Smart Arridge

January 27, 2015, 1:10 am

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Smart Arridge's parents were both English, his father was from Lincolnshire and his mother from Durham. Smart himself was born in Southwick (Sunderland).
The family moved to Bangor in north Wales and Smart, along with his brother* played for Bangor City. Smart played at left back.
In 1892 Smart joined Bootle ( then in Division 2). The following season he joined Everton, for whom he made 56 first team appearances up until his move to New Brighton Tower in 1898. In 3 seasons at Tower Arridge made 88 appearances and scored his only 2 League goals. In 1901 he moved on to Stockport County (67 appearances). in 1903 he returned to Bangor City (he was employed as a ticket collector on the pier).
Under the international qualification rules of the time Smart was only eligible to play for England (the Goodall brothers provide a good illustration of these rules in action). However, between 1892 and 1899 he played 8 internationals for Wales (w 1 d 2 l 5 ) , captaining the side on one occasion (a 4-0 defeat to England in 1899) .

* The Bangor City website confuses the 2 brothers, claiming 'Smart' as a nickname for W.G. Arridge. I have viewed Smart Arridge's baptismal record- Smart was his given name ( he also named his own son Smart). Census records show his brother, William, to be 4 years his senior.

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Corinthians for England

January 28, 2015, 9:58 am

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Corinthian FC were formed very much along the lines of an Old Boys club. A de facto England XI for ex Varsity men, who were invariably products of the public schools' system.
Corinthian came into being in 1882. Professionalism was still outlawed, but the influence of the  northern and midland clubs who gave assistance to their working class players was on the rise. 6 of the England team to face Scotland in 1882 came from Lancashire, Sheffield or midlands clubs- the regions in which professional football was about to flourish.
N.L Jackson's reasoning for the founding of Corinthian FC is often reported as being to ensure that England were able to keep pace with Scotland on the international front. Their role, however, was also to preserve an amateur foothold in the higher reaches of the English game.
Amateurs, of course, could play for whomsoever they wished to. We read of England XIs in the 1890s as being 'entirely Corinthians' but one could be a member of Corinthian FC and play occasionally or go on tour with them whilst still being primarily a member of another club.
There have, however, been 17 men who represented England whilst Corinthian was their primary club.


Cecil White (left half) 

	apps
1888	2

Henfrey

Arthur Henfrey (half back / forward) 

	apps	goals
1891-96	5	2

Anthony  Hossack (right half) 

	apps
1892-94	2

Smith

Gilbert Oswald Smith (centre forward) 

	apps	goals	capt
1893-1901	20	11	14

Smith has been described as the greatest player of the 19th century.

Lodge 

Vaughan Lodge (fullback) 

	apps
1894-96	5

Lodge's parents were Welsh. It appears that he drowned himself whilst suffering from depression.

W.J. Oakley (fullback)   

	apps		capt
1895-1901	16		1

Middleditch 

Bernard Middleditch (right half) 

	apps
1897	1

Geoffrey Wilson (inside left) 

	apps	goals
1900	2	1

Foster

• Reginald Erskine 'Tip' Foster (inside forward) 

• 	apps	goals	capt
  1900-02	5	3	1

  
  
• The only man to captain England at football and cricket.

Fry

C B Fry (right back) 

	apps
1901	1

The legendary great all rounder.

Corbett

Bertie Corbett  (outside left)

	apps
1901	1

Corbett was the author of The Annals of the Corinthian F. C. (1906).

K.E Hegan (outside forward)

	apps	goals
1923	4	4

Later to become Lieutenant-Colonel Kenneth Edward Heg

Norman Creek (forward) 

	apps
1923	1

Creek was a  decorated pilot from the 1914-18 war and the author of  The History of the Corinthian Football Club (1933) 

  Basil Patchitt  (fullback or half back)

	apps
1923	2

Bower

Alfred George 'Baishe' Bower (fullback)

• 	apps		capt
  1923-27	5		3

  
  

Bower was the last amateur to captain England and the last amateur to play for England in the Home Championship.

Doggart

Graham Doggart (inside left)

	apps	goals	capt
1923	1		1

I read a description of Graham Doggart as being a 'useful' footballer. His goalscoring record for Corinthian (1919-1933) suggests a degree of understatement there:  appearances 203 goals 207.

Ashton

• Claude Ashton (centre forward)   

• 	apps		capt
  1925	1		1

• 
  

Lo Sport Fascista - February 1933

February 3, 2015, 11:58 am

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Mussolini, although not a great football fan, realised the propaganda potential of sport and exploited the success of Italian sportsmen during the Fascist Era for these purposes.
The player featured on this magazine from  February 1933 is Bologna centre forward Angelo Schiavio.
Schiavio spent 16 seasons at Bologna (1922-1938), scoring  109 goals in 179 Serie A appearances and 242 senior goals in a total of 348 appearances. In the 1931–1932 season he was Capocannoniere  with 25 goals. He featured in 4 scudetto winning squads and won the Mitropa Cup twice.
His international record with Italy (1925-1934) was 15 goals in 21 matches, He won Olympic Bronze (1928) and was a World Cup Winner (1934), scoring the winning goal in the final. Schiavo also featured in 2 successful  Coupe Internationale européenne campaigns. 

