1998–99 Glasgow Warriors season

This proved to be one of the most turbulent years in the club's existence. The SRU decided to reduce the number of professional teams in Scotland from 4 to 2. Only Glasgow and Edinburgh now remained standing; with Glasgow taking over the Caledonia district – and Edinburgh taking over the Borders district. The fall-out from this caused many professional players to lose their jobs and created managerial problems at Glasgow. Meanwhile, behind the scenes there were negotiations on trying to get a suitable league structure in place for the two remaining Scottish professional sides. Merger The SRU announced on 26 March 1998 that they would be halving the number of teams who compete in Europe. The move stunned almost everyone in Scottish rugby; including Jim Telfer who had little time to prepare a defence of the four districts. Telfer thought about resigning over the move. What was even more surprising was the two sides ear-marked for closure. Caledonia Reds were the current Scottish Inter-District Championship holders. Border Reivers were based in Scotland's rugby heartland. The SRU claimed the move was a rugby decision. The fact that last season's top two sides Caledonia Reds and Glasgow Warriors were being merged into one however made most doubt this. Some clubs - resentful of the districts in Europe – celebrated the decision and saw it as the death-knell of the Scottish districts. The Hawick president Robert Christie said: "We are strongly in favour of this new development. We want clubs to get back to having a meaningful season." and "they have slashed the so-called budget by dumping players and they'll save nearly a million quid." It was later announced that 43 players had been cut from the professional clubs. For the first time then, the SRU appointed a top name Scottish coach for the professional Glasgow side. Richie Dixon was the former Scotland boss from 1995 to 1998, with a success rate (50%) at Scotland national level higher than Ian McGeechan (42%) and just slightly below that of Jim Telfer (53.8%). Dixon had quit the national job after Scotland lost a Five Nations warm up match to the fast improving Italian team but it was thought, with his experience, he was best placed to bring the district players together. Perhaps more importantly to Glasgow, he was a former Glasgow District player and captain in the amateur days of the club. As a player, he won the Scottish Inter-District Championship outright for Glasgow District in 1974. He took over the district as coach in 1983 and won the Championship as coach for Glasgow in 1989–90 in an unbeaten season, also beating the touring Fiji national rugby union team. There was no doubting his Glasgow pedigree. He took over Glasgow Caledonians in January 1999. League structure With only 2 Scottish teams the Scottish Inter-District Championship could not continue in its current form. The restricted 3 game format was kept; however this was deemed a 'tri-series': essentially a best-of-three tournament to determine the winner. It was felt that only playing 3 games against the same opposition would not help either Glasgow or Edinburgh in their European campaigns. To try and increase the level of competition available, friendlies were sought as a short term fix while negotiations continued with other Rugby Unions. Pleasingly for the SRU, the Welsh Rugby Union and the Irish Rugby Football Union were meandering their way to a similar conclusion about increasing competitiveness for their own sides. The Scottish district sides faced up to the Irish provinces as part of the friendlies organised for the pre-season. In competitive matches, Glasgow and Edinburgh were also invited sides to take part in this season's Welsh Rugby Union's Challenge Cup. The SRU also organised pre-season friendlies against London Scottish - a member of the Scottish Rugby Union - and their London neighbour Richmond for Glasgow. It also organised friendlies against touring international teams for the clubs. The Irish Rugby Football Union was against joining a British and Irish league. Thoughts in Wales turned to England. Initially it was thought that the English Rugby Union might be interested in a British league. However their proposals to the Welsh Rugby Union - that 5 Welsh clubs join a two tier English league - showed English contempt for the 'British' plan. The English model was flatly rejected by the WRU. The Wales coach Graham Henry said "It was right to reject this paltry offer. What was proposed wasn't British, just a few Welsh clubs in a predominantly English league which would have been no good to anyone". The SRU felt the creation of a Celtic League for the Scottish, Irish and Welsh sides was the best way forward. This however didn't happen immediately but the fledgling success of the Scottish sides in the WRU Challenge Cup engendered good relations between Scotland and Wales and paved the way for a Welsh-Scottish League. ==Team==

Coaches • Head coach: Keith Robertson to January 1999; Richie Dixon from January 1999. • Assistant coach: Gordon Macpherson • Assistant coach: Rob Moffat from January 1999. Squad Academy players Glasgow District Rugby Union once again sent a Glasgow Thistles squad to New Zealand for their development. The young players trained and played in New Zealand in the summer of 1999. ==Player statistics==

During the 1998–99 season, Glasgow have used 35 different players in competitive games. The table below shows the number of appearances and points scored by each player. ==Staff movements==

Coaches Personnel In • Richie Dixon from London Scottish Personnel Out • Keith Robertson to Scotland Under 21 (Asst). ==Player movements==

