Scottish captain against England, in London, and led his
team to victory by 6 goals to 1.
~Peter Miller (Dumbarton).~
When Mr. Miller played in this match, the Dumbarton Club was a power in
the land, and not easily beaten. He was left half-back, and had as his
companion Mr. Charles Campbell, who captained the victorious eleven. Mr.
Miller was remarkable for his magnificent tackling at close quarters,
and possessed weight, which told against England in the contest. Again
and again I saw him shake off both Mr. Cursham and Mr. Parry, two of the
Southrons' ablest forwards, and once Mr. Mosforth and he had an amusing
bit of play near the Scotch goal, in which the Sheffielder came off
best. Mr. Miller was, altogether, a very fine back, and when he retired
a few years ago the Dumbarton Club had considerable difficulty in
getting a good man properly trained to supply his place. Next season
(1883) he was also chosen to play against England and Wales.
~E. Fraser (Queen's Park).~
Lost to his club and the thousands of delighted spectators who witnessed
his brilliant ability as a right-wing forward, but not forgotten by the
members of the old Q.P., Fraser, "though dead, yet speaketh." I question
very much if any forward of that time among the mediæval class of
players, so to speak, exercised such a potent influence over the
spectators, and no style of play was more followed by the younger
dribblers than that of Fraser. A son of the manse, he was a highly
cultured young fellow, and loved football so devotedly that no amount of
hard training was ever shirked by him when under probation for the first
eleven. Dribbling beautifully up the side of the field, he had the knack
of "middling" the ball at the proper time, and for six years no man ever
assisted at the scoring of more goals. He was also included in the
following season's eleven against England, and in 1880 did duty for
Scotland in the Welsh match. Poor Fraser died in Australia, a few years
ago, shortly after arriving there.
~William Anderson (Queen's Park).~
In the International of 1882 Mr. Anderson and Mr. Fraser played on the
same side, and made a very good pair. The former, although not above the
medium height, was powerfully built, and few, if any, of his formidable
opponents were able to bring him down to mother earth. When he did fall,
however, he was never in a hurry to rise, and took matters easy. If one
could imagine such a thing as an easy-going football player, it was
Anderson, but his failing sometimes came in handy, for he would
occasionally make a gallant spurt, and pilot his way through the
opposing backs in a way that completely astonished his team and their
friends. He showed very well in this match, and the manner in which he
and his companion dodged the Englishmen, not even excepting Mr. Bailey,
the crack Clapham Rover half-back, will be easily remembered by those
who were present. Mr. Anderson is now abroad, and it is something to his
credit to say that he played four times against England.
~J. L. Kaye (Queen's Park).~
Like a good many fine players of the glorious past, Mr. Kaye received
the best of his football training in the ranks of the 3rd L.R.V., and a
couple of years, I think, before this big event, joined the forward
division of the black and white stripes. Of a good-natured disposition,
and a genial fellow to meet both on the field and at the social board,
Mr. Kaye was a great favourite all round, and much sought after outside
the pale of his own club. He was a very fine forward; a good dribbler,
but was much more easily tackled than Anderson, and occasionally felt
shy at meeting an opponent who had frightened him in a previous match.
He must have done well in this contest, as he is highly spoken about in
the newspaper reports, and scored the fifth and last goal got for
Scotland. He was also an old and tried hand at Internationals, as he
faced the English division three times, and Wales also in the same
number of matches.
~R. M'Pherson (Arthurlie).~
What might be honestly termed the illustration of a fair field and no
favour, Mr. M'Pherson's name was added to the International players of
that season through sheer force of ability. I saw him play in several
matches that year, and his style and smart passing up from the left wing
was justly admired. He was Mr. Kaye's companion in this contest, and
ably assisted that player to bring up the ball in several splendid runs.
Since M'Pherson's retiral from active duty, and also the fact of Mr.
Turner, their famous goalkeeper, giving up the game, the Arthurlie have
gone back a bit in football ability, but during two seasons they were
able to have two nominations for International honours, as Mr. Turner
kept goal against Wales in 1882. Possessing great speed and judgment,
M'Pherson was a very neat and steady player, and for two seasons at
anyrate, a star among all the Renfrewshire forwards.
