"Some were decorated and died heroically others fought and fell quietly"
The Final Whistle by Stephen Cooper

Tomorrow we remember that 100 years ago this week the final matches of the 1913-14 Season were being played
Across the fields of the Annieslands Old and New ,Balgray and Rubislaw many young men were playing not just the last match of the season but the last match they ever played
This was replicated on playing fields around Scotland
The next time many would be together would be on very different fields and in very different circumstances By the practice of the time they had played together now they signed on together they served together and in some cases died together

By the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month 1918 some 1132 former pupils of the schools associated with today's match had made the ultimate sacrifice not to mention the many more who suffered horrific and life changing injuries
The casualties fell hugely on the 51st Highland Division and the 52nd Lowland Division of the New Army, the two Divisions most closely associated with the Schools represented through the teams today


The figures make stark reading
Glasgow High School Former Pupils 480 killed
Glasgow Academicals 327 killed
Kelvinside Academicals 131 killed
Aberdeen Grammar School Former Pupils 194 killed
This was not just restricted to our associate schools but Hawks lock forward Angus Hamilton's old school Scotch College in Australia suffered 212 deaths

This year we talk about a Commonwealth Games legacy based on volunteer effort ,100 years ago there was another Commonwealth legacy based on volunteer soldiers but forged in the most dreadful of circumstances
The volunteers of 2014 are called Clydesiders to some of the volunteers of 1914 The River Clyde had a different significance it was the steamship beached at Gallipoli to act as a landing station
On the 28th June 1915 at Gulley Ravine Gallipoli 34 former pupils of our three associated Schools paid the ultimate sacrifice including two Scottish International Caps Eric Young , and William Church They were in the main serving with the 156th Brigade 7th / 8th Cameronians Scottish Rifles

Of the thirty Scottish internationalists who fell during the Great War four came from our founder Clubs George Lamond and William Hutchison adding to Role of Honour

Over the next four years the great landmark battles will be remembered in vivid detail and our associated Schools will mark the War in their own unique way
Today from a Rugby perspective a minutes silence will take place prior to kick off the Pavilion at Old Anniesland is a War Memorial similar to the Rubislaw Pavilion and through this we simply remember a generation of young rugby players who knew little of what was about to engulf them when Season 1914-15 was cancelled

Whatever the result today a win or a loss there will be a next season ,for the young players of 1914 there was no next season

"The lamps are going out all over Europe, we shall not see them lit again in our life-time."
Sir Edward Grey's words uttered on the 3rd of August 1914,

This article was originally posted on 21-Mar-2014, 07:13 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 21-Mar-2014, 08:12.