27.3.14

South v North, Gentlemen v Players, Amateurs v Professionals-1880s

Before the advent of Association Football the most popular spectator sport in England was cricket. In the early days the FA borrowed some ideas from the summer game (hardly surprising as pioneers of the game, notably CW Alcock, were also cricket men).
County representative football matches never really took off.
Cricket had introduced a North v South match in 1836. An Amateurs v Professionals (Gentlemen v Players) match had been played as early as 1806 and became an annual fixture in 1819! It was a tradition that endured in cricket up until 1962. Football didn't have this option, of course, as until 1885 there were no professionals (not officially), and as we will see, when professionalism did emerge the distinction between amateur and professional virtually followed the north south divide (the Midlands being considered northern).
Alcock did arrange a North v South match in December 1870, but it was a one off affair and the sides were not truly representative as Association football was only beginning to take root in the north and midlands at the time.
By 1878 the distinction was more meaningful.


North v South
The first North v South match was scheduled for the 1878-79 season. It was to be played in Sheffield but never took place due to enduring frozen conditions.
A series of 6 annual games was played.

South
0
0
North
06.03.80  The Oval

Swepstone (Pilgrims)
Sands (Nottingham Forest)
Bury (Old Etonians)
Brindle (Darwen)
Field (Clapham Rovers)
Moss (Sheffield FC)
Weston (Clapham Rovers)
Luntley (Nottingham Forest)
Prinsep (Old Carthusians)
Hunter (Sheffield Heeley)
Wollaston (Wanderers)
Sorby (Sheffield FC)
Parry (Old Carthusians)
Turner  (Nottingham Forest)
Wace (Wanderers)
Mosforth (Sheffield Albion)
Massey (Royal Engineers)
Earp (Nottingham Forest)
E.C Bambridge (Swifts)
Marshall (Darwen)
Lacey (Royal Engineers)
Ewbank (Middlesbrough)


North
1
2
South
19.02.81 Bramall Lane
Brown                                                     E.C Bambridge, Hunter (og)

Sorby (Sheffield FC)
Swepstone (Pilgrims)
Gibson (Blackburn Olympic)
Wilson (Oxford Uni)
Gregory (Wednesday)
Kennedy (Old Malvernians)
Hunter (Sheffield Heeley)
Topham (Cambridge Uni)
Fletcher (Pyebank Sheffield)
A.L Bambridge (Swifts)
Marsden (Sheffield FC)
E.C Bambridge (Swifts)
Marshall (Darwen)
Keyser (Swifts)
Rostron (Darwen)
Barnett (Upton Park)
Brown (Blackburn Rovers)
Barnard (Upton Park)
Mosforth (Wednesday)
Heygate (Oxford Uni)
McLaughlin (Sheffield Exchange)
Cunliffe (Oxford Uni)


South
3
1
North
8.01.82 The Oval
Lafone, Bailey, Page                                 goal from scrimmage

Swepstone (Pilgrims)
Mallinson (Redcar)
A.L Bambridge (Swifts)
Dobson (Notts County)
Colvin (Old Carthusians)
Beardshaw (Sheffield FC)
Bailey (Clapham Rovers)
Hunter (Sheffield Heeley)
King (Oxford Uni)
Jones (Walsall Swifts)
Barnett (Upton Park)
Harrison (Redcar)
Anderson (Old Etonians)
Poulton (Birmingham)
Page (Old Carthusians)
Yates (Walsall Swifts)
Goodhart (Old Etonians)
Lunnon (Great Marlow)*
E.C Bambridge (Swifts)
Mosforth (Wednesday)
Lafone (Upton Park)
Johnson (Saltley Cottage)

* I'm assuming that Lunnon was pressed into service as a replacement for an absent Northerner. 


North
0
4
South
15.01.83 Aston Lower Grounds

                                                                       Leete (2), A.L Bambridge, Barnett

Mathews (Aston Unity)
Swepstone (Pilgrims)
Moore  (Notts County)
Paravinci (Old Etonians/ Cambridge Uni)
Wilkinson (Wednesday)
Vintcent  (Clapham Rovers)
Chapman (Notts County)
Bailey (Clapham Rovers)
Hudson (Wednesday)
Nichols (Swifts)
Holden (Wednesbury Old Athletic)
A.L Bambridge (Swifts)
Rostron (Darwen)
Barnett (Royal Engineers)
Cursham (Notts County)
Leete (Old Brightonians)
Brown (Blackburn Rovers)
Goodhart (Old Etonians)
Hargreaves (Blackburn Rovers)
Dunn (Old Etonians/ Cambridge Uni)
Mosforth (Wednesday)
Cobbold (Cambridge Uni)



South
4
2
North
26.01.84 The Oval
E.C Bambridge, K.P Wilson,                                       Brown, Cursham
A.L Bambridge (2)

