Page 22 - 375457 NLP263064 BB Magazine (April Issue 97)

Images: Andrew West
SPORT ///
BUDDING YOUNG FOOTBALLERS HONOUR A LOCAL SPORTING LEGEND...
SUN 21 MAY
named after the first two Scottish Budding young footballers from Primary
Junior Cup-winning captains of
schools in the Linlithgow area will parade
Linlithgow Rose.
their skills at the annual George Allan
Memorial Football Festival on Sunday May 21st
The George Allan Shield is
at Linlithgow Rose FC’s Prestonfield ground.
presented to the winners of
Kick-off is at 9am.
the Reston League, while the
Gallagher League victors are
awarded the George Allan
Trophy. A ‘Fair Play’ trophy is
also offered and this was donated
by Mrs Georgina Waugh of Erskine,
who was George Allan’s great-niece.
The event is strongly supported by Linlithgow Rose FC and Linlithgow Rose Community FC. This year, the organisers are delighted to welcome again as main sponsors the Blue Eyes Sports Foundation (BESF), which is a family registered charity founded in 2012 by Linlithgow residents Alex, Carole and Robbie Brown. BESF’s ethos is to Now in its fourth decade,
inspire, include and encourage young people and they firmly believe that sport fosters the Football Festival honours the memory
discipline and focus and develops healthy of Linlithgow Bridge footballer, George
traits which last a lifetime. The charity “Dod” Allan, a star centre forward on
supports access to sport of any kind,
both sides of the border who, in 1897,
through individual help, equipment, became Liverpool Football Club’s first
coaching and travel.
Scottish internationalist. Sadly, on the
cusp of a glittering career, George died of
It is very heartening to see the tuberculosis in 1899, at the age of only 24.
number of footballers from
the Linlithgow area who are
George Allan was one of Liverpool FC’s
now plying their trade at all
very first star players and his exploits have
levels of the game. These
never been forgotten by the club. Until fairly
include Scott Banks, who
recently, a large photo of the man described
as “a model centre; of fine physique, great
is with Crystal Palace in
speed and no fear” hung proudly in the club
the Premiership in England and Robbie museum. He netted the club’s 100th goal and
Hamilton of Hibernian FC. Robbie scored was the first player to score for Liverpool
the winning goal for Linlithgow Primary when they changed their club colours from
at the George Allan in 2015.
the original blue to the more familiar red in
The action gets underway at 9am on Sunday September 1896. It is hoped that George’s
May 21st and a warm welcome is extended achievements will be formally recognised
to everyone to come along and cheer on in a “Hall of the Heroes” being planned
Linlithgow’s football stars of the future. for the new stand development at the
Anfifield stadium.
Murdoch
The Football Festival has a tried and tested
Kennedy
format. Participants play in two seven-a-side
leagues: the developmental Reston League at
the Social Club end and the more advanced
Gallagher League at the Academy end,
22 BLACK BITCH ISSUE 97 APRIL 2023