The Bauchop Brothers of Sauchie

Tobias Bauchop's house. Pic from Richard Sutcliffe / Geograph.

It was a 17th century master stone mason who first carved out a reputation for the Bauchops of Clackmannanshire. Tobias Bauchop's craftwork was in demand across Scotland and his home, his intials and those of his wife Margaret Lapsley above the door, still stands in Alloa's Kirkgate. Some 200 years later, two more Wee County Bauchops would found fame in Scotland and beyond, but by virtue of their skills with their feet.

The story of these footballing Bauchops begins in Sauchie and the birth in 1882 of William, a second son for Jean and Robert. James followed in 1886. The boys found work in old Clackmannanshire industries. The turn of the century finds William as a dishmaker and 14 year old James as a woolen millworker, although like so many Sauchie folk in this era, he would also find his way down a mine. William had also emerged as a flying winger with Sauchie Juniors, where his elder brother Robert was already established in defence. Robert had made it into the Alloa Advertiser on account of a sterling performance at the Sauchie Gymnastic Games of 1898. He probably wasn’t quite as happy with his next appearance in the local press, an October 1899 report documenting his headed own goal securing an Alva Albion Rangers win over Sauchie.

William was faring better and April 1900 saw him named in the Alloa District Junior Select.  While the general consensus was that a strong team had been picked, opponents Stirling proved too strong, winning 4-1 at Recreation Park. The game did however pass off without controversy, unlike the juvenile representative clash between Clackmannanshire and Fifeshire on the same day. The visitors from the Kingdom were reported to have taken “their defeat in a very unsportsmanlike manner, using strong and abusive language to players and spectators alike, which ultimately resulted in a melee”.

Despite the defeat, Willie Bauchop had done enough to catch Alloa’s eye. A week later he was back at the Recs as a trialist for the Wasps in a friendly against the Scottish Amateur XI. Alloa were well beaten but Bauchop impressed and was reported to be the “only forward who showed up for the Athletic”. Resident Advertiser columnist ‘Old Player’ noted that this had been a “very promising appearance”, and hoped the Sauchie player would be invited back. He was, William taking his place in the Alloa attack the following week for a Central Combination match against Dunipace. He got off to a great start, ending a fine move by driving the ball into the net “amidst great cheering“. Another goal followed with Old Player noting that Bauchop “had played exceedingly well”.  A contract with the Wasps seemed certain.

Alas for Alloa, Willie Bauchop’s fine form had not gone unnoticed on a wider stage. As Alloa dithered, Abercorn swooped to secure Bauchop’s signature. It was a blow for Alloa and the timing was unfortunate for Sauchie too for Willie was now ruled out of the Clackmannanshire Junior Cup final. Sauchie took the gamble of moving the older Bauchop from defence to attack but poor Robert was rather harshly judged to have been “of little use throughout” as Sauchie were beaten 2-0 by Seafield Thistle.

The Bauchops of Sauchie in the 1901 census.

William's sights were now set on grander things. While St Mirren were already top dogs in Paisley, Abercorn were a well-regarded club. They had been founder members of the Scottish League in 1890 and had played in Division 1 as recently as 1897.  William settled quickly, an early season double against Port Glasgow Athletic sending the ‘Abbies’ to the top of the league. Willie was a consistent performer and scorer in a team which ultimately fell just short in Division 2. The Paisley men were keen to retain their Wee County winger but Bauchop was on the move again in the summer of 1901, this time to Division 2 rivals East Stirlingshire.  “This player is one of great promise and should be a decided acquisition for the Bainsford fold” reported the Dundee Evening Post. There was more detail in the Falkirk Herald, who claimed that Abercorn had been loath to part with a player regarded as their most dangerous attacker, but that they had little choice due to debts owed to East Stirling. It would appear that all was not well with Abercorn’s finances for the ink on William’s Shire contract was hardly dry and he was taking his old club to the SFA for unpaid wages. ‘The Scottish Referee’ noted that Bauchop “furnished a lengthy epistle quite in ministerial fashion with ‘I will now draw to a close’”. William was almost as good with words as he was on the wing it would seem, and he was awarded his travel expenses from Alloa. He showed up well on his Shire debut too, “showing a rare turn of speed which gave the Clyde defence a lot of trouble”.

Despite that fine start and a regular starting place,Willie Bauchop wasn’t long with the Shire. Over the water in Alloa the Wasps were struggling at the foot of the Central Football Combination, a league in which they had failed to make any serious impact since joining in 1898. As 1901 drew to a close, Alloa sat at the bottom of the table with just one solitary win from eight games and an ignominious 5-1 thumping from Camelon among their defeats. With the Falkirk men now preparing to come to Alloa in the Stirlingshire Cup semi-final, the Wasps were determined to gain revenge and lift the mood of gloom which surrounded the Recs. The committee pursued several leads as they looked to bolster the team. In the end there was just one new addition, but it was a significant one. “Bauchop has been transferred from East Stirlingshire and he will occupy a position in the front rank” reported the Alloa Advertiser. 20 months after that successful trial, it was a case of better late than never. Willie Bauchop went straight into the team for the Camelon tie with ‘Old Player’ concluding that “I will hope to be able to chronicle a victory for ‘The Wasps’ next week”. Alas for ‘Old Player’, he was to be disappointed. Camelon raced into a 2-0 lead and despite a brave Alloa showing in the second-half, the Mariners squeezed home 3-2. It might have been different, Bauchop breaking clear in the closing stages only for Alloa’s new man to be denied by a fine save. There was hope here despite the defeat.

