John Harley, a football legend in Uruguay, was born #OTD 5 March 1886 in Cathcart, south of Glasgow. Known as 'El Reformador' in Uruguay for his influence in changing the style of the game there to short passing in the traditional Scottish manner. www.scottishsporthistory.com/sports-histo...
Enough footballers were killed by the Iranian Islamist regime in the space of forty-eight hours in January to make up two full teams. Fifa’s response? Silence.
By Zohreh Abdollahkhani
josimarfootball.com/2026/03/05/s...
John Harley, a football legend in Uruguay, was born #OTD 5 March 1886 in Cathcart, south of Glasgow. Known as 'El Reformador' in Uruguay for his influence in changing the style of the game there to short passing in the traditional Scottish manner. www.scottishsporthistory.com/sports-histo...
Outside Boston last night, the local government remains concerned they'll be left on the hook for nearly $8mil in World Cup-related security expenses. And still, nobody knows who'll pay.
7 World Cup matches hang in the balance.
Me, on @us.theguardian.com:
www.theguardian.com/football/202...
The buried remains of the football pavilion at the first Hampden Park are to be protected as a scheduled monument, thanks to Historic Environment Scotland. Here's my article about the pavilion and why it is so important: www.scottishsporthistory.com/sports-histo...
The buried remains of the football pavilion at the first Hampden Park are to be protected as a scheduled monument, thanks to Historic Environment Scotland. Here's my article about the pavilion and why it is so important: www.scottishsporthistory.com/sports-histo...
A previously unknown species of butterfly which had been discovered in Peru in 2024 is now officially named "Vanewrightia borussiadortmund" after a BvB fan called Peter Klausmeier, struck by its colouring, spent 2,800 euros sponsoring its scientific naming.
"He doesn’t like to talk about it, but last week Gianni Infantino celebrated a decade as FIFA supremo. Hooray! It feels like an appropriate time to list some of the accomplishments of the man Donald Trump called the king of s̶y̶c̶o̶p̶h̶a̶n̶t̶s̶ soccer…"
www.theguardian.com/football/pic...
This book is going to be ace, expertly curated and edited by @kennypieper.bsky.social, a real heart and soul effort from the author and the contributors (the fans). Make sure you get your ltd. ed. copy. £18.76... genius marketing! ❤️💛
👉 ptfc.co.uk/product/150t...
Detail from the William Ralston image in 'The Graphic' of the 1872 International. A Scotland player is off the ground, with his hands by his side, as he heads the ball up and to the right. His hat which might be a cowl is not dislodged. Behind him are a group of men in bowlers and other hats, behind a simple rope. The player has a dark shirt, which will be blue. He has trousers which seem to tuck into socks, with a hooped pattern.
1 of 5 #scotsfoundedfootball I am endlessly sceptical about AI. The Intelligence bit is nothing of the sort. I thought I would ask ChatGPT who the player heading the ball was, in William Ralston’s image of the 1872 International. Its reply was an example of the enshittification of knowledge.
Anyone want to attend the International Football History Conference in Fulham in June this year? Here’s your chance.
Information Panel on the fence at Hampden Bowling Club. It describes how the Passing Game was perfected here 1874-83. The image is of the Hampden Mural.
1 of 4 #scotsfoundedfootball Today is my last day as a member of the Hampden Bowling Club. It is also the last day of the Club. Tomorrow, the site will belong to City Properties. Bowls has been shrinking for many decades. Pollokshields, Govan, Kings Park, Kingston, Farme, Mount Florida. All gone.
Just out this morning. Historic Environment Scotland have launched a formal consultation to schedule the site of First Hampden Park in Kingsley Gardens, Glasgow. However, they will not be designating the Hampden Bowling Club pavilion. haveyoursay.historicenvironment.scot/heritage/des...
What positive changes could Reach PLC make to sites like Edinburgh Live to reverse its 48% decline in page views?
Meanwhile the Edinburgh Evening News is down 47%, The Scotsman is down 20%, while The Herald is up 53%.
Full data: www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2026/news/pa...
