did his duty in this contest. Rather a shade rough on an opponent at
times, Mr. Kelso could also be generous to the foe when he liked, and
sometimes made a brilliant hit at half-back by clearing away the ball
from the feet of an opponent, just when the latter was poising for a
shot at goal. Like Mr. Leitch Keir, of Dumbarton, he was, and is, a
magnificent half-back, and had International honours against England in
1887 and 1888.
~D. M'Kechnie.~
In connection with Mr. M'Kechnie's name in juxtaposition with Renton's
crack half-back, I must honestly confess I am like Cuddie
Headrigg--"Between the deil and the deep sea." I can only remember
seeing him twice. I come to the conclusion, then, that he must have been
a substitute, and if I am wrong in my supposition I shall be glad to
stand corrected. He was at any rate not sufficiently brilliant to get
his name handed down to posterity, although it must be said of him that
he was a fair average player, and did very well in this game.
~J. Thomson.~
Although he had a disposition to "poach" a little now and again, as some
forwards are apt to do, for you all know it is human to err, Thomson was
a grand player, and made the most of his speed. He never kept the ball
longer than was necessary, and if he thought his club would benefit by
it, shied quickly in from the touch-line no matter where his companions
or opponents alike were stationed on the field. He was really a fine
shier, and his dribbling powers beyond dispute.
~J. M'Call.~
The Renton team had now risen to the acme of their fame, and no player
helped them more to attain that position than Mr. J. M'Call. Some clubs
carry their position through sheer force of medium ability all round;
some have rare luck with their goalkeeping and backs; but, there is no
doubt about it, Renton was strong in front, and I question if any man
during that season played a better game than the younger M'Call. He
represented Scotland in the contests with England in 1887 and 1888 as
left-wing forward, and played a fine game.
~A. Grant.~
When the Renton men carried off the Glasgow Charity Cup that same
season, the forwards showed great ability. Mr. Grant was a very neat
player. If my memory serves me right, he backed up Mr. Barbour in this
game, and did it very well. He was, however, rather slow on the ball,
and was often sent to the right-about by Messrs. Gow and Watson. Like
Mr. M'Kechnie, he does not seem to have played in many of the Renton's
first-class matches, and his name is not found among Internationalists.
~A. M'Intyre.~
Mr. M'Intyre was one of the best forwards in the county which has
produced so many fine Association football exponents, and acted as
centre forward. Like Mr. D. Gow, of the Rangers, when he got fairly on
the ball there was no getting it from him and he excelled in hard
tackling. Possessing considerable speed, M'Intyre used it to the best
advantage, and he had such a liking for dodging round the backs that he
sometimes fairly carried away the spectators, and was loudly cheered for
his manoeuvring.
~A. Barbour.~
In this event Mr. Barbour was the best man on the Renton side, and kept
his feet on the slippery ground in a manner that completely astonished
all who saw the contest. He was sometimes fairly puzzled by the clever
heading of Mr. Campbell and the terrible tackling of Mr. Arnott, but
fought gamely to the last. In close dribbling he was the nearest
approach to Mr. William M'Kinnon (Q.P.) I have ever seen, and while he
was quite as tricky, wanted the tact to lead an opponent astray. He
played against Ireland in 1885.
~J. Kelly.~
What Mr. Marshall is to the 3rd L.R.V., Mr. Berry to the Queen's Park,
and Mr. Groves to the Celtic, Mr. Kelly was to his old club, the
Renton--viz., a grand man. Kelly, I think, first came out as a forward,
and played as such for his county against Renfrewshire in 1885, and also
in this tussle on Cathkin Park, but he eventually developed into a very
fine half-back, and played against England as such twice--in 1888 for
his mother club, and last season for his new love, the Celtic. His
proper place, however, is undoubtedly at half-back.
~R. M. Christie.~
Slowly but surely Mr. Christie passed all the probationary stages in the
Queen's Park on the way to develop a brilliant player, and in 1884
appeared in the International with England. He was in the best of form,
and caused the strangers a deal of trouble. He was very strong on his
legs, and about the most powerful opponent of his day to meet in a close
match. The passing between Christie and Harrower that day was splendid,
and fairly astonished the Renton backs and goalkeeper.