North v South 1870

February 4, 2015, 9:40 am

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The Sportsman- 15.12.70

Charles Alcock was always keen to promote the image of the Football Association as being a national body under which the various codes of the game would come together. The truth of the matter was that even 7 years after the Association's foundation their sphere of influence was only just beginning to spread beyond the metropolitan clubs.
Alcock had promoted the idea of inter county matches and in 1870 had started the 'International' series between teams representing England and Scotland (again, featuring almost exclusively London based players on both sides).
In December 1870 Alcock hit on the novel idea of a North vs South match to further the notion of the Association has having nationwide influence.
Most clubs in the north and midlands tended to follow either the Sheffield Rules or local variations. It was only in 1870 that the then leading midlands clubs had  agreed to play exclusively by the rules of the Association.
A list of FA member clubs from 1870 shows the following clubs form the north and midlands:
Bramham College York.
Chesterfield
Donington Grammar School (Lincolnshire)
Garrick (Sheffield)
Hull College
Leamington College
Lincoln
Newark
Nottingham (Notts County)
Sheffield

(10 out of a total membership of 39).

The North therefore were bolstered by a number of metropolitan players (Alcock included) on the basis of their northern birthplaces. North of London seems to have been far north enough, though in the case of 'Scotland's' Quintin Hogg London itself counted as the north.
The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent (20.12.70) reported that: the rules were those of the of the Football Association, and the principle of 'no hands' was strictly maintained, although there was an amount of arm work visible throughout the game, which we hope to see reduced, if not entirely abolished , on future occasions.
Press reports of the game itself were very positive, describing the game as being the best contest seen for some time, with the teams as evenly matched and ceaseless in their efforts. This despite the fact that the heavy ground and  slippery conditions rendered dribbling impossible. The play was described as being superior to that seen in the recent England v Scotland match.
The South won 1-0 thanks to an 87th minute goal from Crake, shooting from a Howard cross following a 'rush' by the South's forwards. Reports mention the South's familiarity with each other's play as being the factor that separated the 2 elevens.

North
J. Kirkpatrick  (A Scott)  (goal)	Civil Service
Captain (and selector) of Scotland in the Alcock internationals. The humorous pseudonym appeared in several contemporary press reports.
J.C Whelan  (back)	Sheffield FC
Sheffield FC were the originators and guardians of the Sheffield Rules, which still held sway over football in South Yorkshire and much of the midlands well into the 1870s. During the 1870s the Sheffield and ‘London’ rules grew closer.
Q.Hogg   (half-back)	Scotland
London born Hogg was actually a Wanderers player – he had represented Scotland in the ‘Alcock International’ the previous month.
C.W Alcock	Durham
When he had captained ‘England’ against ‘Scotland’ the previous month Alcock’s club was listed as Harrow Pilgrims. His connection to the North in this instance comes from his place of birth (Durham being the county in which he was born).
T.C Hooman	North Worcestershire
As with Alcock above and the various players listed as ‘Scotland’ Hooman was qualified for the north by his place of birth (Kidderminster). His club was Wanderers.
E.H Greenhalgh	Notts (County)
Harwood Greenhalgh represented England in the first ‘official’ international in 1872 and played for Notts County from 1867-1883.
G. Holden	Newark
E.S Gibney	Lincoln
Newark and Lincoln had been among a group of Midlands clubs that had, in October 1870, resolved to play by The Football Association rules from then on, (The Sportsman - Wednesday 05 October 1870).
A.F Kinnaird	Scotland
Arthur Kinnaird was primarily a Wanderers player at this point in time.  Future Scotland international.
W.E Rowlinson	Liverpool
Originally named was C.E Nepean (Scotland) an Oxford University and Clapham Rovers  player who had represented Scotland in the ‘Alcock International’ the previous month. His replacement, Rowlinson, was another to use his place of birth as a qualification for the north, his club being Clapham Rovers .
C.L Rothera	Notts Club
Rothera, who was later Borough Coroner for Nottingham, was also the Hon, Sec of County in 1870.

South
A.Morten (goal)	Crystal Palace
Represented Scotland in an Alcock international and England in an official international.
C.W Stephenson (back)	Westminster School
E. Lubbock  (half -back)	West Kent
R.W.S Vidal	Westminster School
Future England International.
W.P Crake	Barnes
C.J Chenery	Crystal Palace
Future England International.
M.P Betts	West Kent
Monty Betts scored the winning goal in the first FA Cup Final, He played for England in Alcock Internationals and official internationals and was also a referee/ umpire at international level.
A.J Baker	Wanderers
R. Franks	C.C.C (Clapham)
R.S.F Walker	Clapham Rovers
Future England International.
A.W Howard	Weyside
A Wanderers player.

