1930 World Cup-Team of the Tournament

September 14, 2016, 12:43 pm

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Enrique Ballestrero (Uruguay)

The 25 year old Rampla Juniors ‘keeper conceded 3 goals, keeping 3 clean sheets in the group stage.

José Nasazzi (Uruguay)

El Gran Mariscal was 28 at the time of the World Cup and was playing club football for Bella Vista. Already with 2 Olympic Golds and 3 South American Championships to his name, Nasazzi was the player of the tournament.

Milutin Ivković (Yugoslavia)

24-year-old medical student, captain of Yugoslavia. The only European on the list, he played for SK Soko (Belgrade).

Luis Monti (Argentina)

Doble Ancho, the29 year old Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro halfback scored 

2 goals in the tournament and was reputedly subject to death threats before the final. 

Álvaro Gestido (Uruguay)

The 23 yr old Peñarol centre half was another Olympic gold medalist (1928).

José Leandro Andrade (Uruguay)

28 year old Maravilla Negra was a Nacional player at the time of the World Cup win. He was also a double Olympic champion and 3 times South American Championship winner.

Pedro Cea (Uruguay)
The 29 year old Nacional forward scored 5 goals in the tournament including a hattrick in the semi final. He scored the goal that brought Uruguay level at 2-2 in the final. He was also a double Olympic Gold medalist.

Héctor Castro (Uruguay)

25 year old  Nacional centre forward won a Gold medal at the 1928 Olympics and was a 2 times South American Championship winner.He was Uruguay's first World Cup scorer. His second goal of the tournament was Uruguay's 4th in the final, scored in the 89th minute.

Famously Castro was an amputee.

Héctor Scarone (Uruguay)

The veteran inside forward was 31 at the time of the World Cup win. He was back at Nacional following a spell with Barcelona. Scarone had won 4 South American Championships and 2 Olympic Gold medals.

Guillermo Stábile (Argentina)

Having come in as a replacement for Argentina's second game, 25 year old Stabile (Huracan)  scored 8 goals in 4 games and never played in another international match, moving to Italy after the World Cup. 

Bert Patenaude (USA)

The 21 year old Fall River Marksmen forward is credited with 4 goals at the World Cup.

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The Umpire's Whistle 1872

September 17, 2016, 2:05 pm

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I have read a great number of speculative accounts regarding the introduction of the whistle (logically for use by umpires rather than the referee). The common denominators tend to be the involvement of Nottingham Forest and one of the Sheffield clubs. A date of 1878 is often featured.
The following item from the Sheffield Daily Telegraph of 19th March 1872 should lay some of this speculation to rest:

The snippet of information is rather tantalizing. The article refers to a meeting of The Sheffield Football Clubs Association. It's unclear who Mr Brown was? There was a Mr Brown on the committee of the Heeley club, but that's rather tenuous.

In January 1872 Sheffield Norfolk played Forest, winning 5-1. I can find no record of the officials.

The return match on 09.03.72 at Nottingham saw Forest win 1-0. Messrs Pashley and Hussey were the umpires.

Incidentally, the pea whistle came into being in 1884, the legendary Acme Thunderer, so prior to this umpires would have used 'Police' type whistles. 

Here is my grandfather's Acme whistle, which would have seen service in the Swansea area in the 1930s.

Fulham

September 19, 2016, 11:28 am

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1934, Fulham

...because football nostalgia sites have to feature quirky pictures from time to time.

The Birmingham Derby in the 19th Century

September 21, 2016, 1:02 pm

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Birmingham (City since 1943) have always , to my mind, occupied a strange position in English football. Bearing the name of the second city and being at the heart of one of the hotbeds of the Association game (the West Midlands), they have, however, always been a relatively minor club, perennially unsuccessful, never glamorous.
Their neighbours, Aston Villa, bearing the name of a crossroads in Handsworth, are aristocrats of the game; founders of the Football League, giants of the FA Cup, winners of the double, tenants of one of the first  great stadiums in the world game.
Let's take a look at how things were between these rivals in the 19th century.
Aston Villa was founded in 1874.
Birmingham started out in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance. They became Small Heath (Small Heath F.C. Ltd- the first limited company in football) in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905.
 From 1876–1897 Villa played at Wellington Road. Small Heath's ground was Muntz Street. The 2 were 8 km apart.