That set the tone for the rest of the season. While Alloa struggled to climb off the foot of the table, they did at least avoid any more thrashings and supporters’ spirits were lifted by several encouraging cup displays. Revenge was finally claimed over Camelon with an excellent 4-1 win at the Recs in late February. “Alloa Athletic are coming back to form judging by their displays” noted an approving ‘Old Player’. Willie Bauchop had opened the scoring against Camelon with a fine solo goal in a game that was also notable for a supporter writing to the Advertiser to praise the match referee: “Such a display of refereeing deserves a special word praise…if we had more of his stamp, football would a greater success and free a great deal of ill feeling”.  Has the Advertiser received another such letter since ‘Interested Spectator’ put pen to paper back in 1902?

Despite their improved form, Alloa would ultimately finish the season rock bottom of the Central Football Combination. Indeed, the Advertiser even raised the unthinkable prospect of there being no senior team in Alloa for 1902/03 as the club struggled to raise a committee.The rallying call worked a treat and new members promptly came forward to keep the club afloat. “It is now all but settled that Alloa Athletic will continue to be to the fore next season”, reported the Advertiser. What’s more, the new committee were “hopeful of getting together a strong eleven”.

The new look team got off to an inauspicious start. As they traipsed off at half-time at Bathgate in August 1902, the Wasps were 3-0 down. Alloa rallied and although they weren’t quite able to save the day, a 4-3 defeat offered hope. “The team put on the field by Alloa Athletic was certainly a good one and will take a lot of beating before the season is much older”, opined the Linlithgowshire Gazette. As the days grew shorter and colder, the Gazette was vindicated as Alloa began to find form. Stenhousemuir, defending Central Combination champions and aiming for a third successive Scottish Qualifying Cup triumph, were pushed all the way in the first round of that tournament, only scraping through in a replay by virtue of a much disputed penalty. Broxburn were then despatched 5-3 at the Recs. The visitors named ex Celtic man Meechan in defence but Willie Bauchop was reported to have “had him on toast all through”. Stenhousemuir returned to the Recs on league business and were defeated 1-0, a result that the Alloa Advertiser reported as being a landmark first win for the Wasps over the Warriors. “Revenge is sweet!”, crowed 'Old Player'.

The goals continued to flow. Bauchop was on target with a tremendous solo effort in a 2-0 derby win at King’s Park. Camelon were beaten 6-2 and Dunblane demolished 5-0 and 4-1 in a goal laden double header, although there was a warning here from ‘Old Player’ that Willie Bauchop “overdid the fancy work at times”. You can’t please everyone. Just once did Alloa lose over the winter months and as March arrived they were riding high in the league and through to the semi-final of the Stirlingshire Cup, a trophy the Wasps were yet to win. Standing in their way, once more, were Stenhousemuir. Alloa Station had rarely seen the like as two football specials arrived from Larbert along with several teeming services from the Hillfoots. A record crowd of over 3000 was inside the Recs as the teams took to the field and they saw Alloa pin the visitors back in the opening period. A goal seemed inevitable and it arrived shortly before the break, Bauchop and Fraser combining to set up Thomas. Into the second half and only a disputed offside call denied Alloa a two goal lead. Still, it looked like one would be enough until the Warriors burst away in the dying seconds – Alloa calling for offside this time – to equalise. It finished 1-1. “Good lad, Willie. Especially lively was Bauchop on the left”, exclaimed ‘Old Player’, complaining that the final result had been a travesty.

The Wasps headed for Ochilview a week later accompanied by 1000 travelling fans, but the first half was an unmitigated disaster as Stenhousemuir raced into a 3-0 lead. A mistake in the Stenny defence allowed Thomas in to pull one back before “Bauchop sent in a beauty which beat Skene all the way”. But despite Alloa’s pressure it finished 3-2. Alloa’s wait for the Stirlingshire Cup would continue. The Wasps had a quick opportunity for revenge as they returned to Ochilview a month later on Central Combination business. This time they got off to a flier, Willie Bauchop opening the scoring with another “beauty”. Willie then combined with Fulton to set up Bowie for the second before the same player added a third from the spot. Alloa were on easy street and a final scoreline of 5-2 put them within touching distance of the title.

With excitement at fever pitch, the Wasps moved from the back page of the Advertiser to the front with news of a special train to Broxburn. A point would secure the championship. The travelling throng were in full voice early on when Bauchop set up Bowie to score, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. Another blow followed as Chambers put Broxburn ahead. “The Athletic made determined efforts to equalise but Broxburn simply blocked up the goal and defied all attempts”. The Wasps continued to press and in the closing stages came their reward, Thomas picking up a rebound and slamming the ball into the net. Alloa had their precious point. “Hail champions! Such is the due honour we pay to Alloa Athletic as winners of the Central Combination Championship for 1902/03”, trumpeted an overjoyed ‘Old Player’.  Just a year after the very existence of the club had been in question, the Wasps had claimed their first league title. The team which made history at Broxburn read as follows: Wilson, Burns, Allan, Park, McMillan, Miller, Thomas, Bowie, Fulton, Fraser, Bauchop.

Willie Bauchop pictured in Alloa colours in 1903.

The title winning heroes gathered at the Ship Inn for a medal presentation at the dawn of the new campaign. President Mr D. Mackay “referred to the hard games engaged in before the championship was won and also spoke of the bright prospects of the club for the incoming season”. It was something of a surprise then that Alloa started slowly, losing their opener 2-0 at Renton. A week later Thornliebank were beaten 2-0 at the Recs. The pattern was set for the months ahead. Alloa were formidable at home but struggled on the road. Such inconsistent form put paid to any hopes of another championship.

