Scottish Football Reminiscences and SketchesBone, David Drummond
History
Scottish Football Reminiscences and Sketches
Bone, David Drummond
Football
In every condition of life, no matter the sphere in which one is placed,
he has his own peculiarities, and, in a football sense, Leckie, above
all the gallant throng who have disappeared for ever from the field, had
his. Comparatively short of stature and powerfully knit together, with
splendidly moulded limbs, Leckie was one of the most tenacious forwards.
While dribbling past an opponent with the ball at his toe, his
peculiarity asserted itself in such a way that, once seen, could never
be forgotten. Weir, Smith, W. M'Kinnon, H. M'Neil, and, later on,
Fraser, Highet, and Richmond, among the army of forwards brought out by
the Queen's Park; to say nothing of M'Lintock, M'Intyre, and Baird (Vale
of Leven), J. R. Wilson and Anderson (Clydesdale), T. Vallance and P.
Campbell (Rangers), and A. Kennedy and J. Hunter (3rd L.R.V.), of whom I
will say something later on, had all their imitators in the younger
clubs, but Leckie had none. He was, in fine, a player by himself. When
he obtained possession of ball, he guarded his body with extended arms
drooping from his side, with the back of his hands in front of the
thighs, and thus formed a barrier to an opponent who attempted to tackle
or take the ball from him. He took part in the first International. He
died about three years ago in South Africa.
~James Smith.~
The least known, perhaps, of the original International men, but one
whose name will ever be honoured by many of the older school of players,
and locally Queen's Park members, is Mr. James Smith, who died some
years ago in London. Mr. Smith was, in conjunction with his brother
Robert, early associated with the game in Scotland, and was an original
member of the Queen's Park. Mr. Archibald Rae, the first secretary of
the Scottish Football Association, and at one time an active member of
the Queen's Park (and a beautiful dribbler in his day), tells an amusing
anecdote of Smith, while playing against the Hamilton Club, leaping on
the top of a hedge to win a touch-down, which in those days counted a
point in the game. This entirely coincided with poor Smith's play, as he
was sometimes very impetuous. He played in the International of 1872 as
a forward.
~William M'Kinnon.~
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account