	27.09.79	Small Heath Alliance	0	1	Aston Villa
	08.12.83	Aston Villa	4	0	Small Heath Alliance
	31.01.85	Small Heath Alliance	3	4	Aston Villa
	27.03.86	Small Heath Alliance	1	8	Aston Villa
	??.05.86	Aston Villa	7	0	Small Heath Alliance
	25.10.86	Aston Villa	1	1	Small Heath Alliance
	31.01.87	Aston Villa	3	2	Small Heath Alliance
	23.03.87	Small Heath Alliance	0	7	Aston Villa
	16.06.87	Small Heath Alliance	4	3	Aston Villa
	22.08.87	Small Heath Alliance	0	3	Aston Villa
	17.10.87	Aston Villa	3	0	Small Heath Alliance
	05.11.87	Aston Villa	4	0	Small Heath Alliance	FA Cup
	14.05.88	Small Heath	1	4	Aston Villa
	05.05.90	Small Heath	0	4	Aston Villa	Benefit- Chris Charsley
	01.09.90	Aston Villa	0	4	Small Heath
	01.12.90	Small Heath	2	2	Aston Villa
	14.02.91	Aston Villa	3	0	Small Heath
	04.04.91	Small Heath	4	5	Aston Villa
	06.04.91	Small Heath	1	3	Aston Villa	Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup
	01.09.91	Aston Villa	5	1	Small Heath
	25.12.91	Small Heath	0	3	Aston Villa
	25.04.92	Small Heath	3	1	Aston Villa	Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup
	26.12.92	Aston Villa	3	2	Small Heath
	08.04.93	Aston Villa	5	0	Small Heath	Birmingham Senior Cup (SF)
	29.04.93	Aston Villa	3	2	Small Heath	Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup
	01.01.94	Aston Villa	4	3	Small Heath
	30.04.94	Small Heath	3	3	Aston Villa	Benefit Small Heath F.C.
	01.09.94	Aston Villa	2	1	Small Heath	League
	20.10.94	Small Heath	2	2	Aston Villa	League
	27.04.95	Aston Villa	5	3	Small Heath	Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup
	07.09.95	Aston Villa	7	3	Small Heath	League
	14.10.95	Small Heath	1	3	Aston Villa	Benefit Ted Devey
	26.10.95	Small Heath	1	4	Aston Villa	League
	15.02.96	Aston Villa	2	1	Small Heath
	01.09.96	Aston Villa	3	1	Small Heath	Benefit Fred Wheldon
	29.12.96	Aston Villa	1	1	Small Heath	Benefit match for James Elliot
	11.01.97	Small Heath	1	0	Aston Villa	Benefit Billy Walton
	01.01.98	Aston Villa	4	0	Small Heath	Abandoned (fog)
	19.03.98	Small Heath	0	3	Aston Villa
	16.01.99	Small Heath	2	2	Aston Villa	Birmingham Senior Cup
	30.01.99	Aston Villa	5	2	Small Heath	Birmingham Senior Cup
	26.12.99	Aston Villa	5	2	Small Heath

42 matches	W	D	Goals
Aston Villa	31	7	144
Small Heath	4		58

Scotch Team

September 24, 2016, 11:39 am

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The 9th Scotland v England match was the 3rd in a row to produce 9 goals.  On this occasion Scotland ran out winners by 5-4. The goals came from Kerr (3), Baird, and Kaye.
The term 'Scotch' was in common usage on both sides of the Tweed in the 19th century, and had not acquired the pejorative tone that it carries today. The English and Scottish press would refer to Scotch teams (and of course Scotch Professors). The Monday following this match the Glasgow Herald referred to the Victory of the Scotch Team.
The great (English) historian A. J. P. Taylor was using the word Scotch in the 1960s:
Some inhabitants of Scotland now call themselves Scots and their affairs Scottish. They are entitled to do so. The English word for both is Scotch, just as we call les français the French and Deutschland Germany. Being English, I use it.

