Scottish Football Reminiscences and Sketches

by David Drummond Bone

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.