Rose (Swifts)
Roberts (West Bromwich Albion)
Paravinci (Old Etonians)
Beverley (Blackburn Rovers)
A.M Walters (Old Carthusians)
Dobson (Notts County)
Bailey (Clapham Rovers)
Hudson (Wednesday)
P.C Wilson (Hendon)
McRae (Notts County)
Holden-White (Clapham Rovers)
Jessop (Notts County)
A.L Bambridge (Swifts)
Gunn (Notts County)
Mitchell (Upton Park)
Cowley (Sheffield FC)
K.P Wilson (Hendon)
Johnson (Stoke)
E.C Bambridge (Swifts)
Cursham (Notts County)
Cobbold (Old Carthusians)
Brown (Blackburn Rovers)



North
2
1
South
31.01.85 County Ground, Derby
Brown, Dewhurst                                                      Cobbold
                                                    
Arthur  (Blackburn Rovers)
Rose (Swifts)
Latham (Derby County)
Paravinci (Old Etonians)
Ward (Blackburn Olympic)
P.M Walters (East Sheen/ Old Carthusians)
Hughes (Northwich Victoria)
Bailey (Old Westminsters)
Forest (Blackburn Rovers)
Amos (Old Carthusians /Cambridge Uni)
Lofthouse (Blackburn Rovers)
Cobbold (Old Carthusians /Cambridge Uni)
Whatley (Aston Villa)
Evelyn (Brentwood)
Davis (Aston Villa)
Holden-White (Clapham Rovers)
Dewhurst (Preston North End)
Lunnon (Marlow)
Brown (Blackburn Rovers)
Ingram (Old Wykhamists)
Cawley (Wednesday)
Pellat (Oxford Uni/ Upton Park)

Yorkshire Post 26.09.85

Professionalism was acknowledged in July 1885, and in the following season a fixture was arranged that pitted a selection of paid players against their amateur counterparts.



The Morning Post 18.01.86


Players
0
1
Gentlemen
16.01.86 Deepdale, Preston
Cobbold

Rose (Preston North End)
Strother (Old Carthusians)
Baugh (Stafford Road)
A.M Walters (Corinthians)
Jones (Aston Villa)
P.M Walters (Corinthians)
Forrest (Blackburn Rovers)
Bailey (Old Westminsters)
Rostron (Darwen)
Squire (Old Westminsters)
Strutt (Stoke)
Amos (Old Carthusians)
Mackereth (Accrington)
Spilsbury (Corinthians)
Davenport (Bolton Wanderers)
Holden-White (Clapham Rovers)
Brown (Aston Villa)
Brown (Blackburn Rovers)
Costley (Blackburn Olympic)
Dewhurst (Preston North End)
Fecitt (Blackburn Rovers)
Cobbold (Cambridge University)

Two strong teams on show. 17 of the 22 players were capped by England at some point during their career. Those representing the Gentlemen won a total of 74 caps and the Players 28. The presence of Major Marindin (who was fiercely opposed to professionalism) as referee illustrates the high status of this game in the eyes of the FA. At this point the future of the annual England v Scotland match was very much in the balance due to the Scots hard line on professionalism, and the FA were keen to explore the options for other blue riband fixtures. 
It is interesting to note that Rose had migrated North with the legalization of professionalism. I wonder how he earned his money when he was still playing for Swifts? 
Notice the presence in the Gentlemen of Dewhurst (a schoolmaster) and Brown (a Solicitor's Clerk and co-founder of Blackburn Rovers)- representatives of the 2 great professional teams of the day.
 This season also saw the shift from 2-2-6 to 2-3-5 with one of the centre forwards morphing into a centre halfback. 

The South v North fixture co-existed with the Gentlemen v Players in the 1885-86 season. This match was described at the time as an England trial...


South
3
0
North
30.01.86 The Oval
Brann, Cobbold, Squire

Swepstone (Pilgrims)
Rose (Preston North End)
A.M Walters (Old Carthusians)
Haworth (Preston North End)
P.M Walters (Old Carthusians)
Baugh (Stafford Road)
Bailey (Old Westminsters)
Howarth (Accrington)
Squire (Old Westminsters)
Strutt (Stoke)
Amos (Cambridge University)
Forrest (Blackburn Rovers)
Brann (Swifts)
Gunn (Notts County)
Holden-White (Clapham Rovers)
Robinson (Spilsby)
Guy (Oxford University)
Lindley (Nottingham Forest)
Cobbold (Old Carthusians)
Leighton (Nottingham Forest)
E.C Bambridge (Swifts)
Dewhurst (Preston North End)

The next Gentlemen v Players match was part of the annual Charity festival - a game of Rugby followed by a game of football at The Oval with the proceeds being donated to hospitals.