~George Ker (Queen's Park).~
A sketch of an International, cup tie, or, in fact, a first-class
contest of any kind ten years ago, would be altogether incomplete
without some reference to Mr. George Ker, now abroad. From 1880 to 1883
he was Scotland's best centre forward, and the originator of what is now
known in football parlance as the "cannon shot" at goal. Many players
have since tried it, and made fairly good attempts, but Ker alone could
do it to perfection. In this International he gave the Englishmen a
taste of his ability in this line. He passed Mr. Greenwood, the English
extreme back, and when fairly in front watched how the goalkeeper (Mr.
Swepstone) would take in the situation. Ker spun the ball hard from his
toe at the proper moment, and sent in a "flyer," which took effect. I am
all but certain that if a vote were taken among players and spectators
about the place to be assigned to centre forwards, Ker would come out
the admitted chief. International honours were his thrice against
England.
~W. Harrower (Queen's Park).~
The Queen's Park had no fewer than five forwards in this season's
International, and Mr. Harrower was one. He played in the company of Mr.
Ker, and the central division of the Scottish team was unusually
strong. In fact, I distinctly remember some remarks made at the meeting
of the Association, at which I was present, about the combination at
that point being the most powerful ever sent out by Scotland. Mr.
Harrower was really a beautiful dribbler, not easily knocked off his
pins, and the most unselfish player I ever saw. He has the credit of
earning the first goal got for Scotland in the match under notice, and
was in the best of form the whole of that season. He took a leading part
in the hard work of the Queen's Park for five years.
~A Narrow Shave in the 1885 International.~
There are yet other two Internationals, which introduce new faces into
the field of play, and the first is that of 1885 at Kennington Oval,
London, and ended in a tie, each side scoring one goal. Kennington
Oval--in the winter time, at anyrate--is to football in London what
Hampden Park is to Scotland in general and Glasgow in particular. The
weather was delightful on that afternoon (Saturday, 21st March), and the
spectators mustered in considerable force. Not, of course, so largely as
we can show in Glasgow, for it takes an enormous amount of attraction to
gather a big crowd in London. There was little or no wind to interfere
with the play, and as both teams were in the pink of condition, it was
an illustration of Greek meeting Greek in the open. The Scotchmen,
however, were the first to make matters exciting by scoring a smart goal
from the foot of Mr. Lindsay, and this was all the effective work done
in the first round. The second forty-five minutes of the play was also
of a very give-and-take order, and once Mr. Allan hit the English goal
bar with a hard shot, but the ball rebounded into play, and was
eventually sent behind. Towards the close, however, the Englishmen, led
by Messrs. Bambridge, Cobbald, and Brown made a fine run, and the former
put the game square for England. The contest, therefore, as I have
already indicated, ended in a tie. As in all the other events that I
have already touched upon, many of the players are now scattered far and
wide. Some have given the game up altogether, while others are still
playing on, and doing football duty as well, if not better, than ever
they did before. Taking the eleven in the order of positions, I shall
begin with
~J. Macaulay (Dumbarton).~
Among the brilliant array of goalkeepers who have sprung up to
distinguish themselves during the past ten years, none deserves a more
kindly notice in any football reminiscences than Mr. Macaulay. The
present match was the third he stood sentinel before Scotland's
stronghold, and he also played in '86 and '87. His first was at
Sheffield in 1883, when I saw him save several splendid shies from the
feet of the English forwards, and it is something to add of him that he
was included in the Scotch teams who never lost a match with England. In
the 1885 contest he kept goal in his best form, and was frequently
cheered for the manner in which he got out the ball and dodged the
English forwards. Mr. Macaulay was very quiet and unostentatious in his
manner, and did his work brilliantly. He returned to Scotland the other
day from abroad, and may yet play for some of our leading clubs.
