1873-74 in Scottish football
Encyclopedia
| 1873–74 in Scottish football | ||
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| Scottish Cup winners | ||
| Queen's Park Queen's Park F.C. Queen's Park Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club are currently the only amateur club in the Scottish League; their amateur status is reflected by their motto, Ludere Causa Ludendi – to play for the sake of playing.Queen's Park are the oldest... |
Season 1873–74 was the first in Scottish football
Football in Scotland
Association football is the national sport in Scotland and highly popular throughout the country. There is a long tradition of "football" games in Orkney, Lewis and southern Scotland, especially the Scottish Borders, although many of these include carrying the ball and passing by hand, and despite...
to feature competitive domestic fixtures, with the introduction of the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
competition.
Overview
Financial obstacles had badly hindered Queen's ParkQueen's Park F.C.
Queen's Park Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club are currently the only amateur club in the Scottish League; their amateur status is reflected by their motto, Ludere Causa Ludendi – to play for the sake of playing.Queen's Park are the oldest...
's attempts to compete for the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in the previous two seasons, with only one match actually being played. As a result, although retaining membership of the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
, Queen's elected not to enter for the cup on this occasion (neither would they compete in the next two seasons). Instead, there was now a domestic equivalent to compete for, the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
(founded in March of the previous season) having instituted its own challenge cup competition modelled on the English tournament - the Scottish Cup.
As well as the international fixture with England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, which returned to Partick
Partick
Partick is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch. Partick was a Police burgh from 1852 until 1912 when it was incorporated into the city.-History:...
in March, cross-border rivalry was also fuelled with the introduction of what became a prestige representative fixture of the late 19th century, an inter-city match between Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
.
Scottish Cup
Sixteen clubs entered the draw for the first round of the first ever Scottish CupScottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
tournament, which was organised on the same unseeded, straight knockout basis as the FA Cup. The trophy and a set of medals was purchased as a result of subscription by member clubs at a cost of £56 12s 11d.
Although details of several matches are sketchy, it is believed that the first round match between Renton
Renton F.C.
Renton Football Club was a prominent team in the early history of Scottish football. The club was based in the village of Renton, West Dunbartonshire...
and Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
at Crosshill
Crosshill
Crosshill is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde. In earlier maps the area is called Corsehill, which means Gorse hill, so the name is probably a corruption of this earlier name, and does not refer to a cross...
(then an independent burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
) on 18 October 1873 was the first match to get underway in the competition, and therefore the first competitive club fixture on Scottish soil.
Queen's Park
Queen's Park F.C.
Queen's Park Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club are currently the only amateur club in the Scottish League; their amateur status is reflected by their motto, Ludere Causa Ludendi – to play for the sake of playing.Queen's Park are the oldest...
went on to underline their position as the pre-eminent club in Scottish football by lifting the trophy. After wins over Dumbreck
Dumbreck F.C.
Dumbreck Football Club were a 19th-century football club based in Glasgow that were one of the original 16 teams to participate in the inaugural season of the Scottish Cup. They were one of the eight founder members of the Scottish Football Association....
, Eastern
Eastern F.C.
Eastern Football Club was a 19th-century football club based in Glasgow that was one of the original 16 teams to participate in the inaugural season of the Scottish Cup....
and, in the semi-final, Renton
Renton F.C.
Renton Football Club was a prominent team in the early history of Scottish football. The club was based in the village of Renton, West Dunbartonshire...
, they secured the Scottish Cup with a 2–0 victory over Clydesdale
Clydesdale F.C.
Clydesdale F.C. were a nineteenth-century Glasgow-based soccer club, who were attached to Clydesdale Cricket Club during the 1870s. In 1873, Clydesdale was one of the teams to found the Scottish Football Association....
in the final.
Final
----Overview
The international against EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
took place at Partick
Partick
Partick is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch. Partick was a Police burgh from 1852 until 1912 when it was incorporated into the city.-History:...
in March. Staged almost exactly a year on from the inaugural London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
clash, it established a pattern of the fixture taking place on an annual basis in the latter part of the season, with home advantage alternating. Scotland conceded the opener, but with goals either side of half time secured their first ever international victory.
Results
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Competition | Scotland scorer(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 March 1874 | Hamilton Crescent Hamilton Crescent Hamilton Crescent is a cricket ground located in the Partick area of Glasgow, Scotland. It is the home of the West of Scotland Cricket Club.Hamilton Crescent is famous for holding the first ever international football match, played between Scotland and England... , Partick Partick Partick is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch. Partick was a Police burgh from 1852 until 1912 when it was incorporated into the city.-History:... (H) |
2–1 | Friendly | Fred Anderson, Angus MacKinnon |
Key:
- (H) = Home match
Representative matches
As well as selecting a team for the international fixture, the SFAScottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
were also responsible for the Glasgow side chosen to face their Sheffield counterparts, there being no Glasgow Football Association prior to 1883.
14 March 1874:
Sheffield 2 
Glasgow 2 (Bramall LaneBramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
)