e game than Mr. M'Pherson, who held his place
for several years as one of the backs of whom Caledonia felt proud.
Without the least show or fussiness, M'Pherson did his work quietly, and
had the credit (and a good one, too) of being next to Mr. John Ferguson,
the best-natured footballer in Dumbartonshire. He could play a
magnificent game when he liked, and one season particularly--that of
1883--when he was one of the Scottish Eleven against England at
Sheffield, ably assisted his team to win a hard match by three goals to
two.

~J. Macfarlane.~

The Vale of Leven at the time this tie was played had a rare forward
combination, and in some of their best matches the dribbling and passing
among them were something to be remembered. Macfarlane, however, was
certainly not the best of the lot, but a very safe man, and could play
equally well on the left wing or the centre, and, if I mistake not, work
excellently as a backer-up to J. M'Gregor. Now, when I think of it, he
was severely tackled in this match by H. M'Intyre, and was not in such
good form as some of the other forwards.

~R. Paton.~

There are few, if any, old players in Dumbartonshire, and, I should say,
spectators as well, who cannot remember the familiar figure of Mr.
Robert Paton. A nicely-featured little fellow, with a joke for every
acquaintance, he was full of vivacity, and an intense love for his old
club, the Vale. Yes, "The Vale." Nobody ever called it anything else.
Paton, above all the other forwards who did so much to make the Leven
men beloved at home and feared "abroad," even to the next parishes and
the big city of Glasgow, was a fine player, and never kept the ball
longer than was necessary if he saw a chance. He played against England
in 1879.

~J. Baird.~

Mr. James Baird was a fair average player, without anything very
remarkable about him. The combination, as I have already said, was so
good among the Vale of Leven at the time when this great contest took
place that an inferior or selfish player would soon have found his
level. The forwards, in fact, were all pretty much alike, but with
clearly defined degrees of brilliancy, and Mr. James Baird was one of
the lesser lights. He was a good runner and smart at following up, but
his dribbling was sometimes too wide for the others when following up on
the enemy's lines. When hard pressed he often lost the ball, but in a
scrimmage in front of the posts he was a rare shot at goal, and scor