Medals donation shines light on 'triumph to tragedy' story of Tain footballer
A collection of sporting medals which once belonged to the family of an international footballer from Tain have been donated to Tain and District Museum.
Hugh Macleod, who tragically died at the age of only 21, achieved international acclaim when he represented Scotland at amateur international level in 1928.
The collection of his and his family's medals came up for auction earlier this month – and local resident Tony Watson moved quickly to ensure that they would find a willing home in Tain.
Mr Watson said: "These medals were in five lots and I was concerned that they could be purchased by different buyers who had a specific interest – particularly the Hugh Macleod gold football medal – Tain’s most famous footballer who died tragically so young.
"So I was determined to buy the lot – and that’s what I did and where else should they go to but to Tain Museum which already has items of the Macleod family on display. They are a really diverse collection – from sports and academic medals to a medal awarded to Donald Macleod for being “Best Dressed Highlander” at an event commemorating Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887.
"It even includes a medal awarded for winning the Easter Ross Cycle Club Slow Race, which used to be a regular feature at sporting events and shows and was awarded to whoever managed to travel the smallest distance in a given time without falling off his bike!
"There needs to be more research done on all the medals and how they may be displayed is for the museum to decide but the most important thing is that they are back in Tain where they belong."
Hugh, or “Uisdean” as he was known locally, was the son of ex-Baillie and bagpipe and violin maker, Donald Macleod. His younger brother, Torquil continued the family business of instrument making, earning an outstanding reputation in his field.
Hugh showed flashes of excellence as a young footballer, winning the Mackay Cup – a school age trophy – on several occasions, and at just sixteen, be broke into the St Duthus FC first team.
In 1925, he played a big part in helping the team towards victory in the final of the North of Scotland Junior Cup – at the time the most prominent of all junior competitions in the Highlands.
After leaving Tain Royal Academy in 1926, Hugh travelled to Edinburgh to study medicine.
At the time of his move south, he was just eighteen – but with his football abilities and strong build, it came as no surprise that he had won the admiration of football scouts while playing for Edinburgh University's team.
By late 1926, he had been signed up by the renowned Queen’s Park football club in Glasgow – then one of Scotland’s few remaining top-flight amateur clubs. He played regularly for the Queen’s Park Strollers (the reserve team) before earning his place at left back for the first eleven in 1927.
In a letter to the Ross-shire Journal during his first season with the “Queens”, he was noted for his ability.
“He displayed great power of kick and was rarely beaten. The play of Macleod was a feature of the game. He has a fine sense of covering up his partner and saved a certain goal under the bar when Harkness, the goalkeeper, was drawn out.”
His abilities were such that he was called up to the Scotland amateur international eleven for a match against England at Hampden Park on April 19, 1928 – only the second of its kind. Playing alongside seven of his Queen’s Park comrades, Scotland recorded a 3-2 win over their long time rivals.
For his efforts, he was awarded a hallmarked gold medal, which is already a part of the Tain & District Museum collection.
This year the museum introduced a new exhibition of sporting achievement and Hugh's accomplishments are a feature of the display.
Soon after his Scotland appearance, injury befell Hugh during a match against Hibernian, forcing him to take some time off to recover. During this time he was also taking his 4th year exams, battling what he believed to be a chill, and finished his term before returning to Tain for his Christmas holidays.
It was then that he was unexpectedly struck down with rheumatic fever.
What had initially manifested itself as a “chill” eventually worsened, and within days he had succumbed to the illness and died.
His passing was noted in the Inverness Courier in February 1929: “The Queen’s Park directors heard of the sad news shortly after the start of the match against Airdrieonians, and immediately the flags were lowered to half mast. Quiet and modest, he was a likeable young man and a great favourite amongst his associates. A brilliant career had been cut short by his untimely death, and the greatest sympathies to his sorrowing father and mother.”
Although only twenty-one at the time of his death, it could certainly be argued, having played in Scotland’s top division and having been capped for his country, that Hugh Macleod was probably the most successful footballer to ever come out of the town of Tain.
More information can be found on the Tain and District Museum website.
