SCOTTISH FOOTBALL HISTORIAN
The quarterly magazine which celebrates the history
and folklore of Scottish Football.
A comprehensive INDEX OF CONTENTS all every issue of SCOTTISH FOOTBALL HISTORIAN, is available
for £2 plus 70p UK p&p, or click here for the the contents
Strathmore FC (
Sutherland and Beyond by Jim Stewart
Junior Scotland’s Custodians by Douglas Gorman
Print Fanzines
by John Weir
Crossgates Primrose by Andy McGregor
Tommy
Gemmell at
Turnbull’s Shock Clear-Out
at Pittodrie by Peter Myers
Vale of Leven and Queen’s Park : Champions of Britain Part 3 by Forrest Robertson
Obituaries
of
Doug Baillie – Airdrieonians, Rangers, Third Lanark,
Bert Bell – Third
Lanark historian
Dave Cattanach –
Doug Cowie –
Rabbie Dow – Crossgates Primrose, Cowdenbeath, Oakley United, Dundonald Bluebell
Alex Ingram – Queen’s Park,
Ayr United,
Wim Jansen – Feyenoord,
Billy McEwan – Hibs,
Ron McIvor – Peebles Rovers, Bonnyrigg Rose,
Willie
McSeveney – Wishaw,
George Ryden – Duntocher Hibs,
Ian
Stirling – Arbroath
Bobby Stirrat – Whitburn,
John Wright – Petershill,
Each edition costs £2.50
plus 80p p&p (
Subscriptions may be for any number of issue,
in multiples of the above amounts. Cheques should be made payable to J. Litster. Click for other payment methods
Further enquiries, please telephone 01603 449237 or email progm@hotmail.com
Back issues of every previous edition of the magazine are
available priced £2 plus postage. Please add sufficient additional postage for
DATABASES
......
A RECORD OF POST-WAR SCOTTISH LEAGUE PLAYERS
VERSION 7
What's New ? 2012/13 and2017/18 statistics, representative match appearances, more career details and notified errors corrected and many other statistics
(notably dates of birth) added to existing records.
New features : Scottish Schools, Youth and Amateur Youth Caps. BP/
For every player, with every Scottish
League club, for every season from 1946/47 to 2017/18 inclusive, the following information, line-by-line, season by season :
Appearances,
goals and substitute appearances in the Scottish League, Scottish League Cup, Scottish Cup, European Competitions, and all other major
first team competitions (eg Texaco, Anglo Scottish, Spring Cup, B Division Supplementary Cup, Coronation Cup, European Super Cup,
Challenge Cup, Summer Cup, etc etc, but excluding local cups.) Included are details of representative match appearances at
Scotland full, B, Under 21/23, Scottish League and International trial match levels, Schools and Youth internationals.
Where possible,
date of birth, date of signing (plus previous club), height, weight and playing position are given, and it is possible to chart each
player’s contribution to their clubs’ League positions and the latter stages of cup competitions.
If printed, this information would
fill 4,000 pages, therefore it is only available in digital form, in Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet format (readable on all spreadsheet
platforms)
It can be supplied on CD Rom,
at the price of £19.70, UK post free from
John
Litster, 38 Lowther Road, Norwich NR4 6QW.
Those resident abroad should add an additional £2 for Air Mail postage.
Cheques payable to J Litster please, or for details of how to pay by bank transfer or Paypal, click payments
SEARCHING FOR A RELATIVE?
If you wish to obtain Scottish football career details of a relative, these will be provided
A RECORD OF
Version 2 now available
Player by player, season by season, appearances
and goalscoring records in Scottish League and Scottish Cup matches for every player between 1890 and 1946.
Included are the dates
of signing, clubs signed from, summary information of playing careers of Scots outwith Scotland (principally in England) and, where
known, dates of birth and death.
Also included are representative appearances - full Scotland caps, international trials, Scottish
League ‘caps’, Inter-Association matches, war-time internationals, Amateur internationals etc.
Junior Cup finalists are included, and
there are details of Scots’ managerial careers.
Data includes all three Third Division seasons in the 1920s, and most of the war-time
seasons (which will be completed in a subsequent upgrade)
Available on CD Rom in Microsoft Excel format
If you prefer (or do not have
a CD Rom on your computer) the down-loadable package may be emailed to you.
