At the start of the 1960’s there was little to indicate that Leith Academicals F.P.R.F.C. would
move out of the junior level of rugby in Scotland. However, several strands came together
that over the period made the 60’s and 70’s a golden time for the Club.

It was quite usual at pre-season training at Hawkhill that 2 or 3 players would come up from
school each year to join the FP Club. However, in summer 1961, 12 players from the
Academy 1 st XV appeared and gave the Club a real lift. Faced with this the FP Committee
decided that they would keep them together for a season as a 3 rd XV with a couple of older
players – Jimmy Ballantyne and Ian Leitch – to look after them.

In the early 60’s the 1 st XV fixture list consisted largely of junior 1 st XV’s and senior 2 nd XV’s.
However, the Club was blessed by having a very good group of enthusiastic, hard-working
Committee members, and it had a good spirit both on and off the field.

A year or two later, with player numbers growing, Willie Neill took over as Team Secretary,
organising every player on a game to game basis, ensuring that each team took the field at
full strength. Willie was to undertake this position for many years. He was a main cog in
Leith’s success.

Round about the same time, Corny Waugh took over as Fixture Secretary with the aim of
improving the fixture lists, particularly that of the 1 st XV, which was going to take some
years. The work of both of these were key to the upward march of the Club on and off the
field.

One notable occurrence took place in 1968 when the Club’s Annual Dinner was held in the
Carlton Hotel. The main speakers were Cliff Morgan (British Lion) and David Coleman
(presenter of BBC Grandstand). Norman Mair (Rugby Writer of the Scotsman) proposed the
toast to the Club with G.W.Jack (Club Captain) replying.

In the late 60’s whilst playing numbers were on the up and fixture lists were improving, the
Club applied to Edinburgh Council for permission to do away with the old pavilion at
Hawkhill which had seen better days. The plan was to replace it by a modern one, whilst the
Club would erect a Clubhouse next door. Both were some time coming; much fund-raising
was involved; for quite some time players and opposition had to change in the Academy
before each game…..but it was worth it, and opened in 1973.

Just prior to this in the summer of 1972 a party from LARFC had travelled to Gijon in
northern Spain to take part with teams from France and Spain in a 4 team 15-a- side
tournament – a great bonding process.

By now, playing numbers had gone up. The Club ran 6 XV’s, and the 1 st XV had a fixture list
to be proud of, able to hold its own on the field against all senior clubs in Scotland with the
notable exception of Hawick, then ten times Scottish Champions.

1973-74 saw the start of formal National leagues, and Leith Accies were disappointed to be
placed in Division 3 based on results over the previous seasons. However, this was simply
delaying the move, and in season 1975-76 Leith were promoted into National League 2
having finished on the same points as Haddington RFC, both losing only one league game.
Haddington had a points’ differential of 196 while Leith ended with 194!

On the field the Club was going very well, while off the field, April 1975 saw club members
playing a couple of matches in Amsterdam as Jack’s Jacksies and Ure’s Urinals under the
leadership of Tommy Bolland, Tour Manager.

On the playing side in the 1970’s Leith players began to be considered for selection and to
play for the senior Edinburgh XV. George Jack, Derek Brock, Peter Welsh and David
Armstrong and later, Tom Bell, were selected and could hold their own both physically and
skilfully even with internationalists and British Lions on the field. Others such as Bob Green,
Malcolm McNeill, Dougie McFarlane and Bill Herbert were selected for Edinburgh trial sides.
Memorably for a local club, George Jack (Hooker) and Derek Brock (on the bench) were
selected to play for Edinburgh against the touring Australia XV at Myreside in 1975,
Edinburgh losing 10-19.

At the end of season 1976-77, despite some good rugby and results, going into the final
league match v. Gordonians at Hawkhill, Leith were heading back to Division 3, while their
opponents had enjoyed a fine season, and were guaranteed promotion to Division 1. The
final score – Leith Academicals 36 Gordonians 15.The match was memorable for the
outstanding performance of a young chap called Gordon McGhie [check spelling]

During this period of the Club’s history, as well as success in XV’s, the club achieved several
other successes winning seven-a- side tournaments at Musselburgh, Haddington,
Walkerburn, Peebles and Leith Academicals own sevens, beating a very fine Stewarts-
Melville seven in the final.

In addition to all of the above, in 2006-7 George Jack, hooker and four times captain of the
Academicals, was appointed President of the Scottish Rugby Union……a great honour for the
Club.

Throughout the 60’s and 70’s Leith Academicals RFC gained a well-deserved reputation for
sociability off the field, though not many sides fancied their chances against Leith at
Hawkhill on the field. The welcome in the Hawick RFC match programme for the Hawick v.
Leith Accies match in 1972 bears testimony to that– “Today we welcome Leith Accies who
can justifiably claim to be among the top ten clubs in Scotland this season”.

END

Many thanks to George for providing this recollection. For more from the archives, check out this photo album.

We'd love to hear your memories of any period during Leith's history - comment below, or send your recollections (and photos!) to leithrfc@gmail.com, and we'll feature them soon.