What is a representative cap in football/soccer?

[andycand]

Hi

In 1921 Pollok Juniors were playing in the Glasgow Junior League. Its possible that a league representative team played another league but was he playing for Pollok Juniors then is the question

Andy

[Gadget]

Andarah says that the cap has GvI on it - I wonder if that refers in some way to the Glasgow Junior League (say the I is really and L or something) or Glasgow JL played an Irish JL eleven.


Alternatively, and only an idea ~ Glasgow v Inverness 

Can't think of any other large places in Scotland beginning with I!

But why would they be capped?

[andarah]

The cap looks very similar to one that was posted. 

My father has it hanging on the wall at his house.  I just called him and he said that it is solid black or dark navy blue hat, with silver braiding and silver writing.  He doesn't know if the tassle is cord or metal, but it feels like metal, but it be cording that wasn't reserved well.  It is very similar to the one posted, but there is nothing on the bill.  The date is directly under the GvI on the front of the cap. 

Yes, he would have been 26, he was married and my grandfather was born.  So, I don't think it was high school.

My Dad said the date is 1920-21 (not 1921, like i thought) and he had always been told that it was Glasgow vs Ireland.

[Gadget]

Hi Andarah 

The dark blue and silver sounds very like Scotland's colours


Junior League doesn't necessarily mean a schoolboy league. it could well be an International between those who played in the league below the top one - as I said

Glasgow JL played an Irish JL eleven.

Gadget

[MKG]

Just a few suggestions, as Google can't provide the answers.

GvI, if it means Glasgow versus Ireland, is obviously not a full international match for which caps would have been awarded to Glasgow players. They MAY have been awarded to the Irish players, though - and, coincidentally enough, the Irish team played in blue during 1921. So, maybe he played for Ireland but, as it was not a full international, it hasn't been listed in Gadget's book.

1921/22 was the year of Irish partition, and security was a huge concern. A 1921 Irish cup match replay was moved from Dublin to Belfast purportedly for that very reason. Possibly - only possibly - the match in question was also moved to Scotland for security reasons. In which case (although if this were true, I'd have expected the cap to say IvG) the G may not mean anywhere in Scotland at all, but rather an international team beginning with G.

Just food for thought.

Mike

EDIT: A further thought. It's only an assumption that Scotland is involved in any way. How about Germany v Ireland with the match being played in Germany (would that have happened, I wonder, so soon after the war?) Of course, then we'd have the problem of the non-inclusion in Gadget's book all over again.

[andarah]

IS there any directory for the junior league?

Interesting thoughts about Ireland.  Like I said, he lived in Ireland, Scotland and England growing up, so I would think he had no real allegiance to any of them over another.  He could definitely have played for Ireland and not Glasgow.

another thread to tug at...

Thank you all so much!

[andycand]

Hi

or Glasgow JL played an Irish JL eleven.

This may be on the right track, the link below has refernce to a proposed Inter-League fixture with the Irish Junior League (it is towards the bottom just after a white highlighted section). Even though this relates to the late 1890's it does show a connection between the leagues.

http://benburbfc.blogspot.com/2009/01/bens-on-up-and-uppers.html

Maybe the best option is contacting the Pollok Football club (website link below). They may be able to confirm when he played for them, and indeed if he was selected in a League reprentative side. If they can't then they may know who to contact for information on the Glasgow Junior League.

http://www.pollokfc.co.uk/

Andy

[andycand]

Hi Andarah

The standard of the clubs he played for doesn't equate to playing at anywhere near an international level. It is possible that if he was playing for Pollok FC in 1920-21 that he could have been selected in an Inter-League match between two junior leagues such as the Glasgow Junior League and the Irish Junior League if there was such a match. Your best bet would be to contact the club and see if they have any information on him.

http://www.pollokfc.co.uk/

Andy

[cathaldus]

Just as an aside,  I suspect that a "representative" game was not an "international" game, in the strict sense.  I can remember,  just after the war when the Football League played representative games with the SFL.  That of course was WW2!   I suppose one might say that if the FA was not involved,  then that would be classed as a representative game and not an international.

Bill