A Chronology of Scottish Sport*
1272
Shinty
Evidence from the Book of Leinster.
1424
Football
King James restricts the game by decree.
Archery
Act of Parliament required the establishment of bowbutts on every piece of land worth more than £10.
1457
Golf
Earliest known written reference to golf in Scotland.
1483
Archery
Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers.
1491
Sport
James IV statute forbade ‘fute-ball, golf or utter sic
unprofitable sportes’.
1503/4Horse Racing
The Lord Treasurer’s Accounts which record the King’s
expenditure show four entries for James IV, all in 1503-4;
including payment made in 1504 to a Jockey - ‘ the boy
that ran the King’s horse at Leith’.
Musselburgh (Edinburgh) races at Leith from c1500 to
1815, and in the Racing Calendar from its first
appearance in 1783, then at Musselburgh, where they
still run.
c1505 Squash
Oldest known mention of the word ‘racket’ in poet
William Dunbar’s ‘General Satire’.
1513-42 Highland Games
James V attended Highland Games.
1540
James V builds a tennis court at Falkland Palace. The
royal tennis court at Falkland is one of the earliest
surviving sporting buildings in Scotland.
Caich
1542-1587
Mary Queen of Scots was keen on sport – regularly
participating in riding, hunting, archery, tennis, golf and
watching football during her captivity at Carlisle.
1552
Golf
Bishop of St Andrews reserves the links for the use of the
townspeople for golfe, futeball, shuting and all games.
Horse racing
Held in Haddington in 1552, restarted 1660 and held in
1661.
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1568
Football
Mary Queen of Scots watches 20 of her courtiers play a
skilful game of football during her period of exile at
Carlisle Castle.
1587
Shooting
James VI presents silver guns as shooting trophies to the
burghs of Dumfries and Kirkubright.
1589
Shinty
Shinty banned from Blackfriars Kirkyard in Glasgow.
1598
Horse racing
Held in Stirling by 1598, revived in 1664, known in 1665,
1673-4 and almost certainly run for the rest of the
century.
1610
Horse racing
The Lanark Bell, the oldest Scottish
horse racing trophy. The Lanark Bell of 1608/10
probably marks the beginning of Scottish racing.
Racing for the silver bell from 1610 at Dunfermline
certainly continued into the early 18th century.
1613
Horse racing
Racing for the silver bell from 1613 at Perth.
1618
Sport
James VI issued manifesto authorising the practice of
Sunday Games. Book of Sports James V1 much to the
alarm of Puritans endorsed the widespread participation
of sports after church on Sundays but also an emphasis
on sports participation for exercise and health reasons.
1636
Football
Latin book details football at Aberdeen Grammar School
with reference to keeping goal, striking the ball between
players (passing) and scoring goals.
1657
Bowling
The Burgh of Haddington decides to lay out a bowling
green, purchase bowls and appoint a green keeper.
1675
Foot-Raice
20 shilling piece offered by Glasgow Town Council to the
winner of a ‘foot-raice’ on Glasgow Green.
1676
Archery
Company of Scottish Archers formed (Royal Company, c
1704).
1676
Curling
Kinross Curling Society.
1683
Sporting Capital
Leith has strong case for being the sporting capital of
Scotland at the time with a cockpit from 1683, a bowling
green, golf on the links and the regular presence of the
Company of Archers.
1688
Archery
The first shoot for the Kilwinning Papingo.
1692
Shinty
Massacre of Glencoe; Macdonalds were said to have
played shinty the afternoon before the massacre.
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1698
Shinty
Martin Martin refers to shinty play on St Kilda.
1703/4 Archery
Royal Charter – establishing the Royal Company of
Archers.
1715
Curling
Penicuik writes about the Scottish-ness of Curling.
1716
Curling
First Curling Club formed.
1740
Bowling
Formation of Kilmarnock Bowling Club.
1740
Golf
Statistical Accounts talk of golf at Leith as a “serious
affair.”
1742
Ice-Skating
Alleged foundation of first ice-skating club in Edinburgh.
1743
Bowling
Edgar’s map of Edinburgh shows five bowling greens.
1744
Golf
A group of Leith golfers form what is possibly the world’s
first golf club. Laws of golf as defined by The Company of
Gentlemen Golfers in Edinburgh.
1754
Golf
Society of Golfers formed at St Andrews.
1759
Horse racing
Evidence of racing on the beach at Dumbarton.
1764
Golf
Creation of the Old Course at St Andrews.
