| Event | 1885–86 Scottish Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Date | 13 February 1886 | ||||||
| Venue | Cathkin Park,Crosshill | ||||||
| Referee | J. E. McKillop (Cartvale) | ||||||
| Attendance | 7,000 | ||||||
←1885 1887 → | |||||||
The1886 Scottish Cup final was the 13th final of theScottish Cup and the final of the1885–86 Scottish Cup, the most prestigious knockoutfootball competition in Scotland. The match was played atCathkin Park inCrosshill (today part ofGlasgow) on 13 February 1886, and was watched by a crowd of "between 7,000 and 8,000",[1] "between 8,000 and 9,000",[2] or "not less than 9,000",[3] or 10,000[4] spectators. The final was contested by defending championsRenton and seven-time winnersQueen's Park.[5]
This was the first Scottish Cup final since1880 to be decided without the need for a replay (excluding the1884 final which went unplayed).
Queen's Park had reached the final on seven previous occasions and had gone on to win the competition on each occasion. This was the fifth time in seven seasons which Queen's Park had reached the final.
Defending champions Renton had previously reached the final only twice, winning the trophy in1885,ten years after finishing as runners-up.
Renton and Queen's Park had previously played twice in the Scottish Cup, although they had not been drawn together for over a decade. Renton had not scored a goal against Queen's Park before the 1886 final with the Glasgow side winning 3–0 in the 1875 final and 2–0 in the 1874 semi-finals.
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| First round | St Peter's | 16–0 |
| Second round | Pilgrims | 1–0 |
| Third round | East Stirlingshire | 3–0 |
| Fourth round | Airdrieonians | 1–0 |
| Fifth round | Arthurlie | 2–1 |
| Quarter-final | bye | |
| Semi-final | 3rd Lanark RV | 3–0 |
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| First round | Kirkintilloch Athletic | 15–0 |
| Second round | Dumbarton Athletic | 7–2 |
| Third round | Albion | 1–0 |
| Fourth round | Cowlairs | 4–0 |
| Fifth round | Vale of Leven | 2–2 |
| Fifth round replay | Vale of Leven | 3–0 |
| Quarter-final | bye | |
| Semi-final | Hibernian | 2–0 |
The first quarter of the game was played in heavy rain.[1] Queen's Park, who had the benefit of a wind behind them in the first half,[2] took the lead early on when Somerville turned home a Hamilton shot that had been blocked by Hannah.[note 1] Renton came close to an equalizer shortly before half-time when Gillespie caught a shot from McCall and was nearly driven over the line in the resulting maul.
A quarter of an hour into the second half, following Renton pressure, Kelso drove a free-kick through a crowd of players to make the score 1-1; as direct free-kicks did not exist, Queen's Park protested the goal, but the referee deemed that there had been a touch on the way through.[6] A short while afterwards, Christie injured his foot, and was a passenger for the rest of the match, having to leave the pitch for a while;[1] Renton pressed home with a man advantage, but could not score, and, following a break after 70 minutes, Harrower scored from a Hamilton cross. Near the end Queen's Park made it three from a 'scrimmage',[3] which was credited to Somerville,[note 2] after a move involving Hamilton and Harrower.[1]
| Queen's Park | 3–1 | Renton |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Kelso 60' |
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Renton gained a measure of revenge at the end of the season, beating Queen's Park 5–2 in the semi-final of theGlasgow Charity Cup, a prestige tournament for four invited clubs; Renton beat local rivalsVale of Leven in the final.[7]