~G. Somerville.~
Mr. Somerville was a very fine all round forward, with a good deal of
ability in backing up and middling the ball in front of goal. Mr.
Hamilton and he used to make the spectators laugh at the way in which
they annoyed the opposing backs by passing the leather to one another in
a tantalising way, right in front of the uprights. He was a sturdy
player, something of the same make as Mr. David Davidson, of 3rd L.R.V.
and latterly Queen's Park fame, with a nerve of iron and, shall I say, a
frame of steel. He played against England in 1886.
~J. A. Lambie.~
A comparatively short career had Mr. Lambie on Hampden Park, but it was
fraught with much distinction. He was a grand forward among a fine
division, and scored a lot of goals for the Queen's Park. He was,
indeed, at it again in this match, and, as I have already said in the
introduction, took one more for the black and white stripes. When
nearing the keeper, if he were fortunate enough to pass the backs, he
generally looked about for one of his companions to follow up, and was
quite an adept at the "screw-kick." Lambie appeared against England in
1888, and is now an active member of the Corinthians.
~The Association International of 1887.~
As the International of 1887 is, so to speak, a thing of yesterday, I
have only introduced it here for two reasons. The first of these is to
give me an opportunity of bringing new faces into my reminiscences, and
shortly criticising their styles of play, and the second to show you how
the admittedly best eleven sent out by England in all her matches with
Scotland were vanquished on their own soil by three goals to two. The
event came off at Blackburn in presence of some 10,000 spectators--a
much larger crowd than ever appeared in London to see the International.
The weather was dry overhead during the early stages of the tussle, but
a heavy shower of hail fell later on, and this, added to a mud-covered
ground, made matters anything but pleasant. The Scotchmen were the first
to score, which they did through Mr. M'Call against the wind,
half-an-hour from the start; but the Englishmen soon bore down on the
Scottish lines, and Mr. Lindley equalised, so that at half-time both
nationalities were on terms of equality. Not long after ends were
changed, the Scotchmen made one of those determined charges for which
they have been famed in many of the International games, and shoved both
goalkeeper and ball through between the posts. No sooner, however, had
the leather again been started than Mr. Dewhurst, the crack English
forward, sent in a shooter, and once more squared the game. It was now
"night or Blucher" for Scotland, and after a grand run between Messrs.
Marshall and Allan, which was loudly cheered, even though an enemy did
it, the young Queen's Park forward made Scotland one goal up. Till the
close the Englishmen had several brilliant sallies on the strangers'
goal, but the backs--Messrs. Arnott and Forbes--held their own, and
Scotland won by three goals to two. Mr. Macaulay kept goal in fine
style, and was the captain of the victorious team. The Englishmen chosen
to meet the Scotchmen on the occasion were--Messrs. Roberts, A. M.
Walters, P. M. Walters, N. C. Bailey, G. Howarth, J. Forrest, E. C.
Bambridge, W. N. Cobbald, J. Lofthouse, F. Dewhurst, and T. Lindley.
Besides the six who are mentioned below, Messrs. Arnott, Macaulay,
Kelso, J. M'Call, and W. Sellar (who have already been noticed) also
appeared against England in the same contest.
~J. Forbes (Vale of Leven).~
Like certain cricketers who can only cut, and are weak on the leg-side,
there are several backs playing for fair medium clubs just now who can
only return the ball properly if they have plenty of room to work, but
Mr. Forbes, who played in this match along with Mr. Arnott, was none of
these. You were, in fact, not five minutes in his company as a spectator
at a match before you were captivated with the style and finish of his
play. In the excitement of the game you imagined it was "all up with the
Vale," when a crowd of opposing forwards were observed getting the ball
nearer goal. All the time, however, Forbes was maturing his mode of
attack, and like the unsuspecting animal that darts upon its prey, the
crack Vale of Leven back dashed in, and you were sure to see the ball
flying away down the field, with a magnificent return. While kicking he
always got his toes well under the ball, and it was quite a rare thing
to see Forbes kicking high into the air. A great favourite with his club
and opponents as well, Mr. Forbes first appeared against England in
1884, when Scotland won by one to none, so that in both Internationals
in which he took part his team were on the winning side. He is now in
business in England.
