Water Polo Began in Scotland (with a pigs bladder in the River Dee)
The term 'polo' is the English pronunciation of the Indian word 'pulu', meaning ball.
Just as the ball game played on horseback became known as 'polo', the ball game played in water became known as 'water polo'.
There is little documentation as to the origins of water polo, but aquatic football (water polo) began around 1863 Its purpose was to provide swimmers and divers with a new, exciting, and unique contest.
The Bon Accord Club, a group of gentlemen swimmers, organised an annual challenge between members who lived in the north beside the River Don, and those who lived in the south beside the River Dee, the objective of the contest being to swim or carry an inflated pig's bladder through the defence to the opposite bank. The team scoring the most times was declared the winner. Play was very rough and there were few rules.
It was not unknown for players to be dragged out half-drowned, almost unconscious, after underwater fights.
By 1869, an Indian rubber ball began replacing the ball bladder.
With the idea of developing a more spectacular type of swimming contest, on May 12, 1870, the London Swimming Club formed a committee to draw up rules for a football game in water. It took several years for the play to take definite form, but finally, in 1874, the first game of water football was played in the Crystal Palace Plunge in London.
The early games were generally exhibitions of brute strength.
Passing, punting and dribbling were scarcely ever practiced. Each player considered it his duty to score goals without regard to position. The method of scoring was to swim with the ball and place it on a platform or boat at the end of the field of play. How the players or ball reached the objective was of minor importance. Goal posts were not used. A favourite trick of the players was to place the five- to nine-inch ball inside their swimming suit and dive under the murky water, then appear again as near the 'goal' as possible. Should the player come up too near the goal, he was promptly jumped on by the goalie, who was permitted to stand on the pool deck. The game was definitely rough and the heftiest men were more than likely winners. It was suggested that substitutes should be available to take the place of those temporarily put on the casualty list.
Members of the Bon-Accord and Dee Clubs carried through a great aquatic entertainment, on behalf of the Torryboat Disaster Fund, in April 1976 in the old Crooked Lane Baths. One event was a game of aquatic football that aroused great excitement, as the Bon-Accord had the strongest aquatic members at the time, and their supporters could not believe it possible for the Dee Swimming Club to beat them. The Dee team was faster on the ball and Willie Burnett scored the only goal of the match. The occasion swelled the fund by £4/13/1.
In 1877, the sport was tamed in Scotland by the addition of goalposts. The Scots also replaced the small, hard rubber ball with a soccer ball and adopted rules that prohibited taking the ball under the surface or 'tackling' a player unless he had the ball, and players could only touch the ball with one hand at a time. The goalkeeper still defended either in or out of the water and could jump on the attacker, if he chose to play on the rear edge of the pool.
In October 1887, a game was played under new conditions between the West of Scotland and Clyde Seal Clubs, with seven players on each side. Although dunking was permitted, the rules stated for the first time that standing on the bottom and handling the ball with two hands simultaneously was not allowed.
Scotland beat England 4-0 of the first international game played in the sport at Kensington Baths on July 28, 1890, the team being made up from Glasgow-based players with the exception of one who hailed from Edinburgh. The Scots demonstrated a superior style of play, instead of playing and dunking the man, they concentrated on playing and passing the ball.
An international conference was held in 1892 between England and Scotland to further clarify the playing rules. The Scottish style of play was adopted almost in its entirety. Included was a time rule to prevent undue delays of the game. Worldwide acceptance of the sport was due to the joint efforts of England and Scotland. The rules, which were revised in 1885, 1886, 1888, 1890, and 1892, had considerably enhanced the game's popularity, as it became a spectator sport. Water polo was the first team sport added to the Olympic programme, in 1900.
On 7th October 1893 the Northern Local Centre of SASA held a smoker in the Queen's Rooms, Aberdeen, the object in view to raise funds to purchase the long-talked of polo trophy. Frank Robertson (Bon-Accord SC) presided, and in addressing the meeting made the welcome announcement that the Aberdeen Standard had come to the assistance of the NLC, Henry Hyde Champion, the proprietor of the paper, on being approached, had consented to present a cup. The Standard Polo Trophy was first contested from Autumn 1894 and spring 1895 between swimming clubs from Aberdeen and Inverness. The final was held at the NLC gala on 5th June 1895, at the Constitution Street Baths (now Satroshpere) between the Bon-Accord and Dee Swimming Clubs. It was reported:
"Jimmie Bissland blew the whistle and the Dee lads at once made matters hot, and when only a minute had elapsed Syd Dean paralysed the supporters of the "Reds" (Bons) by drawing first blood with a single-handed and altogether smart piece of work, taking the ball from the centre to within a yard of McIntosh, whom he beat with a tame shot, which ran up his arm and over his shoulder into the net. The elder Robb, for the Bons, rather unexpectedly shot past Wallace shortly after to equalise. Give and take play followed, but nothing further was scored up to half-time. On resuming, a rare tussle ensued, both teams struggling for the winning point, but though the play of both 'sevens' was much above the average, the defence of each prevailed until about a minute to time, when young Robb, who had been playing a fine game at back, sent the spectators almost frantic by scoring a splendid goal from about 12 yards out. The Dee fought for all they were worth to get in, but the Bons, keeping them well in hand, won the closest and most exciting polo match ever played in Aberdeen by 2 goals to 1. James Bissland, superintendent of the Perth Baths, an ex-quarter mile champion of Scotland, gave great satisfaction by the smart and intelligent way he refereed".
The basic Rules of the Game in 1893 were:
The teams consist of seven men a-side - goalkeeper, two backs, one half-back, and three forwards. The ball is of the Association type, the goals 10 feet wide, and the cross-bar 3 feet above the surface when the water is 5 feet or over in depth, and 8 feet from the bottom when the water is less than 5 feet in depth. The duration of the game is 14 minutes - seven minutes each way. Fouls are given for touching the ball with both hands at the same time; holding the rails; standing or touching the bottom; ducking (unless the player is holding the ball, or to retain possession of the ball when ducked); jumping from bottom or pushing from side (except at starting or re-starting) in order to play the ball or duck an opponent; holding; pulling back; pushing; and turning on the back and kicking an opponent - the penalty in each instance being a free throw. The goalkeeper is allowed to stand when defending his goal, but must not throw the ball more than half-distance - if he does the opposing side gets a free throw from the centre line. A copy of the laws of the game could be purchased for one penny.
In 1894, George Bisset, clothier, Union Street, presented a cup for water polo competition, which was decided at a water carnival held in the Constitution Street Baths on Saturday 28th July. The Dee A team beat the Dee B team 6-0 in the first round, and they went on to beat the Bon-Accord 3-1 in the final. The final was admitted to have been one of the best games yet witnessed in the Baths. The Dee played a very tricky and effective game, whereas their opponents, on the other hand, were rather erratic and showed little combination. Supporters of both teams were present in large numbers. The Dee captain won the toss, and decided to defend the deep end in the first half. The ball being centred the teams set to work. Milne of the Dee got possession of the ball first and passed it to Fairweather, who tried one of his long shots, but the Bon's goalkeeper covered well. Give and take play followed until Gordon got hold of the ball, and scored a goal for the Bons with a swift shot. Wallace soon equalised for the Dee, and at half time it was one-all. In the second half the Dee settled down to work, and cleverly outmanoeuvred their opponents. A pass from Bowman to Wallace gave the Dee a second goal, and shortly after Fairweather added the third.
