Sports in Scotland
Sports are a huge part of Scotland's culture. Scotland is known world wide for it's love of sports, inventing several popular internationally known sports including; tennis, golf, and rugby. Football(soccer to the US) is the most popular spectator sport in Scotland. The well know Highland Games a mix of sports, culture and community are a big part of celebrating and preserving the Scotish Culture and are celebrated all over the world.
Highland Games: History and Present Day
Highland Games take place all over the world celebrating Scotland with the wearing of traditional Tartains, sporting event, highland dance competitions and of course bagpipe music.
The Braemar Gathering is the most famous Highland Games in Scotland. Always taking place on the first Saturday in September in The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park in Braemar. The Royal Family is always in attendence.
The Braemar Gathering has royal origins as well. With the creation of the contests of strength, riding, jumping, running and throwing by Malcom Canmore in 1040 as a way of selecting the best men for soilders and couriers.
Football
(Soccer as we know it)
Scotland loves it's football. The first ever English football league was set up by Scotsman William McGregor, the first international match was play in Patrick Glasgo between England and Scotland in 1872.
Today Scotland's football team is internationally known as the 'Tartan Army'.
Other football milestones for Scotland include:
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First Football Club, Edinburgh, 1824
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First International Football Match in Hampden Park, Glasgow 1872
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First National Football Museum in the World, Hampden 1994
Scottish legend says that the Highland Games originate from Ireland in 2000 BC and crossed the water into Scotland with the forth and fifth century migrants.
Tennis
Tennis in Scotland dates all the way back to 1539, when King James V had the first official tennis courts built at Falkland Palace in Fife. They are the oldest tennis courts still in use today.
Andy Murray is the most famous tennis player from Scotland, born in 1987 in Dunblane Stirlingshire. He is a former Wimbledon champion, and has won two Grand Slams, and Olympic gold.
Works Cited:
http://braemargathering.org/information.htm
http://www.scotland.org/about-scotland/sport/football/
http://www.scotland.org/about-scotland/sport/tennis/
http://www.scotland.org/whats-on/scotlands-festivals/highland-games/
PICTURES:
http://theoriginalwinger.com/2011-10-10-new-scotland-home-jersey-teaser-images -soccer
http://6bonniers.com/?page_id=1076 –Highland Games
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Media/Photo-Landing.aspx?q=Andy+Murray –Andy Murray
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