Heart of Midlothian Football Club interest, gold and enamell...

Hammer

£1,000

Heart of Midlothian Football Club interest, gold and enamelled medal for Robert McNeil of HMFC winners of the Rosebery Charity Cup, 1886, unhallmarked, 10.5g

The Rosebery Charity cup was founded in 1882 and organised by and named for the patron and Prime Minister Lord Dalmeny, 5th Earl of Rosebery after seeing the success of the Glasgow Merchants Charity cup which was founded in 1877. The Tournament predates the organised league SFL founded in 1890.The 1886 final was contested by rivals Hearts and Hibernian, it had to be replayed twice. On the first occasion played at Tynecastle on 15th May 1886 with a crowd of 4,500 Hearts were losing 2-0 but the match was abandoned in the 75th minute because of a crowd invasion, the first replay was played at Powderhall on 1st June 1886 with a crowd of 4000, Hearts were winning 2-0 but again because of the crowd the match was abandoned, Bobby McNeil scored Hearts' second goal in the match, one of the four goals he scored in the Tournament, finally the second replay was played at Powderhall on 24th June 1886 with a crowd of 2500, Hearts won 1-0, Willis Mackay scored the only goal of the game in the 40th minute. The Rosebery Charity Cup has been contested sixty four times, Hearts are the most decorated team with 32 victories followed by Hibs on 16, Leith Athletic on 10, St Bernards 4 and Armadale and Motherwell share a victory each. The 2016/17 season saw Hearts return to the pink and yellow colours of the 5th Earl of Rosebery