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Channel: Before The 'D'...Association Football around the world, 1863-1937.
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Working class hero?

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 The focus of early Association football was exclusive- the preserve of young men, likely ex Public Schoolboys and university men of independent means. 
According to our research 27 players represented England before a 'working man' was included in the line up.
The schools/clubs/university affiliations of most of the players from the early days reveal their upper class backgrounds. Further insight is gleaned from their father's occupations and the professions that the players themselves pursued (often later than their footballing careers). Let's see:


Game

 school or college
1
Robert Barker
  Westminster

Father was a rector, he was a civil engineer.

1
Harwood Greenhalgh


Father Lace Manufacturer, he managed a cotton factory.

1
Reginald Courtenay Welch
 Harrow

Followed his father into the law.

1
Frederick Chappell
 Marlborough, Oxford University

Followed his father into the law.

1
William J Maynard


Legal clerk.

1
John Brockbank
 Shrewsbury, Cambridge University

Actor.

1
Charlie Clegg


Solicitor.

1
Cuthbert Ottaway
 Eton, Oxford University

Son of a surgeon, Ottaway became a barrister.

1
Charles Chenery


Articled to solicitors.

1
Kirke Smith
 Cheltenham College, Oxford University

Father was a solicitor and farmer- he was at Oxford University and went into the church.

1
Charles John Morice
 Harrow

Stockbroker, as was his father.

2
Alexander Morton


Member of the stock exchange.

2
Leonard Howell
 Winchester College

Malt Factor.

2
Lieut. Alfred G Goodwyn
 Royal Military Academy

From a military family and an officer in the Royal Engineers.

2
Walpole Vidal
Westminster, Oxford University

Went into the church.

2
Lieut. Pelham von Donop
Royal Military Academy

An officer in the Royal Engineers.

2
William Clegg


Solicitor.

2
Alexander Bonsor
 Eton

A brewer by trade, a director of Combe & Co., the family business.

2
Hubert Heron


Commercial clerk.

2
William Kenyon-Slaney
Eton , Oxford University

From a military family, an officer in the Grenadier Guards. His proper title in later life-The Right Honorable Colonel William Slaney Kenyon-Slaney MP.

3
Robert Ogilvie
Brentwood School

A member of Lloyds.

3
Alfred Hugh Stratford
Malvern College

No occupations recorded.

3
Francis Birley
Winchester College, Oxford University

Barrister.

3
Charles Wollaston
Lancing College, Oxford University

Solicitor.


3
Robert Kingsford
Marlborough College

His father was a solicitor, Robert lived on independent means.

3
J Hawley Edwards


Solicitor.
3
John Owen
Oxford University

Schoolmaster and clergyman.

What a profusion of lawyers! And then, in England's 4th international (06.03.75) William Henry Carr was one of six new 'caps' (an anachronism here). 


4
William Carr


A Metalsmith.

4
Edward Haygarth
Lancing College

Solicitor.


4
William Rawson
Westminster, Oxford University

Oxford schoolmaster, Electrical Engineer.

4
Charlie Alcock
Harrow

Sports journalist and administrator.

4
Herbert Rawson


An officer in the Royal Engineers.

4
Cpt.Richard Geaves
Harrow

An army officer.





Carr played for a number of Sheffield clubs and also represented the Sheffield Association. He was with Owlerton when he made his only international appearance, in which he came on 15 minutes late! He is described variously as A Metalsmith, a white metal smith and later a silversmith.  

Carr's fellow Sheffielder BillyMosforth (one of seven who became the 43rd players to represent England in match #6, 03.03.77) is often cited as being England's first working class player, and he was undoubtedly a professional footballer. However, Jimmy Forrest is generally regarded as being the first professional footballer to represent England, although he was 'among others' from the leading Lancashire clubs who were representing England during the period when professionalism was sanctioned by the FA.




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