Alejandro Mena

September 25, 2016, 10:19 am

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Alejandro Mena played in Boca Juniors' title winning teams in 1930 (Asociación Amateurs Argentina de Football Primera División) and 1931 (Liga Argentina de Football - Primera División).

In Touch with all Requirements

September 26, 2016, 1:19 pm

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When ordering footballs please mention Association or Rugby...
The best ball here costs 9/3*. An agricultural labourer earned 14/ per week.




*Prices are in shillings /pence. 12 pence to a shilling, 20 shillings to a pound. 

A curious Cup Final goal

September 28, 2016, 1:02 pm

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Illustrations of Association matches in the 1870s are hard to find, so apologies for relying on these overused images of  England v Scotland matches. Look at the goalposts. Rather flimsy looking constructions held in place by pegs and guy ropes. The tape, rather than a crossbar, was used until 1882. These posts don't look like they would withstand a blow from a rain sodden leather ball or a falling player.
An incident from the 1876 FA Cup Final illustrates this point.
The first match, played at The Oval, ended in a 1-1 draw between The Wanderers and Old Etonians.
The Old Etonians' equalizer, scored in the 50th minute, was awarded when the ball was kicked through the area where the goals had been.
Contemporary reports give us the detail:

The corner kick by A C Thompson produced a bad scrimmage right in front of the Wanderers goal, and though in the melee the posts were overturned altogether the ball was rushed through the space marked and the umpires very properly awarded a goal to the Etonians.
Sheffield Daily Telegraph 13.03.76

  ...after a furious scrimmage in which the posts were torn to the ground a goal was achieved by the Eton forwards.
Sheffield Independent 13.03.76

  ... a general attack was made upon the Wanderers goal, which fell in more senses than one, as owing to the wind and its defenders being forced back upon the posts, they were knocked down, and ball Wanderers and Etonians in a body went through the space between them which the tape should have covered.

Sporting Life 15.03.76

I am not sure where the modern convention of identifying Alexander Bonsor as the scorer arose, as no contemporary publications credit him with the goal.

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Blackburn Rovers

October 1, 2016, 10:45 am

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There's always one isn't there? In this case it appears to be Arthur Cowell, on the extreme right. I've checked other Rovers pictures from  the era and there doesn't appear to have been a tradition for one of the jerseys to have been in contrast to the others, so maybe Cowell just has his top on back to front?

The players pictured are: Miles Chadwick, Arnie Whittaker, Bob Crompton, Sammy McClure, Adam Bowman, Willie McIver, Tinker Davies, Fred Pentland, Sam Wolstenholme, Billy Bradshaw & Arthur Cowell.

I first saw this picture on https://twitter.com/footballmemorys

Portugal v Argentina, 1928

October 2, 2016, 7:48 am

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Argentina's first official international against European opposition came on their way to the 1928 Olympic Tournament, On April 1st 1928 they faced Portugal at Sporting's Estádio do Lumiar.
The game, watched by 20,000,  ended in a goaless draw. 

Portugal
António Roquete	Casa Pia
Carlos Alves	Carcavelinhos
Jorge Vieira  ©	Sporting
Martinho Oliveira	Sporting
de Serra e Moura	Sporting
César De Matos	Belenenses
Valdemar Mota	Porto
João dos Santos	Vitória Setúbal
Pepe	Belenenses
Vítor Silva	Sporting
Sub: Alfredo Ramos (Belenenses)  replaced Vítor Silva @ 32 minutes

Argentina
Octavio Diaz	Rosario Central
Ángel Segundo Médici	Boca Juniors
Ludovico Bidoglio ©	Boca Juniors
Saul Calandra	Estudiantes de La Plata
Fernando Paternoster	Racing Club de Avellaneda
Rodolfo Orlandini	Club Sportivo Buenos Aires
Natalio Perinetti	Racing Club de Avellaneda
Pedro Ochoa	Racing Club de Avellaneda
Roberto Cherro	Boca Juniors
Domingo Tarasconi	Boca Juniors
Raimundo Orsi	Independiente

    Jorge Vieira

   Ludovico Bidoglio

Football...seems to rouse him as nothing else can.

