London Scottish F.C.

London Scottish

Full name	London Scottish Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Exiles,Scottish
Founded	1878
Location	Richmond
Ground(s)	Athletic Ground, Richmond (Capacity: 4,500)
President	Rod Lynch
Coach(es)	Simon Amor
League(s)	RFU Championship
2011–12	9th
Official website
www.londonscottish.com

London Scottish Football Club are a rugby union club in England. They are a member of both the Rugby Football Union and the Scottish Rugby Union.

History

In early 1878, three Scottish members of a team called St. Andrew's Rovers FC decided to break away to form their own club for Scots.^[1] These men, George Grant, Neil Macglashan and Robert Arnot attracted a number of responses to a circular they sent out. The London Scottish Regiment in particular were very warm to the idea. Very soon after, on 10 April 1878, London Scottish FC was founded^[2] in MacKay's Tavern, London, and initially played on Blackheath Common,^[1] and later at Richmond Athletic Ground in Surrey.^[2]

They had a sizable fixture list and played some of the leading clubs of the time immediately, such as Ravenscourt Park Football Club and Queen's House Football Club (the latter being the only London team to have never lost to London Scottish).^[1] They also played St Andrew's Rovers that season. St Andrew's, who had lost the core of their best players lost twice to London Scottish and folded at the end of the season.^[1] London Scottish had a very successful first season, and having played fifteen matches they only lost four (against already well established sides, Flamingoes, Guy's Hospital, Queen's House and Wasps).^[1]

London Scottish was the first of the "Exiles" rugby clubs to be founded, and also the last of the main three to go "open" in 1996.^[2]

The club turned professional in 1996 and was playing in the top division as recently as 1999. The Professional club London Scottish Rugby was placed into administration in 1999 and a nominal merger with London Irish took place. During this period Tony Tiarks bought the club for £500,000 in 1996. In the summer of 1998, Scottish, co-tenants of Richmond at the Athletic Ground, were promoted to the top division via a play-off, and Tiarks forced through an ill-fated groundshare with Harlequins and London Broncos at The Stoop. By the halfway point of the following season, Tiarks was disillusioned and discussed selling Scottish's place in the Premiership to second-division Bristol. He bailed out in the summer of 1999.The original amateur club rejoined the RFU leagues at the bottom of the pyramid after effectively being relegated 9 divisions by the RFU. The club has since progressed back up through 7 divisions in 10 seasons to RFU Championship for the 2011-2012 season. The club shares the Athletic Ground with Richmond.

London Scottish have been great exponents of rugby sevens winning the Melrose Sevens (Twice), Middlesex Sevens (seven times) and the Rosslyn Park London Floodlit Sevens (seven times).

London Scottish has won no major National honours in the fifteens game but they did make the John Player Cup Final in 1974 where they lost 26-6 against defending champions Coventry. In the 1998/1999 season they made their one and only appearance in the Allied Dunbar Premiership. However, under coach John Steele, and with limited resources they managed to finish in a creditable 12th place out of 14 teams which would have saved them from relegation had they not fallen into administration at the season's end. Notable victories that season included:

• London Scottish 13 - 11 Bath
• Saracens 7 - 24 London Scottish
• London Scottish 27 - 17 Newcastle Falcons (against the defending champions)

That season included Scottish international stars, Simon Holmes, Derrick Lee, Ronnie Eriksson, Australians Eddie Jones, Simon Fenn and the South African Jannie de Beer.

On 14 April 2007, the club ensured promotion back to the English national leagues (National Division Three South) after an eight year absence.

On 4 April 2009, the club secured promotion to the revamped RFU National 1 Division, remaining unbeaten in the 2008/2009 season.

On 24 April 2010, the club finished second in their 1st season in RFU National 1 Division.

On 7 May 2011, the club secured promotion to the RFU Championship for the 2011/2012 season.

On 21 April 2012, the club secured another season in the RFU Championship for 2012/2013 season

London Scottish is a professional squad which are coached by Simon Amor formerly the England 7's rugby captain and managed by Colin McIntyre.

London Scottish Club Captains & League position (since 1999/2000 season)

London Scottish Head Coach, Manager, Physio, Conditioning since 1999/2000 season)

London Scottish Overall League Statistics

Current standings

Current Squad 2011/2012

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under IRB eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-IRB nationality.