Academy promotions Glasgow has no formal academy structure as yet, however Glasgow District Rugby Union is continuing to send its most promising youngsters - the Glasgow Thistles - to New Zealand for summer training. These two players from the 1998 Glasgow Thistles team to go to New Zealand were used as part of the Glasgow squad, though they did not play. They continued to play for their amateur sides when not in use for Glasgow. • Rory Kerr from West of Scotland F.C. • Rory Couper from Ardrossan Academicals RFC • Graeme Beveridge from Edinburgh Rugby • Shaun Longstaff from Caledonia Reds • Kevin McKenzie from Caledonia Reds • Chris Paterson from Gala RFC • Stuart Grimes from Caledonia Reds • Jon Petrie from Dundee HSFP • Murray Craig from Edinburgh Rugby Out • Shade Munro retired • David Jamieson to Stirling County RFC • Danny Porte to Watsonians RFC • Charles Afuakwah to Glasgow Hawks • Gerry Hawkes to Glasgow Hawks • Scott Hutton to Glasgow Hawks • Stephen Begley to Glasgow Hawks • Malcolm Norval to Stirling County RFC • Andrew Ness to Glasgow Hawks • Gavin Fraser to Watsonians RFC • Craig Sangster to Blackheath • David McLeish retired • Iain Sinclair to Edinburgh Reivers • James McLaren to CS Bourgoin • Alan Perrie to Glasgow Hawks • Murray Craig to Exeter Chiefs ==Competitions==