1771
Bowling
Edinburgh Town Council required a set of written rules
as a condition of a silver jack trophy.
1772
Curling
Curling match between Cupar Angus and Krettin.
1777
Horse racing
Royal Caledonian Hunt Club formed.
1785
Cricket
First recorded cricket match in Scotland held at Shaw
Park, Alloa.
1785
Horse racing
Perth Hunt Club formed.
1788
Highland Games
Northern Meeting Inverness.
1795
Curling
Duddingston Curling Club founded.
Football
One of the earliest references to a women-only football
match is recorded near Musselburgh.
1803
Curling
Duddingston Curling Society produces the first written
curling rules. (Printed 1811).
1804
Horse racing
Ayr Gold Cup awarded for the first time.
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1809
Horse racing
2600 sovereigns prize money at official Scottish courses
awarded during 1809.
1810
Golf
Musselburgh Fish ladies of East Lothian hold one of the
earliest recorded tournaments for women.
1812
Cricket
Earliest known Scottish cricket club (Perth).
1815
Football
Sir Walter Scott writes a song about a match at
Carterhaugh between Border rivals on 5 December 1815
that contains the immortal line ‘And life is itself a
game of football’.
1817
Highland Games
Braemar Society formed.
1820
Shinty
Robert Chambers recorded shinnie play in the Borders.
1821/2Highland Games
First Inverness Highland Games.
1823
Highland Games
Lonach Highland Games.
1824
Football
John Hope’s Football Club is formed in Edinburgh and can
put forward strong claims to be Scotland, Britain’s and
perhaps the world’s first football club.
1826
Cricket
First recorded game on Glasgow Green.
1830
Quoiting
Described as an ancient national game.
1837
Dinnie
Birth of Donald Dinnie one of the world’s earliest
professional athletes.
1839
Squash
Oldest Rackets court in the world built at Eglinton Castle.
1839
Tournament
Eglinton tournament attracts 100,000 spectators.
1842
Shinty
Played in Australia; painting by John Rae, Shinty in
Sydney.
Highland Games
Handbill advertising Highland Games at Inveraray Castle.
1843
Curling
Royal Caledonian Curling Club so named after patronage
from Prince Albert.
1843
Shinty
Argyll-shire Roads Act banned shinty play on streets.
1848
Bowling
The rules of flat green bowling formed (Mitchell rules).
Cricket
Founded in 1848 Clydesdale Cricket Club is Glasgow’s
oldest cricket club.
Swimming
Forth Swimming Club established.
1850
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Factory Act
Allows for non-Sunday leisure for factory workers.
Shinty
Aberdeen University Club produces a written
constitution.
Football
The 93rd Highlanders defeat the Edinburgh
University Football Club to win the earliest surviving
football trophy.
1855
Golf
Mrs Wolfe-Murray challenges the male only territory of
St Andrews links.
1860
Golf
First open championship played at Prestwick.
1866
University
First inter-university sports meeting.
1867
Boxing
The formation of the Queensbury rules.
Archery
Edinburgh Ladies Archery Club formed.
1868
Rugby Football
Publication of The Green Book - ‘The laws of football as
played by the principled clubs of Scotland’ (3 years
before the RFU is set up in England).
1872
Football
World’s first official international football match takes
place at Partick; Scotland v England.
1873
Football
Scottish Football Association formed.
Rugby
Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrew’s Universities among
the eight founders of the Scottish (Rugby) Football Union.
Golf
Founding of the Carnoustie Ladies Golf Club – one of
the oldest Ladies’ golf clubs.
1874
Football
The Scottish Cup - the oldest association football trophy
in the world.
1875
Swimming
Associated Swimming Clubs of Scotland.
1876
Water Polo
Glasgow Arlington Baths Club manager produces rules of
Aquatic football.
1877
Football
The Glasgow Merchants’ Charity Cup is the oldest charity
football trophy in the world. Second only to the Scottish
Cup, in terms of its age, the Charity Cup is the
most ornate trophy within the Scottish Football
Museum’s collection. It symbolises the wealth and status
of the local merchant elite at a time when Glasgow
regarded itself as ‘the Second City of the Empire’.
1851
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Cricket
Scottish Cricket Union founded.
Tennis
First tennis clubs in Scotland – Stirling LTC, Perth LTC,
Dunfermline LTC.
Tennis
Tennis Inaugural Scottish Tennis Championships indoors.
1879
Shinty
Glasgow Celtic Society Cup first Cup Final.