Guatemala Foot-Ball Club

February 5, 2015, 1:18 pm

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Guatemala Foot-Ball Club 1903

Football came to Guatemala in 1902 with the return of as group of students who had studied in Britain and Belgium.
Carlos Aguirre Matheu is generally recognised as the foremost of these footballing pioneers. He, along with his brother Jorge, Delfino Sánchez-Latour and Eusebio Murga, studied at St George's College, London.  They were joined by a number of compatriots: Francisco Sánchez-Latour studied at Cooper's Hill Naval College (London) Luis Pedro Aguirre, Rafael Rodezno and Lorenzo Fonseca attended  Crystal Palace Engineering College (London) whilst  Rafael Aparicio was at Brighton College and Melle in Belgium (reputedly the site of the first football played on the European continent in 1863). 
Guatemala Foot-Ball Club was founded on 23rd August 1902. The first match was played on 14th September between 2 scratch teams made up of club members, designated the Blues (Azules) and Whites (Blancos).
They lined up as follows:

Blancos		Azules
Arsenio Conde	G	Victor Matheu
Francisco Sánchez-Latour	FB	Luis Pedro Aguirre
Jorge Aguirre	FB	Félix Schaffer
Carlos Tinoco	HB	Rodolfo Matheu
Gustavo Novella	HB	Oscar Ascoli
Augusto Matheu	HB	Joaquín Reyna
Carlos Cabarrús	F	Delfino Sánchez-Latour (c)
Jorge Romaña	F	Juan Viteri
Carlos Aguirre Matheu (c)	F	Raúl Angulo
Juan Lehnoff	F	Francisco Cabarrús
Carlos Purdy	F	Gordon Smith

Snr. Walter S. Rosenthal.was referee, assisted by Ricardo Moreira and Rafael Prado.
Scorers:
Blancos: Jorge Romaña, Carlos Purdy, Carlos Aguirre Matheu.
Azules: Delfino Sánchez-Latour,Gordon Smith.
All 5 goals came in the second half.

Competitive football began in Guatemala in 1904 with the Copa Centroamericana, the first of a  series of cup competitions that followed unusual formats (for example the 1904 Copa Centroamericana was a 10 match series between just 2 clubs; 1905 a 15 match series between 3 clubs. Guatemala FBC were runners up in both these tournaments).
There was then a 6 year hiatus until the inauguration of  the Copa Manuel Estrada Cabrera in 1911. Guatemala FBC won this competition  in 1913 and 1914.
By the time a league was formed (Liga Capitalina in 1919), Guatemala FBC had  faded from prominence, although they did claim the title in 1932.

Durban and District Native Football Association

February 6, 2015, 8:21 am

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The Natal Football Association was formed in 1882, but it was a whites only organization.
Football Clubs for black South Africans tended to have their origins in mission schools run by Europeans or Americans. 
The photograph shows Natal Cannon. 

In 1916 the Durban and District Native Football Association (DDNFA) was founded. It was South Africa's first black football organization. In 1932, as black South Africans were cultivating a more assertive and dignified identity, the name was changed to Durban and  District African Football Association. Strangely this move also saw English becoming the official language of the Association at the expense of Zulu.

The Association member clubs compete for a trophy named in honour of it's donor, the philanthropic sugar baron  Sir Marshall Campbell.

Mitropa Cup

February 7, 2015, 1:40 am

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Hugo Meisl's visionary idea that international club competitions would be both lucrative and a means of strengthening the standard of central European football were instrumental in elevating the Austrian, Hungarian and Czech game. The Danubian clubs were at the time equal to any in the World. The Mitropa Cup also provided the template for later international club competitions.
Let's look at the first 10 tournament winners and 9 finals:

1927 Sparta Prague

30.10.27	Sparta	6	2	Rapid	Letna, Prague:  25,000
13.11.27	Rapid	2	1	Sparta	Hohe Warte, Vienna: 40,000
Sparta		7	4	Rapid

Káďa

Dual international (football and ice hockey) Karel Pešek-Káďa was the first captain to lift the trophy. He also put Sparta ahead in the first minute of their emphatic victory in the home leg of the final. 

1928 Ferencváros

28.10.28	Ferencváros	7	1	Rapid	Üllői úti ,Budapest:  25,000
11.11.28	Rapid	5	3	Ferencváros	Hohe Warte, Vienna: 20,000
Ferencvaros		10	6	Rapid

Takács

8 goals in each leg! József Takács, the tournament top scorer (10 goals) scored a hat trick in the first leg. 

1929 Újpesti FC

03.11.29	Újpest	5	1	Slavia	Hungária körút,Budapest:  18,000
17.11.29	Slavia	2	2	Újpest	Letna, Prague:  25,000
Újpest		7	3	Slavia

 Auer/Avar

Tournament top scorer was Újpest's Stefan Auer (aka Istavan Avar). He scored in both legs of the final.


