Amateurs - but Queen's led the way

THE fact their players don't get paid has never stopped the club from being at the forefront of much of the history of the game in this country.
Queen's Park was at the centre of establishing the Scottish Football Association. It organised and administered the first international meeting between Scotland and England under association rules - and indeed it was Queen's Park who supplied the entire Scottish side on that very first meeting on 30th November 1872.
The Scottish side wore their club jerseys for that international which was then dark blue in colour, the same dark blue as worn today by the national team. More than 4000 spectators watched the sides play out a 0-0 draw on St Andrew's Day.
Queen's Park looked to other competitions too, and when invited to take part in the first ever English F.A Cup in 1872, they took up the challenge, entering at the semi-final stage against the famous public school side, Wanderers. The game ended goalless. Unable to remain for the replay due to financial constraints, Queen's were compelled to scratch.
The club finished runners-up in the famous trophy on two occasions - 1884 when the amateurs scored a total of 32 goals with only one conceded, to reach the final.
The final itself saw Queen's Park battle it out against Blackburn Rovers at Kensington Oval. The Lancashire side won 2-1 to lift the trophy. The following year, Queen's Park found themselves in the F.A. Cup final once more. Blackburn Rovers were the opponents again and for the second time. it was the Lancashire side who emerged victors, this time by a 2-0 scoreline.
A year later, in 1873, the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish Cup was instituted,with Queen's Park as founder members. The cup competition got under way on October 18, with Queen's Park entering on 25 October 1873. This was to be an important day for the club as they opened their new ground - Hampden Park - the first of their three grounds to bear the famous name.
On that day too, the 'glorious' black and white hooped shirt was introduced for the very first time. Queen's Park won the tie against Dumbreck 7-0 and went on to win the cup for the very first time.
Outside the domestic scene, Queen's Park journeyed far and wide to spread the concept of organised football.
One such sojourn was to Ireland in 1879 when Queen's played an exhibition match against Caledonians at the Ulster Cricket ground in Ballymafeigh. The game caused so much excitement amongst the local crowd that the first Irish soccer club, Cliftonville, was founded soon after the visit. A year later, the Irish Football Association was formed.
As a club, Queen's introduced new concepts into the game such as crossbars, half-time and free-kicks, all of which were later incorporated into the modern game.
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