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History of the Queen's Park Football Club 1867 - 1917
Chapter VI.—The Evolution of the Uniform


The rules of the game had no sooner been fixed than they were printed, and it was agreed that they should be binding on the members. The next point was to lay out the field of play. None but members and their friends would be allowed to take part in the game. When balls and flags, posts, etc., were duly procured, Messrs. J. and R. Smith and Klinger were to take charge of them. The appurtenances of the game appear to have been kept for the club in the lodge of the Deaf and Dumb Institution, situated near the Recreation Ground. Prior to this, it is noted on several occasions that a pecuniary award was voted a Mrs. Smith for her kindness in this respect. She lived in Douglas Terrace. Another small committee was appointed to procure, as early as possible for the club, such badges, etc., that each member be supplied with two of different colours. This was done with the object of the player wearing the particular colour of the side on which he was to play, as it was thought necessary, and desirable, that the players should have some distinguishing mark, so that the one side might be able without any difficulty to distinguish their opponents. Before the foundation of the club, when the game was played in a sort of promiscuous fashion—all chasing the ball in no sort of formation, except that sides were chosen—the distinction was made between the players by different coloured cowls, or night caps, worn by men fifty years ago—the headdress affected by the pirate kings and smugglers of the early part of the nineteenth century. It is stated also that blue guernseys were worn by most of the players, after some idea of formation had been introduced—that was the colour worn by the team in the first International—so the writer has been informed by a spectator who saw the new amusement being played by this band of athletic youths fifty-one years ago on the Recreation Ground, but did not take part in it himself. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays were fixed upon as the nights for play, when the sub-committee taking charge of the balls, flags, etc., should have them upon the ground; and these nights were to be considered—weather favourable—as the proper club nights for play. One of the new by-laws, passed on 2nd July, 1868, insisted, that each player must be in possession of the badges supplied by the club, and must wear on the right arm the distinguishing colour of his side while in play. Another by-law was, that any disputes on the field were to be settled by the captain, and in his absence, by those who may be appointed on the field for that purpose, with power of appeal by an aggrieved player to the first meeting of committee, whose decision shall be final. Whoever selected the sides on practising nights had the power to place their men in position on the field, or appoint substitutes, and the players shall be bound to adhere to their instructions. At the annual meeting on 3rd April, 1869, which, it may be noted here, was held in Buchanan's Temperance Hotel—the first occasion of a meeting in nonalcoholic premises—a difference of opinion arose on the question of a distinct uniform for the members. Mr. W. Smith proposed, and Mr. R. Gardner seconded, "That Messrs. J. Smith and Klinger be empowered to obtain, as approved of by the members, a guernsey and cap, not to exceed the Sum of six shillings, or thereabouts, as the uniform." This motion was afterwards withdrawn in favour of an amendment, proposed by Mr. R. Davidson, and seconded by Mr. Klinger, "That it be not compulsory for each member to have such, as in the event of a match no member could take part unless in the aforesaid uniform." The only match so far played of which there is any record was with the Thistle club, who were met on the Recreation Ground. The necessity of having matches with other clubs was first discussed at this annual meeting. The custody of the sticks, and producing them for games three times a week, appear to have been more than the committee appointed to look after them was able to continue. The situation was relieved by Mr. Broadfoot kindly undertaking to take charge of them, and have them regularly on the field, until the committee could fix otherwise.