It was a different story in cup competition. “The road to ‘the Rec’ became a moving mass of humanity” in early October as East Stirlingshire arrived for a Qualifying Cup tie. Underdogs Alloa started well and Bowie set up Bauchop to fire them into the lead. On the brink of half-time they combined once more, Bowie working his magic before centering for Bauchop to net. Wilson in the Alloa goal was the hero in the second period with several excellent saves. Alloa held out and Bowie converted from the spot in the closing stages to seal a sensational 3-0 win. It was all too much for the men from Falkirk. “The Shire quite lost their heads”, reported the Advertiser. Reid was ordered off for striking Bauchop before the visiting support poured onto the pitch and refused to budge, despite the best efforts of the police and East Stirlingshire officials. “It was a scene to be remembered, and one which robbed Alloa of as brilliant a victory as ever they won”, said ‘Old Player’. Both sides remained on the field with the fans until time was up and the SFA promptly awarded the tie to Alloa. The Wasps had secured a place in the Scottish Cup proper. An eventual few days for Willie Bauchop were rounded off with an injury as an Alloa XI lost heavily to Rangers in a Monday night friendly at the Recs.

It was a costly blow for Bauchop. He was watching from the sidelines as his old team Abercorn visited the Recs in the next round of the Qualifying Cup and he saw his replacement Hunter - a Tillicoultry lad who had been playing with Third Lanark - grab his chance with a fine performance in a 2-0 Alloa win. “He is not as pretty a player as Bauchop, but he knows where the goal-posts are”, noted an impressed ‘Old Player’. St Johnstone were up next and with Alloa hit by a dose of cup fever, the football special bound for Perth was delayed as extra carriages were fitted to carry 800 fans north. The team were on board too and the delay meant the game kicked off behind schedule. Alloa surged into a 2-0 lead but the late arrival in the Fair City saw the game abandoned in the gathering gloom. “It is indeed hard lines on the Athletic but they have no one to blame but themselves, unless it might be the railway company”, suggested ‘Old Player’. There was no mistake the following week. Alloa left early and made sure they got the job done before darkness descended, departing Perth with a 2-1 victory. Poor Willie Bauchop was still injured and must have feared for his place as the Advertiser described Hunter as “the capture of the season”. He wasn’t able to inspire further progress in the Qualifying Cup though with Alloa’s run ending in Arbroath.

The Wasps still had the Scottish Cup proper to look forward to and another huge crowd gathered at the Recs in January 1904 as Aberdeen rolled into town. Bauchop was back and Alloa had found a way to accommodate both Willie and Hunter in the team. The Wasps made the worst possible start, Mackie putting Aberdeen ahead after just two minutes. Desperate defending kept Alloa in the tie but they weathered the storm and an almighty roar arose from Clackmannan Road shortly before the break when Hunter equalised. There was even better to come, Hunter immediately setting up Fraser to put Alloa 2-1 up against the shell shocked Dons. The men from the north regrouped and although the Wasps were pinned to the ropes in the second period, they held on for a famous victory. The Dundee Courier reported that Aberdeen had travelled in expectation of victory but that Alloa had been the “burial ground of their hopes”. There was an honest assessment from the Advertiser - “Plucky but lucky”.

Next up was a glamour tie against Third Lanark. Thirds were riding high in Division 1 and on the cusp of being crowned as champions of Scotland, despite being effectively homeless for much of the season. With Queen’s Park having moved to Hampden (the third stadium of the name and the one which is still their home, for now), Third Lanark had taken on the lease at the Second Hampden. The stadium would be renovated and rebranded as New Cathkin Park. Come February 1904, it was just about ready. Thirds had grander opponents than Alloa in mind for the first game and offered alternative venues but the Wasps had their hearts set on New Cathkin. 500 fans travelled and their numbers were swelled by Clackmannanshire exiles in Glasgow. “One would have imagined he was making for the Rec’ instead of New Cathkin so well kent were the faces”, said ‘Old Player’. And Alloa played like they were at the Recs. “Sparkling play from Bauchop”, exalted the Advertiser as the Sauchie man left six opponents in his wake. The lead that Alloa deserved arrived shortly before the break, Hunter setting up Bowie to score the landmark first goal at New Cathkin Park. It must have been particularly sweet for Tom who knew this patch well from his time at Queen’s Park. The Wasps went in ahead with a cup sensation on the cards. A rattled Third Lanark stayed out on the pitch but Alloa began the second half as they had finished the first, but alas without the crucial second goal. The Wasps had left the door ajar and Thirds hit back with a quick brace from Sloan and Wilson. Still Alloa battled and “Bauchop was cheered time and again, the way he went through the home defence being a feature of the match”. But Alloa couldn’t find an equaliser and instead Thirds added a late goal for a final score of 3-1, the Advertiser still concluding that “all honour is due the Alloa players for their display”. So came to an end a season of famous cup exploits for the Wasps. The only disappointment for Alloa was the lack of silverware.

Cathkin Park on the occasion of the Third Lanark - Alloa tie. From Thomas Taw's 'Third Lanark : Champions of Scotland'.