£19.70, UK post free, from
John Litster, 38 Lowther
Road, Norwich NR4 6QW.
Cheques payable to J. Litster. Purchasers abroad, please add £2 for Air Mail p & p.
To pay
for any of our products, click payments
From 1890 to 1939, for every
Scottish League match, correct dates, results, and goalscorers. Attendances are also given, where published.
This listing
includes 122 changes of venue from previous publications ; 9 changes in results ; 60 changes in scorelines ; and 116 changes in dates
from previous versions.
Full details of all expunged records are included, and most abandoned matches.
The three Third Division seasons
of the mid 1920s are included.
The information is provided on CD Rom, in Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet form, at the price of £19.70,
UK post free, from John Litster,
38 Lowther Road, Norwich, NR4 6QW.
If you prefer (or do not have a CD Rom on your computer) the
down-loadable package may be emailed to you.
Cheques payable to J. Litster. Those resident abroad, please add £2 for Air Mail.
To
pay for any of our products, click payments
SCOTTISH LEAGUE TABLES
Why do you need yet another version of this, there have
been several books published before ? Yes, but they are all wrong !
All previous books have included the consequences of
errors in the data from which they were compiled. These include changes of venues, where home and away teams were reversed,
nine changes in results which affect the placing of teams ; 60 changes in scorelines which affect goals totals (and, for most teams,
changed milestone events, 1000th goal scored, 2000th goal conceded etc).
Full details of all expunged records are included.
Included
on the CD Rom is a Word document detailing all changes made to previously published data, involving around 300 matches.
The information
is provided on CD Rom, in Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet form, at the price of £5, UK post free, from John Litster,
38 Lowther
Road, Norwich, NR4 6QW.
If you prefer (or do not have a CD Rom on your computer) the down-loadable package may be emailed to you.
Cheques
payable to J. Litster. Those resident abroad, please add £2 for Air Mail.
To pay for any of our products, click payments
BOOKS
.....
A GREAT ADDITION TO SCOTTISH FOOTBALL HISTORY
THE GLASOW CUP by Forrest H.C. Robertson
150 page
illustrated history with
facts and figures
The Glasgow Cup, in its heyday before the Second World War, attracted attendances
larger than those for the corresponding League games between the six clubs who competed for the impressive Victorian trophy. Even as late as the 1970s, matches between Rangers and Celtic in the competition drew crowds of between 32,700 and 70,500.
The
early-season competition took precedence over League matches in the eyes of its participants, and a comprehensive history is long-overdue. Forrest Robertson’s 150 page softback book gives a full statistical and narrative account of the Glasgow Cup’s long history
£9 plus
£1.90
MUST-READ BOOK FOR SCOTTISH FOOTBALL FANS
50 YEARS OF SCOTTISH FOOTBALL
From
Baxter to Balde, from The Beatles to Bankruptcy
1963 to 2013 described and remembered by John Litster
(It was nearly called Fifty Shades
of Green and Blue !)
In 306 pages of text, Scottish football historian and former football club administrator John Litster describes
his 50 years of watching Scottish football, his studies of the way the game has developed and is operated, and the changes he has
noticed since he attended his first football match on 26th October 1963.
He describes the new experiences he encountered as grounds
were visited for the first time ; history-changing matches were attended ; great players and teams were seen ; notable careers were
started, and ended. There is coverage of the new influences in the game (agents, internet, television, the Bosman rule, all
seated stadia etc) and the waning of the old (Saturday night sports papers, terraces, native Scots in top division and international
teams etc)
First hand accounts of several key incidents in the game contribute to this picture of changing times - St Johnstone’s surprise
sacking of Alex Totten, Graeme Souness’s row with a tea lady, when Fergie thought Hearts had won the League, and several others.
These
stories, personal observations, opinions, constructive criticism and human interest stories are interwoven with a history of Scottish
football from 1963 to 2013, packed into 306 pages of text - there are no statistics or photographs.
£10 plus £3 UK p&p from
John Litster, 38 Lowther Road, Norwich NR4 6QW Postage and packing abroad is £7. Cheques payable
to J.Litster
Click on payments for further details
HISTORY OF QUEEN’S PARK FOOTBALL CLUB
1867-1917 by Richard Robinson
Richard Robinson wrote the first history of Queen’s Park Football Club to mark the club’s Jubilee in 1917. It was published
in 1921, and over the decades, the few remaining copies of the book have become very rare, and expensive to purchase. The contents
of the book provide a unique and fascinating account of the first five decades of organised football in Scotland, and, to a degree,
throughout Britain ; told by a pioneering football writer from personal recollection, and with access to original documents and records.
