# Glasgow Football Association

Founded in 1883, the Glasgow Football Association, based in the city of Glasgow, Scotland and affiliated to the national Scottish Football Association, is one of the oldest such bodies in football. In the modern game its influence is limited, the remit being "to represent the interests of the senior football clubs in Glasgow". Those senior clubs competing across the divisions in the Scottish Professional Football League include the two largest and most successful in the country by some distance, Celtic and Rangers (collectively the Old Firm), as well as Partick Thistle, Queen's Park (the oldest football club in Scotland) and Clyde (who have not been based permanently in Glasgow since the 1980s); the three smaller clubs exist in the shadow of their dominant neighbours. A sixth team, Third Lanark, had a strong record until their sudden collapse in the mid 1960s.
The association's most prominent role is the administration of the Glasgow Cup, a tournament for clubs in the city first contested in 1888, which was once a coveted prize but diminished in importance during the 20th century as national and continental football became more popular; from the 1990s it was contested between the member clubs' youth teams, with a 2020 revamp mixing senior teams from the smaller clubs and underage teams from Celtic and Rangers. In addition to the Glasgow Cup, the association aims to "encourage the involvement of local schools and the development of youth football through a variety of other programmes and events". The Glasgow FA looks after the city's senior clubs but not those in lower categories: for example, the West of Scotland Football League contains several Glasgow-based semi-professional clubs (most previously affiliated to the Scottish Junior Football Association, West Region), and the Greater Glasgow Premier AFL is just one of several leagues involving teams from the city under the Scottish Amateur Football Association umbrella.

## History

The seven founders of the organisation at a meeting on 6 March 1883 (formed to compete with the older – 1877 – rival Edinburgh Association) included three of the six senior clubs that would carry on membership into the mid 20th century: Rangers, Clyde and Queen's Park, plus Northern, Partick and Pollokshields Athletic. By the end of 1883, thirteen clubs were members: the initial six plus Battlefield, Cowlairs, Luton, Partick Thistle, South-Western, Third Lanark and Thistle. The obvious absentee from the list is Celtic, which was first conceived in 1887 and began playing the following year; in contrast, Clydesdale were one of the leading clubs who had provided players for Scotland in the 1870s but were defunct by the time of the association's founding.
Glasgow had a representative team which took part in challenge matches against other associations, most notably a series against the Sheffield Football Association which ran from 1874 to 1960, and played an important role in the early development of football due to the contrasting styles, rules and innovations used in two cities that were home to some of the oldest institutions of the game, such as Queen's Park and Sheffield F.C. respectively. The fixture fell out of favour in the late 1940s with new tournaments such as Scottish and English League Cups taking precedence, but was temporarily revived when floodlights were installed at more grounds to accommodate evening matches.
Other matches were played by Glasgow against the London XI in the 1880s, and against Edinburgh/East of Scotland for charity fundraising, particularly in the 1920s, (a one-off match between them as part of the George VI coronation celebrations in 1937 drew 40,000 spectators to Hampden Park) as well as occasional fixtures such as the last editions of the Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup against English clubs in the mid-1960s, and a one-off match against a Football League XI for the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 1977.
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) handled the selection for matches that involved Glasgow before 1883, but the Glasgow Association inherited management of the team after its formation.

## Glasgow v Sheffield

* 68 matches played;
* Glasgow: 33 wins (168 goals);
* Sheffield: 23 wins (123 goals);
* 12 draws.