1930 Rapid (Vienna)

02.11.30	Sparta	0	2	Rapid	Letna, Prague:  25,000
11.11.30	Rapid	2	3	Sparta	Hohe Warte, Vienna : 40,000
Rapid		4	3	Sparta

A 2nd leg hattrick by Josef  Košťálek was not enough for Sparta.

1931 First Vienna FC

08.11.31	WAC	2	3	First Vienna	Hardturm , Zürich: 20,000
13.11.31	First Vienna	2	1	WAC	Hohe Warte, Vienna : 25,000
First Vienna		5	3	WAC

1932 Bologna

Italian clubs had been participating since 1929 and Bologna were the first Italian winners. There was no final, however. Bologna won their semi final against First Vienna. The second leg of the other semi final, Juventus versus Slavia at Stadio di Corso Marsiglia, was abandoned. Juventus pulled back 2 goals having lost the away leg 4-0. Slavia then engaged time wasting tactics that enraged the crowd. Stones were thrown, Plánička was injured, Slavia walked off, both sides were ejected from the competition.


1933 Austria (Vienna)

03.09.33	Ambrosiana	2	1	Austria	Arena Civica , Milan : 25,000
08.09.33	Austria	3	1	Ambrosiana	Praterstadion, Vienna : 58,000
Austria		4	3	Ambrosiana

Sindelar

Matthias Sindelar scored a hat trick in the second leg to win the trophy for Austria.

Two legends: Sindelar and Meazza

1934 Bologna

05.09.34	Admira	3	2	Bologna	Praterstadion, Vienna : 50,000
09.09.34	Bologna	5	1	Admira	Littoriale, Bologna: 25,000
Bologna		7	4	Admira

Reguzzoni

Carlo Reguzzoni scored a hat trick in Bologna's emphatic home win. He was also the competition's top scorer, with 10 goals. 

1935 Sparta Prague

08.09.35	Ferencvaros	2	1	Sparta	Ulloi Ut, Budapest: 34,000
15.09.35	Sparta	3	0	Ferencvaros	Velký Strahovský Stadion: 56, 000
Sparta		4	2	Ferencvaros

Braine 

Belgium's Ray Braine scored 3 goals in the finals

1936 Austria (Vienna)

06.09.36	Austria	0	0	Sparta	Praterstadion, Vienna : 41,600
13.09.36	Sparta	0	1	Austria	Velký Strahovský Stadion: 58,000
Austria		1	0	Sparta

 Jerusalem

  Low scoring games were a rarity. 0-0 draws almost unheard of. During these 10 seasons Mitropa Cup ties produced an average of 4.2 goals per game. 
Camillo Jerusalem broke the deadlock in the 67th minute of the 2nd leg. 

 Winners by country: 
Austria - 4 

Hungary -2

Czechoslovakia -2

Italy - 2

Yugoslavia - 0

Switzerland - 0

Poul "Tist" Nielsen

February 8, 2015, 8:04 am

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 In the history of international football 95 players have scored 40 goals or more for their country.
Of those only 5 have averaged more than a goal a game. And the greatest average, 1.37 goals per game, belongs to Poul Nielsen of Denmark.
In an international career lasting from 1910 until 1925 Nielsen scored 52 goals in 38 matches. He scored in 60% of the international matches he played (23).

							Goals
1	05.05.10	Denmark	2	1	England Amateur	Copenhagen
2	21.10.11	England Amateur	3	0	Denmark	London
3	02.07.12	Denmark	4	1	Netherlands	Stockholm	1
4	25. 05.13	Denmark	8	0	Sweden	Copenhagen	2
5	05.10.13	Sweden	0	10	Denmark	Stockholm	8
6	26.10.13	Germany	1	4	Denmark	Hamburg	12
7	17.05.14	Denmark	4	3	Netherlands	Copenhagen	15
8	05.06.14	Denmark	3	0	England Amateur	Copenhagen	16
9	06.06.15	Denmark	2	0	Sweden	Copenhagen	17
10	19.09.15	Denmark	8	1	Norway	Copenhagen	20
11	31.10.15	Sweden	0	2	Denmark	Stockholm	21
12	04.06.16	Denmark	2	0	Sweden	Copenhagen	23
13	08.10.16	Sweden	4	0	Denmark	Stockholm
14	15.10.16	Denmark	8	0	Norway	Copenhagen	27
15	03.06.17	Denmark	1	1	Sweden	Copenhagen
16	07.10.17	Denmark	12	0	Norway	Copenhagen	32
17	14.10.17	Sweden	2	1	Denmark	Stockholm
18	06.10.18	Denmark	4	0	Norway	Copenhagen	33
19	05.06.19	Denmark	3	0	Sweden	Copenhagen	35
20	12.06.19	Denmark	5	1	Norway	Copenhagen	38
21	21. 09.19	Norway	3	2	Denmark	Kristiania (Oslo)
22	12.10.19	Sweden	3	0	Denmark	Stockholm	40
23	02.10.21	Denmark	3	1	Norway	Copenhagen	43
24	09.10.21	Sweden	0	0	Denmark	Stockholm
25	15. 04.22	Belgium	0	0	Denmark	Liège
26	17.04.22	Netherlands	2	0	Denmark	Amsterdam
27	11. 06.22	Denmark	0	3	Czechoslovakia	Copenhagen
28	10. 09.22	Norway	3	3	Denmark	Fredrikstad	44
29	01.10.22	Denmark	1	2	Sweden	Copenhagen	45
30	06. 05.23	Czechoslovakia	2	0	Denmark	Prague
31	30.09.23	Denmark	2	1	Norway	Copenhagen
32	14.10.23	Sweden	3	1	Denmark	Stockholm
33	15.06.24	Denmark	2	3	Sweden	Copenhagen
34	14. 09.24	Norway	1	3	Denmark	Kristiania (Oslo)	47
35	05.10.24	Denmark	2	1	Belgium	Copenhagen	49
36	14.06.25	Sweden	0	2	Denmark	Stockholm	50
37	21.06.25	Denmark	5	1	Norway	Copenhagen	51
38	27.09.25	Denmark	3	3	Finland	Aarhus	52

