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John MacGill

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John MacGill
Birth nameJohn MacGill
Date of birthc. 1883
Place of birthGrangemouth, Scotland
Date of death20 November 1941 (aged 57–58)
Place of deathEdinburgh, Scotland
Rugby union career
Position(s) Full Back
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
- Glasgow Academicals ()
1916 Glasgow Highlanders (H.L.I.) ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1907 Glasgow District ()
1908 Cities District ()
Refereeing career
Years Competition Apps
1922-30 Scottish Unofficial Championship
1926 Border League
1928 Scottish Districts
54th President of the Scottish Rugby Union
In office
1933–1934
Preceded byCrawford Findlay
Succeeded byMark Coxon Morrison

John MacGill was a Scottish rugby union player.[1] He became a referee and later was the 54th President of the Scottish Rugby Union. His regular playing position was Full back.

Rugby Union career

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Amateur career

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MacGill played for Glasgow Academicals,[2][3] he usually played at full back; but in the early days of his career he started as a forward.[4]

MacGill played in Glasgow Academicals own Sevens competition in 1908.[5]

MacGill played matches for his army battalion. One such match was the 2/9th Highland Light Infantry (Glasgow Highlanders) versus 15th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders played on 22 January 1916 at Old Anniesland.[6]

Provincial career

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MacGill played for Glasgow District against Edinburgh District in the 1907 inter-city match. The Herald newspaper reports that the Edinburgh back T. Sturrock, the brother of John Sturrock, had a bad game but this was due to the brilliance of MacGill.[7]

MacGill's best chance of pressing for international selection was the Cities District versus Provinces District match in January 1908. Macgill started as Full Back for Cities.[8]

MacGill's opposite number in the Provinces side Douglas Schulze had a better game and outshone Macgill, although both players played well. One black mark against Macgill was his defending against Alex Purves; on one occasion Purves seemed to slip through his fingers on his way to scoring a try. Schulze and Purves received the Scotland call-ups, not Macgill.[9]

Referee career

[edit]

MacGill refereed in the Scottish Unofficial Championship.[10][11]

MacGill refereed in the Border League.[12]

MacGill refereed the Blues Trial versus Whites Trial match in 1928.[13]

Administrative career

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MacGill was Honorary Secretary of Glasgow Academicals in 1914–15.[14]

MacGill was vice-president of the SRU in 1932.[15] He opened the stand at Jock's Lodge, the home of Royal HSFP that year.[16]

MacGill was elected President of the SRU in 1933.[17]

MacGill was included in the Scotland travelling party to Ireland for their Five Nations Championship match in 1939.[18]

Outside of rugby

[edit]

MacGill served in the army in the First World War as a captain of the Highland Light Infantry.[19]

MacGill began a career in shipping; first with James Rankine and Son in Glasgow. That company joined with George Gibson & Co. Ltd, a Leith shipping firm, and he became a director of George Gibson & Co. on the merger.[20]

MacGill succeeded R. A. Somerville as a member of the Leith Dock Commission. He represented the Chamber of Shipping as an advisory board member for new works of the Northern Lighthouse Commissioners. He was also on the Forth Conservancy Board representing shipowners.[19]

Death

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He died in an Edinburgh nursing home on 20 November 1941.[20]

His estate was worth £48,663.[21]

References

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  1. ^ "Tributes to top golfer Jean". Milngavie Herald.[dead link]
  2. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001876/19071202/044/0004 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002446/19081121/191/0022 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002446/19020301/296/0053 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001876/19080410/042/0003 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000728/19160122/126/0006 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ "Notes on Sports : Tale of Two Cities". The Glasgow Herald. 9 December 1907 – via Google News Archive.
  8. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001876/19071230/047/0004 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001876/19080113/052/0004 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000954/19300117/016/0003 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000469/19221116/036/0007. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000954/19261022/075/0004. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000566/19280122/207/0023 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ^ Cooper, Stephen; Leonard, Jason (3 August 2015). After the Final Whistle: The First Rugby World Cup and the First World War. History Press. ISBN 9780750965668 – via Google Books.
  15. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19321227/148/0005 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002784/19321124/185/0008 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000954/19330526/114/0007 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19390224/167/0009 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. ^ a b https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19411121/060/0003 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ^ a b https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19411121/060/0003 – via British Newspaper Archive. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000540/19420319/085/0002. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)