CLUBS (3)
Continuation
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got its Scots-like name.
Away back in the nineties of last century there used to be a Victoria English School in Caine Road. Its headmaster Mr. W. D. Braidwood resident in a house called Craigengower.
He was the one who formed a sports club at Happy Valley, for the boys and he called the Club after the name of his dwelling.
"Mr. Braidwood was Craigengower's first President, and before his retirement from Hongkong was Headmaster of the Ellis Kadoorie School prior to this institution being taken over by the Hongkong Government.
"Craigengower Cricket Club was the first club to occupy a site on the new recreation grounds at Happy Valley. This was in the year 1897. It was not, however, until 1901, that a clubhouse was built. About the same time the Police and Civil Service also built their matshed Club-houses.
"On the Kowloon side, clubdom commenced with the original Kowloon Football Club. This Club never had a building. Members did their training where now stands Torres Buildings. They also played matches on a waste piece of ground alongside the Naval Yard Kowloon.
"In 1900 the Kowloon Bowling Green Club commenced jack-touching on a waste piece of ground across the way from the present Luna Buildings and west of Armend Buildings. Being ejected from this site, the Club next endeavoured to take root in the midst of a swamp now part of the Kowloon Cricket Club ground. After building a clubhouse there, the Club was again compelled to shift ground to permit of the laying out of that part of King's Park. This move coincided with the formation of the Kowloon Cricket Club.
"On the back of Junjaub Buildings, on the present portion of sunken ground and opposite to what was then the Club de Recreio (now the Duro Garage) at one time existed the Olympic Tennis Club. This Club had quite an interesting history. It originally commenced life as the Imperial Tennis Club. Later on the Y.C.M.A. took it over but after heated debates as to the propriety of playing on Sundays, the obstreperous minority continued to run the Club, under the name of 'Olympic'. This Club continued to exist until 1916.
"The Club de Recreio of course removed from its old site at the corner of Kimberley Road to its present site in King's Park. In the by-going mention might also be made of another old Kowloon Club. I refer to the 'Wigwam' which started originally as the P. & O. Staff Tennis Club on a piece of virgin prairie at the back of the old Rose Terrace. Finally, it found its way to a triangular piece of turf in front of Humphrey's Buildings, but eventually, on the appearance of the building contractors, it went into voluntary liquidation.
"Another Kowloon institution in its days was the Vanguard Tennis Club, the members of which displayed their agility on a flower-surrounded piece of turf where now is located the Star Theatre.
"Mention should also be made of the golf played on the old King's Park Kowloon. Originally introduced by the U. S. R. C., during the war years this club invited golf-playing members from the Kowloon Cricket Club and the Kowloon Bowling Green Club. When the King's Park was re-modelled, playing members from these three clubs met and formed the present Kowloon Golf Club at Kowloon City."
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