The RFU Championship

London Scottish

Photo: RFU Archive

London Scottish Football Club was founded on Wednesday 10th April 1878 at Mackay's Tavern, 3 Water Lane, Ludgate Hill.

The inaugural meeting appointed the first committee of the club, resolved to prepare the rules of the club, procure matches and determined the playing strip: Blue shirts with a Red Lion, White shorts and Red Socks which remains the colours of the club more than 130 year later. Subsequently Begbie Gibson was appointed Chairman and the Earl of Rosebery the club's first President. Initially the club, captained by their Chairman, played at Blackheath Common and had a successful first season, they won their inaugural match against Ravenscourt Park and overall of the 15 matches played they won 5, drew 6 and lost 4. A number of clubs that the club played during the 1878 / 79 season subsequently disbanded but Guys Hospital, Wasps and Twickenham still exist.

The following season the club moved temporarily to Clapham and undertook their first tour in December 1880, to Scotland of course, where they defeated by Edinburgh Wanderers, the other match against Glasgow Academicals being cancelled due to bad weather. During that season Bill MacLagan joined the club. He became captain the following season, a position he held for 5 years and during his time with the club he became the first, of many London Scots to be capped for his country. Another notable recruit was G Lindsay who holds the record number of tries scored in one match, 5 against Wales in 1887.

The club continued to thrive adding respected opponents like Oxford and Cambridge Universities and Harlequins to the fixture list and after a short period at Lee and then Brondesbury moving to Old Deer Park in Richmond as tenants of Richmond Cricket Club and then in 1894 to their present ground the Richmond Athletic Ground which they share with Richmond Football Club.

This enabled the club to continue to prosper, establish an excellent playing reputation and attract many fine players who represented their country, some of whom went onto play for the British Lions. In fact since the club was formed this heritage has produced in the region of 220 Scottish Internationals and the same number of Lions captains as Leicester Tiges wth four. The club also arranged tours to many other countries and participated, often successfully, in a significant number of 7s tournaments.

In 1987 the national league structure was formed and in 1996 the game turned professional. The club had a successful start to the professional era playing in the Premiership in 1998 / 99; however unfortunately at the end of the season the professional club, in which London Scottish was a shareholder, was forced into administration. The original amateur club then rejoined the leagues but was effectively demoted 9 leagues by the RFU. Subsequently the club has gained 6 promotions in 9 years and now plays in the RFU Championship following promotion over Barking FC in May 2011.