~Walter Arnott (Queen's Park).~
Second in the order of teams, but premier in all that pertains to back
play, comes the name of Mr. Arnott. Out of all the fine players who
acted as extreme backs, none has done better work for his club and, let
me say, International matches. It is all very well to say that there
were giants in those days, but you all know what befell Goliath, and I
cannot help saying that if you were to ask me candidly (taking the
question in an all-round way) who was the best back you ever saw, I
should have no hesitation in answering that it was Walter Arnott. In the
words of the old English ballad, "he feared no foe," and never in the
history of football of the present time has such a brilliant man arisen.
He has so many remarkable points that I cannot tell them in a brief
notice, but as he is still playing well, spectators are at one in
admitting his grand ability.
~M. Paton (Dumbarton).~
The match under review was Mr. Paton's second appearance against
England, and he acquitted himself very well. Somehow or other the
committee of selection in International matches, while they honestly do
their duty, sometimes move in a mysterious way, and the selection of Mr.
Paton to stand alongside Mr. Arnott in this contest was, at the time,
considered somewhat risky. Not by any means because Mr. Paton was not a
good back, but in consequence of the diversity of play shown by the
pair. Mr. Paton was nothing if he was not allowed a little latitude, and
in some of the matches he came off with flying colours. Arnott and he,
however, acted well together. To give Mr. Paton his due, he was a most
gentlemanly young fellow, and did his very best for the game.
~J. J. Gow (Queen's Park).~
It has just occurred to me, and I can't see how the illustration might
not with equal force be applied to football as in the honest range of
every-day life, that if a "round-robin" were sent about the clubs that
tackled the Q.P. in their best matches in the past decade, I am certain
that the verdict about the man who was most feared in all the elevens,
the name of Mr. J. J. Gow would come out first. He was, in fine, a
half-back that the Q.P. had reason to feel proud. Half-backs might come
and go--as they undoubtedly did--but Gow seemed in his football career
to go on for ever. The most mysterious thing about him was that he was
always in the same form, and never had any practice. Football at
half-back seemed to come to him by nature, and cost him no effort. He
could return splendidly, but at close tackling, and in clearing the ball
away, he was sometimes a little slack, and had to make it up by sheer
force of hard work.
~Alexander Hamilton (Queen's Park).~
Not long ago, while "doing" a match at Hampden Park (I think it was Q.P.
v. Battlefield, in the Glasgow Cup), I met my old friend in the pavilion
looking on and enjoying the sport. Like the M'Neils, the Hamiltons are a
football family, and while Mr. James, who is now an active member of the
present Q.P., will come under my pen later on, I have only at present to
deal with Mr. Alexander. Well, he was something in his day, and by no
means to be despised as a forward. He was not a fast dribbler, but when
hard work was required, and wasn't it just in the great match against
the professional Preston North End, when the Q.P. were able to hold
their own, Mr. Hamilton never played better in his life.
~William Sellar (Queen's Park).~
I have for the most part been dealing with the past, and it is no force
of imagination to come straight to the living present, and add that a
better left-wing player never appeared in any club or combination of
players than Mr. William Sellar. He has a style of his own which is, to
give the Battlefield its due, peculiar to that club's ability in the
dribbling game. Mr. Sellar did not learn all his football in the Queen's
Park, but really perfected his style on Hampden Park, and he is
undoubtedly, at the present time, the most brilliant forward in
Scotland. Gentlemanly in every sense of the word, Sellar is the fairest
player that ever faced an opponent, and no man is more respected on the
field. In addition to this contest, he played against England in 1886,
1887, and 1888. It may be mentioned that in 1890, in playing against the
3rd L.R.V., he played from the left in a style never excelled by any
forward.
~Joseph Lindsay (Dumbarton).~
Before this date, Mr. Joseph Lindsay was what might be called an old
hand at Internationals, as he had appeared before England in 1881 and
1884, and Wales in 1880, 1881, 1884, and 1885. It is not too much to say
of him that he was the most dangerous forward (to an opponent, I mean)
of his day, and if the backs were in any way slack, Lindsay "spread
dismay around," as he was a dead shot at goal, and rarely, if ever,
missed a chance if he got within a dozen yards of the sticks. Lindsay
was the best forward in many respects that ever toed a ball for
Dumbarton. He was, however, sorely tried in the finishing year of his
football life, and in many of the leading matches so closely watched by
the opposing backs that he was sometimes fairly done for, and could not
get the ball away.
