Hawks are delighted to be moving to Balgray at the start of season 2018-19 for our home matches. We consider it a privilege to be granted the use of one of the great old rugby grounds of Glasgow .Balgray for 118 years has played host to rugby and other sports in the West End of the City

The privilege is underscored this particular year 2018 as we approach the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day as the fields of Balgray are part of a War Memorial Trust to remember those who left these very fields to fall on very different fields
Kelvinside’s George Lamond was one of the thirty Scottish Caps to die in World War 1
“Lest we forget”

The Kelvinside Academical ground was opened in 1900 the first pavilion being the boat house at Binghams Pond across Gt Western Rd where now stands the Pond Hotel
This pavilion was replaced a year later when the Club acquired and resited the press pavilion from the 1901 Great Exhibition in Kelvingrove
Showing great vision the Club next built a 500 seater stand in 1904
One of Kelvinside’s early personalities was Crawford Findlay who refereed the first Ireland v All Blacks match at Landsdowne Rd in 1905 and was instrumental in arranging with Queens Park F.C. the use of Hampden Park for Glasgow’s match against NZ on the same tour and for Scotland’s first ever match against the Springboks in 1906 His vision was rewarded by a record crowd of 32,500 which no stadium in Edinburgh could have coped with at the time. Quite ironic when you consider the current debate ongoing regarding the future of Hampden

During the same period Kelvinside produced two more remarkable sportsman
Arthur Robertson who won a Gold Medal at the 1908 Olympics in London in the 3 miles and Silver in the Steeplechase and Henry Rottenburg capped for Scotland in 1899 later making his mark in athletics technology at the Wembley Olympics of 1948 and was credited with inventing the modern starting blocks

Kelvinside Academicals played at Balgray through two world wars producing many fine players such as Vivian Weston capped in the 1930s until in 1983 they amalgamated with Glasgow High to form GHK
In the years following World War 2 from 1945-1951 they played as Kelvinside /West as both clubs tried to rebuild in the immediate aftermath of the conflict
Some of a certain vintage have fond memories of Christmas Day matches played at Balgray when Kelvinside hosted Glasgow Accies
In the 1997 Rangers FC considered Balgray for the site for the new Rangers training centre but negotiations took them to Kelvinside’s Auchenhowie pitches which evolved into Murray Park now renamed The Hummel Training Centre

When Hawks were formed in 1997 the first occasion that the new team colours were unveiled was in a pre season match at Balgray against Hawick
Hawks first Director of Rugby Iain Russell who had experience with both Northampton and London Scottish was a product of Kelvinside Academy and Balgray being an outstanding all round sportsman at school
Over the 21 year lifetime of Hawks the club has benefited from a flow of players who have passed through Balgray
The Wallace brothers Fergus and Murray Harri Bassi Mike Blackie George Oommen Chris Pothan Marc Taylor Chris Breckenridge Richie Gray and in more recent times Sam Thomson,Andrew Davidson Scott Cummings and James Couper
In our first season 1997/98 Hawks were led to a League and Cup double by David Wilson who is currently Head of Faculty of PE, Games & Extra-Curricular activities at Kelvinside Academy with one of his staff being former Hawks Coach Gary Mercer
We have also benefited having administrators from Kelvinside like long standing treasurers Richard Eadie a past president of the Kelvinside Academical Club and Kenny Wilson whilst Andy Syme served as our secretary for several years
The Club Captain in 2002-03 Iain Leighton taught at Kelvinside Academy

In recent seasons Hawks have hosted both Ayr and Hawick at Balgray in Premiership matches

In addition to Balgray there is also the potential of using Craigholme Schools excellent facilities at Pollok Park through the link formed between the two Schools via The Glasgow Schools Trust

Hawks now look forward to building on these relationships and the traditions of Balgray and hopefully with our partners at Glasgow University Strathclyde University and the Royal Navy Scotland add another successful chapter to the story of a very fine and historic ground

"Tradition is not the worship of ashes but the preservation of fire "