Topics
covered in detail include the birth of the Scottish Cup, the formation of the Scottish Football Association, the establishment of
international football, the formation of the Scottish League and introduction of professionalism The book also provides
a detailed and authoritative account of the first five decades of the famous football club, and its equally renowned stadia.
This reproduction
is designed to allow 21st century football enthusiasts and historians to enjoy the unique insights provided by the original book,
at an affordable price.
Available priced £10 plus £2.90 UK p&p (= £12.50) from John Litster, 38 Lowther Road, Norwich, NR4 6QW.
Send a cheque, postal order, or for alternative methods click on payments
FOOTBALL'S WHITE FEATHERS
Scottish Football’s
Battle for Survival during the early months of the First World War.
By John Litster
The story of the Footballer’s Battalion
in the 1914-1918 Great War is well known, but its formation, and subsequent decimation in the conflict, is merely the tip of an iceberg
on which professional football in Scotland came close to being broken up in the early months of the First World War.
In over 100 pages
of narrative, Scottish football’s reaction to the outbreak of war is described, followed by the huge public outcry for football to
be stopped as it was allegedly preventing young men from volunteering for the slaughter on the Western Front. Football’s
climb-down, along with the public relations triumph of the formation of McCrae’s Battalion, is described in great detail, as are the
consequences for Scottish football from the disruption of the war years.
Also included are comprehensive statistics from 1914-15 season;
full results and scorers, match-by-match appearance grids for all First Division and (uniquely) Second Division clubs, and a detailed
analysis of what the First World War did to the footballing careers of the Scottish League players of 1914-15.
Reproduced within the
book’s 160 pages are the contents of the 1918 booklet “The “Hearts” and the Great War” by John McCartney
£10 plus £1.90 UK p&p
from John Litster, 38 Lowther Road, Norwich, NR4 6QW Postage and packing to Europe is £5.30, elsewhere abroad is £8.
Cheques payable to J.Litster. Payments may be made by paypal or direct electronically - click on payments for further
details
THIRD LANARK
Life and Death of The Hi-Hi
by John Litster
The story of how a club died, tracing the roots of the problems
which culminated in the extinction of Third Lanark in 1967, told in one half of this major book.
The other half tells of the club’s
history ; formed in 1872, twice winners of the Scottish Cup, Scottish League Champions in 1904, and a power in the Scottish game over
its first half century.
Also told is the story of the two Cathkin Parks, hosts to Scottish Cup Finals and International
matches before the First World War.
Statistics include results, scorers (for both teams) and attendances for all League, Cup and local
cup ties, and season-by-season summary statistics for appearances in League and Scottish cups.
First published in 250 large pages,
hardback, dust-jacket, this is now OUT OF STOCK. It is available on CD Rom (or via Dropbox) in PDF format for £11.00 (including
UK postage) from
John Litster, PM Publications, 38 Lowther Road, Norwich, NR4 6QW.
Click on payments for further details
Emailprogm@hotmail.com for
postage rates abroad
Third Lanark was one of the top clubs in Scottish football for the first 50 years of its existence. Formed
in 1872, Thirds were founder members of the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish Football League, whose championship they
won in 1904. They were twice winners of the Scottish Cup, and their last two grounds, both called Cathkin Park, hosted Scottish Cup
Finals and Scotland international matches.
In its last decade, the club played in a Scottish League Cup Final and finished third in
the First Division, scoring 100 League goals in the process. This distinguished history, and the impressive list of Scottish international
footballers to have played for the club, make it all the more bewildering that they were allowed to die in 1967, in their 95th year.
Their
death has been popularly attributed to the actions of their majority shareholder for the last five years of the club’s existence,
but the reason for the club’s demise is not quite as simple and as straightforward as the mismanagement by one man.
The seeds of the
club’s destruction were sewn as far back as the very early years of the 20th century, and the confluence of events which eventually
led to its extinction include decades of disharmony amongst shareholders and in the boardroom, the cost of purchasing (the second)
Cathkin Park, the expense of developing it as a modern ground which could hold over 40,000 spectators for Glasgow derbies, the financial
burden of full-time football and the difficulty in replacing top class players who either retired, or were transferred for substantial
fees.