1881
Football
In March, Andrew Watson, the world’s first black
international footballer, captains Scotland on his debut
against England. In May, Scotland’s Lily St Clare scores
the opening goal in the first recorded women’s
association football match.
1883
Athletics
Scottish Amateur Athletic Association formed.
1885
Tennis
Founded in 1885, the Stirling Irvine Place Lawn Tennis
Club is committed to a policy of a strict numerical balance
between male and female members.
Athletics
The first Harrier Club formed.
Football
Scottish Junior FA founded and King Challenge Cup
introduced.
1878
1886
Instituted in 1886, the Airdrie Schools’ Cup is the
oldest inter-schools trophy for association football in
the world.
Water Polo
Aquatic football Challenge Cup.
1888
Swimming
Founding of Scottish Amateur Swimming Association.
1889
Football
First Scotland junior international match against England.
1890
Water Polo
First England v Scotland match in London, Scotland win
4-0.
Football
Scottish Football League Founded.
Lacrosse
The game introduced at St Leonard’s School.
1892
Bowls
Scottish Bowling Association formed.
1893
Cricket
Western District Cricket Union formed.
1894
Golf
Edinburgh Ladies Golf club formed.
1895
Tennis
Inaugural Meeting of the Scottish Lawn Tennis
Association.
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1896
Shinty
Camanachd Cup introduced as the National Trophy.
Weighlifting/wrestling Launceston Elliot wins Olympic Gold Medal.
Tennis
Scottish Inter Club Challenge Cup launched.
Golf
Stirling Ladies Golf Club played at least seven matches
against other clubs.
Hockey
Scottish Women’s Hockey Association formed.
Swimming
Naiads Ladies Swimming Club from Glasgow being the
only Ladies Club affiliated to the SASA in 1900.
Athletics
The SAAA become responsible for the Scottish Athletics
Championships.
Hockey
Scottish Hockey Association formed.
Rugby
Border Rugby League established.
Sport
Royal Commission on Physical Training.
Curling
Scotland tour North America.
Football
Ibrox disaster; 25 killed and over 500 injured at a
Scotland v England match.
1903
Curling
First international between Scotland and England.
1904
Golf
Scottish Ladies Golf Association established.
Tennis
First Scottish District Tennis Associations formed.
1905
Shinty
Littlejohn Vase presented for competition between shinty
playing Universities in Scotland.
1907
Quoiting
2500 attend the Scottish Championship match between
Thomas Bone of Glenbuck and William Waters of
Lochgelly.
Athletics
1,196 registered athletes in Scotland.
Water Polo
George Cornet (Inverness Amateurs) is first Scot to win
an Olympic Gold Medal as a member of the Great Britain
and Ireland team. He went on to repeat the feat winning
another Gold Medal in the 1912 Olympics.
Athletics
Wyndham Halsewell wins 400yds Olympic Gold Medal.
Horse racing
National Hunt Racing at Scone from 1908.
Boxing
Scottish Amateur Boxing Association formed.
1900
1901
1902
1908
1909
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1910
Football
Scottish FA affiliates with FIFA.
Rugby League
England play an international match at Celtic Park.
1912
Swimming
Belle Moore wins Olympic Gold (Stockholm) and remains
the youngest British women to win Olympic Gold at a
summer Olympics. The first Scot to win an Olympic Gold
Medal for swimming.
1913
Squash
Aberdeen Squash and Racketball Club formed.
Lacrosse
First Women’s International Scotland v Wales.
1919
Boxing
Leith Victoria – Scotland’s Oldest Boxing Club.
1920
Water Polo
W. Peacock wins Olympic Gold scoring the opening goal
in a final where Great Britain and Northern Ireland
defeated Belgium 3-2.
1921
University
The Queens Park Shield, the main inter-university
football trophy.
1922
Football
412 clubs enter the first round of the Scottish Junior Cup.
1924
Shinty
First formal Shinty/Hurling international match between
Ireland and Scotland at Tailteann Games.
Athletics
Eric Liddell wins 400metres Gold Medal at the Paris
Olympic Games.
1925
Rugby
Scottish Rugby Union open the international ground at
Murrayfield.
1926
Swimming
Scottish Olympic Training Scheme established.
University
Aberdeen appoints first Director of Physical Training.
1927/8 Swimming
Ellen King breaks world record in 200yds backstroke
(1927) and goes on to win Olympic Gold Medal at the
Amsterdam Games (1928).