On 7th July, 1870, several of the rules of the club and by-laws were amended, and No. 3 of the latter made to read that each member is expected to be in possession of the uniform of the club, and that no member can take part in a match unless in uniform. In a statement of accounts laid before the committee on 3rd November, 1870, guernseys represents 30s., and cowls 14s., leaving cash in hand at that date £2 2s. 2d. It was not until 18th July, 1872, that the blue and white striped stocking was adopted as part of the club uniform. The by-laws were revised, and submitted to the adjourned annual general meeting, held on 9th April, 1873 ; a new rule was inserted detailing the full club uniform, which was red cap, blue jersey, and white knickerbockers. This is the first detailed record of a uniform being definitely fixed upon by the club. Some trouble arose over the keeping of the appurtenances of the game at the lodge of the Deaf and Dumb Institution, as the Parks Committee had complained to the Institution about the repeated damage done to the fences. Consequently the committee were informed, the flags, etc., could no longer be taken charge of there. Mr. Thomson, of the Institution, was interviewed by Messrs. Spiers and Thomson, with the result that the first named consented to allow James Baird to take charge as before, on condition that the members avoid going over, or otherwise injuring the fences, and an intimation was sent to each member to that effect. However, a change was made, Mr. J. T. Rae, 5 Vale-view Terrace, looking after the balls, etc., for the future. The new uniform did not apparently give satisfaction to the members, as in August of the same year Messrs. Ker and Thomson were appointed to ascertain the feeling of the members about getting a new uniform, and if possible to obtain samples of suitable uniform, and to report. The result of this report was that on 26th September, 1873, Mr. Taylor moved that a new uniform be adopted, which was agreed to, and Mr. D. Wotherspoon moved that it should consist of red cap, black and white inch stripe jersey, and stockings, and white knickerbockers, and that the uniform committee make the best possible bargain with any hosier, the preference, if equal prices, to be given to the present club hosier. Thus the famous black and white stripes were evolved—club colours which are known all the world o'er as the badge of true amateurism. The new uniform was first worn when Hampden Park was opened with a Scottish Cup tie game against Dumbreck, 25th October, 1873. Wherever the English tongue is spoken the Queen's Park colours are ostentatiously worn and revered. The membershave cause to be proud of them. The club at that early date had made its mark in the history of sport. It was looked up to because of its rectitude of principle, its desire to improve the game and spread the knowledge of the sport throughout the kingdom, for not only at that time had the club taken a prominent part in football at home, but it also was a force in the councils of the Football Association, the governing body of the sport in England, and many important alterations in the laws of the game were due to its initiative. True, the two great matches played by the club—those against the Wanderers for the English Cup, and the International against all England at Partick in 1872, in which the Queen's Park team alone upheld, and upheld successfully, the honour of Scotland—were not played in the black and white jerseys. On these occasions the uniform consisted of blue jerseys. Mr. D. Wotherspoon, in proposing that the black and white be the uniform of the club, had probably no idea to what heights of fame the wearers of it would afterwards attain. No more had the club. The groundwork upon which the Queen's Park built was substantially laid, the superstructure carefully planned, and the result fame, for, no matter what may have been, and may still be, the vicissitudes of the club on the playing field, managed as it always has been on strictly straight and economical lines, its glorious past will never be forgotten, its escutcheon never tarnished, and its name and colours will be handed down to future generations as the great example of what the love of a sport for its own sake has attained. To-day the club is as devoted to its guiding principles as the founders were fifty years ago. Would that these principles guided all organisations of the kind. Professionalism made a difference to the game, but none to the Queen's Park, which has never been shaken in its belief in pure amateurism, except that it gave the club greater cause for anxiety, and caused it infinite trouble. It bore its injuries without complaint, nor has it departed one iota from the principles with which it set out on its career. The black and white may not always succeed on the field, circumstances are against it; but the members of the team feel themselves honoured by wearing it, and are conscious that they bear the weight of a great inheritance, and their duty is to strive to the uttermost to uphold the flag under which they fight.

A peculiarity, not generally known now, in connection with the uniform, is, that up to 1876, the players, both English and Scottish, each wore stockings of different colours. This was, in the first place, to indicate to a player in possession of the ball the positions of his fellow-players on the field, by watching their pedal extremities ; and, secondly, to enable the spectators to identify a player by his party-coloured stockings. Cards were issued by the Queen's Park, giving the teams, and the colours of their stockings. For instance, C. Campbell had three colours—red, white, and black—in his socks; Harry M'Neil, orange and black; W. M'Kinnon, red; J. B. Weir, red and white; J. Taylor, black and white; R. W. Neill, heather mixture; T. C. Highet, black and white cap—no stockings; Thomas Lawrie, white stockings; and James Philips, red and black stockings, in the match at Hampden Park, played 9th October, 1875, against Wanderers, all of whom wore stockings of different hues also. In the International at Partick, in 1872, the different-coloured stockings were also worn. In the International against England, in 1876, the Scottish Association issued a card with the colours in the stockings of both teams, as well as the names and positions of the players. J. Taylor had black and white stockings; H. M'Neil, yellow and black; William M'Kinnon, black and white; and T. C. Highet, heather colour.


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