Episode Summary
Hosts
Graham Dunn, Jamie Rooney
Guest(s)
Release Date
6 April 2023
Duration
65 min
In this triple-header episode of By Far The Greatest Team, hosts Graham Dunn and Jamie Rooney turn the clock back to the Victorian era to explore the origins of modern football through three extraordinary stories — Queen’s Park 1883–85, Iceland 2016, and Nottingham Forest 1977–80.
Queen’s Park Football Club of Glasgow stand as true pioneers of the game. Founded in 1867, they were Scotland’s first football club and the architects of the passing game — introducing structure, teamwork, and tactical thought to a sport still dominated by dribbling and chaos. By the early 1880s, Queen’s Park were not just innovators but champions, winning ten consecutive Scottish Cups between 1874 and 1886 and reaching the English FA Cup finals of 1884 and 1885 — an extraordinary feat for an amateur side from another country.
Their influence on global football was profound. At a time when England’s clubs were beginning to embrace professionalism, Queen’s Park held fast to their amateur ideals, embodying the motto “Ludere Causa Ludendi” — “To play for the sake of playing.” Their commitment to technique, movement, and collective play shaped early Scottish dominance over England at international level and inspired future tactical revolutions across Europe and South America.
In this episode, the hosts trace how Queen’s Park laid football’s foundations — from formation systems and kit design to sportsmanship and tactical philosophy. Though they never lifted the FA Cup, their legacy is unmatched: they changed how football was played, thought about, and loved.
Takeaways
Queen’s Park invented the passing style that defines modern football.
They reached back-to-back FA Cup finals as Scottish amateurs.
Their influence extended from Scotland to Europe and South America.
The club embodied purity, teamwork, and fair play.
Their ethos shaped football’s global DNA more than any trophy could.
Queen’s Park 1883–1885: The Team That Invented Passing
Before tactics had names and before football became an industry, there was Queen’s Park — a team of Scottish amateurs who changed the game forever.
Founded in 1867, Queen’s Park were the first club in Scotland and the first to understand that football could be played with the mind as well as the feet. Between 1883 and 1885, they reached back-to-back English FA Cup finals, a remarkable feat for a team from another country, competing entirely as amateurs.
Their innovation was revolutionary: they invented the combination game — the art of passing and moving. While English teams preferred solo dribblers and physical duels, Queen’s Park introduced teamwork, strategy, and space management. They lined up in the early 2-3-5 Pyramid, pioneering positional play and collective rhythm that would later define the sport.
Guided by visionaries like Charles Campbell and Andrew Watson — the world’s first Black international footballer — Queen’s Park’s influence spread far beyond Glasgow. Their style inspired Scottish dominance over England in early internationals and influenced generations of clubs worldwide, from Preston North End’s “Invincibles” to Barcelona’s tiki-taka.
They lost both FA Cup finals (to Blackburn Rovers in 1884 and 1885), but their victories were philosophical, not statistical. They proved that football could be played beautifully — that intelligence, teamwork, and artistry could triumph over brute force.
Even as professionalism took hold, Queen’s Park stood firm in their amateur ideals. Their motto, “Ludere Causa Ludendi” — “To play for the sake of playing” — became their creed. More than a club, they were a movement that defined what football could be.
Queen’s Park 1883–85 weren’t just pioneers; they were prophets. Every pass played since carries a trace of their vision.
Main Topics
Iconic Moments
The founding of Queen’s Park and early Scottish football
The creation of the passing game and “combination play”
Queen’s Park’s FA Cup final appearances in 1884 and 1885
The amateur ethos vs the rise of professionalism
Their tactical influence on global football and legacy
Founding of Queen’s Park in 1867, Scotland’s first football club
Development of the “combination game” passing style
Victory over England in the first official international (1872)
FA Cup Final 1884 (lost 2–1 to Blackburn Rovers)
FA Cup Final 1885 (lost 2–0 to Blackburn Rovers)
Ongoing legacy as the “Father Club” of Scottish football
Notable Manager
None (player-led committee)
Notable Players
Charles Campbell, Andrew Watson, James Lang, Walter Arnott, William McKinnon, Tom Vallance, William Anderson, William Harrower, James Gillespie, Robert Gardner, John Smith
Style of Play
2-3-5 Formation, Combination Game, Short Passing, Positional Rotation, Early Total Football, Teamwork Ethos
Queen’s Park 1883–1885 were the original innovators of what we now call modern football. At a time when most teams relied on individual dribbling and brute force, Queen’s Park introduced a revolutionary concept — teamwork through passing.
Their “combination game” was built around coordinated movement, triangular support, and short, accurate passes designed to outthink opponents rather than outmuscle them. They lined up in what would evolve into a 2-3-5 (“Pyramid”) formation, pioneering positional structure and overlapping runs long before such ideas became mainstream.
Defensively, they relied on organisation and anticipation rather than aggression, with goalkeeper Robert Gardner and full-back Charles Campbell setting new standards for composure and communication. In midfield, players like William McKinnon dictated play, while forwards rotated and interchanged — a 19th-century prototype of fluid attacking football.
What set Queen’s Park apart was their ethos. They played as amateurs, without pay, guided by the belief that football was an art form — something to be played beautifully and for its own sake. This aesthetic approach influenced Scottish internationals, inspired English clubs like Preston North End and Sunderland, and even shaped the footballing philosophies of Uruguay, Argentina, and Barcelona decades later.
Queen’s Park’s legacy was not in silverware but in style. Every slick passing move, every triangle of possession, every chant for “total football” traces its roots to the black-and-white shirts of Victorian Glasgow.
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