Scotch on the Rock

SCOTS have left their imprint wherever they have travelled in many different areas – from medicine to the arts and science to technology.

But in Europe there are some very specific fields which might have foreign names but have distinctive links to Scotland – and these are the football fields in such places as Malta, Gibraltar and at clubs such as Sevilla in Spain.

Towards the end of the Victorian era, the soldiers of 42nd Black Watch, a battalion made up of Scots – the majority from Dundee and the northeast – were the pioneers of the sport in different parts of the Iberian peninsula.

Their drive and enthusiasm proved the catalysts for the foundation of Sevilla FC while celebrating Burns Night in January 1890.

The Andalusian capital club, which is close to Gibraltar, subsequently hosted the firstever club match to be played in Spain, which ended with them recording a 2-0 victory over Huelva Recreation Club.

However, it was a reflection of the significant Caledonian involvement in spreading the football gospel that, just a few days later, a match report of the ground-breaking contest was carried in the pages of The Courier.

These were heady days for the game, after The Black Watch troops arrived from the Himalayas in Malta and Gibraltar in 1889 and 1890.

In the space of just a few months, there were goalposts and corner flags where none had previously existed and the early matches were billed as festivals of entertainment with something for everybody in the community.

Charles J Cumbo, the author of a book about the rise of football on the European rock, said: “There is no doubt that the excellent standard of play of The Black Watch awoke great interest in football among the civilians.”

These words were endorsed by the Evening Telegraph, which covered a fixture between The Black Watch and the Royal Artillery, describing the occasion as being “like a fair, with vehicles, stalls and a brilliant variety of dresses worn by the public (which amounted to at least 10,000 people), and which showed the growing popularity of football since the 42nd arrived.”

The rapport between the soldiers and residents was obvious from the outset.

They may not have shared much else in common beyond the football realm, but many of the troops were thrilled at getting involved in inter-regimental contests and cheering on the launch of local teams in Gibraltar.

The Gibraltar Chronicle, the local newspaper, once again highlighted the popularity of the 42nd Black Watch among the civilian population.

The Dundee People’s Journal was among the publications to highlight their activities and, in an article published in November 1891, carried the headline “Dundee Soldiers in Gibraltar”, which featured the contents of a letter written by a Black Watch soldier to a friend back home in Tayside.

Having been instrumental in the creation of Sevilla FC, the 42nd Black Watch received support from a somewhat unexpected ally – Sir Leicester Smyth, appointed the new governor of

Gibraltar in mid-August 1890. Smith was an enterprising individual and bought into the flourishing culture, even though he only remained in the post for four months before his sudden death while he was on leave in London.

It was a tragic blow to his family, but Smith’s legacy lived on through his donation of a football cup that was subsequently fought out between the different battalions which comprised the garrison in Gibraltar.

And, with silverware up for grabs, here was a new opportunity for The Black Watch to prove themselves against their rivals. One they didn’t squander.

The language used in the contemporary newspapers and magazines may occasionally be antiquated, but they evoke the keenness of competition and the commitment from the Scots, who duly continued to be

Governor Leicester Smyth.