WHERE THERE IS HOPE THERE IS FOOTBALL

I apologise if yesterday's blog on Alex Young was scrambled. I was working away from home (almost in Scotland actually) on an Ipad and well I.T. aaaarrrghh. I have edited it now, so it may be readable thjough an important photo from Bill has failed.

So conveniently Scotland remains in my mind and as I was listening to my favourite source of football trivia, Talksport, driving down the A1, the name Andy Mitchell came up. Andy is a well known author of books on Scottish football history and he has used a fair bit of Charterhouse and Old Carthusian archive to help him bring together publications on England v Scotland internationals and other productions.

Today he has brought to my attention, the history of the Foot-Ball Club of Edinburgh.
http://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2014/football-030614

John Hope, born at Dalry House in 1807, was a student lawyer at 17 years old, who in his school days kept note books with detailed instructions of how to "make a football" and how to play the game, as he saw it. Hope managed to refine the game as early as 1833, noting 6 rules, involving the playing area, 39 players and the fact that there should be no tripping. 4 small pocket books and 3 bundles of notes, dating from 1824-41, have been found and kept in the National Archive of Scotland. They also referred to "sticks to mark goals" and allowing pushing, holding and lifting the ball, overseen by the "Chairman" to us known as the referee. These predate the Cambridge University Rules of 1848.

A foundation date of 1824 suggests that the Edinburgh Foot-Ball club was organised and playing to specified laws decades before the Scottish FA and the English FA codified theirs.

Born into the New Town  "educated" classes in Edinburgh, Hope brought his "well heeled" friends together to play a civilised form of football on Saturday afternoons at the Dalry Park (now Dalry Place) in the South-west of the city. The club moved to Greenhall Park in 1831, then went to Grove Park, but had a short history but signed on 78 members before it dissolved in 1841. Subs were 1s 6d and the hire of the "pitch" 6 shillings. A vibrant football culture survived in the city after the demise of the club.

The club has reformed this year joining the City's Sunday League, playing matches as Edinburgh Foot-Club,166 years, with its first prestige match at Tynecastle against a Hearts XI. There is also a Ladies team.

John Hope in his senior years!

Charles Kirkpatrick was a member of the club in 1831 and he inspired his son James to captain Scotland in the first international against England in 1870 and to play in the 1877 FA Cup Final for The Wanderers.

Hibernian  FC, of Edinburgh, of course were the first British club to play in European competition.

and here are the original rules..........