~David S. Allan (Queen's Park).~
Like Sir Roger de Coverley's definition of a great ethical question to
one of his numerous friends, "that much might be said of one point," the
illustration holds good when applied to Mr. David Allan. Popularity has
its duties as well as its privileges, and there is not a single forward
in broad Scotland who is so popular and so much beloved by club
companions and opponents alike as Mr. Allan. He is, in fine, the most
useful man in the Queen's Park, and while all of us seem to grow older
as each season comes round, Allan has always that juvenile look which
undoubtedly betokens an easy and contented mind. He is not what might be
called a brilliant and showy forward, but I'll back him to do the best
hour and a half of heavy work in the world without any outward sign of
fatigue. I verily believe if Allan were forced to do it, he could play
in any part of the field with a few minutes' notice.
~R. Calderwood (Cartvale).~
In consequence of Mr. R. M. Christie, who had played in the
International, of the previous year, meeting with an accident in one of
the trial matches, Mr. Calderwood did duty as left-wing forward in this
match, and played very creditably. He was by far the best man in the
young Cartvale, and a finer country player never came under the eye of
an International referee. He was a veritable dodger among the opposing
backs, and in this contest gave the Englishmen, but more particularly
the Walters and Amos, a lot of trouble. He played a fine game in
combination with the rest of the Scottish forwards. In the same season
Mr. Calderwood played against Wales in the Principality.
~The Final Association Cup Tie of 1886.~
The clubs left in the final tie for possession of the Blue Ribbon of
Association football glory in this season were the Queen's Park and
Renton. Queen's Park led off by scoring from the foot of Mr. Lambie, and
this was all the effective work till ends were changed, when the Renton
team made a brilliant charge on the Queen's Park goal, and forced the
ball through in a scrimmage. The play immediately after this was so even
that a draw looked certain, but the Queen's Park eventually assumed
command, and scored other two goals (one by Mr. Hamilton and another by
Mr. Allan), and won a hard contest by three goals to one. As most of the
Renton players who took part in the match were considered famous in
their day, and have not been already introduced to you, I shall give
short sketches of their style of play. So far as the Queen's Park team
are concerned, however, I have only to deal with new faces in Messrs. R.
M. Christie, G. Somerville, and J. A. Lambie, as all the other eight
(Messrs. Campbell, Watson, Gow, Harrower, Hamilton, Arnott, Allan, and
Gillespie) have already been disposed of in the present volume.
~J. A. Lindsay.~
Somehow or other the Renton Club were never very strong in goalkeeping
when the perfect form of their forward division was taken into account,
but Mr. J. A. Lindsay was decidedly their best. He had what might be
called his good and bad days, however, and while he was always clever
with his feet, he sometimes misjudged the ball and allowed a "soft
thing" to take effect. In the present contest he had hot work in keeping
the Q.P. forwards clear. Mr. Lindsay showed such brilliant form in the
trial matches of 1888 that he was chosen to represent Scotland on
Hampden Park. He was somewhat unfortunate there, however, as England
revenged Bannockburn to the extent of five goals to none.
~A. Hannah.~
Who does not remember Mr. Hannah's fine fly-kick and powerful tackling?
In meeting and judging the ball in the air he rivalled the great Q.P.
back himself, but wanted the ability to follow up an advantage. In
nearly all the matches in which he took part that season, Hannah worked
hard and earnest. He had a peculiar way of turning round to an opponent
and taking the ball away from him with the side of the foot, and no man
in the Renton team was more feared by an opponent than Hannah. He never
played against England, but in 1888 was picked out to represent Scotland
against Wales.
~A. M'Call.~
In this tie Mr. Hannah had as his companion at extreme back Mr. A.
M'Call. In some of the earlier matches in which the latter appeared he
was a wild tackler and erratic in charging--rather going for the man,
and never minding the ball--but by and by he mellowed down, and
returned the leather beautifully from a besieged goal. I remember seeing
him in several of the leading games that same year, and he showed a
neatness of style which won for him golden opinions. He played against
Ireland in 1888.
~R. Kelso.~