### Match list

Glasgow's score is given first in all cases.
| # | Date | Venue | Att. | Score | Glasgow goalscorers | Ref. |
| 1 | 14 March 1874 | Bramall Lane (A) | 6,000 | 2–2 | Frederick Anderson, Jerry Weir | |
| 2 | 27 February 1875 | Hamilton Crescent (H) | 10,000 | 2–0 | D. McLeish, Willie Miller | |
| 3 | 19 February 1876 | Bramall Lane (A) | 6,000 | 2–0 | Peter Andrews (2) | |
| 4 | 10 February 1877 | Hampden Park (I) (H) | | 2–0 | John Hunter | |
| 5 | 9 February 1878 | Bramall Lane (A) | 10,000 | 4–2 | Moses McNeil (2), Thomas Britten, Peter Campbell | |
| 6 | 15 February 1879 | Hampden Park (I) (H) | 10,000 | 4–1 | James Richmond (2), Harry McNeil, George Ker | |
| 7 | 14 February 1880 | Sheaf House (A) | 4,000 | 1–0 | Eadie Fraser | |
| 8 | 12 February 1881 | Hampden Park (I) (H) | 5,000 | 3–0 | J. Erskine, Eadie Fraser, George Ker | |
| 9 | 11 February 1882 | Bramall Lane (A) | 12,000 | 1–3 | A. Wylie | |
| 10 | 17 February 1883 | Hampden Park (I) (H) | | 4–2 | John Kay (2), Woodville Gray, William Harrower | |
| 11 | 16 February 1884 | Bramall Lane (A) | | 2–1 | John Smith, Alec Hamilton | |
| 12 | 14 February 1885 | Hampden Park (II) (H) | | 9–1 | Willie Turner (4), William Harrower (2), Davie Allan (2), Bob Christie | |
| 13 | 23 January 1886 | Bramall Lane (A) | 2,000 | 2–2 | D. McIntyre, William Tait | |
| 14 | 5 February 1887 | Hampden Park (II) (H) | 2,000 | 10–3 | William Sellar (3), James Allan (3), John Marshall (2), John Lambie, Own goal | |
| 15 | 28 January 1888 | Bramall Lane (A) | 7,000 | 3–2 | Billy Johnstone (2), Tom Robertson | |
| 16 | 19 January 1889 | Hampden Park (II) (H) | 5,000 | 8–1 | Jimmy Oswald, John Buchanan (2), J. Britton, John Marshall (2), Willie Berry, James McLaren | |
| 17 | 11 January 1890 | Bramall Lane (A) | 5,000 | 3–1 | Jimmy Hamilton, Thomas Wyllie (2) | |
| 18 | 10 January 1891 | Bramall Lane (A) | 10,000 | 3–4 | Jake Madden, Alan Maxwell, John McPherson | |
| 19 | 9 January 1892 | Hampden Park (II) (H) | 4,000 | 4–2 | William Sellar (2), Sandy McMahon, John Harvey | |
| 20 | 12 November 1892 | Bramall Lane (A) | 3,000 | 3–3 | John Allan (2), scrimmage | |
| 21 | 11 November 1893 | Olive Grove | 5,000 | 2–7 | Hugh McCreadie, Willie Paul | |
| 22 | 7 December 1895 | Cathkin Park (I) (H) | 3,000 | 3–1 | William Lambie, John Proudfoot, Willie Paul | |
| 23 | 7 November 1896 | Bramall Lane (A) | 2,000 | 1–5 | James Allison | |
| 24 | 6 November 1897 | Cathkin Park (I) (H) | 9,000 | 0–0 | none | |
| 25 | 10 December 1898 | Bramall Lane (A) | 5,000 | 1–2 | Alec Crawford | |
| 26 | 4 November 1899 | Hampden Park (II) (H) | 6,000 | 4–0 | Thomas Bowie, Robert McColl (2), William Stewart | |
| 27 | 29 October 1900 | Bramall Lane (A) | 4,000 | 1–3 | John McPherson | |
| 28 | 11 September 1901 | Shawfield (H) | 4,000 | 1–1 | Hughie Wilson | |
| 29 | 27 October 1902 | Hillsborough (A) | 5,000 | 2–0 | Finlay Speedie, Johnny Campbell | |
| 30 | 9 September 1903 | Ibrox (H) | 3,000 | 3–0 | Robert Hamilton, Hughie Wilson, Jimmy Quinn | |
| 31 | 24 October 1904 | Bramall Lane (A) | 6,000 | 0–2 | none | |
| 32 | 25 April 1906 | Meadowside (H) | | 1–0 | Archie Kyle | |
| 33 | 15 October 1906 | Hillsborough (A) | 6,000 | 2–3 | Jimmy McMenemy, Archie Kyle | |
| 34 | 18 March 1908 | Meadowside (H) | 5,000 | 2–2 | Archie Kyle, Jimmy Speirs | |
| 35 | 19 October 1908 | Bramall Lane (A) | 6,000 | 0–2 | none | |
| 36 | 20 October 1909 | Firhill (H) | 5,000 | 0–1 | none | |
| 37 | 15 October 1910 | Hillsborough (A) | 3,000 | 2–2 | Alec Bennett, James Bowie | |
| 38 | 16 October 1911 | Cathkin Park | 6,000 | 1–2 | Willie Reid | |
| 39 | 21 October 1912 | Bramall Lane (A) | 7,000 | 1–1 | Andy McAtee | |
| 40 | 13 September 1913 | Ibrox (H) | 8,000 | 3–0 | Willie Reid, Jimmy Galt, Patsy Gallacher | |
| 41 | 26 October 1914 | Hillsborough (A) | 6,000 | 1–2 | Willie Reid | |
| 42 | 14 September 1920 | Firhill (H) | 7,000 | 4–1 | Andy Fyfe (3), Adam McLean | |
| 43 | 12 September 1921 | Bramall Lane (A) | 25,000 | 1–1 | Jimmy Kinloch | |
| 44 | 19 September 1922 | Firhill (H) | 6,000 | 5–0 | Adam McLean, Jimmy Kinloch, James McAlpine, Harry Rae, Alec Reid | |
| 45 | 10 September 1923 | Hillsborough (A) | 10,000 | 2–1 | Jimmy Kinloch, Tommy McInally | |
| 46 | 9 September 1924 | Hampden Park (H) | 14,000 | 5–0 | Tommy McInally (3), Robert Gillespie, Patsy Gallacher | [59] [60] |
| 47 | 14 September 1925 | Bramall Lane (A) | 18,000 | 1–1 | Bobby McKay | |
| 48 | 21 September 1926 | Firhill (H) | 6,000 | 2–1 | Bill Johnstone (2) | |
| 49 | 19 September 1927 | Hillsborough (A) | 12,000 | 1–4 | Jimmy Simpson | |
| 50 | 18 September 1928 | Hampden Park (H) | 13,000 | 5–1 | Stewart Chalmers (2), Davie Ness, James McAlpine, Jimmy Fleming | [63] [64] |
| 51 | 16 September 1929 | Bramall Lane (A) | | 0–2 | none | |
| 52 | 22 September 1930 | Hampden Park (H) | 8,000 | 4–1 | John Simpson (2), George Brown, James Crawford | |
| 53 | 14 September 1931 | Hillsborough (A) | 10,000 | 2–7 | Jim Murray, John Torbet | |
| 54 | 2 November 1932 | Ibrox (H) | 6,000 | 4–1 | Own goal, Neil Dewar (3) | |
| 55 | 23 October 1933 | Bramall Lane (A) | | 4–3 | Billy Boyd, Johnny McKenzie (2), Hugh O'Donnell | |
| 56 | 7 November 1934 | Firhill (H) | 8,000 | 2–4 | James Crawford, Alex Venters | |
| 57 | 23 September 1935 | Hillsborough (A) | | 1–3 | George Hay | |
| 58 | 4 November 1936 | Hampden Park (H) | 7,800 | 1–2 | Alex McSpadyen | |
| 59 | 20 September 1937 | Belle Vue (Doncaster) (A) | 7,971 | 2–1 | Edwin Watson (2) | |
| 60 | 19 September 1938 | Ibrox (H) | 2,000 | 1–5 | Tom Robertson | [74] [75] |
| 61 | 24 October 1949 | Bramall Lane (A) | 22,500 | 2–4 | Jimmy Walker (2) | |
| 62 | 10 November 1954 | Shawfield (H) | 20,000 | 4–5 | Bert Cromar, Tommy Ring, Charlie Tully, Jimmy Ward | |
| 63 | 16 November 1955 | Hillsborough (A) | 23,032 | 2–3 | Bert McCann, Bobby Collins | |
| 64 | 14 November 1956 | Shawfield (H) | 13,000 | 2–2 | Tommy Ring, Bobby Craig | |
| 65 | 20 November 1957 | Bramall Lane (A) | 10,986 | 0–3 | none | |
| 66 | 19 November 1958 | Firhill (H) | 22,000 | 4–0 | Ian McMillan, Davie McParland, John Coyle, Matt Gray | |
| 67 | 11 November 1959 | Hillsborough (A) | | 1–1 | Matt Gray | |
| 68 | 16 November 1960 | Celtic Park (H) | 7,000 | 5–0 | Matt Gray, Davie McParland, George Smith (2), Alex Harley | |

