In the year r877, before the annual competitions of the Bon Accord Club, which were to be held on the River Dee, the president of the club asked Mr. W. Wilson, of Glasgow, whether the monotony of racing could not be varied by the institution of a game or competition which would amuse the spectator? The suggestion was acted upon : Mr. Wilson drew up a set of rules for a water game, termed aquatic football,' and play took place from.bank to bank at the Bon Accord Festival. In the previous year Mr. Wilson drew up some rules for the Aberdeen Club. Later in the same year, the Victoria Baths and the West of Scotland Clubs played a game at the opening of the Victoria Baths. In October of the same year the rules were revised, and a competition extending over two nights was decided at Paisley Baths between the West of Scotland and Paisley Clubs. Paisley were beaten in the first match by one goal to nil, but in the return they vanquished their opponents, the score again being one goal to nil. The next year the rules were again revised for the Carnegie Club, and after this the West of Scotland paid some attention to the game. There were no goal-posts at first, the ball having to be played between two little flags placed eight or ten feet apart, and the game was merely a rough and tumble scramble from end to end of the field of play. Only soft india rubber balls were used, and as they were often torn to pieces but little skill could be exercised. Keen followers of the sport soon began, to recognise that this new game, if properly de veloped would prove of immense service to the clubs in general, and they consulted together as to possible improve.
ments. This led to the adoption of goal-posts similar to those used at football, and under these new conditions, in October 1879, at the first costume swimming entertainment ever held in Glasgow, the feature of the meeting was a match between the West of Scotland and Clyde Clubs, the teams con sisting, as at present, of seven players each side. Ducking was not prohibited, but standing on the bottom of the bath or throwing with both hands was not allowed.
By this time the English clubs had begun to play a crude style of game, the Birmingham Leander, which was founded in 1877, and the Burton-on-Trent Amateur Club, started the following year, being among the first to adopt the new ball game as a club pastime.
There were no printed rules. The game was played with a small india-rubber hand-ball, about four or five inches in diameter. The goals were the ends of the bath, and the goal-keeper stood on the side; sometimes the captain ordered two goal-keepers, according to the width of the bath. The teams stood at the ends, and the ball was thrown into the centre. In those days the water was not over-clean, and the favourite trick was to place the ball inside the drawers, and swim to the other end, under water. The mode of scoring
was to place the ball on the end of the bath with both hands, the forwards sometimes nearly having their neck broken by the goal-keeper jumping on the top of them, and at other times, when trying to score, the goal-keeper would lay hold of their hands and the ball, and drag them out of the water.
Match teams in 1879 consisted of about nine a side. The Dudley S. C. began playing Hanley about that year, and a season or two later the positions were taken after the Associa tion Football system. In 1879 the width of the goals was limited to fourteen feet.
In June 1883, the secretary of the Birmingham Leander journeyed to Portsmouth at the invitation of Mr. Harry Fisk, the secretary of the local club, to confer as to the best methods. of creating interest in water-polo, with the result that the following rules were agreed upon, and a match between Bir mingham Leander and All-England arranged. The match was played on August 6, 1883, England winning by a goal to nil.
In the following year, England, captained by G. it Bet tinson (Regent), again beat Birmingham Leander by two goals to nil, and in 1885 defeated the Midland Counties Amateur Swimming Association by two touch downs to *a The fol lowing rules were observed : 1. Duration of game, twenty minutes.
2. Captains to agree or toss for choice of goals.
3. At commencement of play, referee to throw ball into centre of course. All players shall then enter water immediately, except goal-keeper on either side. Goal-keeper may remain out and defend his goal as he may think best.
4. Ball may be passed from one player to another, and carried either on or below surface to goal.
5. No player to interfere with goal-keeper, either in or out of the water, or hold his opponents in any way, unless such goal keeper, or opponents, are in possession of ball. In case of any player infringing this rule, a free throw to be at once given to his opponents from place where foul occurred.
6. A goal to be obtained by ball being taken up by hand and fairly placed on floating stage, or in boat provided for that purpose.
7. If during play ball goes out of course at side, referee shall immediately throw in same straight from where it goes out ; but if it goes out over or upon floating stage or boat, it shall immediately be taken up and thrown into play by goal-keeper upon stage or boat.
8. Umpires, or one of them, shall blow whistle immediately after a goal has been obtained, and play shall cease from that moment.
9. Teams to change goals at half-time.
to. Should any competitor who has been selected to take part in polo match fail to engage in same, )1e shall forfeit all prizes that at time of holding such match he may have already won at this festival, as well as any he may afterwards become entitled to in connection with same.