Scottish Sporting History

[Richard]

31st July 1911.
Bob Murdoch.
Born on this day, Murdoch went on to become a Scottish runner & won Bronze at the 1934 Empire Games.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Murdoch_(athlete)

31st July 1973.
Jacob Aagaard.
Aagaard, born on this day, is a Danish born Scottish Chess Grandmaster.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Aagaard
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/blog/

31st July 1979.
Lynn Cameron.
Born on this day, Cameron is a Scottish Curler who has won Gold at the World Junior Championships in 1997
and Gold at the European Mixed Curling Championships in 2009.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Cameron

[Richard]

1st August 1998.
Football.
The first games of the brand new Scottish Premier League were played on this day.
Eoin Jess of Aberdeen is credited with scoring the new leagues first goal.
Celtic's Craig Burley scored the leagues first hat-trick.
There were wins for Aberdeen, Celtic, Kilmarnock & Motherwell.
Rangers would not play their opening game until the 2nd Aug, which they lost 2.1, away to Hearts.
This season finished with Rangers lifting the domestic treble, Barry Ferguson being voted Young Player
of the Year, Kilmarnock qualifying for Europe via the Fair Play League and Celtic's Henrik Larsson being
voted both the SPFA Player of the Year and the SFWA Player of the Year.
This was also the first time that a 3 week, mid-season/January, break was introduced into the league.
It was very popular amongst those within the game, but not so popular with them that matter, the fans.
http://www.scotprem.com/content/default.asp?page=s31
http://www.scotprem.com/content/default.asp?page=s53

[Richard]

2nd August 1935.
Football.
Alex Parker.
Ayrshireman Parker, born on this day, was a Scottish footballer who played for, among others,
Falkirk, Everton & Scotland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Parker
http://www.evertonfc.com/news/archive/a ... -away.html

[Richard]

As I do not have any entries for the 3rd August, and with the Scottish football season about to kick off with
the state of the Scottish game in as bad a shape as it's ever been, I thought now would be as good a time as
any to take a look at Scottish football attendance records, Scottish football stadia and Scottish football clubs.
The following 2 links provide a very comprehensive look into the aforementioned subjects.
If you dig deep enough you will even come across our very own Ardrossan Winton Rovers & Saltcoats Victoria.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_f ... ce_records
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fo ... n_Scotland

[Richard]

4th August 1933.
Leonard Dudman.
Born on this day, Dudman was a Scottish International Cricketer, Curler & Junior Footballer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Dudman

[Richard]

5th August 2009.
The Scottish Football league take the decision to put Livingston F.C. into the 3rd Division.
A breach of rules on insolvency was the main reason behind the decision.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livingston_F.C.

TiP: Click on link above, then click on "search for livingston f.c. in wikipedia", for appropriate information.

[Richard]

6th August 1875.
Hibernian Football Club were formed on this day.
Based in Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh, The Hibs have one of the more controversial histories of all
Scotland's football clubs. They were formed as a way of helping young Irish Catholic migrants integrate
into Scottish society, but this didn't run as smoothly as first hoped. Including a note from the Scottish
Football Association which stated; "We are catering for Scotsmen, not Irishmen".
Hibs eventually established themselves in Scottish football after overcoming the initial sectarian resistance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Hibernian_F.C.
http://www.hibernianfc.co.uk/page/Timel ... 88,00.html
Tip: Click on first link, then click on "search for History of Hibernian fc", then click on: History of Hibernian F.C.


6th August 2011.
The Speyside Stages of The Scottish Rally Championship, (2011), took place on this day.
The eventual winners, David Bogie & co-driver Kevin Rae, would win the championship with 2 rounds to spare.
http://www.speyside-stages.co.uk/?page_id=15
http://www.scottishrallychampionship.co ... px?nid=125
http://www.chriscollie.com/events

[Richard]

7th August 1894.
The Corrour railway station opened to passengers on this day.
It was originally built to serve the Corrour Sporting Estate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrour_railway_station

7th August 1898.
James Ramsay, (football), was born on this day.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ARSEramsayJ.htm

7th August 1969.
Paul Lambert, (football), was born on this day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Lambert

7th August 1980.
Euan Murray, (rugby), was born on this day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euan_Murray

7th August 2004.
Gordon Smith, (footballer born 1924), died on this day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Smi ... _born_1924)

[Richard]

7th August 1914.
On this day in history, Lord Kitchener, the War Minister began a mass recruiting campaign,
3 days after Britain declared war on Germany.
Kitchener's appeal called for men aged between 19 and 30 to join the British Army.
At first an average of 33,000 men were joining up each day but this was still not enough.
3 weeks later Kitchener raised the recruiting age to 35.
By the middle of September over 500,000 men had volunteered.
By the end of 1915 over 2 million men had volunteered their services.
This included the entire Hearts Football team, (first squad), who joined en masse leading supporters
to the recruiting office.
source: BBC History Files.

[Penny Tray]

Richard,

The first senior match I ever attended was Ayr United versus Hearts on the 23rd of January 1960. One of the reasons for attending was to see how Jim McGhie was faring, having previously been transferred to 'United' from Ardrossan Winton Rovers. However, I saw something else in that match that I'd never seen before or since. Gordon Smith of Hearts received the ball in his own half, sent a looping header forward and over the top of an incoming United player; he then ran past that player to receive his own header, sent another looping header forward to pass another incoming United player, ran past that player too to receive his own header again, knocking his third header down and having a shot at goal. That was three successive headers (including two passes to himself) by one player over a distance of 35/40 yards. He was some player.

http://www.londonhearts.com/images/pr19 ... 20Park.htm

[Richard]

Interesting stuff, PT, the Ardrossan connection.
Your description of Smith's skills in that game was very well put.
I could clearly see it happening, in my minds eye, as I read your description of events and I've never seen
the game in question. Roy of the Rovers stuff, eh.
Bringing Ayr Utd into the topic, you've solved a little problem for me.
I recently came across some old footage of Alex Ferguson scoring for Ayr Utd in 1973 and I've been wondering
when I would get the opportunity to fit it into this thread ? I thought I was going to have to wait until
December, (Fergie's birthday). But now will be as good a time as any. You've probably seen it before or
even been to the game, maybe both ? But I'm sure you'll enjoy it again and there will be plenty of others out
there who haven't seen it yet ?????
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-ieMUHG8L4

[Richard]

8th August 1863.
Angus MacAskill.
The Black Angus, as he was sometimes known, died on this day.
He was a "true" Scottish giant. The Guinness Book of World Records had Angus as the tallest "natural" giant
in recorded history, as well as having the largest chest measurements of any non-obese man (80 inches).
He was well known for incredible feats of strength such as lifting ships anchors weighing 2800 lbs and
carrying 300 lb barrels, one under each arm etc.
A true giant and a true Strongman.
He was born on the Isle of Berneray in the Sound of Harris in Scotland, but died and is buried next to his
parents in Nova Scotia, Canada.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_MacAskill