Andy Mitchell

Comparison of prices between the prices of tickets at the 2022 and 2026 Fifa World Cup, showing prices increases of up to 1,000%.

As a friend who was planning to go to the 2026 WC told me, "this settles it". He won't.

Correcting an historical error regarding Celtic’s first captain James Kelly...Story by @hailhailhistory.bsky.social in comments below 🍀👇

That's a very likely explanation!

Digitised books and articles This is a personal selection of published articles and books on Scottish sport history. There is a wealth of interesting material online, from digitised books to scholarly research, which I will...

The very first Scottish Football Annual was published 150 years ago this week in 1875. You can read a digitised copy on my website. www.scottishsporthistory.com/digitised-bo...

'Please call the game off' - seven days that shook Scottish football by Andy Mitchell This is the story of an extraordinary week in 1997 when events unrelated to football conspired to make the Scottish Football Association and its boss vilified throughout the UK.  ...

Ahead of Scotland v Belarus, a look back at the equivalent match in 1997 which was played in very strange circumstances - a bewildering start to my time as team press officer: www.scottishsporthistory.com/sports-histo...

YouTube video by Football From the 90s Scotland 4-1 Belarus 1997 World Cup Qualifer

Video of the match is here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzM-...

'Please call the game off' - seven days that shook Scottish football by Andy Mitchell This is the story of an extraordinary week in 1997 when events unrelated to football conspired to make the Scottish Football Association and its boss vilified throughout the UK.  ...

Ahead of Scotland v Belarus, a look back at the equivalent match in 1997 which was played in very strange circumstances - a bewildering start to my time as team press officer: www.scottishsporthistory.com/sports-histo...

Skype? The name for anyone using Skype now is 'time traveller'.

Malik al Nasir speaking at Portobello Bookshop, 1 October 2025

A fascinating hour this evening listening to @malikalnasir.bsky.social on his new book "Searching for my Slave Roots" which I look forward to reading - not least finding out more about footballer Andrew Watson. Well done to @portybooks.bsky.social for putting on the event.

Sorry to dampen this, but the players mentioned were active in the mid-late 1880s, including Archibald Carswell, Lochgilphead goalkeeper, who wrote the piece. So the timescale was out. Having said that, there are reports of New Year football at Bonawe from 1869.

50 years ago, 28 Sept 1975, an astonishing result in the Scottish Women's League Cup: Lochend Thistle 0 Edinburgh Dynamos 42. Cuttings from the Evening News, with a photo of Dynamos earlier in the year.

50 years ago, 28 Sept 1975, an astonishing result in the Scottish Women's League Cup: Lochend Thistle 0 Edinburgh Dynamos 42. Cuttings from the Evening News, with a photo of Dynamos earlier in the year.

The First Ever FA Football Match, Played In A London Park In 1864 A week earlier than most people thought...

Nice to get a mention in this article by @londonist.com on the first match played under Football Association rules. londonist.com/london/sport...

We’re excited to announce that the location for #FootyCon26 is…

LONDON!!

Join us at Fulham FC’s Craven Cottage on the 12th & 13th of June 2026 for the latest edition of our annual conference to enjoy lots of great people talk about Football of all codes from multiple backgrounds

A nice boost today, for those of us who value our Footballing Heritage. Historic Environment Scotland registered (New) Cathkin Park - the site of the Second Hampden, as a Scheduled Monument. tinyurl.com/59nccjea

More in the British Newspaper Archive, small snippets from a tragic tale.

A spot of local trouble for John Gilkes in 1911

Pictured on this night 1921 is the Partick Thistle team which became 'champions of Britain' when, as Scottish Cup holders, they defeated Tottenham Hotspur, the FA Cup holders, by 3 goals to 1! Read all about it... 👀

👉 thethistlearchive.net/match-1921-0...

#OTD 18 September 1965 - Brazilian striker Francisco Filho played for Dunfermline Athletic against Morton, his sole game in the Scottish League. Alongside him was Alex Ferguson and four decades later they were reunited at Manchester United, when Filho was appointed youth coach and SAF's assistant.

If his parents were illiterate, they wouldn't have noticed it at the time. My guess is that James needed his birth certificate for something when he was 14, perhaps an apprenticeship, and found the error.

As for the parents' names in the birth record, it appears to be simply a mistake by the Registrar. So if you look at the next family birth, twins John and Charles in 1867, the parents are correctly recorded as David and Agnes. Same for James's marriage in 1891, his parents are David and Agnes.

He was definitely born on 25 January 1865 in Burns Street, Renton, as you suspect. The 'wrong' date came from Douglas Lamming's who's who of Scotland internationals (pub 1987) and it has only been corrected in recent years, including in my own book.

1 of 4 #scotsfoundedfootball I was checking wiktionary the other day. Great place for factual documents. I was childishly pleased to see John Hope’s rules sitting atop the mountain as the only known rules in the subheading Laws of Football 1830s. tinyurl.com/2vvumnx9

On this day in Scottish football: 2003

Grappling With History By Sarah Elizabeth Cox | Rediscovering the wrestlers and boxers of late-Victorian London

Enjoyed #AThousandBlows + looking forward to season II (SOON)? Want to know about the real Hezekiah Moscow, Alec Munroe & Sugar Goodson? There are some options! Please visit my blog (scroll, or check The Cast List page)! Or buy my book! Out Autumn '26, details soon 🥊🤜🏻

www.grapplingwithhistory.com

David McCreadie (1860-1917), born Glenluce and came to Glasgow to work as a draper. Played for Glenkilloch FC and ran at QP Sports 1879, so probably a club member. Emigrated to Queensland 1882. Died in an asylum/poorhouse 1917.

My new blog post: A Plaque for a Pioneering Pilgrim #blueplaques #sportshistory #jackleslie #plymouth #blackhistory #historicengland martinpolley.co.uk/2025/09/01/a...

We can’t wait to welcome @malikalnasir.bsky.social to the bookshop on Wednesday 1st October! He’ll discuss his soon-to-be-published book, Searching for My Slave Roots, with Rebecca Bailey from Historic Environment Scotland.

🎟️ Sign up here: www.theportobellobookshop.com/events/malik...

Still not as early as the Oxford Magazine, 2 February 1887 which used 'socker' - as did several others around that time (inc the Oxford Review in Nov 1888). More here: www.scottishsporthistory.com/sports-histo...

133 years ago, to the day, marked the official opening ceremony (but not first match) for Goodison Park. Lord Kinnaird, pictured, was guest of honour. Read about it in this @MikeRoyden.bsky.social
piece: efcheritagesociety.com/august-1892-...
Today, marks the baptism of our gleaming new home.