Adam Kelso Fulton Explained

Adam Kelso Fulton
Birth Date:10 April 1929
Birth Place:18 Walker Street, Edinburgh, Scotland
Death Place:Kinross, Scotland
School:Dollar Academy
University:Edinburgh University
Relatives:Adam Fulton, father
Ru Position:Scrum-half
Years1:1947-52
Clubs1:Edinburgh University
Years2:1948
Clubs2:Colonel Usher's XV
Years3:1949
Clubs3:Co-Optimists
Years4:1950-51
Clubs4:Leamington RFC
Years5:1952
Clubs5:Scottish Universities XV
Years6:1952-1953
Clubs6:Fife District XV
Years7:1952-53
Clubs7:Dollar Academicals
Years8:1953
Clubs8:Midlands District XV
Years9:1954-55
Clubs9:The Army - Depot and TE RAMC
Years10:1954
Clubs10:Public Schools' Wanderers Club
Years11:1955
Clubs11:Hampshire County
Years12:1955
Clubs12:J. MacG. K. Kendall-Carpenter's XV
Years13:1957
Clubs13:Perth and Angus District XV
Years14:1957-58
Clubs14:Panmure RFC
Years15:195?
Clubs15:Perthshire Academicals
Repyears1:1952-1954
Repcaps1:2
Reppoints1:0

Adam Kelso Fulton (10 April 1929  - 27 August 1994) was a Scottish rugby union internationalist.

International career

Positioned as scrum-half,[1] he was capped twice playing both games against France[2] at Murrayfield in 1952[3] [4] [5] and 1954.[6] [7] [8] [9]

The initial selection match[10] reunited the successful university pairing of Fulton and JNG Davidson, and was where both had the “distinction of gaining “caps” on the strength of one trial”.[11] This was also the first international club partnership to be established since H Waddell and JB Nelson of Glasgow Academicals some 25 years prior.[12] The pair also teamed up again for Fulton's second cap.[13]

Norman Mair wrote of him, “he was a tough and ubiquitous little battler who was naturally very competitive and who had any amount of courage”.[14]

Senior career

His association with the sport started at school, Dollar Academy, where he was also a Scottish Schools' internationalist, and continued with a number of teams including Edinburgh University, Leamington RFC,[15] Dollar Academicals,[16] [17] The Army,[18] [19] [20] [21] [22] Perthshire Academicals,[23] and Panmure RFC.[24] Upon invitation, he played for Colonel Usher's XV,[25] the Co-Optimists,[26] the Public Schools' Wanderers,[27] and J. MacG. K. Kendall-Carpenter's XV.[28] Combined, county, and district level representation included, the Scottish Universities XV,[29] Hampshire,[30] Fife,[31] [32] Perth and Angus,[33] and the Midlands District[34] who he captained against the North of Scotland on 10 October 1953.[35] Injury and the demands of his profession shortened his playing career.

In 1983, he became president of the Dollar Academicals, and since 1995, the Kelso Fulton Cup is awarded to the winner of an annual fixture held between the Accies and Edinburgh Borders RFC.[36]

Personal life

Kelso Fulton was born at 18 Walker Street, Edinburgh, Scotland on 10 April 1929. In 1952, he graduated Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from the University of Edinburgh. In 1956, he was recalled[37] [38] to the Royal Army Medical Corps for Operation Musketeer (Suez) and served with the 4th Field Dressing Station,[39] which was established at the Ophthalmic Hospital, Port Said, Egypt. Following a period of voluntary work with the Grenfell Mission in Labrador, working in the outlying areas and with the hospital ship, he entered into general practice. Appointments included, Aberfeldy, then Audley – where, on 21 July 1963, he was selected county Divisional Surgeon to the St John Ambulance Brigade – and finally, from 1967 onwards, Kinross.

Fulton, together with his wife Norma (née Reid) were active members of the community. In 1976, he was the founding President of the Kinross and District Rotary Club – a permanent memorial fund was established in his name to support children's education in Mombasa, Kenya; he served on the Kinross Primary School Board; his advocacy and efforts resulted in the establishment of the Hayfield Wildlife Garden; he received a Chief Scout commendation for his work with the organisation. He was also a past president of both the curling[40] and tennis[41] clubs; he helped to organise the Kinross half marathons; and he was a keen supporter of Kinross Rugby Club.