Pre-season and friendlies Match 1 Glasgow Caledonians:G Metcalfe; D Stark, C Simmers, I Jardine, J Craig; T Hayes, D Patterson; T Smith, K McKenzie, A Kittle, S Campbell, G Perrett, G Flockhart, M Waite, G Simpson. Replacements (all used) – F Stott, M Craig, R Kerr, G McIlwham, W Anderson, G Scott, J Shaw, J Manson. Richmond: M Pini; N Waine, T Whitford, M Deane, S Brown; A Davies, A Moore; D McFarland, A Cuthbert, J Davies, B Cusack, C Gillies, C Palmer, B Clarke, A Vander. Replacements (all used) – B Shelbourne, D Chapman, M Fitzgerald, M Dixon, J Hamilton-Smith, L Cabannes, R Hutton. Match 2 London Scottish: I McAusland, K Milligan (J Turnbull 70), R Davies, J Bonney, I McIntyre (E Ramage 42), J Cameron (S Binns 30), G Easterby, P Johnstone (R Bijl 65), D Cummins, P Burnell (C Johnstone 49), E Jones, M Watson( M McAtamney 48), S Fenn (T Davies 38), C Tarbuck (G Manson-Bishop 59), R Hunter. Glasgow Caledonians: G Metcalfe, S Longstaff (A Bulloch 21), R Shepherd, I Jardine, D Stark, T Hayes (C Simmers 30), F Stott, T Smith (G McIlwham 65), K McKenzie, W Anderson (A Kittle 56), S Grimes, S Campbell, J White, G Simpson, G MacKay (G Flockhart 56). Match 3 Ulster: S. Mason; J. Davis, S. McDowell (S. Coulter), M. McCall, J. Cunningham; D. Humphries, A. Matchett; J.Fitzpatrick, A. Clarke (R. Weir), G. Leslie (R. Irwin), M. Rea (M.Blair), G. Longwell, A. Ward, A. McWhirter (C. McCarey ) Glasgow Caledonians: R. Shepherd (A. Collins); A. Bulloch, C.Simmers, I. Jardine, D. Stark; C. Paterson, D. Patterson (F. Stott); G. McIlwham, C. Docherty (T. Smith), A. Kittle (W. Anderson), S. Campbell, G. Perrett (S. Grimes), J. White, G.Flockhart (J. Shaw), G. Simpson. Match 4 Glasgow Caledonians: R Shepherd; D Stark, C Simmers (I Jardine 74 mins), A Collins, J Craig; T Hayes, F Stott; T Smith, K McKenzie, W Anderson (A Kittle 68 mins), S Grimes, G Perrett, J White, J Shaw (G Mackay 72 mins) G Simpson (M Waite 72 mins). Connacht: W Ruane; R Southam (A Reddan 52 mins), P Duignan, M Murphy, N Carolan; O Cobbe (S Allnutt 40 mins), C McGuinness (D Reddan 32 mins); J Maher, J McVeigh, M Finlay (J Screene 59 mins), G Heaslip, J Duffy, J Casserley, S McEntee (N Culleton 6 mins), I Dillon. Match 5 Glasgow Caledonians: T Hayes; J Craig, I Jardine, J Leslie, D Stark; L Smith, D Patterson; G McIlwham, K McKenzie, A Kittle, S Campbell, G Perrett, J White, J Shaw, G Mackay.Replacements - A Bulloch (used), C Simmers, C Little, M Wallace, G Flockhart (used), J Manson, G Scott (used) South Africa: G du Toit; B Paulse, R Fleck, C Stewart, L Venter; B van Straaten, W Swanepoel; O le Roux, N Drotske, W Meyer, S Boome, J Trystman, C Krige, A Vos, B Skinstadt.Replacements - D Kayser (used), R Markram (used), C Alcock (used), P Smit, O Nkumane (used), T van der Linde (used) Match 6 Glasgow Caledonians: T Hayes; J Craig, C Simmers (A Collins 66 min), I Jardine, A Bulloch; L Smith (C Paterson 76 min), C Little; G McIlwham, G Scott, A Kittle (J Manson 67 min), S Campbell, G Perrett, G Flockhart (J Petrie 5 min), J Shaw, G Mackay. Māori All Blacks: A Cashmore; G Osborne, C Ralph, D Gibson (N Berryman 52 min), J Kerr; R MacDonald (B Reihana 71 min), R Duggan; G Feek (L Lidgard 40 min), J Akurangi (S McFarland 68 min), K Meeuws, J Coe, D Waller, H Makiri (R Ford 75 min), G Marsh, D Muir. Match 7 Glasgow Caledonians: G Metcalfe; D Stark, A Collins, I Jardine, S Longstaff; L Smith (R Shepherd 69 mins), C Little; G McIlwham (J Manson 79 mins), G Scott, A Kittle (W Anderson 64 mins), S Campbell, G Perrett, R Wainwright, G Flockhart (M Waite 60 mins), G Mackay. Fiji: W Tuisese; I Tikomaimakogai, V Satala, L Koroi (L Little 55 mins), F Lasagavibau; N Little, J Raulini (S Rabaka 59 mins); D Rouse, G Smith, M Taga (N Qoro 66 mins), I Tawake, S Raiwalui, A Naevo, K Sewabu, A Naituyaga. European Champions Cup The previous year's Scottish Inter-District Championship produced a tight finish and Glasgow were just pipped to first place by Caledonia Reds. The second place achieved in the Scottish Inter-District was enough for Glasgow to be entered in the Heineken Cup for the new season 1997–98. The pool matches saw Glasgow grouped alongside London Wasps; with former player Kenny Logan now starring for the English side. Logan was to put Glasgow to the sword over the two matches, scoring 3 tries against his old team. Nevertheless, Glasgow did well enough to get out the group and snatch a quarter final play-off place. However they were soundly beaten by the Leicester Tigers and their matches against English opposition showed the gulf of professionalism that then existed between Scotland and England. teams received in the pool matches: • 2 points for a win • 1 point for a draw Pool 4 Results Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Scottish Inter-District Championship With the merging of the 4 districts into 2; now only Glasgow and Edinburgh were involved in a championship. Glasgow Caledonians and Edinburgh Reivers then fought it out in a renamed Tri-Series sponsored by Tennents Velvet. Three matches were played between the clubs. Edinburgh won the series, beating Glasgow 2–1. A league table is shown for completeness. Both teams entered the next year's Heineken Cup. 1998-99 League Table Results Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Welsh Rugby Union Challenge Cup Both Glasgow Caledonians and Edinburgh Reivers were invited into the WRU's Challenge Cup; along with the South African provincial sides Northern Bulls and Gauteng Falcons and the Romania national side (in Glasgow's pool) and Natal, the Canada national side and the Georgia national side (in Edinburgh's pool). The WRU constructed that year's tournament so that 8 Welsh teams are placed in two pools; 4 in each pool. The 4 Welsh sides in each pool then played the invited sides of that pool. The winners of each pool play a final; and the pool runners-up played a third place play-off. Hence Glasgow (and Edinburgh and other invited sides) only played Welsh opposition in their pools. Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 ==Competitive debuts this season==

A player's nationality shown is taken from the nationality at the highest honour for the national side obtained; or if never capped internationally their place of birth. Senior caps take precedence over junior caps or place of birth; junior caps take precedence over place of birth. A player's nationality at debut may be different from the nationality shown. Combination sides like the British and Irish Lions or Pacific Islanders are not national sides, or nationalities. Players in BOLD font have been capped by their senior international XV side as nationality shown. Players in Italic font have capped either by their international 7s side; or by the international XV 'A' side as nationality shown. Players in normal font have not been capped at senior level. A position in parentheses indicates that the player debuted as a substitute. A player may have made a prior debut for Glasgow Warriors in a non-competitive match, 'A' match or 7s match; these matches are not listed. Tournaments where competitive debut made: Crosshatching indicates a jointly hosted match. ==References==