"When you seek to drink the water remember those who dug the well"

As Glasgow Warriors prepare for their historic first match at the newly refurbished Scotstoun Stadium during their first forty years as the Glasgow "amateur "side only two of their  home games were actually played in Glasgow

 It is a curiosity that during their first forty years in existence they only played two home matches in The Dear Green Place

From 1872 when the inaugural match was played at the  Glasgow Accies  Burnbank ground on Gt Western Rd  until 1912 all Glasgows home games were played outside the City with the exception of 1885 when they faced Edinburgh at Hampden Park(the second Hampden that later became Cathkin Park)
It was reported that "the grandstands were largely patronised "Those whose duty was to report on rugby football obviously preferred Hampden to the rather primitive and remote ground of Hamilton Crescent and many hints were made in later years for such a switch

All the other home matches were played at Hamilton Crescent the home of West of Scotland FC which was actually in the Burgh of Partick  which was not annexed by Glasgow Corporation until 1912

At the time Glasgow played in Partick it was described as historically divided into three social areas; south of Dumbarton Road (working-class), north of Dumbarton Road (aspiring classes) and the Partick Hill grand villas (location of shipyard owners).

Rugby was already growing in popularity as evidenced by the bill raised by the Partick Burgh Police Office to cover costs of supplying a constable for the 1895 match obviously the authorities back then were concerned about the travelling support from the east

However the only other home match played within the City confines during this period was when a team described as "West of Scotland "faced the Old Originals All Blacks at Hampden in 1905

Glasgow's home matches really only returned to their City when  games recommenced  after World War 1 at New Anniesland with Edinburgh fielding  a certain E H Liddell on the wing -- I wonder how Tim Visser's speed would compare with the Chariot of Fire

Until the demise of the old Inter District Championship Glasgow's matches were played at Old Anniesland and latterly Hughenden

So another chapter opens

This article was originally posted on 3-Sep-2012, 18:11 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 3-Sep-2012, 18:14.