His goals were inflicted on the following opponents:

Norway	23
Sweden	17
Germany	4
Netherlands	4
Belgium	2
England amateur	1
Finland	1

Nielsen played his club football for Kjøbenhavns Boldklub (KB), winning the Danish Championship 6 times (1913, 1914, 1917, 1918, 1922, 1925).

Remarkably he played 201 championship games and scored 276 goals, giving him an average of 1.37 goals per game in club football as well. 

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Footballs and Accessories

February 9, 2015, 12:54 pm

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The English Midlands, 1908. Footballs, Guns and Gramophones- what else could you want?

Brazil 1914

February 10, 2015, 12:15 pm

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Rolando looks on as Fried leaves the field

The first time that a 'national' selection (drawn from both Rio and São Paulo) had represented Brazil was for a friendly against the touring Exeter City in 1914.

Brazil won 2-0 with goals from Oswaldo Gomes and Osman.

Arthur Friedenreich reportedly lost 2 teeth during the game. He played on.

Brazil		Exeter City
Marcos (América)	G		Reg Loram
Píndaro (Flamengo)	FB		Jack Fort
Nery (Flamengo)	FB		Sam Strettle
Lagreca (AA São Bento)	HB		Jimmy Rigby
Rubens Salles (Paulistano)	HB		Jimmy Lagan
Rolando (Botafogo)	HB		Augustus Harding
Abelardo (Botafogo)	F		Harry Holt
Oswaldo Gomes (Fluminense)	F		Fred Whittaker
Friedenreich (Ypiranga)	F		Billy Hunter
Osman (América)	F		Billy Lovett
Formiga (Ypiranga)	F		Fred Goodwin

“Wanderers” Football Club Season 1865-1866

February 11, 2015, 4:49 am

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Forest FC of Leytonstone, formed in 1859 and adherents of the Harrow Rules, relocated to London in 1864 and adopted the name Wanderers (although their 'home' ground was Battersea Park).
Copied this from The Code War: English Football Under the Historical Spotlight  by Graham Williams. Not sure of the original source...

“WANDERERS”FOOTBALL CLUB

SEASON 1865-1866

LIST OF MEMBERS.

                      Alcock, J.F                Green, F           Pember, A

                      Alcock, C.W              Green, J.F         Phipps, H.G

                      Allfrey, W.M              Gaillemaid, A.G   Prior, J.T

                      Baker, A                   Hall, C.H            Reid, C.F

                      Baker, W.F                Harper, Syd.       Richardson, H

                      Bowen, E.E                Head, H            Sparks, T.H

                      Butler, C.F                 Howlett, W.O       Smyly, W.C

                      Burnett, E.W              Jackson, C.D       Tayloe, J.E

                      Crompton, A               Lucas, F            Tebbut, A.M

                      Cruikshank, J.A           Lucas, J             Tebbut, C.M

                      Cutbill, W.J.C              Ludlam, J.W       Thompson, A

                      Elliot, J                      MacKenzie, A.W  Thompson, W

                      Gillespie, E.W             Martin, J.B          Thornton, P.M

                      Green, A                    Morley, J.L          Tupper,C.H

                                                            Weber, C.L

LIST OF MATCHES

ALREADY ARRANGED

1865

Saturday, 28^th October, Civil Service, at Battersea Park

Wednesday, 8^th November, Charterhouse School, at Charterhouse

Saturday , 11^th     ”      Crystal Palace Club, at Penge

  ”       18^th      ”      Westminster School, at Westminster

  ”       25^th      ”      Forest School, at Walthamstow

  ”     2^nd   December,  “N.N.s” at Kilburn

  ”     9^th        ”       Harrow School, at Harrow

  ”    16^th      ”       Reigate Club, at Reigate

1866

Saturday, 6^th January, Crystal Palace Club, at Penge

    ”    13^th   ”    Civil Service, at Battersea Park

    ”     20^th   ”     “N.N.s” at Kilburn

    ”    24^th February, Civil Service, at Battersea Park

All Communications respecting Matches &c, to be addressed to C.W ALCOCK, 155, Fenchurch Street

