Yesterday – 11th July – marked the opening of the new temporary exhibition at Campbeltown Museum, by Argyll & Bute Provost Isobel Strong (above), wearing the Campbeltown Burgh Provost’s Chain for the first time since taking office in May.
In a county where shinty traditionally reigns, the exhibition, Kit and Caboodle tells the really quite remarkable story of how football made its way to Campbeltown through industrial links with Glasgow and, crucially, with whisky production.
The story goes back to 1879, which according to the football history specialists, is very much earlier than might have been expected for somewhere like Kintyre, when two players from Glasgow’s Queens Park FC were relocated to Campbeltown by their employers, HM Customs & Excise, to help assess the duty payable on the town’s then-considerable production of whisky.
Within a short while, they were involved in the first football game in Campbeltown played according to rules.
A lot of hard work has gone into the exhibition, from football enthusiast and historian, Alex MacKinven and Robin Patel, Assistant Curator at Campbeltown Museum.
The project started over a year ago when Alex, who is very heavily involved in local football, decided it would be a good idea to get a collection of Campbeltown trophies and medals together for the museum. With Robin’s help, that idea turned into a full-blown exhibition that will remain through into 2013.
On display are photos, shirts, trophies, medals, items of period kit from the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park – and, of particular note, for the next week only the exhibition has the oldest football in the world. This dates from around 1570 and is on short-term loan. It very rarely leaves its bullet-proof glass case at the Smith Art Gallery & Museum in Stirling.
From an outsider’s perspective, the importance of football to the local community was apparent in a number of ways.
This exhibition is about local identity, community ties and remembering great achievements and sportsmanship.
It shows more than one man’s passion for football: the talk during the opening was of past victories, whilst some of the items on show demonstrate the involvement of the same families over successive generations.
The exhibition opening was followed by a football match at Kintyre Park between Campbeltown Pupils AFC and Greenock Morton FC, returning to Campbeltown for the first time since 2003 for a pre-season friendly.
In spite of fears about the weather, it was a fantastic evening for a game: sunshine, blue skies and a light breeze. In front of a crowd of at least 350 people (quite an achievement on a weekday evening for a place as small as Campbeltown), the home team lost 2-10, with the ‘Pupils’ goals being scored by Gary Grumoli from a penalty kick, and by his brother Paul, who beat the Morton keeper with a shot that raised a resounding cheer from the crowd – including the visiting fans who had made the long drive down Kintyre to follow their team.
But, as was said at the after-match dinner by Douglas Rae, the Greenock Morton Chairman, the score was not important. What mattered was the sportsmanlike attitude of the players and supporters: the real winner of the evening, he said, was football.
Over 130 years on from that first game in 1879, football is still bringing people together in Campbeltown and Kintyre; and hopefully with events like this it will continue to thrive, building relationships both within the community and reaching out to others.
What’s more, Kit and Caboodle marks a turning point for Campbeltown Museum.
Temporary exhibitions are a thing of the past here, but not anymore.
Since the museum and its collections were damaged by flooding in 2010, work has been done not just to restore and improve the museum but to make it possible to borrow prized items from elsewhere.
Campbeltown Museum has been given a new lease of life: watch this space, and visit Kit and Caboodle.
Becky Noble and Helen Morozovska
Kit and Caboodle, the story of football in Campbeltown, is at Campbeltown Museum, Burnet Building, St John Street, Campbeltown, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, until 31st January 2013.
Note: The photograph at the top shows Provost of Argyll and Bute, Councillor Isobel Strong, flanked by Alex McKinven on the right and Bob Clark, Development Manager of Auchindrain, on the left.
Pingback: ‘Kit and Caboodle’ | beckyinauchindrain
Congratulations and Best Wishes to Alex McKinven and the exhibition .
How ridiculous to see a Bute Councillor wearing the Provost’s chain of the Royal Burgh of Campbeltown .
Surely it is time we saw devolution in local government , where CAMPBELTOWN people controlled affairs in the town ?
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I will pass on the political aspects of Islay for Ever’s comment, but comment myself on matters of fact.
Fifty years ago, Scottish local government looked very different to now. Alongside the Counties and Cities, there were many Burghs that had been independent since their foundation. In Argyll, this included places likes Campbeltown, Rothesay and Inveraray, each of which had its Provost and thus a chain of office.
The politics of a changing world determined that boundaries and responsibilities should be redrawn, first in 1972 and then again in 1996. Many of the new Councils re-established the idea of a Provost as civic head, but generally acquired a new chain of office for them to wear and consigned the old ones to bank vaults or museums.
Argyll & Bute, however, took a different approach. Overtly recognising the identity of the old Burghs, the old chains remain in active use with the Provost using whichever is appropriate to the area they are visiting. Thus, for an engagement at Campbeltown Museum it is the Campbeltown chain, whilst when she visits us at Auchindrain it will be the Inveraray chain she wears. And so on. This has always seemed to me to be singularly appropriate, and a very nice way of acknowledging historic local identities in the modern world.
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What upsets iof is, of course, that the “Bute Councillor” is the SNP Provost of Argyll & Bute Council.
When representing the Council on official duties she will normally wear as did her predecessor , as a courtesy, and as explained by Bob Clark above , the local burgh Chain of Office; a pragmatic, economical and practical aknowledgement of past history.
We can safely be assured from past utterances that iof is a strong opponent of Scottish devolution and yet appears to advocate yet another tier of local government!
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I’m not the least bit concerned with the Bute Councillor’s political colours ,but I do want to see powers devolved to Campbeltown and that will not result in “yet another tier of local government”.
The unnecessary tier of government I want rid of is the one which sits at Holyrood.
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Ife: maybe you’re too young to remember the previous ‘tier of government’ in Edinburgh – the Scottish Office, presided over by a jack-of-all-trades minister who – while always (I assume) a Scot – had too much of the aura of a colonial ruler.
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Congratulation to Alex and Robin for their efforts in pulling this exhibition together.
Congrats to the many others who have contributed.
Alex is a legend in Campbeltown Football history not withstanding the many other local organisations Alex is quietly involved with.
Alex,your picture tells a story of where your future community contribution may lie.
Hopefully a word or two with George will assist you along the way.
Look forward to seeing the exhibition towards the end of August……You are an honourable man.
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Providing Provost Isobel Strong is not claiming an extra Provost’s allowance for wearing the Campbeltown Burgh Provost’s chain then I see no problem.
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There is no problem.
As for superfluous layers of government may I suggest that we take the Westminster by-pass?
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Thanks to everyone who contributed artefacts and helped set up the exhibition, and to the staff of the Burnet Building who gave up their free time to make the display available to the general public on a couple of Saturday dates. The page is about football, and the important part it played in the lives of our townsfolk. There are many other avenues available for making political expression, a very important part of our democratic process, as you will appreciate, this was never intended to be one of them.
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