“The Wasps again on the warpath – We want that cup”. That was the message from the Alloa Advertiser at the start of season 1904/05 as the Wasps’ set their sights on the Qualifying Cup.  Willie Bauchop was back for more and initially at least there was an experiment with a new position. A naturally talented player, he excelled in a deeper role in the half-back line but was missed further up the field. “Bauchop was full of tricky, effective play, but I think it is a mistake of the Athletic to play him in his present position. His play would be more effective if he worked in his old place at outside-left”, opined ‘Old Player’. Perhaps the committee were reading as Willie was back in the forward line as Alloa made the short trip to face Stenhousemuir in the first round of the Qualifying Cup. Their decision was vindicated, the Wasps responding well to an early Stenny goal to bounce back for a 2-1 win, Bauchop grabbing the winner. “Willie Bauchop was the lad who brought joy to the hearts of the gallant 600 from o’er the water. The manner in which the scorer from Sauchie got the winning goal was of a class by itself”, purred ‘Old Player’. The team were full of confidence as they travelled to face Kirkcaldy United but Alloa paid the price for slow start this time, Shaw’s early goal sending the Fifers through. There would be no repeat Qualifying Cup and Scottish Cup adventures for Alloa.

Inconsistent form on the road once more killed off any title challenge too and Alloa’s hopes were to rest on the Stirlingshire Cup. The Wasps had claimed the Fife Cup in 1886 but failed to go beyond the semi-final since switching to Stirlingshire at the turn of the century. Camelon were despatched in the first round in January 1905 to set up semi-final clash with Falkirk. A healthy travelling support made the trip to Brockville but were left disappointed when the referee announced just before kick-off that the pitch was unplayable. In a call which would bring groundsmen around the country out in a cold sweat, the teams went ahead and played a friendly, Alloa surprising their more fancied opponents 5-3. The Advertiser reported that “Bauchop bewildered the Falkirk defence”. Alloa had posted their intentions and over 700 fans followed them back to Brockville a fortnight later. The Wasps picked up where they had finished off and a double from Bowie put them into a 2-0 interval lead. McPherson gave the Bairns hope early in the second-half and a late defensive blunder allowed Connelly in to level the tie. Back to the Recs they would go.

Excitement was at fever pitch with a record crowd predicted, albeit with a warning that “The Rec’ is in a bad state but if the weather now keeps right the tie will go on”. The weather didn’t keep right and there were puddles dotted around the field as the players emerged. The Advertiser reported that the teams “did not seem to fancy the general condition of things” but the game kicked off and a hard fought first-half finished goalless. With the pitch now a quagmire the referee abandoned the tie, but despite heavy rain and fans leaving in their droves, the sides went back out to play the second half as a friendly, Falkirk this time prevailing 2-0. Once more to the Recs the following week for the fourth meeting in a month. ‘Old Player’ wasn’t concerned by Falkirk’s win in the friendly the previous week for “when the teams were playing in a serious mood, no goals were scored”. And his confidence was justified as Alloa finally saw off the Bairns 4-2 in front of almost 4000 fans. Willie Bauchop was Alloa’s star man, “all four goals came from passes from the Sauchie lad, who seems at the top of form at present”.

It had taken six games but Alloa were in the Stirlingshire Cup final for the first time. Their opponents at Brockville, East Stirlingshire, had played just one match to reach the decider. Perhaps that epic run paid off for the battle hardened Wasps as they again upset the odds. Despite playing the second-half with 10 men, a goal from Strang, following up a blocked effort from Bauchop, saw Alloa home 1-0. There was yet more controversy, East Stirlingshire posting an immediate protest that they hadn't received a written copy of Alloa’s team. The cup was withheld until a meeting of the Stirlingshire FA the following Tuesday where the Shire protest was dismissed. The cup finally reached Alloa shortly before midnight, over a hundred fans waiting to greet it. On Wednesday the trophy was displayed in club secretary McLauchlan’s shop window before the team paraded through the town on horse drawn brake. ‘Old Player’ lamented that “the cream of the enthusiasm had been taken away through the cup not coming on Saturday night”, but Alloa made the best of it. They had made history once more. It was the end of an era for a month later Willie Bauchop put pen to paper on a contract with Plymouth Argyle. Alloa man Bob Jack was manager at Plymouth and had played alongside Bauchop in a short spell back at the Recs three years earlier. Willie, still just 23, had already crammed a lot into his career.  He had earned his move. And Alloa didn’t go far for a replacement.

In Willie’s final few months at the Recs, another Bauchop had been making a name for himself in local football circles. James Bauchop, like Robert and Willie before him, had found his way into the Sauchie Juniors team while still a teenager. His fine performances in the Sauchie attack were noted. A month after that Stirlingshire Cup triumph and with the season petering out, an injury hit Alloa called up young Jimmy Bauchop as a trialist as they fulfilled a fixture with King’s Park. Bauchop was the best player on the field in a 2-2 draw. ‘Old Player’ was impressed:  “Another player who enhanced his reputation was J.Bauchop (Sauchie), a young brother of the Athletic’s outside left. This lad performed admirably all through the game at left-half and is well worth a permanent place in the team”. ‘Old Player’ got his wish as James put pen to paper at Alloa.

William Bauchop of Plymouth Argyle.

Down in Devon there was considerable optimism about their new signing, the Plymouth Argyle handbook stating that Willie Bauchop was "a young stranger we know little of, but if trial matches go for anything he should turn out a real find”. Alas for Willie, this early promise was largely unfulfilled as he found himself on the fringes of the Argyle first team. Back in the Wee County it was a very different story for his younger brother. Jimmy Bauchop got his chance at Alloa and he grabbed it. September 1905 saw the Advertiser report on hundreds of Alloa fans heading for “the wilds of Fife” where Jimmy Bauchop was on the scoresheet in a 3-3 Qualifying Cup draw with Lochgelly. The Scottish Referee singled out Alloa’s teenager: “He displayed a wonderful command of the ball, his shooting being almost perfect”. Back in Alloa that same afternoon, the Recs was the venue for a tie between Hearts of Beath and Dunfermline where a wasps' nest was discovered shortly before kick off. "The insects swarmed out in large numbers and in a short time a pretty big gap was made in the crowd". Jimmy wasn't the only Alloa Wasp to sting the Fifers that day.

