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Scotland's and therefore Global Football's History's
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Word is that the Scottish Football Museum is planning an exhibition of the warp and weft of textiles in the Scottish game. But it is unlikely that even it fully understands the filaments that are woven into our football and therefore the global game because without the former there would be no current latter.
And even if the exhibition takes place it is unlikely that much will be know about it outwith the one fifth that is not the Central Belt. That is the way of most of the institutions that are located in the Glasgow-Edinburgh axis and the SFM is no different in its notion of nation or understanding of locations, even if, as in this case, at least two of textile's are more than a good way from Mount Florida. However, we are at the SFHG without the Hampden, geographical biases and with internet able to overcome and correct. So here goes.
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Glasgow 1867
It is unlikely that Scottish Association football would have started as it did withouts threads, in this case the Cockney use of the term for cloth and clothes. The early, 1867 Queen's Park was in large part a club of drapers and haberdashers.
Its foundation meeting was held in or around the corner from its first President's haberdasher's shop. He was Mungo Ritchie. It first on-field captain and second President, Lewis Black, was a drapery salesman as was also third President, James Grant. And from the beginning work, indeed careers, for a good few of its later players frequently was found in the same trades, as salesmen or in cloth warehouses in the city. (See The Glasgow Four Miles Trails)
Paisley 1877
And with the spread of the game outwith Glasgow specifically to Paisley now cotton thread was to become involved and remain so globally for another half a century. In 1877 two teams were formed in the town. The first was St. Mirren and very shortly after Abercorn, the Honorary President of which and for the next six years until his death was Thomas Coats. He was one of the sons of Hames Coats, the founder of what would eventually be the Coats group of companies with operations around the World. But just now attention would be confined to the then booming Renfrewshire town and from 1883 Major Thomas Glen Coats, later Sir Thomas Glen Coats then picked up his father's baton and carried it for the best part of fifty years.
Kearny, New Jersey, USA 1883
But the baton had within the town clearly been taken up by others, and by the for-the-moment rival thread makers, the Clark family. In 1865 it had started a relatively small operation in Newark, overseen by William Clark, also from Paisley but a separate family. But by a decade later and business booming a new and far larger complex across the Passaic River in Kearny was planned and began to be built. And with expansion cotton workers from mainly Scotland and Lancashire were brought in, with them coming football to the point that in 1883 a works club, Clarks O.N.T., was formed with William Clark Jnr, son of the original plant manager, as vice-president, and Campbell Clark, of the owning family, president.
In fact, although William Clark would play in the club's first fixture, the team rapidly was taken over by the Lancastrian element in the mill-complex, even essentially including and bringing in shamateir players, with the result that a separate Scottish team was formed in the town that exists today as the Kearny Scots American Athletic Club.
Paisley 1888
Over the second half of the 19th Century there was a gradual movement to wards the merger of the Coats and Clarks thread operations. From 1889 they coperated through what was called the Central Agency and, following the death of John Clark, full amalgamation took place. Abercorn F.C. was no different. In fact its pre-dated it. By 1888 still Major Coats was Honorary President but Stewart Clark, John Clark's younger brother, was already one of the Patrons.
Dundee 1885
IIn the first half of the 19th Century Scotland's towns and villages would have sounded to the clatter of looms, weaving wool, silk and cotton, flax to linen and even jute. But with mechanisation it was Dundee that became the centre for the production of the last two. And meanwhile football had come to the city and it was the son of local linen-loom manager cum jute manufacturer, who would take the game across the North Sea to Denmark, specifically to Copenhagen.
His name was James Young Smart, born in 1862 in the City of Discovery, becoming Secretary and Treasurer of Strathmore F.C., founded already in 1874 and then President in 1882, playing regularly for the team until his departure. And on his return, probably in 1896 he would be a jute manufacturer in his own right and said also to be a member of the match committe now of Dundee.
Elgin 1797 and Seville 1890
In 1800 Alexander Johnston had established a woolen mill on the banks of the Lossie River in Elgin. The New Mill is still there. He was originally from by Aberdeen, had found his way to Moray, there working in a woolen mill before at the age of twenty-three in 1797 setting up on his own and until his death in 1864 still in Elgin building a substantial business. In the meantime he had married twice, his second wife being Mary McAndrew, daughter of James McAndrew, Elgin-born and part of the family that had founded the McAndrew Shipping Line that plied mainly between Britain and Spain.