Gentlemen 
1
2
Players
20.03.86 The Oval
Cobbold


Thomson, Costley
Swepstone (Pilgrims)
Roberts (West Bromwich Albion)
A.M Walters (Cambridge Uni)
Suter (Blackburn Rovers)*
P.M Walters (Old Carthusians)
N. Ross (Preston North End)*
Bailey (Old Westminsters)
Russell (Preston North End)*
Squire (Old Westminsters)
Shutt (Stoke)
Amos (Old Carthusians)
Graham (Preston North End)*
Brann (Sussex)
Goodall (Preston North End)
Dewhurst (Preston North End)
Bayliss (West Bromwich Albion)
Lindley (Cambridge University)
Thomson (Preston North End)*
Cobbold (Cambridge University)
Costley (Blackburn Olympic)
E.C Bambridge (Corinthians)
Drummond (Preston North End)*

6 Scotsmen in the Player's XI. 11 England caps for the Gentlemen... 

The 1886-87 season saw further editions of both Gentlemen v Players and North v South meetings, but the Gentlemen v Players fixture was dropped from the Charity Festival in March ...

Players
3
2
Gentlemen
18.12.86  Stoke
Drummond,  Davenport,                        Sayer, goal from scrimmage
Goodall

Trainer** (Bolton Wanderers)
Arthur  (Blackburn Rovers)
Clare (Stoke)
A.M Walters (Old Carthusians)
Ross (Preston North End)*
P.M Walters (Old Carthusians)
Howarth (Accrington)
Lingard (Old Brightonians)
Russell (Preston North End)*
Amos (Cambridge University)
Graham (Preston North End)*
Bailey (Swifts)
Lofthouse (Blackburn Rovers)
Sayer (Stoke)
Davenport (Bolton Wanderers)
Dewhurst (Preston North End)
Thomson  (Preston North End)*
K.P Wilson (Hendon)
Goodall (Preston North End)
Cobbold (Cambridge University)
Drummond (Preston North End)*
E.C Bambridge (Swifts)

* 5 Scots and ** a Welshman on the professional side. Herby Arthur (Blackburn Rovers) retained amateur status as he worked in his family leather business. 


North
4
2
South
22.1.87 Aston Lower Grounds
Green, Shaw, Cooper                             Guy, unknown
 Sayer                                                                                                                                                                           
Roberts (West Bromwich Albion)
Moon (Old Westminsters)
Clare (Stoke)
A.M Walters (Old Carthusians)
Wardle (Leek)
P.M Walters (Old Carthusians)
Howarth (Accrington)
Amos (Old Carthusians)
Shelton (Notts Rangers)
Bailey (Old Westminsters)
Forrest (Blackburn Rovers)
Squire (Old Westminsters)
Sayer (Stoke)
Cotterill (Old Brightonians)
Shaw (Walsall)
Dunn (Old Etonians)
Lindley (Nottingham Forest)
Guy (Old Foresters)
Cooper (Derby County)
Cobbold (Old Carthusians)
Green (West Bromwich Albion)
E.C Bambridge (Swifts)

Preston North End had a match against Renton on this day.

1887-88

When the prinicpal fixtures for the 1887-88 season were announced there was  a Gentlemen v Players match (provisionally for 10.12.87) and also a North v South fixture- though the press pointed out that it was unlikely that both would be played. 
The decision was made at an FA Council meeting on 06.12.87 to revive the  North v South fixture
and play it on 14.1.88.

South
1
3
North
14.01.88 The Oval                                           
Ainger                                                                    Lindley (2), Hodgetts,

Moon  (Old Westminsters)
Cooper (Oxford University)
R. A Ingram (Old Westminsters)
Millar (Middlesbrough)
F.M Ingram (Sussex)
Wright (Derby Midland)
Saunders (Sussex)
Ward (Nottingham Forest)
Holden-White (Swifts)
Shelton (Notts Rangers)
Squire (Old Westminsters)
Allen (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Pike (Crusaders)
Bakewell (Derby County)
Ainger (Old Carthusians)
Pearson (Crewe)
Dunn (Old Etonians)
Lindley (Nottingham Forest)
Wilson (Old Brightonians)
Macbeth (Grimsby)
Veitch  (Old Westminsters)
Hodgetts (Aston Villa)



North
1
2
South
19.01.89 Newcastle Road, Sunderland
Burton                                                          Brann, Ainger                                                                                 

Rowley (Stoke)
Moon (Old Westminsters)
Robinson (Bolton Wanderers)
A.M Walters (Old Carthusians)
Millar (Birtley)
P.M Walters (Old Carthusians)
Wright (Derby Midland)
Holden-White (Swifts)
Lowder (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Wreford-Brown (Oxford University)
Perry (West Bromwich Albion)
Hammond (Oxford University)
Daft (Derby Midland)
Brann (Swifts)
Burton (Notts County)
Wilson (Old Brightonians)
Brodie (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
H.M Walters (Old Brightonians)
Devey (Birmingham St Georges)
Ainger (Old Carthusians)
Locker (Long Eaton Rangers)
Curry (Old Carthusians)


An uncapped XI for The North- in the first meeting since the inception of the Football League 6 of the North's XI came from League clubs. There was a full League programme the same day.