Dear blog reader
After the blog post published 5 weeks ago on the vast amount of athletics prizes won by the sons of Mr Vallance the road surveyor, I found some more information which I thought you might also find interesting.
Jacqueline
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HELENSBURGH NEWS THURSDAY 23 FEBRUARY 1882
SHANDON – PRESENTATION
A large number of members and friends of the Rangers’Football Club met on Monday evening last, at Maitland’s Bridge Street Hotel, Glasgow, to present Mr Thomas Vallance jun., their popular president and ex-captain, who left last Tuesday evening for Assam, in the East Indies, to fulfill a responsible engagement for three years as engineer and manager over three tea plantations, with a handsome testimonial, subscribed by the members and principal clubs in Scotland, and England.
Mr Geo. Gillespie, vice-president of the club, who made the presentation, during his remarks alluded to the great work Mr Vallance had done for the club, and said they were losing the best man they ever had, both on the field and as a committee man, Mr Vallance’s opinion always asked for first. Mr Vallance’s place, as a player, will not be easily filled.
As taken from the Football Annual – ‘He is the best back ever Scotland produced’. The evening’s entertainment was brought to a close by the whole company, numbering 200, singing ‘For he is a jolly good fellow’. Mr Vallance was carried shoulder high by a number of his old comrades from the hotel along the street.
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HELENSBURGH NEWS THURSDAY 23 JULY 1885
SHANDON – DUNDEE SPORTS
Mr Alexander Vallance, who has been spending a short holiday at St Andrews, visited the sports at Dundee last Saturday, and carried off several prizes. In the hurdle race (30 yards), he obtained the first prize; and second honours fell to him in the football competition and the one mile race.
There was a large muster of well-known athletes, but Mr Vallance, who has thus added three additional prizes to his already large collection, was able to tale a high position in the results of the important events.
Shandon People and History 