The Edinburgh Academical Football Club, formed in 1857/8, is the
oldest rugby club in Scotland, the second oldest in the World and one
of the founding members of the Scottish Rugby Union. The Club's name
omits the word "Rugby" as it predates the division between the
Association and Rugby codes of football, which took place in the
1860s.

The Edinburgh Academical's ground, at Raeburn Place, located 10
minutes walk from Princes Street, in the new town area of Stockbridge,
can truly be said to be the cradle of Scottish Rugby. The first ever
international match, between Scotland and England took place at
Raeburn Place in 1871, the first Calcutta Cup in 1879, and the first
Women's Rugby world Cup Final in 1994. More recently Accies played
host to eight of the IRB U21 World Championship's group games between
the 11th and 23rd of June 2004.

EAFC has more players capped for Scotland than any other Scottish
Club, including Scotland's Grand Slam Captain Phil McPherson in 1925,
Douglas Elliott in the 40s and 50s, Brian Neill (Captain in Scotland's
1964 Calcutta Cup victory), and Roger Arneil in the 60s and 70s. More
recently, David Sole captained the Club, so two out of Scotland's
three Grand Slam captains. Martin Scott, David McIvor, Chris Gray (in
the 1990 Team), Alex Moore, John Allan (a Club Captain, who played for
Scotland and South Africa), Jeremy Richardson, Rob Wainwright and
Rowen Shepherd. Scott Murray has played for the Club, as has Barry
Stewart (capped for Scotland in 1996 and playing for Sale Sharks),
whilst Mike Blair and Tom Philip have close associations with the
Club, indeed Tom is the 100th player to play International Rugby from
the Academy. EAFC has also produced 13 British Lions, and, in earlier
years, five players who were capped by England !

Historical Highlights :
1851-The first record of rugby being played at the Edinburgh Academy,
28 years after William Webb Ellis first took the ball in his arms and
ran with it. "A game of a primitive kind...the most cruel hacking with
iron-toed and heeled boots was allowed and suffered in the muddle (now
maul)... the ball was composed of a raw bladder, fresh from the
butcher's hands and enclosed in a leather case". "It was not a game of
much elaboration, but it was vigorously engaged in and enjoyed.

1853-Raeburn Place Ground acquired at a premium of £53.17s.4d

1854-Raeburn Place Ground opens for play, in May of that year.

1857-Start of EAFC's first full Season of Rugby. "We played twenty a
side, and a scrum was a scrum indeed - fifteen pushing against fifteen
in a tight maul that was often immovable for minutes. The steam rose
from the pack like the smoke from a charcoal burner. It was much more
fatiguing than the open game of today" - and that was written in 1881!
Apparently, in wet conditions, nineteen players contested the
scrummage, with one "back". That back was called the quarter back or
half back.

1863-"The parting of the ways between Rugger and Soccer". EAFC remain
known as a "Football Club" as it started before this time.

1864-First reference to "a maul with twenty a side, all playing
forward with the exception of one full back and two half-backs."

1870-Due to heightened interest in Rugby in Scotland, pressure mounted
on the playing of an International. Following on a meeting on 5th
December, representatives of four Scottish Clubs (Edinburgh
Academicals, West of Scotland, Glasgow Academicals, and University of
St Andrews) , wrote to B.H.Burns, the Secretary of Blackheath, "...For
our own satisfaction, therefore, and with a view to really testing
what Scotland can do against an English Team, we, representing the
whole footballing interest of Scotland, hereby challenge any team
selected from the whole of England, to play us a match, twenty a side
Rugby rules. If entered into we can promise England a hearty welcome
and a first rate match."

1871-27th March - A then record crowd, estimated at about 4000,
attended Raeburn Place. Scotland won by the only "goal" (ie
conversion), by W.Cross. One anecdote is "J.F.Finlay had got away well
with the ball and was sprinting towards the English line at hundred
yards speed when Osborne, folding his arms across his chest, ran full
tilt at him, after the fashion of a bull charging at a gate. Both were
very big, heavy men, and the crash of the collision was tremendous,
each reeling some yards and finally falling on his back. For a few
seconds, players and spectators alike held their breath, fearing
terrible results, but the two giants promptly resumed their places,
apparently none the worse." James Finlay played in every International
afterwards until his retirement in 1875. R.W. "Bulldog" Irvine played
in that first Match, at the age of 18 and appeared for every Match for
the following 10 years. Ninian Finlay also played in the Match, having
just turned 17 - Scotland's Youngest cap. Internationals continued to
be played at Raeburn Place until 1899.

This article was posted on 23-Apr-2007, 20:39 by Hugh Barrow.