Bauchop was then to the fore as Alloa went on something of a goal frenzy in the Scottish Combination, defeating Dumbarton 5-3, Bathgate 6-1, and hammering Thornliebank 8-1 in a game which was abandoned due to rough play. Jimmy Bauchop was among the Alloa players who found themselves marked out for special treatment, ‘Old Player’ stating that “The fact was that Thornliebank, exasperated at the huge score which was being chalked up against them, descended to tactics which were not quite legitimate”.

December saw Jimmy star against Stenhousemuir before a two goal performance in a 4-0 win over Royal Albert. The second goal saw Bauchop slalom through the Royal Albert team, beating no fewer than six players before drilling the ball beyond the keeper. “It was one of the best things seen at the Rec’”, enthused ‘Old Player’. Word of such feats from a 19 year old was now spreading beyond the Wee County. James Bauchop played his last game for Alloa on January 1st 1906, a 2-0 home defeat against Cowdenbeath. That very evening Jimmy signed for Celtic. The Bhoys paid Alloa £40 with Bauchop receiving a signing on fee of £5 and £2 10s per week. Alloa quickly went into the transfer market themselves, carrying out a New Year raid on Clackmannan Juniors which saw Sandy ‘Bogie’ Broon and Sandy Malcolm move to the Recs. Both would become Alloa stalwarts.

James Bauchop went straight into the Celtic team as the table topping Bhoys faced struggling Falkirk at Parkhead. McMenemy gave Celtic an early lead and Jimmy Bauchop then tied the Bairns’ defence in knots before setting up Bennet to score. Celtic were cruising now and Jimmy was among the scorers as they added another five goals to win 7-0. The Scottish Referee noted that Bauchop had scored the goal of the day, firing the ball into the top corner from out wide on the wing. It was an impressive start for the Sauchie lad, the Scottish Referee concluding that “The ex-Wasp has taken his sting with him and I feel sure he will remain a favourite in the Parkhead fold”. He hit the opener “with a particularly fine effort” in his next game as Celtic defeated St Mirren 3-1. Despite this excellent start, Jimmy found himself more often than not on duty with the reserves and only called up to first team duty when star man Jimmy Quinn was unavailable. There was a start for Bauchop when Celtic arrived in Alloa for a benefit match in April, the Advertiser reporting on a fascinating battle between the Wee County man in the Celtic team and Alloa defender Sandy Brown. Bogie gave as good as he got but Bauchop was still picked out for “dashing play” as Celtic won the game 2-1. ‘Old Player’ lamented that Alloa could no longer call on Jimmy and noted an improvement in his play in his short time in Glasgow. The season ended in glorious fashion as Celtic collected the Scottish title. Although by no means a regular, Bauchop had done well in his first team appearances. It was something of a rag to riches tale for a player who had been playing for Sauchie Juniors a year earlier and who was still just shy of his 20th birthday. Jimmy could look forward to his first full season in Glasgow with confidence.

Jimmy Bauchop.

He wouldn’t be the only Bauchop in Division 1 in 1906/07. Hearts had just finished second to Celtic and were looking to bolster their squad in an attempt to go one better. Willie Bauchop had been in and out of the Plymouth team during his pilgrimage to the English south coast and Bob Jack, the Alloa born Plymouth boss who had signed him, had now left his post. Back home on holiday in Sauchie when the call came from Hearts in May 1906, Willie Bauchop didn’t hesitate. “He comes to Edinburgh with a good reputation”, noted the Evening News.

The brothers had contrasting fortunes in 1906/07. James was hit by a bout of food poisoning in Budapest on Celtic’s summer tour of Europe. When the action got underway back home, the former Wasp was still understudy to Jimmy Quinn, a man that Celtic legend Willie Maley described as “the keystone in the greatest team the Celts ever had”. Jimmy Bauchop invariably did well when called into the first-team, and then invariably went back to the reserves when Quinn returned. Willie Bauchop, after a slow start, took his chance at Hearts and emerged as an effective partner for Tynecastle legend Bobby Walker.  Willie was singled out for praise for his performance against Queens Park in March 1907, the Scottish Referee suggesting that the ex-Alloa man was showing the kind of form which could lead to a Scotland call-up, albeit with the slight rebuke that he was “too eager to score at impossible angles”. That very same day his younger brother was in the news too, the Alloa Advertiser revealing an audacious attempt from the Wasps to bring James Bauchop back to the Recs on loan from Celtic for the Stirlingshire Cup final against East Stirling. Indeed, the deal was so close to fruition that Jimmy was named in the Alloa team in the Advertiser. But while the Wasps were able to sign Davie from Hamilton and Logan from Queen’s Park for the big day, the deal for Bauchop fell through and Jimmy was denied the chance to follow in his brother’s footsteps by winning a ‘Shire Cup medal. Alloa’s transfer manoeuvres were ultimately in vain as East Stirling triumphed 2-0.