~L. Keir (Dumbarton).~
When in the spring of 1887 Mr. Leitch Keir was chosen as companion to
Mr. Kelso (Renton), and Mr. Auld (3rd L.R.V.), in this great event at
Blackburn, almost everybody had confidence in them as half-backs, and I
am happy to say that this confidence was not misplaced, for no better
trio ever did duty in an International at that important position in the
field. For good, even-down tackling, and hard work, both in heading and
clean kicking, Keir was one of the very best men who ever played
football. So proficient was he at a "free kick," that when a "hand" was
given against the opposing team, in most of the Dumbarton matches, Keir
was invariably intrusted with the ball; and when the infringement took
place near the goal, the opposing team always dreaded his shot. He was
also a very fine dribbler for a half-back, and could run out the ball in
fine style from a hotly-pressed goal, and send it spinning down the
field. In the succeeding year he was chosen to appear against England on
Hampden Park, but, like the rest of the Scottish representatives in that
fatal contest, he did not show to the best advantage.
~J. Auld (3rd L.R.V.).~
During the past four or five years, Mr. Auld has been one of the best
half-backs in Scotland, and was a decided success in this contest. No
club in Britain has produced a string of better backs and half-backs
than the 3rd Lanark Rifle Volunteer Athletic and Football Club. Long
ago, many of their most brilliant victories were won by back play alone,
and this means preventing their opponents from scoring, and keeping what
they had got in the earlier stages of a contest. Among these old and
tried hands I must remember poor John Hunter (who is dead), Mr.
Alexander Kennedy, who still goes out to see his old club, and delights
to give the young ones an advice; Mr. William Somers, the gigantic
high-kicker, now in America, and many more, whose names shall long be
remembered in football history: but to Mr. Auld. He is yet a brilliant
half-back, and while by no means a heavy kicker, one of the most
judicious men in front of a hard-pressed goal I have ever seen. He is a
terrible tackler, and sometimes hugs an opponent so tenaciously that he
forces the ball away and saves his side. The 1887 match was the only one
in which he played for Scotland against England, but he appeared that
same season against Wales.
~J. Marshall (3rd L.R.V.).~
For two seasons, at any rate, and, I think, I might almost say three,
Mr. Marshall has maintained the honoured position of being about the
best right wing forward on any field. Gifted with an amount of speed,
which he uses to the best advantage, combined with rare dribbling
powers, he is the pride of the 3rd L.R.V. forward division, and no man
is more missed from a match. In connection with the last observation,
the Volunteers had to play the Rangers in the third round of the Glasgow
Cup without Mr. Marshall, and at the committee meeting before the
contest, when this became known, it was like a funeral lodge of
Freemasons--nobody cared to speak except the R.W.M. and M.C. Mr.
Marshall and Mr. Robertson (Dumbarton) were the right wing forwards on
the occasion, and several brilliant runs were made from their side. At
the present time he is about the best at middling the ball in front of
goal of any player going, and is one of those forwards who never seem to
get into a fagged state near the close of a match.
~W. Robertson (Dumbarton).~
Some players are fortunate in easily securing their positions among
crack teams, while others have to struggle on before their genuine
ability is properly recognised. Long ago, ability in selecting a team
went for very little, and positions, like kissing, by favour. Mr.
Robertson, however, received no favour from any combination, and was
selected on his merits. In that same season, I am almost positive, I saw
him play in brilliant form in the Final cup tie, when the Hibernian
overcame the Dumbarton on Hampden Park by two goals to one, and several
of the other matches about the same time. He was a very fine backer up,
possessing first-rate dribbling powers, and although a little shy in
meeting his opponent when he saw a charge inevitable, rather preferring
to use stratagem, was by no means afraid to go into the heart of a
scrimmage and face up to much heavier men than himself. This was Mr.
Robertson's first game against England, and he has no reason to be
ashamed of the way in which he helped Scotland to obtain victory. On the
Monday following this match he played against Wales at Wrexham.
