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told of British and French troops in heroic battles at Marne and Ypres to prevent the German army reaching the French channel ports. But in many ways life went on as usual – including football. On 31 October a crowd of over 10,000 fans turned out to watch Hearts defeat Ayr United, while in Glasgow over 40,000 watched Celtic defeat Rangers in the first Old Firm match of the season.
    Many people considered it an outrage to carry on playing and watching games while men fought and died. Letters published in newspapers condemned clubs and players alike. To Jack it just seemed unfair. Having worked all his life to achieve this oneambition, all he felt now was shame – as did most of the Hearts players. He had heard that a group of women in town had formed a “League of the White Feather”. In their handbags they carried an envelope containing goose feathers collected from butcher shops and old down pillows. Any man met on the street who was of fighting age and out of uniform would be presented with a feather as a mark of his cowardice and lack of patriotism.
    Manager McCartney also took the criticisms to heart. One afternoon a notice appeared in the changing rooms to announce mandatory drill sessions for all playing staff to prepare for possible military service. Jack and Hugh turned up for the first session at Grindlay Street Hall. A reserve back named Annan Ness was put in charge, being the only player on the team with any experience at soldiering.
    That first night they drilled with field hockey sticks in place of rifles, and Ness had trouble convincing the other players that the exercise was anything more than a lark. They took to calling him the “Sergeant Major” but paid little attention when he gave instructions, much less orders. Worst among them was Pat Crossan, another defender on the firstteam.
    Crossan was one of the most popular players on the squad, a superb all-round athlete, said by sports writers to be the fastest man in Scotland over one hundred yards. Hearts female supporters swooned over his tall good looks, to the annoyance of the other players who dubbed him “the handsomest man in the world”.
    Crossan treated the drill sessions as a joke. Should Ness order, “To the left face!” he would turn right and stand nose-to-nose with the man next to him. And when Ness called, “About face!” he’d take one step forward and stand stiff at attention nearly kissing the man in front.
    Ness would plead, “Come on, Pat. This isn’t exactly my idea of fun either.”
    Crossan would then look contrite. “Sorry, Annan. I’ll get the hang of it soon. Promise!”
    ***
    To further support the war effort, the club also allowed recruiting officers to set up tables at Tynecastle on match days to enlist volunteers. Only a trickle of men signed up and among them was a reservecentre forward for Hearts called Jimmy Speedie – an insurance clerk who Jack knew as an older boy at Boroughmuir High School.
    But such measures were not enough to satisfy the club’s critics. One day a letter appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News signed “Soldier’s Daughter” which read, “While Hearts continue to play football, enabled to pursue their peaceful play by the sacrifice of thousands of their countrymen, they might adopt, temporarily, a nom de plume, say ‘The White Feathers of Midlothian’.”
    Jack felt he could no longer bear the indignity and resolved to enlist at the Royal Scots recruiting office on Castle Street. He told Hugh of his plans one evening on the way home from training.
    “We could join up together.”
    Hugh said nothing for a few moments. It was a cold night in November. A fine but steady drizzle soaked their clothes.
    “I’m not sure I want to join,” Hugh finally replied. “Or at least not as a volunteer. Seems to me from reading newspapers it’s mainly politicians and rich men behind this war. Lord This and Sir That with their pits and their mills and their factories. But when it comes to the