Willie soon had the chance to add an even more prestigious medal to his collection as he was named in the Hearts team to face Celtic at Hampden in the Scottish Cup Final. There was the tantalising prospect of the brothers lining up in opposition when Jimmy Quinn emerged as an injury doubt for Celtic. Alas for Jimmy Bauchop, Quinn was declared fit and there was just one Bauchop on the field at Hampden. The crowd of over 50,000 were made to wait as the late appearance of Hearts keeper Allan caused a delayed kick-off. When the game eventually got underway it was the Edinburgh men who started the stronger, Walker and Bauchop tormenting Celtic in the first half. Hearts failed to press home their advantage and Orr put Celtic ahead with a disputed penalty after the break. Somers added a second to kill off Hearts and the game eventually finished 3-0. There would be no Scottish Cup medal for Willie Bauchop. Advertiser columnist ‘Old Player’ was still looking on, rather harshly claiming that Willie “was only a partial success” at Hampden.

Willie was on the losing side as Celtic defeated Hearts in the Scottish Cup Final of 1907.

As the season drew to a close, there was a special day for the family as the brothers faced up against each other in Division 1 of the Scottish League. Hearts were going for revenge for that cup final defeat and they roared into attack in front of 10,000 fans at Tynecastle. Willie Bauchop cut through the Celtic defence early on but lost his footing as he made to shoot. The ball fell nicely for Bobby Walker following up and he swept the Jambos into the lead. Hearts maintained their pressure and McLaren added a quickfire double to put the Gorgie men into a commanding 3-0 half-time lead. It never tends to be easy to close out a game against either side of the Old Firm in any era (as Alloa showed against Rangers in 2014, perhaps the best way is to score a late winner) and Young gave Celtic hope before Jimmy Bauchop pulled it back to 3-2. It was game on now and Garry completed the comeback to save a point for the Parkhead men. A memorable game to mark a wee bit of history for the Bauchop boys.

It proved to be a turning point in their careers. Later that month and perhaps frustrated by his lack of opportunities at Parkhead, James Bauchop headed south to sign for Norwich City. “Bauchop is a rare worker, dribbles judiciously, and has a good conception of the game”, reported the Norfolk press. Willie Bauchop was in a different position. He had already had a rather mixed spell in England with Plymouth and had flourished on his return to Scotland with Hearts. The Jambos were keen to keep him but Willie had wanderlust once more and in June 1907 he signed for Carlise United “on excellent terms”. The Bauchops were starting out on new adventures south of the border.

Jimmy made an immediate impact with the Canaries, described as a “brilliant centre forward”, and was promptly snapped up amid stiff competition by fellow Southern League outfit Crystal Palace, the London Daily News reporting that Bauchop “should considerably strengthen the Palace forward line”. He was quickly among the goals but there was also something of an unwanted milestone for Jimmy in his first year at Palace, the Wee County man making history by becoming the first ever Crystal Palace player to be ordered off following what the Borough of Woolwich Gazette called “a personal conflict” with Taylor of Croydon Common. The unfortunate Taylor had felt the full force of the Jimmy Bauchop hot-shot. The goals continued to flow for Bauchop, four in one game against Luton in March 1909.  The following month he was among several London based Scottish players to visit the national team in the city on the eve of their clash with England. The big match was going ahead on Bauchop’s home turf at Crystal Palace and the press reported that none of the guests “were more welcome than Bauchop, the old Alloa and Celtic player, for he had come down expressly to tell them what condition the playing pitch was that morning”. The Scotland squad were reported to be in “high spirits” as Jimmy joined them for a stroll. Alas his inside info was of little use, England going on to win 2-0. There was no stopping Bauchop at Palace though and after finishing as top scorer, James was on the move again in the summer of 1909. Derby County were strengthening their team in an attempt to win promotion back to Division 1 of the Football League. “The most valuable of these acquisitions to the ranks of the Rams will be James Bauchop, the Crystal Palace club’s big bustling forward”, predicted the press.

Willie at Stockport in the 1911 census.

Jimmy’s move to Derby put the Bauchop boys on a collision course once more. Willie - “Carlisle’s brilliant left winger” - had excelled in the Lancashire Combination. His form was noted and just as Jimmy was signing up for Derby in 1909, so too was Willie heading for Division 2 with Stockport County. November saw the brothers meet on the field. Jimmy’s goal scoring feats at Norwich and Crystal Palace, added to a fine start at Derby where he was already in double figures, meant he was now the better known Bauchop. Willie, who was labelled by the Athletic News as the “brother of the Derby County expert”, had started out in the reserves at Stockport but had shown his worth on promotion to the first team. “Stockport have suddenly discovered there is not a better outside left in the Second Division”, the Athletic News had continued. The Bauchops impressed in opposition and honours were even after a 1-1 draw. Thereafter their fortunes were somewhat different with Derby battling at the top of the league and Stockport at the bottom. The next occasion their paths crossed was in April 1911 when Stockport shocked Derby 3-2, a win that went long a way to keeping them up. It was another red letter day for the family with both of the Bauchops on the scoresheet.
This was one of Willie’s final acts in a Stockport shirt. Having helped the team survive by the skin of their teeth in Division 2, he was on the move again in the summer of 1911 to a club who had finished just above County. Leicester Fosse – the name change to City still eight years away – were a well-established Football League club and represented another fine move for the elder Bauchop. “Bauchop is the brother of the brilliant Derby County forward”, reported the Leicester Daily Post. “Stockport have sent many capable footballers to various clubs, it is to be trusted that Bauchop will prove his mettle with Fosse”, the paper went on, adding that Willie was “a neat but not ostentatious winger”.
Neat but not ostentatious proved to be a good description of Willie Bauchop’s year with Leicester. Come the end of the season he dropped out of the Football League and into the Southern League, pitching up at Jimmy’s former club Norwich. A mixed season followed, the highlight an FA Cup run which included a fine performance from Willie as Norwich shocked his old team Leicester 4-1. It proved to be Willie Bauchop’s swansong in English football.