100 years ago today: Dr Jimmy Paterson scored for Arsenal against Aston Villa in his last senior match, and it was recorded on British Pathe: www.britishpathe.com/asset/51906/ He was a Scottish war hero who had played for Rangers before WW1, then moved to London for work. /
A few years ago I wrote up his story, and had the pleasure of meeting his daughter (who had never seen the film footage before): www.scottishsporthistory.com/sports-histo...
100 years ago today: Dr Jimmy Paterson scored for Arsenal against Aston Villa in his last senior match, and it was recorded on British Pathe: www.britishpathe.com/asset/51906/ He was a Scottish war hero who had played for Rangers before WW1, then moved to London for work. /
If it's a book, it will be a long time coming! As you would expect, this is a slow (and tedious) process as so little was written down. Getting full results from the 1970s may never be completed - so I was pleased to finish off this single season through a combination of newspapers and scrapbooks.
Results and league table for the Scottish Women's Football League, season 1975-76.
The upshot is that I have now managed to complete a record of the league for season 1975-76. As far as I know, the results and league table have never been published before.
Big thank-you to Niamh at Dundee City Libraries today for digging out a cutting from the Courier in 1976. I've been researching the Scottish Women's Football League and the BNA scan disappeared into the spine. So she quickly took a fresh image and sent it over. Hooray for librarians!
A great article on the history and development of table tennis in Edinburgh, by Charlie Ellis, an OEC Jean Guild Grant Awardee. He follows it from its modest interwar beginnings to its emergence as one of Scotland’s leading clubs. #edinburghsports #murrayfieldclubs #memorialclubs #tabletennis
Plaque inside the gates of King George V Park in Canonmills. Prior to the football ground it was the site of the Royal Patent Gymnasium which quite frankly looks absolutely mental.
www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_adverts/0_...
Map Detail 1894 Ordnance Survey showing Polmadie Bowling Club between Polmadie Street and Hamilton Street. Also in the detail, to the east by about a hundred metres is Polmadie Park Farm, showing that much of the South Side still had not been built on.
1 of 5 #scotsfoundedfootball A few Bowls posts, to mourn the loss of the Hampden Bowling Club. F. 1905, it was created when the Polmadie Bowling Club closed. Their Green between Polmadie and Hamilton Streets was taken for development. A common story in Glasgow as it expanded in every direction.
Sadly, they have the power to force this on football - eg make fans pay for tickets with crypto, distribute World Cup proceeds to national associations in crypto, pay their staff and freelancers in crypto, insist that contracts are drawn up in crypto, etc etc. All with dynamic pricing...
Front and Back Cover of '100 Reasons Why Scotland Invented Modern World Football' by Ged O'Brien Cover is a half tone detail in black on blue of the Queen's Park members outside their new Pavilion at the First Hampden. On the back is a detail from William Ralston's Graphic image of the 1872 International.
Just waiting to check my proof - when it comes back from the printers. Simple. I am not a designer. Anyway - it is the info contained in the 100 reasons that are of importance. 25 years late. Sorry about that. Real life intervened.
A view of the newly finished Scott McTominay mural at Hampden.
It depicts the Scotland midfielder's sensational overhead kick that opened the scoring in the 4-2 win against Denmark that clinched World Cup qualification
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2586744...
𝘐𝘔𝘈𝘎𝘌: 𝘎𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘰𝘯 𝘛𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘴/𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘥 & 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴
I can think of one or two other redundant bowling greens in Scotland that could benefit from this kind of regeneration...
A landmark day today for the British Newspaper Archive, which has reached an astonishing 100 million pages with the addition of several years of the Dundee Courier. It is my go-to place for any kind of research, whether sport or genealogy. www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
We are looking for more volunteers to assist with the Dictionary of Hibernian FC Biography. The project aims to create a short biography (about 500 words) on every player from 1875-1900 and others involved with the club in that era. If you are interested in volunteering with the project or would like more information please contact: hibernianbiographies@hotmail.com
Interesting wee project on Hibs history, to write a biography of every player from the early years. I've enjoyed doing a few of these, more volunteers are needed! If you are interested, email is in the image.