Greyhound Racing
Introduced from the USA (1928).
Football
Scotland’s “Wembley Wizards” beat England 5-1.
1928
Tennis
First Scottish Tennis Coaching Scheme introduced
1929
Ice-Hockey
Scottish Ice Hockey Association formed.
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1930
Empire Games
Scotland present at the First British Empire
Commonwealth Games held in Hamilton, Canada.
Scotland winning ten medals including 2 Gold Medals
(Duncan Wright).
1931
Highland Games
Neil Gunn talks of commercialisation of the Blue Ribbon
events.
1934
Squash
Scottish Men’s Squash Rackets Club, Glasgow founded.
1935
Tennis
Craiglockhart ‘Happy Valley’ tennis site developed.
1936
Bowls
Scottish indoor Bowling Association formed.
Hockey
Duchess of Roxburgh appointed patron to SWHA.
Squash
Scottish Squash Rackets Association founded.
Boxing
Benny Lynch wins world flyweight title.
Squash
Scottish Women’s Squash Rackets Association formed.
Tennis
Don Budge (son of Scottish footballer) wins first tennis
Grand Slam.
Squash
Scotland’s first international match v Ireland.
1943
Swimming
Nancy Riach (Motherwell) regarded as Britain’s finest
ever water machine at the time and described as the
Commonwealth’s finest swimmer.
1946
Football
First Scottish League Cup Final.
1947
Boxing
Jackie Patterson wins world boxing flyweight boxing title.
1948
Sport
Glenmore Lodge National Sports Centre opened.
Hockey
SHA joins the Federation International de Hockey.
Water Polo
Motherwell wins the English Cup and retains it in 1950.
Archery
Scottish Archery Association formed.
1951
Football
Record crowd at Junior Cup Final: 77,650 at Hampden for
Petershill v Irvine Meadow.
1953
Shinty
Lovat Shinty Club first to win all six senior Scottish shinty
trophies, a feat never repeated and now impossible.
1954
Tennis
First Scottish officiating body formed.
1937
1938
1949
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1956
Boxing
Dick Mctaggart wins Gold Medal at the Melbourne
Olympics.
Duke of Edinburgh Award established.
1957
Hockey
Baxter Trophy awarded to the winners of the interdistrict championships.
1958
Swimming
Ian Black wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year having
won three Gold Medals at the European Championships
and one at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
1959
Curling
The foundation of the Rink Championship.
Cricket
Mike Denness wins first cap for Scotland (1959), joins
Kent (1962) and Essex (1977) and went on to Captain
England in 19 out of 28 Test matches.
1960
Football
European Cup Final between Real Madrid and Eintracht
Frankfurt played at Hampden.
1963
Motor racing
Jim Clark wins World Formula One Championship
1963; 1965.
1964
Football
Denis Law voted European Footballer of the Year.
1966
Cricket
Scottish Cup inaugurated.
1967
Football
Celtic FC win the European Cup.
1969
Motor-racing
Jackie Stewart wins Formula 1 Drivers championship
(also 1971 and 1973).
1970
Commonwealth Games Edinburgh hosts the British Commonwealth Games.
Lachie and Ian Stewart, Rosemary Wright, Rosemary
Paine, Tommy Imrie and Sandy Leckie win Scotland’s 6
Gold Medals. Queen attends for the first time. Metric
distances introduced.
Football
Ibrox stadium disaster, January 2, Rangers v Celtic; 66
people died and over 200 were injured.
Tennis
First Davis Cup tie played in Scotland - Great Britain v
Austria.
1971
Football
Scottish Women’s Football Association formed.
1972
Football
Rangers win European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Sport
Foundation of the Scottish Sports Council, now
Sportscotland.
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Shinty
First shinty/hurling international between Scotland and
Ireland since 1932.
1975
Safety
The Safety of Sports Grounds Act.
1976
Swimming
David Wilkie wins Olympic Gold in Montreal in the
200metres.
1977
Tennis
Martina Navratilova wins Scottish Championships.
1978
Commonwealth Games British Commonwealth Games becomes Commonwealth
Games.
1980
Cricket
Scotland admitted to Benson and Hedges Trophy.
Athletics
Alan Wells wins Olympic Gold in Moscow in the 100
metres.
1983
Football
Aberdeen win European Cup Winners Cup.
1984
Rugby
Scotland win second Grand Slam.
1985
Cricket
Freuchie win Village Cricket Cup.