There was still plenty to come from James Bauchop south of the border. Jimmy had found fame as part of a feared forward line at Derby – the 3 B’s of Barnes, Bloomer and Bauchop.  The B’s were to the fore in an 1911 FA Cup sensation as Divison 2 Derby thrashed top flight title contenders Everton 5-0. "EVERTON ANNIHILATED" was the headline as Bloomer, Barnes and Bauchop – and even a fourth B in Bentley – battered a bamboozled and befuddled Everton.  “Everton were being whacked all ends up,” trumpeted the Football and Sports Special. With pace and trickery allied to a natural strength and powerful frame, Bauchop could play anywhere in the forward line and he consistently provided 20 goals a season at the Baseball Ground. “Derby County have got a really brilliant centre-forward in Bauchop”, said the press the following season as the Rams went on another FA Cup run.  This time Newcastle were their highest profile victims, dumped out of the cup 3-0. Derby ended the season as Divison 2 champions, two Jimmy Bauchop goals in a 3-2 win over Sheffield United sealing their promotion. Five years after moving south, Bauchop was on his way to the top flight. He was a success at the higher level too, hitting double figures and averaging a goal every two games as Derby finished a highly respectable seventh. Jimmy’s personal highlight was a hat-trick in a 5-0 thrashing of Spurs in January 1913. Tottenham were impressed and at the end of the season they tempted Bauchop to White Hart Lane. “It is understood that a large transfer fee has been paid”, noted the press.

A double on his debut in a 4-1 win over Sheffield United was the perfect start but Bauchop was soon reported to be unsettled in London. A transfer request followed and Bauchop finished his Spurs career in December 1913 with another brace, this time in a 3-0 win over West Brom. With six goals in ten games for Tottenham, he packed his bags and headed for Bradford Park Avenue of Division 2. “In order to strengthen their position in the fight for promotion, Bradford have secured the transfer at a big fee of James Bauchop, who asked to be put on the transfer list because the London air did not agree with him”, reported the Yorkshire press, adding that Spurs had only reluctantly parted with the Wee County man and that former Scotland and Newcastle defender Peter McWilliam had described Bauchop “as the most difficult man he had ever been called upon to stop”.

There was a strong Celtic link behind Jimmy's move to Bradford. Park Avenue were managed by Tom Maley, brother of the famous Willie of Celtic, the very man who had taken Jimmy Bauchop from Alloa to Parkhead back in 1906. Tom Maley had even changed Bradford's colours to green and white hoops on his appointment as manager in 1911. Jimmy surely felt at home and he started with another brace as Bradford defeated Lincoln 3-0, the second a solo effort which “electrified” the crowd. The Bradford air clearly suited Jimmy and he cracked the 20 goal barrier once more to fire Park Avenue into Division 1 ahead of Arsenal. He didn’t let up on his return to the top flight either, smashing in four hat-tricks, including a 5-1 thumping of Spurs and a 5-0 hammering of Manchester United. Bauchop embarked on a swashbuckling run in which he scored 20 times in 15 games. Little wonder that the Star Green ‘Un reported that Bauchop was making a claim to be the “most dangerous inside-left in the kingdom”. ‘Hat-trick Bauchop’ finished a wonderful season in Roy of the Rovers style by helping Park Avenue to a 3-0 derby win over Bradford City, leaping above their rivals in the table in the process. Jimmy damaged his shoulder in the act of putting Park Avenue ahead but refused to leave the field and went on to add a magnificent individual goal. These were halcyon days for Bradford Park Avenue.

Bradford Park Avenue with Hat-Trick Bauchop second from the the right in front row.

The derby win also proved to be the last act before the English League was abandoned as war raged in Europe. Jimmy would re-emerge in Division 1 in 1919 but the conflict ultimately put an end to the career of his older brother. On leaving Norwich in 1913 and with his best days perhaps behind him, Willie Bauchop had packed his bags and returned home to the Wee County to sign once more for Alloa, the club he had served with such distinction between 1902 and 1905. With Alloa having won the Central League and Stirlingshire Cup the previous season with a team built on the powerful half-back line of the 3 M’s,  the addition of a class player such as Bauchop was a signal of intent. The press reported that he had returned to “his old love” and Willie settled quickly, his fine play helping the Wasps through the Qualifying Cup and into the Scottish Cup proper. Their run came to an end with a 5-0 defeat at Ibrox on a day when Alloa perhaps missed the suspended Robert Moir and possibly regretted giving up home advantage for a hefty pay cheque. Four of the Rangers’ goals came in the second period and the Daily Record concluded that “the Athletic put up a quite commendable stand against their renowned rivals and gained something in prestige as a result of their first-half display”. Attention switched to the Stirlingshire Cup but Willie Bauchop’s hopes of adding a second medal nine years after his first were dashed with a semi-final defeat against East Stirlingshire. The following season saw Willie help Alloa past King’s Park after a three game Qualifying Cup epic, but the Stirling men took revenge with a Stirlingshire Cup semi-final win in which Bauchop was at least named as Alloa’s best player. That was almost that for the Wasps as they went into cold storage during the war years. By the time Alloa re-emerged in 1919, 37 year old William Bauchop had hung up his boots, at professional level at least.