Player Position Union Tom Standfield Hooker England Adam Kwasnicki Hooker England Craig McGrath Hooker Scotland Alex Clarke Prop England Aaron Liffchak Prop England Alex McKenzie Prop England Anthony Kent Prop Scotland Nick Auterac Prop England Lewis Thiede Prop England Matthew Johnson Prop England Steve Pope Lock England Ben Thomas Lock England Alexander Karonias Lock England Josh Brown Lock Scotland Lewis Calder Flanker Scotland Ollie Brown Flanker Scotland Tom Yellowlees Flanker Scotland William Lipp Flanker Scotland Zane Winslade Flanker New Zealand Ben Lonergan Flanker England Anthony Andrews Flanker England Adam Kleeberger Flanker Canada Mark Bright Number 8 New Zealand James Kellard Number 8 England

Player Position Union Simon Amor Scrum-half England Matthew Heeks Scrum-half Scotland Jamie Stephenson Scrum-half Scotland Alfredo Lalanne Scrum-half Argentina James Brown Fly-half England Craig Ratford Fly-half England Daniel Mugford Fly-half England Gary Trueman Centre England Charlie Hayter Centre England Ben MacDougall Centre Scotland Oliver Holmes Centre England Stuart Peel Centre England David Howells Wing England Agustin Gosio Wing Argentina Gerrard Mullen Wing Ireland Ryan Westren Wing England Tim Holgate Wing England John Bordiss Fullback England Mike Adamson Fullback Scotland Oliver Grove Fullback Scotland

Simon Amor, James Brown, Gary Trueman, Alex Clarke,Alfredo Lalanne all have AVIVA Premiership experience.

Agustin Gosio, Alfredo Lalanne, Adam Kleeberger played at Rugby World Cup 2011

Ben MacDougall, Oli Brown, Lewis Calder and Mike Adamson have had International rugby experience for Scotland.

• • - Scotland International - Ben MacDougall
  • - Argentinean International - Agustin Gosio, Alfredo Lalanne
  • - Canada International - Adam Kleeberger
  • - England 7's International- Simon Amor, James Brown
  • - Scotland 7's International- Oli Brown, Lewis Calder, Mike Adamson
  • - Argentina 7's International- Agustin Gosio
  • - England A or Saxons International - James Brown, Alex Clarke

Notable former London Scottish Scotland International players

This list of "famous" or "notable" persons has no clear inclusion or exclusion criteria. Please help to define clear inclusion criteria and edit the list to contain only subjects that fit that criteria.

London Scottish have produced more than 220 Scottish international players which is more than any other club.

• David Bedell-Sivright
• Mike Biggar
• Al Biggar
• Norman Bruce
• Paul Burnell their most capped player for the club with 52 matches for Scotland (3 World Cups - 91, 95, 99)
• Mike Campbell-Lamerton
• Damian Cronin (2 World Cups 91,95,)
• Ronnie Eriksson
• Max Evans (World Cup 2011)
• James Pringle Fisher
• Iain Fullarton
• Gavin Hastings (3 World Cups 87,91,95)
• Sandy Hinshelwood
• Simon Holmes
• Iain Laughland
• Alan Lawson
• Derrick Lee
• Kenny Logan (3 World Cups 95,99,03)
• Bill Maclagan 1st British Lion Captain 1891 (South Africa)
• David MacMyn
• Alastair McHarg - one of the many stalwarts of the club
• Iain Morrison (World Cup 95)
• Jim Shackleton
• Ian Smith Joint record Scotland try scorer with 24 tries
• Arthur Smith
• Frans ten Bos
• Rob Wainwright (World Cup 95)
• Derek White (World Cup 91)

See also

• Rugby union in London
• London Irish RFC
• London Welsh RFC
• Middlesex Sevens

External links

• Official site
• Exiles earn promotion in England, The Scotsman, 16 April 2007

References

• Bath, Richard (ed.) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997 ISBN 1-86200-013-1)
• Bath, Richard (ed.) The Scotland Rugby Miscellany (Vision Sports Publishing Ltd, 2007 ISBN 1-905326-24-6)
• Godwin, Terry Complete Who's Who of International Rugby (Cassell, 1987, ISBN 0-7137-1838-2)
• Massie, Allan A Portrait of Scottish Rugby (Polygon, Edinburgh; ISBN 0-904919-84-6)

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Dick Tyson, London's Oldest Rugby Clubs, p96 (JJG Publishing), 2008
2. ^ ^{a b c} Bath, 1997, pp86,87