## Glasgow v London

* 8 matches played;
* Glasgow: 5 wins (27 goals);
* London: 2 wins (15 goals);
* 1 draw.

### Match list

Glasgow's score is given first in all cases.
| # | Date | Venue | Att. | Score | Glasgow goalscorers |
| 1 | 20 January 1883 | Hampden Park (I) (H) | 5,000 | 4–0 | John Kay, Frank Shaw, William Harrower, W. Pringle |
| 2 | 15 December 1883 | Kennington Oval (A) | 3,500 | 2–3 | Woodville Gray (2) |
| 3 | 20 December 1884 | Hampden Park (II) (H) | 5,000 | 6–2 | William Anderson (2), William Sellar, John Marshall, William Harrower, Charles Campbell |
| 4 | 5 December 1885 | Kennington Oval (A) | 2,000 | 5–2 | William Sellar (2), G. Miller (2), J. Brown |
| 5 | 27 November 1886 | Hampden Park (II) (H) | 4,000 | 2–2 | Charles Heggie, John Marshall |
| 6 | 3 March 1888 | Kennington Oval (A) | | 0–3 | none |
| 7 | 23 March 1889 | Hampden Park (II) (H) | 2,000 | 5–1 | John McPherson, James McPherson, George Hector (2), Willie Paul |
| 8 | 25 January 1890 | Kennington Oval (A) | | 3–2 | Billy Johnstone, Willie Paul, Thomas Wyllie |