Legacy On The Sporting World
In 1890 the company's ship Dunottar Castle made its maiden voyage, taking the British Rugby Team on a tour of South Africa. Currie had accompanied the team and presented the South African Rugby Board with a gold trophy to be used for internal competition. At the end of the tour the British team presented the Currie Cup to Griqualand West, the province they believed had produced the best performance of the tour. The Currie Cup is contested to this day. The Dunottar Castle would also carry General Buller and 1,500 soldiers to the Boer War in 1900.
In September 1892 Currie formed Castle Swifts F.C. who became the first professional football club in Essex. The team was initially drawn from his mainly Scottish work force. Castle Swifts would have great relevance in the early history of Thames Ironworks, the team who would later become West Ham. The Castles' first home ground, a field located opposite the West Ham Police Station in West Ham Lane was named Dunottar Park, after the Castle Line company's ship. The team were disbanded at the end of March 1895, after Currie decided to withdraw his financial backing.
Read more about this topic: Donald Currie
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