This weekend sees Hawks past and present assemble for a Dinner at Oran Mor and how fitting we have Franco Smith Head Coach of Glasgow Warriors as our guest speaker

Gt Western Rd was the historic artery for rugby union in Glasgow ,the original clubs of Glasgow and for Glasgow Rugby ,where Oran Mor ( formerly Kelvinside Church ) stands was the very fulcrum for that journey
Less than a mile to the east just beyond Kelvinbridge on the same side of the road sat Burnbank then home for one of our founder clubs Glasgow Accies 1866 the club that helped give birth to the International game in 1871 and organised the first Inter City in 1872 now celebrated by the 1872 Cup.In 1873 they hosted the founding meeting of the Scottish Football Union (SRU)

At Oran Mor if we turn down Byres Rd we arrive in Patrick and Hamilton Crescent then home of the oldest “football”club in the City ,West of Scotland FC 1865 who gave a home to the Inter City for fifty years with the exception of 1885 when it went to Hampden Park and it was the birthplace of International Soccer in 1872

While the City moved west from Oran Mor rugby followed on the same road and just beyond Kirklee next up is Hughenden historic home of Hillhead HSFP(Hillhead /Jordanhill ) who held the Inter City for many years before the move to Maryhill and Firhill. Opposite Hughenden we have Balgray the the home of Kelvinside Accies (GHK) where Hawks now play .One of their members Crawford Findlay negotiated the use of Hampden Park for Glasgow to host the 1905 All Blacks The Orginals and in 1906 for Scotland to host the first Springboks which they won 6-0
Continue along the uphill drag towards Anniesland Cross next to Anniesland Station stood Westerlands home of another of the great original clubs Glasgow University before its move over Dalsholm
Park to Garscube

We now continue west and it has become Anniesland Rd and its Old Anniesland home to one of Hawks two founder clubs Glasgow HSFP (GHK )a long standing venue for the Inter City and Glasgow’s representative matches against tourists like the Waratahs and Combined Cities Matches against All Blacks ,Springboks and Wallabies .A quick hop over the fence and its New Anniesland the third home of the Glasgow Accies since 1905 the other Hawks founder club who saw the Jubliee Inter City of 1922 where a Chariot of Fire Eric Liddell played on the wing for Edinburgh before going on to Olympic glory in Paris 1924

Onwards we go past the Anniesland fields straight down to Danes Drive to our final destination and Scotstoun Showgrounds now Stadium a famous sports venue for athletics .rugby home to Hyndland RFC and other sports and even aeronautical shows for over a century now home to URC Champions Glasgow Warriors and our guest speaker tonight

When Franco addresses the gathering he will do so underneath a Memorial Peel of Bells high in the steeple dedicated towards the end of WW1 to the memory of a lost generation of young men who left the playing fields along this road to take to very different fields in Flanders and Gallipoli Among those were two Glasgow players both Scottish Caps Eric Young and Willie Church who fell on the same morning fighting together for The 7/8th Cameronians The Scottish Rifles at Gully Ravine Gallipoli on 28th June 1915

A sport without a history is a sport without a soul and much of the soul of Glasgow Rugby was carved out along this road so it is a privilege to be able to welcome Franco Smith the present Custodian of this history and heritage