On the death of Alexander Johnston the firm was taken on by his son James and then in turn by his eldest grandson, Charles Johnston, whose younger brother was Edward Farquharson Johnston. And it was Edward, who would join McAndrews, being posted to Seville, there becoming the British Consul and also Spain's first official referee.
In 1890 the Seville British Club issued a challenge to what is still Spain's oldest, existing football club, Recreativo de Huelva. The first of a series of matched took place in Seville in March that same year. It is the first football game in Spain that is officially recognised. Seville won 2-0. Farquharson Johnston was the man with the whistle.
Geo Davidson
In 1890 the Seville British Club issued a challenge to what is still Spain's oldest, existing football club, Recreativo de Huelva. The first of a series of matched took place in Seville in March that same year. It is the first football game in Spain that is officially recognised. Seville won 2-0. Farquharson Johnston was the man with the whistle.
Sweden
In 1890 the Seville British Club issued a challenge to what is still Spain's oldest, existing football club, Recreativo de Huelva. The first of a series of matched took place in Seville in March that same year. It is the first football game in Spain that is officially recognised. Seville won 2-0. Farquharson Johnston was the man with the whistle.
Borgonya
In 1890 the Seville British Club issued a challenge to what is still Spain's oldest, existing football club, Recreativo de Huelva. The first of a series of matched took place in Seville in March that same year. It is the first football game in Spain that is officially recognised. Seville won 2-0. Farquharson Johnston was the man with the whistle.
Barcelona
In 1890 the Seville British Club issued a challenge to what is still Spain's oldest, existing football club, Recreativo de Huelva. The first of a series of matched took place in Seville in March that same year. It is the first football game in Spain that is officially recognised. Seville won 2-0. Farquharson Johnston was the man with the whistle.
Ipiranga
In 1890 the Seville British Club issued a challenge to what is still Spain's oldest, existing football club, Recreativo de Huelva. The first of a series of matched took place in Seville in March that same year. It is the first football game in Spain that is officially recognised. Seville won 2-0. Farquharson Johnston was the man with the whistle.
Lucca
In 1890 the Seville British Club issued a challenge to what is still Spain's oldest, existing football club, Recreativo de Huelva. The first of a series of matched took place in Seville in March that same year. It is the first football game in Spain that is officially recognised. Seville won 2-0. Farquharson Johnston was the man with the whistle.
Pawtucket
In 1890 the Seville British Club issued a challenge to what is still Spain's oldest, existing football club, Recreativo de Huelva. The first of a series of matched took place in Seville in March that same year. It is the first football game in Spain that is officially recognised. Seville won 2-0. Farquharson Johnston was the man with the whistle.
Westerley
In 1890 the Seville British Club issued a challenge to what is still Spain's oldest, existing football club, Recreativo de Huelva. The first of a series of matched took place in Seville in March that same year. It is the first football game in Spain that is officially recognised. Seville won 2-0. Farquharson Johnston was the man with the whistle.
Russia
In 1890 the Seville British Club issued a challenge to what is still Spain's oldest, existing football club, Recreativo de Huelva. The first of a series of matched took place in Seville in March that same year. It is the first football game in Spain that is officially recognised. Seville won 2-0. Farquharson Johnston was the man with the whistle.
Mexico
In 1890 the Seville British Club issued a challenge to what is still Spain's oldest, existing football club, Recreativo de Huelva. The first of a series of matched took place in Seville in March that same year. It is the first football game in Spain that is officially recognised. Seville won 2-0. Farquharson Johnston was the man with the whistle.
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1877 first Honorary President of Abercorn - Thomas Coats 1809-1883 son of James one of founders of Coats Group
and 1881-2
1883 Major Thomas.Glen. Coats 1846-1922 Director of J, & P Coats. second surviving son of Thomas Coats
1884 -
1888 - Patrons Stewart Clark, b 1930, d 1907 Dundas Castle, Linlithgow, Director J & P Coats, son of John Clark and Hon. President Major T. G. Coats
1908 - Patrons Sir T.G. Coats, Stewart Clark, James Coats Jnr., J S Clark son of Stewart Clark, K M Clark, J Oscar M Clark, Vice Pres - Andrew Clark
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