AUGUST-the season kicks off.
Bill Shankly to a player, “If you're not sure what to do with the ball, just pop it in the net and we'll discuss your options afterwards.”
16th (1890) A player called Cameron scored for Renton against Glasgow Celtic and his team won the match 4-1 on this day. Within a decade the club’s records were deleted after they were found guilty of financial irregularities. However this record will always stand as the first goal scored in Scottish football. On 22nd August 1891, Alex McColl of Renton became the first player to score a penalty in the Scottish League in his team’s 3-2 win at Leith Athletic. Renton had once laid a claim to be the title “Champions of the World” when in 1888, as Scottish Cup holders, they challenged West Bromwich Albion-FA Cup holders. The team in blue beat the Midlands team in a friendly.
Renton, based in West Dunbartonshire, had clever ideas in the training of their players improving footballing skills, stamina and bodily strength. The coach was Peter “Big Pate” Campbell who insisted his players drink chicken bree, a weird combination of port wine mixed with raw eggs.
The club were only ever capable of drawing a few hundred spectators to home matches and once considered relocating to Glasgow as a solution to their financial problems. The team’s appearances always drew thousands of fans when they played in that city. Their League career ended after only a handful of games into the 1897–1898 season as they were unable to meet financial guarantees. They tendered their resignation and Hamilton Academicals took over Renton’s remaining fixtures. The Renton club continued to play on, in a variety of minor leagues including the Western League with rivals Vale of Leven. They had entered the Scottish Cup, but failed to turn up for the game and folded in 1922. In 2008 there was an attempt at reviving the club (there have been many since their demise) and now a Renton team competes in the Glasgow Sunday Amateur Football League.
23rd (1890) The first hat-trick scored in the Scottish League came from J. MacPherson while playing for Glasgow Rangers who beat Cambuslang 6-2.
4th (1905) Billy Meredith was a brilliant outside-right for Manchester City and Wales. He was suspended by the Football Association for 32-months for allegedly offering a bribe to a player Alec Leake of Aston Villa. At the subsequent inquiry Leake told the commission that he thought Meredith was making a joke. Meredith was regarded by the footballing authorities as controversial despite his immense talent as a player. During his time at both Manchester clubs he had fallen out with both managers and threatened to walk out. He led other players’ in their demand for higher wages. It is suggested that the bribery allegation underlined a jealousy of Meredith from those in authority. In his career, from 1894 to 1924, he played 669 League games and scored over 200 goals. He won two League Championships with United and the FA Cup Winners’ medals with both City and United. He also played 48 times for Wales (including two Victory internationals). Bearing in mind that in his day as a player he would have played only three internationals a season against England, Scotland and Ireland, this was still an impressive record of appearances for his country. He was considered to be the first superstar in the game. His trademark of chewing on a tooth pick was said to help him concentrate while playing.
Billy Meredith died aged 83 in 1958, the same year as the Munich disaster. After lying for many years in an unmarked grave, the Professional Footballers’ Association, the Welsh Football Association, Manchester City and Manchester United collaborated in a tribute to the man’s influence on the game by agreeing to cover the cost of a new headstone and the up keep of the grave. After consultation with Meredith’s family, including his 94-year-old daughter, a special service was held to mark the unveiling of the new headstone. Meredith was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the City of Manchester Stadium. In August 2007, Meredith was one of ten new inductees into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame.
