The Professional Game

The introduction of competition into the game, in the form of the Scottish and English Cups and the establishment of league contests, served to boost an already healthy public appetite for football. In turn, competition emphasised the need for good results and brought an increasing demand for professionalism.

The English FA eventually bowed to the calls for a professional set-up in 1885 and English clubs, impressed by the playing ability and teamwork shown by the Scots in meetings with England were soon looking north to snag their own "Scotch professors" of the game.

For the players the temptations were obvious. Not only would they be offered money to play, but they would be found jobs in their own trade. In 1890 Wilson, a keeper with Vale of Leven was offered £3.10/- per week for playing and £1 a week to work as a dyer by Blackburn. James Oswald, a striker with Third Lanark was offered a tobacconist’s shop with £500 of stock and two guaranteed seasons for £160 each season if he signed for Notts County. That compared with 36/- wage packet for a 54 hour week for a Glasgow fitter or tuner. No wonder many footballers were happy to move south.

Despite the English influence, the Scottish game remained steadfastly opposed to the introduction of professionalism until 1893. The most vocal opponents to its introduction were Queen’s Park and the Scottish press, who regularly described footballers who were tempted south as "base mercenaries " or "traitorous wretches". But for all the official disapproval under-the -counter payments were rife. Players who had to take days off work to play were allowed `broken time’ payments - a system frequently abused.

When Hibs won the Scottish Cup in 1887 their opponents called in a private detective to investigate rumours of financial irregularities at the Edinburgh club. He found the club paid one Hibs player, Groves, an apprentice stonemason a £1 broken time payment for missing three days at work. Yet he would normally only earn between 7/6d to 10/- a week.

Queen of the South Wanderers were later convicted of making broken time payments to two players who were in fact unemployed.

Despite SFA efforts to crack down on such abuses, the amateur status of the game was coming under increasing pressure as the larger clubs became more and more profitable. By 1890 Celtic were garnering £5000 per year, the most successful club in Britain at the time. Only so much money could be diverted into improving the ground and charity contributions. Inevitably Celtic and Rangers were keen to use their finances to improve their teams.

The proponents of amateurism were fighting a losing battle. In 1893 professionalism was approved in the Scottish game and within 12 months 83 clubs had registered almost 800 professional players.

By the 1890s the Scottish game began to assume what was to become a familiar pattern, dominated by the two Glasgow giants, with Celtic taking four league titles, while Rangers took three, and three Cups for good measure.

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