Jimmy continued to play - and score - in wartime football. He was particularly busy as 1917 drew to a close, scoring for Park Avenue in a 2-1 festive derby win over Bradford City on Christmas Day, then drawing a blank the as City grabbed some immediate Boxing Day revenge 1-0. Two quickfire Wool City derbies out of the way, Jimmy headed north to guest for Celtic against Rangers in the Ne'er Day Derby, 12 years to the day since he had moved from Alloa to Parkhead. Celtic were obviously hoping that Jimmy could bring his Bradford goalscoring form to the Old Firm fixture, but he found himself shackled by a powerful Rangers defence as the old rivals finished goalless in front of 50,000 fans. Daily Record columnist ‘Waverley’ noted that Bauchop had been a disappointment at centre-forward and suggested that he should have been deployed on the flank. That was exactly where he was when Celtic played a friendly against the Scottish League XI two days later with Bauchop described as “quite a different player”. “I told you on Wednesday morning that inside-left was the Sauchie man’s true position”, noted a smug ‘Waverley’. Jimmy went back to Bradford, although he was then linked with Rangers and even found time to help out as a guest with Bradford City. Regardless, when competitive football returned in 1919 Jimmy was once more in the colours of Bradford Park Avenue.

He resumed where had left off, scoring the winner in Bradford’s first Division 1 game after the war. Bauchop once again hit double figures as Park Avenue finished mid-table and reached the last eight of the FA Cup. Unfortunately, the club now went into decline with back to back relegations seeing them land in Division 3 North. The glory days of Bradford Park Avenue were over and never again would they play in the top flight. It proved to be Jimmy’s swansong at Bradford as a player and after nine years of service, he was on his way in 1922 to Doncaster Rovers of the Midland League. Even at the age of 36 he was seen as a glamour addition. The Derby Daily Telegraph noted that Jimmy had scored well over 100 Football League goals “and if I were to add the goals he also got at Norwich City and Crystal Palace, the ex-miner of Alloa might blush”. Doncaster went on to finish as runners-up in the Midland League and were accepted into the Football League for 1923/24, but Jimmy’s appearances were somewhat sporadic, something which one report attributed to “the necessity of devoting all his time of his business as a newsagent, tobacconist and athletic outfitter at Bradford”. Jimmy was clearly preparing for life after football, and one that didn’t involve going back down a mine or into a mill.

Jimmy's Doncaster contract.

Bauchop felt he still had something to offer on the field of play too and in the summer of 1923 he signed for Lincoln City of the Third Division North. The Lincolnshire Chronicle noted that “although admittedly past the meridian of his football career, Bauchop still retains a very large measure of the deftness and skill which have made him famous in the world of soccer”. Goals in his first two games for the Imps suggested that the Chronicle was correct but despite a good scoring return for Lincoln, Jimmy was in and out of the side throughout the season. He still managed to make it into double figures once more and remained a fans favourite, receiving a standing ovation in April 1924 when he was knocked out against Wolves only to return to the field of play. He departed Lincoln that summer but still Jimmy tried to keep going, placing an advert in the Athletic News offering his services as a centre-forward or outside-left and asking potential suitors to contact at him at his home in Bradford. This time there were no takers and the long playing career of Jimmy Bauchop drew to an end. Although his shop on Bradford's Legrams Lane was now his priority, still Jimmy’s involvement in football continued and he went back to help out at the club where he had stayed longest in the roles of trainer and scout at Bradford Park Avenue. It was apt that Bauchop, who had begun his working life in a woolen mill, would settle in the 'wool capital of the world'.

And what of the elder Bauchop? Willie’s distinguished professional football career had come to an end in the Black and Gold of Alloa in 1915. Perhaps not surprisingly for a man who had been much travelled in his footballing days, Willie Bauchop would be on the move again. In 1923 he and his family sailed for America, eventually settling in Trenton, New Jersey, where he found work as a potter, the very industry in which he had worked as a teenager back home in Clackmannanshire.  Like his brother, Willie couldn’t turn his back on the game that had taken him from the Wee County to life as a professional athlete, the Trenton Evening Times reporting that “William Bauchop, formerly of the Hearts of Midlothian”, (and by now well into his 40’s), would be among some noted Scots playing in an exhibition soccer match for the Callies against White Horse.

Willie Bauchop passed away in New Jersey in 1948, shortly after the death the very same year of Jimmy in his own adopted home of Bradford. Football had been central to the lives of both, something Jimmy had touched upon in a newspaper feature back in 1921. He was speaking before the belated and welcome rise of women’s football, but almost a hundred years later there is still plenty of merit in James Bauchop’s ‘Values of the Game’:

“We sometimes hear people who talk about us being mad on football, but in my opinion there are many worse things and worse games we might be mad upon. When you come to think of it, the game ought to be a great teacher of the lessons of life, and the boy or the man who can play the game of football as it should be played, that is – in the proper spirit – won’t go very far wrong in the more serious things of life”.

Adapted from a series of articles first published in 'The Wasp', the Alloa Athletic FC programme. Feedback/corrections welcomed.

Thanks to:

The British Newspaper Archive

Scotland's People

Scottish Football Historical Archive

John Glencross

Tim Clapham
Patricia Peoples
Greens on Screen
Bradford (Park Avenue) Remembered
Celtic Wiki
Crystal Palace FC Supporters' Website
Scottish Architects
Geograph
Third Lanark Champions of Scotland - Thomas Taw

All About Avenue - Malcom Hartley & Tim Clapham
Old Player