Working class hero?

 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 Billy Mosforth (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.

There's no 'I' in 'team'?

It may be apocryphal, but a lovely story anyhow. Professionalism is still 6 years off, and the England team is still dominated by the old Public Schoolboys and 'Varsity men. Combination play has yet to replace the old dribbling style. 
The place, Kennington Oval.
England v Scotland, March 3rd 1877.
The principals, Alfred Lyttelton and Billy Mosforth.

Alfred Lyttelton
Cambridge University, Member of Parliament, Queen's Counsel, Secretary of State for the Colonies.
An England Test cricketer and a superb field athlete and racquet sportsman.Lyttelton was a strapping 6ft 1 (1.85m) , and learned his football playing the Eton game. 

Billy Mosforth
One of the first England internationals to rely on a trade for his income, Mosforth was an engraver, and later a publican. 
A proto professional who turned out for 8 different Sheffield based clubs (Albion, The Wednesday, Zulus, Hallam, Rovers, Heeley, Lockwood Brothers and United) and was said to follow the money even in the days when professionalism was still outlawed. 
An all round sportsman, a runner and hurdler and a good club cricketer. 
There were physical differences in the classes in Victorian England, which were often in evidence when teams from the industrial north met opponents from the south- and Mosforth (5 ft 4- 1.63m) being 9 inches (22cms) shorter than Lyttleton is an example of this. 

Sheffield had taken to the combination game in the early 70s, possibly influenced by the play of the Royal Engineers. The Sheffield offside rule had also been more conducive to a passing game. Mosforth was a noted exponent of the new skill- the screw shot. He was also a very accurate crosser of the ball. Lyttelton  was a heads down and charge dribbler. At some point during the game , which England lost 3-1, Mosforth apparently became very annoyed at Lyttelton's selfish approach, and, unabashed by the barriers of class, let his teammate know it. We don't know what form Mosforth's admonishment took. Yorkshiremen are notoriously blunt.
Lyttelton's reply, or at least the reply he is alleged to have made, has survived.
I play, sir, for my own pleasure.

Sheffield and England in the 19th Century...

The City of Sheffield was a major centre of footballing development , and its influence on the evolution of the Association game cannot be overlooked.  There were Sheffield men present in the England XI right from the very start. Charlie Clegg played in the 5th 'Alcock International' and also in the first official international in 1872. Clegg, who went on to be a massively influential administrator, later complained about the snooty attitude of his southern teammates. 
During the 19th century 7 Sheffield based clubs had players capped by England:

Reverend John Robert Blayney Owen

Jack Hunter - in the 7 internationals in which he played England won only once and conceded 31 goals! He went on to lead Blackburn Olympic to FA Cup victory, being largely responsible for the professional approach they took to the game. 

Billy Mosforth-The Little Wonder, often described as England's first working class player (more on this matter in the near future) and the first player to represent both Wednesday and Sheffield United.

United's first international- Harry Lilley

 Michael Whitham

Raby Howell- the first Roma to play for England.

England's most famous 1 cap wonder? Billy Foulke

The Wednesday
Charles Clegg	Forward	1 cap	1872
William Clegg	Half Back	1 cap	1873
Billy Mosforth	Outside Left	5 caps	1877-82
Teddy Brayshaw	Centre Half	1 cap	1887
Billy Betts	Centre Half	1 cap	1889
Fred Spiksley	Outside Left	7 caps	1893-98
Tom Crawshaw	Centre Half	10 caps	1895-1904
Sheffield FC
John Owen	Forward	1 cap	1874
John Hudson	Half Back	1 cap	1883
Owlerton
William Carr	Goalkeeper	1 cap	1875
Heeley
Jack Hunter	Half Back	7 caps	1878-1882
Sheffield Albion
William Clegg	Forward	1 cap	1879
Billy Mosforth	Outside Left	4 caps	1879-80
Thursday Wanderers
Thomas Heathcote Sorby	Forward	1 cap	1879
Sheffield United
Harry Lilley	Left Back	1 Cap	1892
Michael Whitham	Right Back	1 Cap	1892
Ernest Needham	Half Back	16 Caps	1894-1902
Raby Howell	Right Half	1 Cap	1895
Billy Foulke	Goalkeeper	1 Cap	1897
Tommy Morren	Centre Half	1 Cap	1898
Harry Thickett	Right Back	2 Caps	1899