October 3, 2016, 2:42 pm

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The Lancashire Daily Post 06.06.34

23.02.34: Fenerbahçe v Galatasaray. Nominally a friendly, the match descended into chaos.

Go Ahead

October 4, 2016, 2:21 pm

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c 1890

This picture is not immediately recognizable as a football team, the long trousers and berets- perhaps the only clue the shinguards on the 2 centrally seated men.

It is however Wageningen Cricket and Football Club Go Ahead. Established in 1886 Go Ahead were founder members of the Netherlands Football and Athletics Association. 
They played in the Eerste Klasse Oost from its inception in 1896 until 1903, when they merged with Victoria (founded in 1889*) to become Go Ahead Victoria Combination.
GVC still exists as the Wageningen University football team.

*the GVC website gives Victoria's foundation year as 1892.

Herbert Chapman: Football Revolutionary?

October 7, 2016, 12:47 pm

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 Mr Chapman with Arsenal players on the golf course in 1929. L-R: Unknown, Tom Parker, Alex James, David Jack, Herbert Chapman. David Jack with a cigarette , Alex James with plus fours that are about the same length as his football shorts.

Herbert Chapman was undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in the development of Association football. Here is a link to a paper by Tony Say of the University of Warwick entitled
Herbert Chapman: Football Revolutionary? It's a good read.
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportsHistorian/1996/sh16h.pdf

Some of Chapman's most notable tactical innovations are given some historical context- maybe not so much revolution as evolution.

Geary equalises for Everton

October 12, 2016, 11:56 pm

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29.11.90
Plenty of animation behind the goal at Anfield. Not much sign of life in the Blackburn defence though.
Fred Geary played 100 games for Everton in 6 seasons, scoring 86 goals. This was his 13th goal of the season 1890-91, which he ended with 20.

Petrograd

October 14, 2016, 2:03 pm

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August 1914:  2 matches featuring Petrograd champions Kolomyagi. The first against  Moscow champions KFS, the second, as far as I can make out, against a team from Samara (KVOD).

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Irish Association Football in Argentina

October 17, 2016, 12:57 am

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Lobos Athletic Club 1892

Here is a link to the article Irish Association Football in Argentina by Víctor Raffo. 
The influence of Irish settlers on the development of football in Argentina, particularly the Lobos Athletic and Club Atlético Porteño is examined. Lobos A.C were important in the development of Alumni A.C.
Lobos were also the first Argentine side to play abroad: In 1899 they traveled to Montevideo, beating  Albión (2-1) and Peñarol (2-0) before a revolution forced their departure aboard a battleship!

Ramón Unzaga

October 20, 2016, 2:06 pm

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Ramón Unzaga, pioneer of the bicycle kick, was a versatile sportsman who excelled at sprinting, javelin, high jump, diving, and waterpolo as well as football.
He made 8 appearances for Chile, featuring at the 1916 and 1920 South American Championships.

Sectarianism in 19th century Edinburgh

October 22, 2016, 1:42 pm

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  Edinburgh Evening News 07.09.80 

John Sweeney played in the first match between Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian on Xmas Day 1875. He played for Hearts until 1881, making 53 appearances and scoring 10 goals. 

Ángel Zárraga

October 23, 2016, 1:25 pm

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During the 1920's the Mexican artist Ángel Zárraga produced a series of vibrant paintings of footballers.
More to follow...

Ezelî Rekabet

October 27, 2016, 2:48 pm

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Players of Galatasaray and  Fenerbahçe (in stripes) mingle in 1913. 
Unthinkable as it may seem now there were plans at the time to merge the 2 clubs . The new club was to be called Türkkulübü. The plans fizzled out during the Balkan Wars and the Transcontinental neighbours have now enjoyed their fierce rivalry for 107 years.