Uniform Flannel can be obtained of Gann, Jones & Co, 171, Fenchurch Street

Alex Raisbeck

February 12, 2015, 1:40 am

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Between 1896 and 1898 Alex Raisbeck made 30 appearance for Hibernian, scoring 4 goals. In March 1898 he moved to Stoke on loan, making his debut against The Wednesday. Stoke were struggling near the foot of Division 1 and required a 'Test Match' win to keep them up.
In the close season, having made 8 appearances for Stoke (1 goal) Raisbeck was signed by Liverpool.
His debut for the Reds was also against The Wednesday.
Over the next 11 seasons he was a regular at centre half for the Anfield club, notching up 340 first team appearances and scoring 21 goals.
He was capped 8 times by Scotland (1900-08).
In 1909 he returned to Scotland and joined Partick Thistle, for whom he made over 130 appearances .

His great forte as a half back is a dashing, breezy versatility. He is like an intelligent automaton, fully wound up and warranted to last through the longest game on record. To watch him at play is to see a man pulsating to his finger-tips wth the joy of life. Swift, rapid movement, fierce electric rushes are to him an everlasting delight. One would think that he had discovered the secret of perpetual motion. He keeps on and on and never flags.
Association Football & The Men Who Made It by Alfred Gibson and William Pickford.

Footballers, although they earned tidy money, were bound by a draconian maximum wage rule . Clubs found ways to bypass these rules and Liverpool employed Raisbeck in a novel capacity to boost his earnings. He walked around Anfield and the neighbouring districts ensuring that the bill posters employed by the club were doing their job. 

The club named after a balloon?

February 13, 2015, 1:49 pm

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In December 1909 the Argentine aviator Jorge Newbery made an historic balloon flight (550 km in 13 hours) covering Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. The balloon was called El Huracán.
The Nueva Pompeya suburb of Buenos Aires had been home to a football team since 1903 when  Los Chiquitos de Pompeya was founded by local schoolboys. In 1905 this outfit evolved into Defensores de Ventana. In 1907 the decision was made to step up into a more organized level of football. A change of  name was again proposed - the poetic   Verde esperanza y nunca pierde being chosen. Legend has it that when the club members went to have an official rubber stamp made the name was changed to Huracán because it was cheaper to have printed and that Huracán was chosen because it appeared on a poster in the window of the shop.
Further reorganization came in November 1908- a merger with Pompeya con Parque Patricios. This is recognized as the official foundation of Club Atlético Huracán.
Notice though that these events pre date the voyage of Newbery. The balloon Huracán arrived in Argentina in 1909- Newbery first piloted it in June of that year. The chance selection of the name Huracán at the printers and the name of the famous balloon was a coincidence.

The association between the club and the aviator developed after the famous flight. The club approached Newbery for permission to use the balloon image as a crest. Newbery approved and was made an honorary President of the club. Newbery also helped the club to acquire a better playing venue and to become affiliated to the Argentine Football Association.
Consequently in 1912 they participated in the 3rd tier of Argentinian championship football (meaning they could only field players aged under 18 for league matches), and they won promotion for 2 successive seasons.  

Club Atlético Huracán, 1913- notice the balloon on the badge is very large.

First appearing in the Primera División in 1914, Huracán were champions in 1921, 1922, 1925 and 1928.

1928

Smiths

February 14, 2015, 12:37 pm

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Tom Smith was an inside right who joined Manchester United from Leicester City in January 1924. He played 90 first team games for United before leaving for Northampton Town in 1927.

Winger (W.H) Billy Smith began his senior career with Huddersfield Town in 1913. He played 575 games for the Terriers , winning 3 League Championships and an FA Cup. He joined Rochdale in 1934. Smith won 3 England caps (1922-28).

(J.R) Jack Smith, a centre forward, joined Bolton Wanderers from Glasgow Rangers in 1921. In 174 games for Wanderers he scored 187 goals. Moving to Bury in 1928 he continued to score regularly (169 games, 112 goals). He won the  FA Cup with Bolton in 1923 and 1926, having won the Scottish Cup with Kilmarnock in 1920.

Inside left Joe Smith scored 277 goals for Bolton Wanderers, for whom he played 492 games (1908-27). He then enjoyed 3 seasons with Stockport County, scoring 63 goals in 73 games. He won 5 England caps (1913–1920) and managed Blackpool from 1935–1958.

(A.W) Bertie Smith made 12 appearances for Huddersfield Town (1922-26). He played at centre half.

Then vs Now

February 15, 2015, 9:57 am

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Patsy Gallacher in action. It looks like the defender is launching into the sort of challenge that would have modern referees reaching for the red card.

Making comparisons between  players from different eras is futile and fun.
How would the galácticos of the 21st century have fared in the pre war game?
The pace of the game was slower, players smoked and traveled on public transport. They ate steak and chips for Saturday lunch and prepared for Cup Finals by taking a stroll on the beach. 
However, if we were to transport the stars of the modern game back in time , they would find 
that certain aspects of the game  would have act as levelers.

