Harry Rennie
Encyclopedia
Henry "Harry" George Rennie (1 June 1873 – 1954) was a Scottish
football
goalkeeper who played for Morton
, Heart of Midlothian
, Hibernian
, Rangers
, Kilmarnock
and the Scotland national team
.
Born in Greenock
, Rennie started his career as a half-back with local Junior
sides Volunteers, Bellgrove Ramblers and Greenock Junior West End. His early talent earned him selection for the Scottish Junior International side and eventually a move to Division Two Morton, where he belatedly became a goalkeeper in 1897, at the age of 23.
Rennie introduced several innovative concepts to goalkeeping in Scottish football. He was the first to demark his goal area to assist him with judging angles, while he also pioneered the study of opposing forwards gestures and body-language as they prepared to shoot. His scientific approach quickly brought him to national prominence and he signed for First Division Hearts in 1898 for £50. During two seasons at Tynecastle
, he helped the Edinburgh
side to second and fourth place League finishes and also made his debut for the full Scottish national team
.
In 1900, Hearts agreed Rennie's transfer to Celtic
, however a problem with his contract ensured he never officially joined the Glasgow
club. Instead, he signed for Hearts' city rivals
Hibernian, where he became an important figure in one of the most successful eras in the club's history. He helped them to claim the 1902
Scottish Cup
, defeating Celtic 1-0 in the final, with contemporary match reports crediting him with several notable saves. Hibs triumphed despite the final being played at Celtic Park
, the home ground of their opponents, as a result of Ibrox
's unavailability following the partial terracing collapse
which occurred during the annual Scotland
v England
match two weeks earlier. The following year
, Rennie's goalkeeping helped Hibs to their first ever League title
. Rennie and captain Bobby Atherton
were the only two players to appear in every match during that campaign.
Hibs couldn't retain this level of success in the following years but Rennie remained a frequent choice as Scotland goalkeeper. He won 13 caps
in total between 1900 and 1908, recording 4 clean sheets in the process. He also made seven appearances for the Scottish Football League
representative side. He joined Rangers in 1908 and appeared for them in the infamous 1909
Cup final, abandoned after crowd trouble involving rival Celtic and Rangers fans. His final move was to Kilmarnock in 1910, where he retired short of his fortieth birthday.
Rennie's innovative approach to goalkeeping had earned him many admirers and after his playing retirement he maintained an interest in the game by mentoring prospective young goalkeepers. His most famous disciple was 1940s Morton and Scotland goalkeeper Jimmy Cowan
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
goalkeeper who played for Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
, Heart of Midlothian
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
, Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
, Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
and the Scotland national team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
.
Born in Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Rennie started his career as a half-back with local Junior
Scottish Junior Football Association
The Scottish Junior Football Association is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the Junior grade of football in Scotland. The term "Junior" refers to the level of football played...
sides Volunteers, Bellgrove Ramblers and Greenock Junior West End. His early talent earned him selection for the Scottish Junior International side and eventually a move to Division Two Morton, where he belatedly became a goalkeeper in 1897, at the age of 23.
Rennie introduced several innovative concepts to goalkeeping in Scottish football. He was the first to demark his goal area to assist him with judging angles, while he also pioneered the study of opposing forwards gestures and body-language as they prepared to shoot. His scientific approach quickly brought him to national prominence and he signed for First Division Hearts in 1898 for £50. During two seasons at Tynecastle
Tynecastle Stadium
Tynecastle Stadium is a football stadium situated in the Gorgie area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hearts. Tynecastle has a seating capacity of 17,420, which makes it the seventh largest football stadium in Scotland...
, he helped the Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
side to second and fourth place League finishes and also made his debut for the full Scottish national team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
.
In 1900, Hearts agreed Rennie's transfer to Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, however a problem with his contract ensured he never officially joined the Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
club. Instead, he signed for Hearts' city rivals
Edinburgh derby
The Edinburgh derby is an informal title given to any football match played between Scottish clubs Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian , the two professional clubs based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The two clubs have a fierce rivalry that dates back to the clubs being founded in the mid-1870s, which...
Hibernian, where he became an important figure in one of the most successful eras in the club's history. He helped them to claim the 1902
1901-02 in Scottish football
The 1901–02 season was the 12th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:-Scottish League Division Two:-Scottish Cup:...
Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
, defeating Celtic 1-0 in the final, with contemporary match reports crediting him with several notable saves. Hibs triumphed despite the final being played at Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
, the home ground of their opponents, as a result of Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
's unavailability following the partial terracing collapse
Ibrox disaster
The Ibrox disaster refers to two accidents, in 1902 and 1971, which led to major loss of life at the Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland.-First Ibrox disaster:...
which occurred during the annual Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
v England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
match two weeks earlier. The following year
1902-03 in Scottish football
The 1902–03 season was the 13th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: Hibernian-Scottish League division two:-Scottish Cup:...
, Rennie's goalkeeping helped Hibs to their first ever League title
Scottish football champions
The Scottish football champions are the winners of the highest league in Scottish football, namely the Scottish Football League from 1890 until 1998 and the Scottish Premier League thereafter....
. Rennie and captain Bobby Atherton
Bobby Atherton
Robert "Bobby" Atherton was a Welsh international association football player, who played as a midfielder and forward for Heart of Midlothian, Hibernian, Middlesbrough and Chelsea in the late 1890s and early 1900s....
were the only two players to appear in every match during that campaign.
Hibs couldn't retain this level of success in the following years but Rennie remained a frequent choice as Scotland goalkeeper. He won 13 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
in total between 1900 and 1908, recording 4 clean sheets in the process. He also made seven appearances for the Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
representative side. He joined Rangers in 1908 and appeared for them in the infamous 1909
1908-09 in Scottish football
The 1908–09 season was the 19th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: Celtic-Scottish League division two:-Scottish Cup:...
Cup final, abandoned after crowd trouble involving rival Celtic and Rangers fans. His final move was to Kilmarnock in 1910, where he retired short of his fortieth birthday.
Rennie's innovative approach to goalkeeping had earned him many admirers and after his playing retirement he maintained an interest in the game by mentoring prospective young goalkeepers. His most famous disciple was 1940s Morton and Scotland goalkeeper Jimmy Cowan
Jimmy Cowan (footballer)
James "Jimmy" Clews Cowan was a Scottish football goalkeeper who played for St. Mirren, Greenock Morton, Sunderland, Third Lanark and the Scotland national team....
.
External links
- Scotland Appearances at londonhearts.com
- SFL Appearances at londonhearts.com
- Hearts Appearances at londonhearts.com
- Hibs Appearances at ihibs.co.uk