Sports invented traditions acquire their power through expressing the desire of a particular sport or occasion to own its distinctive status like the 1872 Cup

Narratives are then produced to support myths like with William Webb Ellis in Rugby Tom Wills in Aussie Rules and Walter Camp in American Football
The apparent historical legitimacy of the claims also now plays an important commercial role in the business of sport.
Next year the rugby nations look to win the Webb Ellis Trophy whilst nearer home we look to the 1872 Cup

Certainly the 1872 Cup narrative shows that for the first 123 years the was no Cup to play for that was until 1995
An inter-city cup was first contested in the 1995-96 and season’s match, when it was donated by the match sponsors, Slater Hogg and Howison. This had been motivated by the old Glasgow District Committee with the likes of the late Ken Chrichton and Andy Little
It had the sponsors’ name on it. That sponsorship remained for the following season, but for 1997-98 a new sponsor came on board – Inter-City Trains. So for that season it was the Inter-City Cup.
By then the Inter-District Championship was a qualifying competition for Europe. However, in late March 1998 came the SRU decision to condense from four teams to two for European competition. That sounded the death knell of the IDC. But Glasgow and Edinburgh played a one-off Inter-City match in 1998-99.
The IDC was resurrected for season 1999-2000. But that lasted only three seasons, ending in 2001-2002. Thereafter the Inter-City Cup languished in the Glasgow District office in Somerset Place for a few years. It found a new life when the pro teams revived it in 2007.

The trail of the 1872 Cup takes you on a long and winding road via Burnbank Hamilton Crescent ,Hampden Park ,New Anniesland ,Old Anniesland ,Hughenden Firhill and Scotstoun
One name not so associated with the rugby code is of course Hampden Park (the 2nd Hampden Park )better known to generations of Third Lanark supporters as Cathkin Park .Strange as it may seem to rugby purists Scotland won the Calcutta Cup there in 1896
In the context of the 1872 Cup narrative Hampden hosted the 1885 Inter City as Hamilton Crescent was being returfed
Using wonderful Victorian journalistic licence “The Sons of St Mungo “ were playing for the honour of The Second City

The desire was also expressed to win over followers of the “association “ code which could be repeated some 130 years later at Celtic Park next May with the Pro 14 Final. The advocates of Rugby League had the same aim in mind when an International between England and Australia took place at Parkhead under Northern Union Rules in 1909 so 110 years on it will be interesting how May plays out in the East End of Glasgow

For the anoraks the lineups for the 1885 Inter City
… Glasgow won the game by a goal and a try to a try.   The teams were:-

EDINBURGH
Cameron (Watsonians) back;
G Maitland (Institution) , and Morrison and Evans (Institution) , three quarter backs;
AGG Asher and AR Don Wauchope (Wanderers) half backs;
C Reid, W Irvine (Academicals), T Ainslie, R Maitland, G Henderson ((Institution), J Horsburgh, Duke (RHS) and J Tod (Watsonians)   forwards

GLASGOW
F McIndoe (Glasgow Acdemicals) back;
AE Stephen, MF Reid, and RG Eaglesham (West of Scotland),   Three quarter backs;
CE Orr (West of Scotland), and   CFP Fraser (University) half backs;
JB Brown (captain), WA Walls, J French (Glasgow Academicals), JG Mitchell, D Morton CJB Milne, JE Orr (West of Scotland), WA McDonald (1st LRV), D McLeod (University)   forwards