History of the Club

Newspaper extract covering the green opening 1884 and the gift of the land for the clubhouse from Councillor Ross from his own lands.

Edinburgh and Leith Bowling Association Year Book pages from 1895 showing the club officials for that year on the left and the results of the ELBA fixtures from 1894 along with the current seasons fixtures for 1895. It is interesting to note that in those days the fixtures were played on a mixture of Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays... but NOT on Wednesdays as is now the case! Unfortunately the results show that 1894 was not a good season for either of the club's 16's.

By 1895 the ELBA association consisted of 14 clubs, these were drawn into two mini leagues of 7 teams. The championship (Trophy) had been won by various clubs by this time, however Seafield were the first club to have achieved the feat three times, winning it in 1887, 1890 and 1891. Seafield was formed mainly as a blue collar club with many artisans in their membership, while many other clubs in the town were more likely to have doctors and lawyers in their number.

Club members in 1910. Hats were very popular!

Club members in 1960. Note the change in fashion. No Hats!

Club members in 1970. Three members from this photo are still members in 2021.

Club members in 1981.

Club members circa 1991.

League Champions Shield from 1962. In those days, Pre EBL and Port O'Leith League, we competed in the North Edinburgh League against 13 other clubs. These were Northern, Trinity, Dean, Pilrig, Golcenacre, Leith, Edinburgh Gas, Queensberry, Maitland, Dudley, Summerside, Wardie and Blackhall.

The original Presidents and Champions Board. Although Seafield was founded as a predominately blue collar club, the president in 1936 was George Mathers MP. He remains the only ever Labour holder of the Edinburgh West Constituency. He also held the Linlithgowshire and West Lothian seats and served in Churchill's wartime coalition government before becoming a member of the House of Lords as The 1st Baron Mathers KT PC DL. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mathers,_1st_Baron_Mathers

Aerial view of Leith Roperie taken in 1916 showing Seafield Bowling green at the bottom (just above the pointing finger). The wall to the north of the green is the last surviving fragment of the once huge Roperie building which housed over 1000 workers.

Image showing the roperie fire. Seafield is on the extreme right.

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