While these undercurrents were loosening the foundations of the famous old club, the club’s loyal band of supporters were watching
the ups and downs of its playing fortunes.
Both stories, on field and off, are told concurrently in the pages of this book. Also included
are full statistics of matches played in League and Cups, and the players who played in them. Initially a story of endeavour
and success, it has the saddest possible ending nearly a century later. The book explains how and why this happened, and gives
the reasons why the club which launched the careers of Jimmy Brownlie, Jimmy Mason, Jimmy Denmark, Jimmy Carabine, Ally McLeod, Bobby
Mitchell, Ronnie Simpson, and the famous forward line of Goodfellow, Hilley, Harley, Gray and McInnes, is no longer with us.
The
Boys from Leven's Winding Shore :
A History of Vale of Leven Football Club
by John Weir
108 pages detailing the birth,
successes, failures and death of one of the foremost clubs in 19th Century Scottish football. Illustrated, with statistics and features
never before published.
The definitive history of former Scottish Cup winners and members of the Scottish Football League, Vale of
Leven
Available from John Litster, PM Publications, 38 Lowther Road, Norwich, NR4 6QW
priced £4.95 plus £1.05 postage.
Click on payments for further details.
A GREAT
HOW SCOTLAND
A novel
by John Jackson
The ultimate feel-good book for every Scot
It is Wednesday February 7th 2018, and St Johnstone manager Jimmy Murray
is watching a Scottish Cup replay between Hearts and Dunfermline Athletic. As he is leaving the stadium he has two conversations
which start a sequence of events over the next 151 days which will change his life - and the lives of every Scot - and the course
of World Football History. The twists and turns of how Scotland won the 2018 World Cup are thrillingly described
in this 260 page softback novel.
£9 plus £2.90 UK p&p from John Litster, 38 Lowther Road, Norwich, NR4 6QW Postage
and packing to Europe is £7.00, elsewhere abroad is £11. Cheques payable to J.Litster. Payments
may be made by paypal or direct electronically - click on payments for further details
HOW THE CUP WAS
A History of Scottish
Cup Finals in words and statistics
by Forrest H.C. Robertson
From
Following the narrative, the data is then summarised and highlighted, providing a complete alphabetic list of players
of have appeared in Scottish Cup Finals, and lists of players who have made most appearances in finals, scored most goals, played
for different clubs in finals etc. Highlighted are fastest goals, latest goals, youngest and olders players, penalties,
free kick goals, hat-tricks, own-goals, venues, sendings off, referees, relatives, colour clashes etc. Also included are lists
of captains and managers of the Cup Finalists.
In short - everything you ever wanted to know about Scottish Cup Finals will be contained
in this 160 page book.
A fascinating read - and a great reference book.
THE BOOK
Payments may be made by paypal or direct electronically - click
on payments for further details
RAITH ROVERS HISTORIES ......
ALWAYS
125 Years of Raith Rovers Football
Club
The 384 page hardback book celebrating 125 years of Raith Rovers, has SOLD OUT and there are no plans for a reprint.
Instead, the
entire contents of the book, including all illustrations, and complete statistics from 1883 to 2008, and original page layouts, are
available on a CD Rom, in PDF file format.
If you prefer (or do not have a CD Rom on your computer) the down-loadable package
may be emailed to you.
This CD Rom may be purchased for £15, inclusive of UK postage, from the author and publisher,
John Litster,
38 Lowther Road, Norwich, NR4 6QW
Purchasers who live abroad should add an additional £1 for postage and packing.
Click on payments for
further details.
For more details, email progm@hotmail.com
ROVERS RECALLED Volume 2
The second book of 100 pages of Raith Rovers
images and photographs, complete with explanatory text. £7.95 plus £1 postage
The above are available from John Litster,
38 Lowther Road, Norwich, NR4 6QW
I have a vast range of Raith Rovers programmes, handbooks, photographs and other memorabilia for
sale. Some of them are listed elsewhere on this website (click here), but if you have any specific requirements, please contact
John Litster at the above address, by email progm@hotmail.com or telephone 01603 449237.
To return to the Football History page of
this website, click here football history