~J. Allan (Queen's Park).~
When Mr. Allan made his appearance in the first match of any consequence
for the Queen's Park, he did so well that both club companions,
opponents, and spectators were completely astonished at his beautiful
dribbling and speed. In Ayrshire, when he played for the Monkcastle
Club, he was looked upon as a very fair young forward, but a few
practice games on Hampden Park seems to have had a remarkable effect on
him, and in one short season he was such a good man that International
honours were given him at once. In this tussle, which was one of the
most trying of the meetings between Scotland and England, Allan played a
grand game, and scored the third and winning goal for his country. The
run that resulted in the score was started by Mr. Marshall, and was one
of the finest ever seen in any contest. In a football sense, however, to
use a simile, Mr. Allan was like Octavian's prosperous star, but with
this difference, he vanished from the scene as quickly as he came, so
far as first-class matches were concerned, and only re-appeared on Ibrox
Park recently against the 3rd L.R.V. and his old club, Queen's Park.
~Glasgow Charity Cup Final Tie of 1888.~
The Renton Eleven are to-day in the proud position of winning the
Glasgow Charity Cup four times in succession--from 1886 down to season
1888-89, and even now the holders of that handsome trophy. In these
finals they polished off the Vale of Leven in 1886 by three to one; next
season the same club by one to none; in 1888 (the year which I have
singled out for review) vanquished the Cambuslang by four to none: and
last spring overcame the Queen's Park by three goals to one. In 1888 the
Renton men held both cups, and what was of more account, won them by
long odds against precisely the same opponents, viz., Cambuslang. In the
final for the Association Challenge Cup the victory was one of six goals
to one, and in the Glasgow Charity Cup four to none. This was, indeed,
the largest score made in the former, and was equal in the latter to
that made in 1877 (the first year of the competition) by the Queen's
Park, when they defeated the Rangers. Cambuslang, however, were at this
time a power in the land, and had previously carried off the Glasgow
Challenge trophy in its first season. In addition to this, they are also
credited with the record of fast scoring--having taken four goals from
the Queen's Park in the last ten minutes of the fifth round of the
Scottish Challenge Cup in 1886, but as the Queen's Park had five points
on previously, they saved the game by one goal. The event of which I
have presently to deal came off on Hampden Park on the 12th May, 1888,
and ended in favour of the Renton, as has already been indicated, by
four to none. The Cambuslang men played well at the start, and a close
match was expected. Through some cause or other, however, they fell away
considerably as the game advanced, and J. Campbell scored the first goal
for Renton, and this was soon followed by a second from the foot of J.
M'Call, the record at half-time being two goals to none in favour of the
crack Dumbartonshire club. The second round, strange to say, was also
well contested at the outset, but the grand forward combination of the
Renton told the tale of defeat to the Cambuslang men, and other two
goals were added. As none of the Cambuslang team have previously come
under my pen, I give them first, and will include three of Renton who
have not been noticed.
~Mr. Dunn.~
More genuine progress has been made in goalkeeping among the Scottish
Association clubs during the last decade than the average spectator
cares to admit, but it is nevertheless a fact. Mr. Dunn played in most
of the best matches of that year, and while he did very creditably in
some of the ties, had the misfortune to lose four goals in this contest.
The Renton forwards, however, were too smart for the bulk of the
Cambuslang backs, and woe betide a goalkeeper when he is not properly
supported there! Mr. Dunn had a lively time of it in the contest, and
saved some splendid shies from taking effect.
~J. Smith.~
The Cambuslang team were never famed for the brilliancy of their back
play. It was what the forward division had done for that club in some of
the most severe and uncertain of their matches that forced them to be
looked upon in Scotland as one of the crack elevens. Mr. Smith was
rather of the quiet and unassuming order of players, who thought much
but said little, and did his work well. He was a fine kicker with either
foot, and his tackling was severe, but honest and clean. With a good
wind in his favour, few backs could equal him in a long kick, but he
sometimes made mistakes near goal when he was hard pressed.
~Mr. M'Farlane.~
The best back in the Cambuslang eleven that season was undoubtedly Mr.
M'Farlane. He reminded me very much of the style of Mr. A. H. Holm
(Queen's Park), who captained the Scottish team against England at
Sheffield in 1883. He had rare ability in close tackling; used to get
the ball away by clever heading, and was the most plucky young fellow to
go to the assistance of a half-back one could see anywhere. His only
defect--and it was a very bad one--consisted in getting up to an
opponent and trying to take the ball away from him in the rear.
Sometimes it came off well, but at others his club had to pay the
penalty with a free kick.
