United London Scottish F.C.

The club was established at a meeting held at the Fitzroy Arms, Drummond Street, Euston Square on 15 August 1883.[3] Although there had previously been teams representing Scots living in London, U.L.S. was the first club set up on a permanent basis. It was active in its first season, playing 33 matches, and two of its players appeared in trial matches for the London Football Association representative side.[4] In 1884-85, the club entered the London Senior Cup for the first time, and reached the third round (last 15), losing to West End in a replay.[5]

In the club's third season, it entered the FA Cup for the only time, losing 4-2 to Upton Park at Wanstead; the club had a strong reputation by then, being described as "well-known". The club had two goals disallowed for offside, one decision reckoned by many in the "large attendance" to have been incorrect.[6]

The club went one stage further in the London Senior Cup than in the preceding year, reaching the quarter-finals. In the third round, the club beat Barnes club 9-1 at Kilburn;[7] Barnes protested the result but did not turn up to the scheduled re-match.[8] In the quarter final the club lost in a replay to Pilgrims at the Kennington Oval, the club taking the lead but losing 4-1.[9] Between the original match and the replay, the Scotchmen went on a tour of the north, which was not successful, the side shipping 12 goals at Rangers and seven at Aston Villa.[10]

In 1885, Hugh Macpherson, a player with Champion Hill F.C., another London club with a number of Scots members, founded London Caledonians F.C., because of the "scant success" of United London Scottish.[11] Macpherson brought together more Scots players for the new club, including some of the U.L.S. players such as Bill Stirling (a forward converted into a goalkeeper) and captain W.E. Fry, with the result that U.L.S. was both no longer needed and no longer competitive. In the 1886-87 London Senior Cup, U.L.S. went down 7-1 at St Martin's Athletic of Priory Farm in the first round, whereas London Caledonians reached the quarter-finals.[12] The club also entered the London Junior Cup that season for clubs not at a senior level, playing a first round tie one week later, but fared just as badly, losing 5-0 at Upton Ivanhoe.[13]

The last mention of the club is its 2-0 defeat at Clapham Pilgrims in the first round of the London Senior Cup in 1887-88.[14]

The club played in navy blue shirts with a thistle on the left breast.[15]