William Grant

Back in December 2024, I was contacted through the Facebook page by Hamish MacDonald who was looking to find out some information about his grandfather William Grant who played for Renfrew in the 1917 Scottish Junior Cup Final. Hamish told me that William had played for Renfrew before moving to Queens Park and then came back to the Frew at some point, possibly in the 1920/21 season, but he also spent some of his working life in Babcock’s. Our records for that era in the Clubs history are limited, but we could see William listed as a goal scorer in several games during the 1915/16 and 1916/17 seasons and we have a team photo from the Scottish Junior Cup Final game against St.Mirren Juniors, in which William Grant appears.

Hamish told me the players’ names at the bottom of our photograph were written by his Uncle George. Unfortunately, I couldn’t provide any more information than we already held. We chatted back and forth, and Hamish told me that his cousin had an original copy of the photo, and, more interestingly, still had the negative with it. Hamish sent me an image of the photo his cousin had recovered from the negative, and it showed William Grant on the front row, second from the right.

Thanks to Hamish for this information and good luck to him as he continues to research the history behind his grandfather William Grant’s life and football journey.