~Mr. Russell.~
In the present contest Mr. Russell was one of the three half-backs, and
in no match during that season had a trio such terrible opponents to
encounter as the two Campbells, M'Call, and M'Callum, who were perfect
demons among the Renton forwards. Russell held out bravely for a time,
but was eventually cornered, and, in the second half particularly, "lost
his head," and allowed the Renton men to get up to Dunn too often. In
some of the smaller matches of the club he played brilliantly, but did
not really rise to the occasion in this memorable cup tie, and in most
of the tackling came off second best.
~John Gourlay.~
It has often been said about Cambuslang that it was a club of three
names! Those names, however, both individually and collectively, were
fearless opponents to meet in any tussle, let alone a cup tie, and to
the credit of Cambuslang be it said, no combination of players ever
served a club so well, and had such pleasure in their hard work, as the
Buchanans, Gourlays, and Smiths. They were more feared than admired by
the members of the clubs twenty miles around, than the Elliots, and
Armstrongs, or, shall I say, the Græmes, of the "debatable land" long
ago. Both Mr. James and Mr. John Buchanan were famous players in their
way, but the back was decidedly the best man, and was selected to play
against Wales the same season.
~A. Jackson.~
Cambuslang's style of play, with their fast following up and jerky
kicking, suited, or, I might say, favoured the old style of six forwards
and only two half-backs, but they insisted on being in the fashion. The
three half-backs, however, were only names to conjure with, but nothing
in real practice, for Mr. Jackson was always made the kind of "flying
man" of the team, and was nothing more or less than a forward. He always
joined the latter division when they were attacking an opponent's goal,
and retired well up among the backs when his club were pressed at the
lines. In 1886 Mr. Jackson played against Wales, and was also included
in the team against Ireland in 1888.
~John Buchanan.~
Although Mr. John Buchanan developed into a very fair half-back, and was
selected to appear against Ireland last spring, he was included in the
present match under notice as a forward, and I think he then played on
the right. He was the fastest dribbler in the team, and a capital
tackler. The combination among the Cambuslang forward division, however,
on the occasion was completely spoiled by the superior tactics of the
Renton eleven, and that fine passing for which the village team were so
justly famed was awanting that afternoon on Hampden Park.
~James Buchanan.~
Although similar in name, the play of the other Buchanan was quite
different from that of Mr. John. He was always cool and collected, and
had a fine style of dribbling and passing which sometimes rose to
perfection itself, but in his runs he was fond of showing off, and was
easily tackled in consequence. But for this fault he would have been
chosen to play in one of the Internationals the previous year. No
player, however, loved the game and his old club so much, and practised
more self-denial to attend the field on the eve of a big match, and do
his best for victory.
~J. Plenderleith.~
Every club undoubtedly has its own ideal type of player, and I am almost
sure that Plenderleith was the favourite among the Cambuslang forwards.
He had speed--and rare speed, too--and with a kind of long kick that he
followed up in a style of his own, made great progress down the field.
He kept too close on the touch-line, however, and his great fault was
kicking out--a dangerous thing when too near goal in this age of smart
throwing in--for I notice a great improvement in this art during the
past few years. We are, however, still behind the Englishmen in this
respect, as most of them play cricket in the summer, and are
consequently good shiers.
~G. Smith.~
Mr. George Smith was what I might honestly term a fair forward, not
brilliant, but steady, and a good backer up. He was, however, always
getting too near the line, and often had to submit to the indignity of
being pressed into touch, and thereby losing the leather. The fact was
he took too much room to work in, and was slow in following up an
advantage. To give him his due, however, he was a very earnest worker,
could stand a deal of tear and wear during a season, and was always
available when wanted in a hurry by his club.
~James Gourlay.~
There is not a more steady player going at the present day than Mr.
Gourlay. He showed remarkable ability in passing and middling, and his
fast shies at goal were really splendid. In this event he was at his
very best. Once or twice he started well with the ball at his toe, and
made tracks for the Renton goal, but was badly supported in the
following up, and often got collared by the opposing half-backs. He
possessed great speed, like most of the other Cambuslang forwards, and
scored a lot of the goals for his club that season in their best
matches.
~H. Campbell (Renton).~