Orkney Image Library

Prior to the 1st World War the Challenge Shield was won by Rangers in 1907, in 1908 Kirkwall City won it and in 1912 it was won by Kirkwall United.
Kirkwall City also won it in 1923 and 1924.
I would be interested to know if it was played for in any of the other years

John George Spence would have been aged 16/17 in 1908 and he certainly looks around that age in the photo. He died in March 1918.

The man in the centre holding the ball is Peter Thompson who stayed in Thoms Tt and worked at the Orcadian office as foreman printer

I had a look in the 1901 census and found a Peter Thomson living with his parents William and Annie in Mill Street. He was age 13 in 1901 making him around 20 by 1908.

Jocky Wood's book Birth Blood & Boundaries has a photo on page 10 depicting Wanderers not Kirkwall City as winners of the Kirkwall Shield in 1908? It is interesting to see that Bob Spence played for Wanderers while his brother John George played for Kirkwall City. On page 9 of the book Peter Thomson is included in the Kirkwall FC team which retained the Milne Cup in 1909.

The said Peter Thomson was my father, he was a very keen footballer, I have medals, one is for the Bignold Challence Shield won by the St Magnus Team 1909, the other is Winner of Milne Cup, 1911 Kirkwall F C, hope this is a little help. My father did indeed live in Mill St, what was known as North Ronaldsay Terrace, both his mother and father came from North Ronaldsay, his father William from Greenspot NR was drowned of Kirkwall Pier in 1888, he was a boatman carrying stones from Eday for the renovations to St Magnus Cathedral. Unfortunately my father was born the same year after his fathers death. His mothers name was Anna Kelday.