Fulton was an individual “who maintained the highest ideals of fellowship and service”,[42] and one who also held a deep rooted “desire to encourage achievement at all levels”.[43]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Robson, Adam. Edinburgh Borderers Rugby Football Club : seventy-fifth anniversary 1921-1996 : the saga of a club. 1996. Edinburgh Borderers Rugby Football Club Committee. 0952917505. 237.
  2. Results: Scotland 11, France 13, held at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, on 12 January 1952; Scotland 0, France 3, held at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, on 9 January 1954
  3. Book: Thorburn, Sandy. The history of Scottish rugby. 1980. Johnston & Bacon. London. 0717942759. 217.
  4. Web site: Pathe News – Scotland Vs France, 12 January 1952.
  5. Web site: Pathe News on You Tube – Scotland Vs France, 12 January 1952. . 13 April 2014 .
  6. Web site: Associated Press – Scotland Vs France, 9 January 1954.
  7. Web site: Associated Press on You Tube – Scotland Vs France, 9 January 1954. . 21 July 2015 .
  8. Book: McLaren, Bill. etal. Derek . Douglas . Feet, Scotland, feet! : the book of Scottish rugby. 1991. Mainstream Pub.. Edinburgh. 1851584250. 195.
  9. Web site: ESPN Scottish Rugby Players.
  10. Scotland XV trial, “Probables” / White Vs “Possibles” / Blue, 29 December 1951. Kelso Fulton playing for the Possibles.
  11. Weekly Scotsman, January 1952
  12. 1st half-back partners for 25 years, Weekly Scotsman, 3 January 1952
  13. Scotland VX trial, “Scotland” Vs “The Rest”, 26 December 1953. Kelso Fulton playing for The Rest.
  14. News: Mair. Norman. Obituary, Kelso Fulton: former rugby star. The Scotsman.
  15. Web site: History of LRFC - 1950 to 1955.
  16. Captain, Dollar Academicals Vs Aberdeen Grammar School, Aberdeen Evening Express, 10 October 1952
  17. Captain, Dollar Academicals Vs (unknown), Dundee Courier, 23 September 1953
  18. Try scorer and Army Rugby Union Challenge Cup winner for the Depot T.E. RAMC XV. Results: 1st Round – bye; 2nd Round – beat 4 (Trade) Trg. Bn. RAOC, 48-0; 3rd Round – beat 2nd Bn. The Parachute Regt., 40-0; 4th Round – beat 12 SME Regt., 6-3; 5th Round – beat Mons Officer Cadet School, 22-0; 6th Round – beat 3 Trg. Regt. RE, 9-0; Semi Final – beat 1st Bn. The Welch Regt., 19-0; Final – beat 1st Bn. South Wales Borderers, 16-0. News: The Army Medical Services Magazine. July 1955. 8. 3. 70.
  19. Official Programme, Army Rugby Union Challenge Cup Final, 1st Battalion, The South Wales Borders Vs Depot & TE RAMC, Aldershot Military Stadium, Queen's Avenue, Aldershot, 31 March 1955
  20. Web site: Pathe News - Army Challenge Cup Final, 31 March 1955 . Kelso Fulton, number 7, scrum-half, playing for the Depot TE RAMC XV, (Cherry jerseys - darker of the two shirts, no logo), Fulton's try at 1'25 in the footage.
  21. Web site: Pathe News on YouTube - Army Challenge Cup Final, 31 March 1955 1955. . 13 April 2014 .
  22. https://www.armyrugbyunion.org.uk/aru-info/history/premiership-army-cup/ Army Rugby Union
  23. Methven, John (1989), Midlands First and Latest, 1889-1989, A Centenary Year History of Rugby in the Scottish Midlands, p74
  24. ibid
  25. Autumn Holiday Attraction at Riverside Park, The Jedburgh Gazette, 1 October 1948
  26. Easy win for Co-optimists, The Scotsman, 15 December 1949, p 3
  27. Official Tour Programme, Camborne, Falmouth, Penance and Newlyn, Newton Abbot, 2–8 September 1954
  28. Official Programme, MacG. K. Kendall-Carpenter's XV Vs DM Davies' XV, Somerset Constabulary Sports Ground, Mountfields Road, Taunton, 19 April 1955
  29. Aberdeen Trio in 'Varsities XV, Evening Express, 30 January 1952, p 12
  30. Lansdown, US Forward to Play for County in Friendly Game, Evening News, 15 January 1955, p 5
  31. Captain, Fife Vs Angus and Perth, The Courier & Advertiser, 27 October 1952
  32. Official Programme, Fife Vs Angus and Perth, Duffus Park, Cupar, 30 September 1953
  33. Official Programme, Fife Vs Angus and Perth, Duffus Park, Cupar, 16 October 1957
  34. Finan, Steve (2020); Dark Blue Blood: Scottish Rugby In The Black And White Era, p 160. ISBN 1845358198
  35. "Cap" leads Midlands Against the North, The Courier & Advertiser, 1 October 1953
  36. Robson.
  37. Supplement to the London Gazette, 11 May 1954
  38. Ibid 29 May 1956.
  39. He was a General Service Medal recipient
  40. He donated a quaich to be played for by teams knocked out of the championship competition. Norma also provided the Kelso Fulton Cup for curling matches held between the North and Dollar Clubs
  41. For the period, 1974-79 and during which time he organised the installation of new tennis courts in Station Road
  42. Rotary Club News, November 1994
  43. Kinross Newsletter, September 1994