Kilmarnock, Celtic, Rangers, Clyde, Ayr United and others who served
in the Great War of 1914-1918.
'Scottish footballers in the Great War' serves as a memorial to the players of the Heart of Midlothian Football Club who enlisted 'en masse' in the British army in November1914, the first football team in the United Kingdom to do so. Very soon players from many other clubs followed suit, they also are commemorated here.
The outbreak of the Great War in 1914 was greeted with much enthusiasm. All over Europe crowds gathered to cheer the men rushing to the front. In France and Germany, in Russia and Austria women rushed forward covering their hero's in flowers and kisses as they marched away to a war most believed would soon be over. Not only did they believe it would soon be over, each nation expected they would be victorious!
All confidently believed they were in the right!
The regular army, supported by the reservists gave most European nations armies of millions, all except the United Kingdom. Britains army was small in comparison to its European neighbours, even when the Territorials and reservists were added the numbers were trifling. Therefore when war broke out a call was made for 100,000 volunteers to come forward to help in the fight
Half a million came forward to answer the call!
This massive turnout caused headaches for the harassed officers and NCO's of the recruiting offices
as it swept up most of the young, and not so young, men of every area of British life.
They enlisted together with their pals. From factories and offices, from clubs and societies, everywhere men gathered they would be tempted by the emotion of the time to join in the rush to enlist.
The 'Pals' battalions had come into being.
Adding to the spirit of comradeship created by being in a great adventure together with friends and colleagues was the desire to beat an enemy regarded as arrogant and overbearing.
They had both comradeship and purpose!
Scotlands footballers no less than anyone else shared in the popular feeling regarding the conflict, what follows is a very brief history regarding some of them.
By November 1914 it was becoming clear that the war would not 'be over by Christmas' as the popular belief had it. The reality of the seriousness of war had also come home to the nation, as returning wounded and an intelligent reading of what information was available, opened peoples eyes to the difficulties and dangers out in the field.
The footballers of Heart of Midlothian F.C. had to struggle with opposing desires. They had given themselves the chance of winning the league title, for the first time since 1897. Yet many were asking why football continued when your countrymen are dying a few miles away just over the channel?
A poster appeared late in the year showing a wounded soldier standing over the body of a fallen comrade, he is looking to an inset of a crowded football ground and is asking 'Will they never come?' This poster reflected a popular feeling amongst those who opposed the playing of sport during wartime. Those players who saw it could not but be affected also.
Understanding these pressures and being fully aware of the danger of serious injury or even death from military service and with their eyes fully open, at the end of November 1914 the entire first team squad of the Heart of Midlothian football club enlisted!Though recruitment had fallen by this time, yet another thousand men came forward to join also. Some were Hearts supporters, some players from other clubs, such as Raith Rovers and Falkirk. These Hearts players were giving up around £4 a week to earn the soldiers wage of one shilling and twopence a day, eight shillings and twopence a week! That's about 42pence in today's money. They joined a variety of regiments, although for most it was the 16th Battalion Royal Scots, and became known as the 'Sixteen.'
Fifteen more were to enlist before wars end, most were to be wounded, seven were to be dead.