Glasgow
Claymores
The Official Gridball Site
Glasgow Claymores
WORLD CHAMPS 1955
Formed 1948
Colours: Russian Violet, Pink & Yellow
Feeder Teams: Parkhead Lassies, Govan Bears, Partick Jags, Queens Park Spiders, Scotstoun Warriors
WORLD CHAMPIONS 1955
Open Cup Last 64 {1960}
Record Appearances:
Lydia Law 153 {1952-1960}
Record Scorer:
Eileen Logan 124 {1952-1958}
Record Victory
11-2 vs Indianapolis Racers 16th July 1955
Record Defeat
1-6 at Kent Fillies 1951
Most Goals in a Game
Eileen Logan, 9 vs Indianapolis Racers {11-2 16th July 1955}
Most Goals in a Season
Eileen Logan 36 {1955}
Season History
1951 Quarter Finalists
1952 Second Round
1953 Semi Finalists
1954 Second Round
1955 WORLD CHAMPIONS
1956 Second Round
1957 First Round
1958 Bronze Medallists
1959 Quarter Finalists
1960 Quarter Finalists
Players of the Year
None
Young Players of the Year
Grace Urie - 1955
Team of the Season
Catherine Fraser - 1955, 1958
Golden Bat
Eileen Logan - 36 {1955}
Silver Bat
Lois Riccobonia - 26 {1951}
Bronze Bat
Nations Cup Champions
International Representation
Catherine Fraser {Scotland 1958-1961} {1958 Bronze Medallist}
Kolbrún Kristjánsdóttir {Iceland 1961}
Eileen Logan {Scotland 1958} {1958 Bronze Medallist}
Grace Urie {Scotland 1958} {1958 Bronze Medallist}
The Glasgow Story
The Glasgow Claymores were formed in 1948 to represent Scotland's second city, adopting Russian Violet, Pink and Yellow as the club colours. They took their Claymores name from the ancient sword wielded by Scots in battle, most commonly with the English.
The Scots made their debut among the original twelve teams in 1951,winning Supergrid in 1955 in a team containing Lydia Law, Grace Urie, Eileen Logan and Catherine Fraser. Law scored a hat-trick in the crushing 4-0 Final defeat of Liverpool that season while Eileen Logan's late goal that day earned her the Golden Bat. Coach, Rosemary Cummings had already made a commitment to leave for Manchester at the end of the season. However, the Claymores have remained an ever present Elite team, earning a bronze medal in 1958.
Glasgow team 8th April 1961
Netminder: Catherine Fraser: Age 25: Rated 6 {World Class}
Two time team of the year & '55 Champion
Left Guard: Helen Davis: Age 27: Rated 6 {World Class}
Bronze Medallist 1958
Right Guard: Vera Whiting: Age 26: Rated 5 {Excellent}
Bronze Medallist 1958
Sweeper: Jo Prowse: Age 23: Rated 5 {Excellent}
Signed from Nord 1959. Prefers to play at Centre
Centre: Grace McCorkindale: Age 24: Rated 5 {Excellent}
Young Player of the Year & '55 Champion
Attacker: Pat Sterland: Age 28: Rated 3 {Good}
Two time 1/4 Finalist with Cheshire & Glasgow
Shooter: Lydia Law: Age 27: Rated 5 {Excellent}
Scored hat-trick to win Supergrid 1955
Coach: Barbara Ruby: Age 47: Rated 3 {Good}
Since 1956; Took them to Bronze Medal in 1958
Lydia Law
Eileen Logan, Grace McCorkindale {Urie}, Catherine Fraser
1961 Team Rating: Very Good
1961 World Ranking {6}
Highest {6} 1959 & 1961
Glasgow Legends
Catherine Fraser: 97 appearances, {1952-1960} - World Champion & Team of the Year 1955, Scotland Nations Cup Bronze Medal & Team of the Year 1958
Grace McCorkindale: 52 appearances, 7 goals {1953-1960} - World Champion & Young Player of the Year 1955, Scotland - Nations Cup Bronze Medal 1958
Lois Riccobonia: 23 appearances, 26 goals {1951} - Silver Bat 1951
Catherine Fraser
World Champion - 1955
Goalie Player of the Year - 1955 &1958
Scottish International and Bronze Medallist 1958
Date and place of Birth: 3rd January 1936: Pollockshields, Glasgow
Age: 24
Position: Netminder
Debut: 1952
Appearances: 97 {1952-1959}
Career: Glasgow {1952-1960}
Scotland {8 appearances 1957-1959}
Local Pollockshields girl, Fraser took to the court for the first time in 1951. However, on that occasion, it was as an accordionist in the half time band. The following year she was in the team, but her first season wasn't a huge success, a 1-5 defeat in Newcastle on her debut was followed with further criticism as the season progressed and she was relegated to the subs bench for the next two years. Having matured and improved, Fraser was recalled in 1955, quickly winning over the sceptical Glasgow crowd as the Claymores clinched the title. So impressive was the change in Fraser that she was named Goalie of the year at the end of the season. Her performances for the Claymores earned her a call up to the Scottish team in 1957, setting her up to win double bronze for both club and country in 1958, a feat, which earned her a second appearance in the Team of the Year.
Grace McCorkindale {Nee Urie}
World Champion - 1955
Young Player of the Year - 1955
Scottish International and Bronze Medallist 1958
Date and place of Birth: 2nd October 1936: Shawlands, Glasgow
Age: 23
Position: Centre
Debut: 1953
Appearances: 52 {1953-1958}
Goals: 7 {1953-1958}
Career: Glasgow {1953-1958}
Urie, a born and bred Glaswegian who joined the Claymores straight from School in 1952. The Shawlands 16-year-old made her debut the following year but didn't establish herself as a regular until 1955 when she missed just one game, scoring seven crucial goals as the Scots became World Champions. For Urie it was a great personal success as she was one of just two Claymores named in the team of the season, as well as being named Young Player of the Year for 1955. She remained a first team regular until 1958 when she lost her place to Penny Lambe but had the consolation of being in the Scottish National team that won a bronze medal in the Nations cup. Lambe's departure for Cardiff in 1959 saw Urie regain her spot. Away from Gridball, Urie is a keen keep fit advocate, regularly holding classes in Glasgow to encourage girls to take up exercise. She is also a Golf fanatic who makes a point of finding the nearest course to play when on road trips with the Claymores and Scotland. It was through Golf that she met her now husband, up and coming Scottish Golfer Tommy McCorkindale. The pair were married in 1958.
Lois Riccobonia
Silver Bat - 1951
Date and place of Birth: 15th October 1921: Hillhead, Glasgow
Age: 38
Position: Shooter
Debut: 1951
Appearances: 23 {1951}
Goals: 26 {1951}
Career: Glasgow {1951}
Lois Grey initially aspired to be a ballet dancer but as her opportunities faded in that world in her teens, she travelled to London in search of work in the entertainment industry. Grey landed a small role in the 1941 movie Major Barbara but spent most of the rest of the war years working in clubs in London.
She married a World War Two flying ace in 1945 and looked set for a life as wife and mother to her son born in 1947 until attending the Gridball camp in 1948. Riccobonia, as she was now known, excelled as a shooter and played for Islington in 1949 and 50 before signing for Glasgow for the first Championship proper in 1951. Riccobonia hit twenty-six goals on the Claymores' journey to the Quarterfinals and received the inaugural Silver Bat. Pregnancy ruled her out of the 1952 season, and she returned to London before officially announcing her intention to retire in 1953. Today she lives with her husband and two sons in London.