Arsenal were considered progressive...

Diet and preparation.
The players of the early professional age lacked the benefits of  scientific physical conditioning. Many of them would have started off from a disadvantaged baseline, as working class people at the time bore the lifelong effects of childhood deprivation, poor nutrition and disadvantageous living conditions.
In the era when professionalism and northern working class football were emerging the physical differences between the northerners and the privileged public schoolboys was often commented on (a good example been the Darwen vs Old Etonians games of 1879).

Charlton Athletic vs Preston North End, 1937 

Playing surfaces.
Up until the 1990s even top level matches were often played on terribly degraded pitches.

Germans

Footballs.
A weatherproof outer skin for the ball was not developed until the 1950s. Balls would soak up moisture, increasing their weight as the game wore on.  The boots worn reflect the unforgiving nature of the balls- reinforced toecaps were an advantage.  Stroking a 40 yard accurate pass with one of those old time leather casers would have been a physical impossibility. Heading also carried it's own risks. In the short term the player risked injury from the laces, in the long term the impact killed off brain cells.

Physical contact.
Dismissals were a relative rarity. Physical contact was very much a part of the game. Tackles from behind were permitted, as were shoulder charges. 50- 50 balls were contested with studs up. The more skillful players always faced a degree of physical intimidation in order to discourage 'too much of the fancy stuff'.

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British Football Club

February 16, 2015, 10:25 am

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British Club, 1902-03

Early football in Mexico was essentially a British affair. The teams that contested the first league competition in 1902-03 were almost exclusively English and Scottish in composition.
One of the clubs in particular left no doubts about the members' origins, British Football Club Ciudad de México.
The club itself (Club Británico) had been founded in 1899, but the football section came into being in 1902. 
The club represented an ideal of good manners and gentlemanly conduct, and wore eye catching chocolate brown jerseys. 
The Primera Fuerza was first contested in 1902-03, and British Club finished 3rd (out of 5).  They won their only league title in 1907-08.
 In 1910–11 they won the Copa Tower, a precursor of the Copa México (named after the donor of the cup, the British Ambassador Reginald Tower).
British Club went into decline, struggling to make a full team for matches in the 1911-12 season. The club folded and a  number of British Club players went on to form The Rovers via a merger with the short lived Popo Park FC.

Captains of Wales in the 19th Century

February 18, 2015, 1:31 pm

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From 1876 to 1900 Wales played 66 internationals.
They won just 12 of these matches (18%), drawing 9 and losing 45 (68 %)
During this time Wales were led by 18 different captains.

Kenrick

1. Llewelyn Kenrick (Druids/Shropshire Wanderers)
The man who started it all. Kenrick, a solicitor, was the driving force in the foundation of the Welsh Football Association. He organised the team selection for the first international (v Scotland at Hamilton Crescent (25.03.76) and captained Wales in 4 matches (1876-79), all of which were lost.

P	W	D	L	%
4	0	0	4	0

2. George G Higham (Oswestry)
Higham played 2 internationals . His only game as captain was a 9-0 defeat away to Scotland (1878).

3. John Morgan (Cambridge University , Swansea*, Notts County, Derby School)
Swansea born Morgan was a schoolmaster and author of grammar textbooks. In 10 international appearances he led Wales 7 times (1880-82) . He was captain when Wales beat England for the first time (1881)
*no connection with Swansea Town/City, but an earlier club. 

P	W	D	L	%
7	3	0	4	42.85

Powell

4. Jack Powell (Druids, Newton Heath)

Powell, a strapping 1.88m full back, personifies the changes that occurred in the Welsh football scene as professionalism spread. He was first capped in 1878 when playing for Druids (based in the Flintshire village of Ruabon). Later in his career he played for Bolton Wanderers (he had to leave the club due to an issue over his eligibility , as a professional, in an FA Cup match) and was a prominent member of Newton Heath's side in their first season in competitive football.

He captained Wales 6 times (1883- 88).

P	W	D	L	%
6	0	1	5	0

5.William Pierce Owen (Ruthin Town).

Owen had a brother and 2 cousins who also represented Wales. He played 12 internationals and scored 6 goals. He was a solicitor. He led Wales on 2 occasions (1883-84).

P	W	D	L	%
2	1	0	1	50

6. Humphrey Jones (Bangor, East Stirlingshire, Queen's Park)

East Stirlingshire's most capped player! Jones played first class football in Wales (Bangor) , England (Swifts) and Scotland (East Stirlingshire, Queen's Park).
Jones led Wales 13 times (1885-91)

P	W	D	L	%
13	3	1	9	23

7. Harry Edwards (Wrexham Olympic)

Edwards' only captaincy was in a 4-1 defeat at Belfast (1887). 

