Scottish Football Reminiscences and Sketches

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

Mr. Kelso was a tower of strength to the Renton team at half-back, and 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 manœuvring.

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.