New football book reveals Glaswegian hero played in first ever FA Cup Final

Adam Bogle was a soldier who played on the forward line for the Royal Engineers, who lost one-nil to the Wanderers.

His story is one of many told in The Early Years of the FA Cup, by James Bancroft, which reveals the role the British Army played in establishing the 150-year-old tournament.

“Adam was born in Glasgow in 1848, the son of a colonial merchant named John Bogle and his wife, Jane Sarah, who was the daughter of Benjamin Duterrau, a well-known artist,” explains James.

“After attending the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich he entered the Royal Engineers in 1868, in the same batch of officers which included John Chard, who would later be awarded the Victoria Cross as the hero of Rorke’s Drift during the Zulu War.

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“Then, many sports were being pioneered by the Royal Engineers, and Adam joined the football section at Chatham. They were the first team to make passing the ball an important part of the game instead of just dribbling, and they managed to reach the final of what was the first knockout competition in the history of world football.”

James adds: “Adam became a career soldier, posted to various engineering administrative duties. He died in 1915, aged 66.”

There was a lot of Scottish interest in the early Cup Finals, explains James, whose book also includes a tribute to Henry Renny-Tailyour, who scored the first ever goal for Scotland in an official international.

He was also keen to tell the story of heroes like Adam.

“Most of the Engineers who took part in the early FA Cup competitions went on to have distinguished military careers,” he explains.

“One was recommended for the Victoria Cross for valour in Afghanistan, and some of them gave their lives in famous battles such as Tofrek in the Sudan, and on the Western Front during the Great War.

“Cup fever has fascinated James all his life, he says.

“As time went by I witnessed what passion the game of football can stir up,” he adds. “I also have a great interest in British military history, and I have spent more than 40 years learning about both subjects. This book brings together the heroes of both and writing it gave me the opportunity to look back at a time when football was played for the sport itself.”

James is from Salford but has supported Glasgow Rangers since he was a boy.

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“When I was very young in the early 60s, I used to see the football results and this team called Rangers were winning by big scores every week,” he smiles.

“I didn’t know where they were from but I decided to ‘support’ them. I have been to see them a few times.”

He adds: “I was supposed to be at the game on January 2, 1971, when the stand collapsed but by sheer luck I missed it as something else came up and I couldn’t go.

“After the Ibrox disaster I went to see them beat Hearts a few weeks later. While I was sitting in the stands among the Rangers fans I noticed a lot of them looking at me.”

James jokes: “ I thought they had somehow realised I was an Englishman - until Hearts came out in their maroon jerseys and I realised I was wearing a maroon scarf….thankfully they left me alone.”