8. Dr Alfred O Davies  (Swifts, Wrexham)

Dr Davies captained Wales twice in 1888  when he was playing for Swifts (Slough) and once in 1889 when he was with Wrexham. He also played for Crewe Alexandra. 

P	W	D	L	%
3	1	1	1	33

9. Billy Owen (Chirk AAA)

The Chirk inside right was captain on 4 occasions (1889-93).

P	W	D	L	%
4	1	1	2	25

10. Richard E Turner (Wrexham)

The goalkeeper had the misfortune to ship 7 goals in his one match as captain, Ireland winning 7-2 in Belfast (1891).

11. James Trainer (Preston North End)
The Invincibles goalkeeper had begun his career with Wrexham and then moved to Lancashire, where he played for Great Lever and Bolton Wanderers before joining Preston North End in 1887. He won 20 caps over a 12 year period (1887-99). Trainer was captain on 11 occasions.

P	W	D	L	%
11	1	3	7	9

Lea

12. Arthur Lea (Wrexham) Arthur Lea only had one arm. He was a versatile half back/inside forward.  He won 4 caps and captained Wales once, a 4-3 defeat at the hands of Ireland in 1893.

13. Oliver David Shepston Taylor (Newtown)
Newtown full back Taylor led Wales in a 5-2 defeat at Kilmarnock in 1894.

14. Charlie Parry (Everton, Newtown)
Parry played for Everton and Ardwick before returning to Wales to play for Newtown and  Aberystwyth Town. Consequently he captained Wales on one occasion whilst playing his club football in the Shropshire League.

P	W	D	L	%
4	1	1	2	25

Jenkyns

15. Caesar Jenkyns (Walsall) Jenkins was captain for England's visit to the Racecourse in 1898 which ended Wales 0 England 3.


16. Jack Jones (Tottenham Hotspur) 21 caps for this half-back who had grown up in Liverpool and played for Bootle, Grimsby Town and Sheffield United before joining Tottenham. He was the first Tottenham player to win international honours.

P	W	D	L	%
3			3	0

17. Smart Arridge (New Brighton Tower)

Arridge was captain for a a 4-0 defeat to England in 1899.

18. Di Jones (Manchester City)
Jones was a Chirk boy who played for Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City 
He made 14 international appearances. Tragically he died of tetanus as the result of an infected injury in 1902. 

P	W	D	L	%
2	1	1		50

The toss of a coin...

February 19, 2015, 10:36 am

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In the long history of the FA Cup only one tie has ever been decided in a hotel.
The hotel, pictured above, was The Raven in Shrewsbury. The match was a first round tie between Shropshire Wanderers and Sheffield FC in the 1873-74 season.
Having drawn 0-0 at Bramall Lane the sides replayed at Shrewsbury Race Course on 17th November 1873.
The replay also ended 0-0 (with Sheffield reduced to 9 men by injuries). It was then agreed to settle the match on the toss of a coin.

Sheffield and Rotherham Independent, 19.11.73

Interesting to note that the idea of deciding the match on a coin toss came up at the after match supper, rather than right away at the end of the game. Victorian match reports frequently included coverage of the hospitality arrangements, but on this occasion they were central to the outcome!
Some noteworthy individuals took part in this match- J.C. Clegg played in the first England XI and later served as both chairman and president of the Football Association. On the Shropshire Wanderers' side were Llewelyn Kenrick - founder of the Football Association of Wales and Wales' first captain and John Hawley Edwards, who represented both England and Wales in international football.

El Palomo

February 20, 2015, 11:29 am

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Bologna were the Italian champions of  1928-29. Just a fortnight after the decisive play off match both Bologna and runners up Torino were in South America on tour. One of the highlights of the tour was the clash between Bologna and Argentina on 15.08.29 which Argentina won 3-1 and in which  Bartolucci of Huracán figured prominently at right half.

The photographs above show Bartolucci executing the move that earned him the nickname Palomo (The Dove)- for it was he who introduced la palomita- the diving header.

Bartolucci was also instrumental in setting up Asociación Mutual de Jugadores, which led to the professionalization of Argentinian football in 1931.

Argentina and Bologna, 15.08.29

Sport Club Rio Grande

February 22, 2015, 4:16 am

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Sport Club Rio Grande isn't one of the first names that comes to mind when we think of Brazilian football. A modest history, playing down in Rio Grande do Sul, winning the Campeonato Gaúcho in 1936. But Os Avós have  the honour of being the oldest active club in Brazil. Matches were played as early as 1898, but the official foundation date of the club is  19.07.1900

There were a large number of German settlers in Rio Grande, and it was from the German community that the impetus for forming a club came. The main instigator was a young Hamburger called Johanes Minnemann, Among those who shared the enthusiasm was Arthur Lawson, an Anglo-Brazilian who was born in Rio Grande and who had recently returned from his studies in England.

English sailors, of course, have to feature somewhere: the club's first 'outside' opposition was provided by the crew of  HMS Nymph.  For the most part, though, the club members had to content themselves with games between  Time A and Time B.

No mention of Lawson in these early line ups , which have a very strong German presence.