n
possession, and after nursing the ball for a few minutes, would, amid
the applause of the spectators, send it spinning down the field. Then
there was Bill Summons. He was rather a volatile customer, and a perfect
football coquette. There was scarcely a club of any pretensions in
Glasgow but what Bill had wooed. He, however, stuck well to the Red
Cross, and did some splendid service in their best matches, but
eventually left them and joined the Conquerors, who, by the way, were
just a shade too ready to take over the best men of other clubs by
holding out tempting baits in the shape of big matches. Bill, with all
his faults, was a grand back, and I question if anybody in Glasgow could
make a finer kick when he set his mind to it. He had his failing, to be
sure, and who hasn't? He was sometimes most erratic while playing
important matches, and, especially on a windy day, would make grave
mistakes with too heavy kicking.

Jack Huxter, too, of the Red Cross, was a very fine player, and a
"caution" to get past at back (poor fellow, he, too, like Dixy, has gone
to his account). He was a dangerous man to meet in the heat of a tussle
near the goal-line, and woe betide the daring forward who would attempt
to take the ball from Jack there. His only weakness was a frequent
desire to "go" for the man instead of the ball, and charging rather
heavily. Although a back, he was by no means an inferior dribbler, and
possessing good speed, sometimes astonished the members of his own club
by the smart runs he would now and again make in company with the
forwards when the leather was in an opponents' territory. He stuck like
a veritable leech to the Red Cross, and turned out most faithfully to
all their important matches. I must not forget Willie Millins, who was
one of the neatest dribblers of his day. He has given up football now.
Getting a clear start, many an exciting and clever run he made for the
Red Cross. I heard my master say that in a match for the Association Cup
between his club and the Cedargrove, he once made a goal after dribbling
the ball almost the entire length of the field.

Then there was a lot of smaller fry, including good players belonging to
the Dumbrook, North-Eastern, Gallowgate Rovers, the Locomotive Slashers,
Thornians, Northern Jumpers, Edinburgh Irishmen, Partick Unfortunates,
and last, though by no means least, the Flying Blues. There was no club
in Scotland, except, perhaps, the Vale Crowers, that had made