1986
Water Polo
First Women’s Scottish Championship- winners
Menzieshill.
Commonwealth Games
Edinburgh hosts the Commonwealth Games. Scotland
wins 3 Gold Medals, Liz McColgan, Dan Travers and Billy
Gilliland, Doubles Badminton Gold, and Lawn Bowls
George Adrain and Grant Knox winning gold in the Men’s
Pairs. The Games started as the Friendly Games and
ended as The Boycott Games, the Thatcher Government
being the only Commonwealth country holding out not to
impose sanctions upon an apartheid South Africa.
1988
Golf
Sandy Lyle wins US Masters.
Athletics
Liz McColgan wins Olympic silver medal in 10,000 metres
(1988) and goes on to win Commonwealth Gold (1986,
1990); World Championship Gold (1991), British Sports
Personality of the Year Award (1992).
1989
Tennis
McEnroe defeats Connors to win Scottish Championships.
1990
Rugby
Scotland win third Grand Slam; captain David Sole leads
Scotland team out in iconic march
1991
Curling
Scotland’s men win the World Championship having won
the title in 1967 and go on to win it again in 1999,
2006 and 2009.
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1995
Rallying
Colin McRae became Britain's first World Rally Champion
And was awarded an MBE for his outstanding
achievement. He died in a helicopter accident in
September 2007.
1996
American Football
The first professional team in Scotland established.
1997
Squash
Peter Nicol MBE becomes World Squash Champion.
Cricket
Scotland qualifies for the 1999 World Cup.
Golf
Catriona Matthew MBE wins World Women’s PGA
Tournament going on to win the British Open (2009).
Bowls
Willie Wood wins 100 caps for Scotland.
Boxing
Scottish Women Boxing Licence Granted.
1998
Squash
Peter Nicol MBE wins the first Commonwealth Games
Squash Competition.
1999
Golf
Paul Lawrie becomes Open Champion and thereafter
OBE.
2000
Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Youth Games.
2002
Curling
Rhona Martin skips GB rink to Winter Olympic Gold in
Salt Lake City.
Community
The Community Amateur Sports Club Scheme enables
grass roots clubs to benefit from a range of tax reliefs.
2003
Commonwealth
Commonwealth Games Federation introduce the
Lonsdale Trophy to be presented each year to Scotland’s
sports personality of the year.
2007
Tennis
Jamie Murray & Jelena Jankovic win Wimbledon Mixed
Doubles.
2011
Shinty
Aberdeen University celebrate 150th anniversary.
Olympic
Lanarkshire Youth Olympic Games.
Tennis
Andy Murray - US Open and Olympic Champion.
Olympic Games
Scots make significant contribution to Britain’s Olympic
and Paralympic Medals.
Football
Scottish Professional Football League established.
1998
2012
2013
12
2014
Curling
Eve Muirhead becomes the youngest skip to lead a
winning Curling World Championship. Scotland’s women
also held the title in 2002.
Curling
Scotland reclaim The Strathcona Cup, moving to within
one victory of Canada.
Tennis
Andy Murray - Wimbledon Champion.
Commonwealth Games Glasgow hosts the Commonwealth Games.
Golf
Ryder Cup.
Boxing
New Scottish National Boxing Centre opened in Bridgeton.
Cricket
Qualification for the Cricket World Cup.
Curling
Sochi Winter Olympics GB Women’s Bronze Medal for team of
Scottish curlers skipped by Eve Muirhead.
Curling
GB Curling Men’s Silver Medal for team of Scottish curlers
skipped by Dave Murdoch.
Curling
GB Curling Paralympic Bronze Medal for the team skipped by
Aileen Neilson.
Football
St. Johnstone win the Scottish Cup for the first time.
Rugby
Glasgow reach Rabo Direct Pro 12 final; Murrayfield stadium
re-surfaced.
2016
Golf
Royal Dornoch Golf Club - 600 years.
*Where possible the information provided has been cross checked by the governing
bodies of sport, national sporting museums, newspaper sources as well as a number of
Scottish sporting histories including the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame at
http://www.sshf.co.uk.
On the earlier years, the work of John Burnett, formerly of the National Museums of
Scotland has proved invaluable.
Key Links
Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
http://www.sshf.co.uk/
Scottish Football Museum
http://www.scottishfootballmuseum.org.uk/
British Golf Museum
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http://www.britishgolfmuseum.co.uk/
National Museum for Scotland
http://www.nms.ac.uk/our_museums/national_museum.aspx
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