Nils Middelboe

Before joining Chelsea in 1913 Middleboe represented Kjøbenhavns Boldklub, Frederiksberg. He made 15 appearances for Denmark (7 goals), and played at 3 Olympic tournaments (winning 2 silver medals).

Click here to view a great selection of images of Danish football.

Some Famous Referees

In the earliest years of the Football Association referees and umpires were drawn from the ranks of current players. Charles Alcock, for example umpired in international matches before participating as a player. In the 1880s Major Marindin bestrode the world of refereeing like a colossus.  As football's mass appeal burgeoned  the referees themselves became celebrities. As the illustration above shows the favoured uniform was tweed plus fours and a deerstalker.


Arthur Kingscott
From Long Eaton, Mr Kingscott refereed in 3 FA Cup Final matches (1900 and 1901, including the replay). He officiated for 14 seasons in the Football League. There was controversy when he made a call on a goal line incident resulting in a Sheffield United goal when he was distant from the action.

Patrick Harrower
Mr Harrower took charge of the 1905 FA Cup Final. He was a Scottish Rugby Union internationalist. He refereed international matches on the continent.

A. J Barker
Hanley's Mr Barker refereed the 1904 FA Cup Final.
On the opening day of the 1906 season Mr Barker (whose moustache is worthy of note) oversaw a game between Manchester City and Woolwich Arsenal in which 5 City players left the pitch due to the effects of the 32C temperature.

John Adams
In charge at the 1903 FA Cup Final.

John Lewis
In his distinguished career the Prince of Referees took charge of 3 FA Cup Finals (1895,1897 & 1898) and 9 internationals, including  2 Olympic Finals (1908 &1920). The 1920 Final was a shambles and the Czechs, having walked off in the 40th minute, were extremely critical of the performance of the 65 year old Mr Lewis.

Tom Kirkham
Mr Kirkham officiated in 3 internationals and the 1902 FA Cup Final (including the replay). This is the referee pursued by William Foulke in the legendary story.

French Losses 1914-19

22 French internationals died during World War I:

René Camard - Association Sportive Francais Paris (08.02.87- 16.03.15) 
The outside left won 1 cap against Belgium in 1907.
Killed in action in Carnoy (Somme).

Julien Denis - Racing Club de Calais (14.08.81- 25.09.15) 
Half back, 2 caps in 1908. Calais' stadium is named in his honour.
Killed in action at Souchez.

Charles Dujardin - Union Sportive Tourquennoise (15.04.88 - 29.08.14) 
 1 cap v Switzerland 1913
 Died from injuries sustained in the battle of the Aisne.

Émile Dusart - Racing Club de Roubaix (03.09.92 -13.03.19)
Defender- 1 cap v Hungary in 1914.
A nurse, he died of influenza at Mainz.

René Fenouillère - Red Star Amical Club de Paris (22.10.82 - 04.11.16) 

The forward won 1 cap, in the 1908 Olympics at London.

The stadium of U.S. Avranches is named in his honour.

 Killed in action at Reims.

André François - Racing Club de Roubaix (1885 - 17.03.15)

6 caps,3 goals.Captain at the 1908 Olympics (in a  17-1 loss against Denmark).

Died of injuries in Meuse.

Charles Geronimi - AF Garenne Colombes Paris (08.02.95 - 09.11.18) 

Inside left, he won 1 cap, v Luxembourg in 1914. 

Died of  injuries at Souilly.

Raymond Gigot - Club Français Paris (11.05.85-25.09.15)

Outside left, 1 cap, v Belgium in 1905. 

Killed in action at Pas de Calais.

Raoul Gressier - Racing Club de Calais (19.11.85 - 06.10.15)

1 cap against Denmark at the 1908 Olympics for the team designated France B, losing 9-0.

Missing in action at Tahure.

Ernest Guéguen - Union Sportive Servannaise et Malouine Saint-Malo (30.05.85 - 25.09.15)
1 cap, v England Amateurs 1913. 
 Killed in action in the Second Battle of the Marne.

Victor  Hitzel - JA Levallois (?-?)
A forward, he won 1 cap against England Amateurs in 1909.

Albert Jenicot - Racing Club de Roubaix (15.02.85 - 22.02.16) 
aka Jules Aristide Jenicot
A forward who made 3 international appearances in 1908, including an Olympic match.
Killed in action at Vacherauville.

Emile Lesmann - JA Saint-Ouen (03.05.91 - 15.09.14)
A forward who faced Belgium in 1912.
Killed at The battle of Marne.

Jean Loubiere - Gallia Club Paris (07.01.92 - 04.02.15)

 Goalkeeper in 1 match against  Luxembourg in 1914 

 Killed in action at Massiges.

Pol Morel - Red Star Amical Club de Paris (05.03.90 - 28.09.15) 
A forward who won 2 caps in 1911
Killed in action at Servins.

Eugène Petel - AS Amicale Alfortville (1881-?)

1 cap, v Belgium , 1910.

André Puget - Racing Club de Paris (12.01.82 - 09.05.15) 

Outside right- 1 appearance v  Belgium in 1907.

Killed in action at the Battle of Artois.

Marius Royet - Union Sportive Parisienne (19.06.80 - 08.11.18) 
9 caps and 2 goals, including 1 in France's first ever international in 1904. 
Died of influenza in Mannheim. 

Pierre Six - Olympique Lillois (18.01.88 - 1916)
Played for France B at the 1908 Olympics. 
Killed in action at the Somme.

Julien Verbrugghe - Association Sportive Française Paris (26.12.89 - 21.08.16)  
France's youngest ever international (16 years and 10 months) in a 15-0 loss to England Amateurs  (1906). 3 further caps in 1911.
Killed in action at the Somme.

 Francis Vial - Club Athletique de Vitry (?-1916)

1 cap v Luxemblourg, 1911.

Justin Vialaret -  CA Paris XIVe (12.11.83 - 30.09.16)
Played 1 match for France B at the 1908 Olympics. 

England's New Internationals 1905-06

	Club	Position	Caps	Goals
Herod Ruddlesdin	The Wednesday	wing half	3
One of the most curiously named footballers- Mothers, read your Bibles!
Harold Hardman	Everton	outside Left	4	1
A member of the gold medal-winning British team at the 1908 Olympics, Mr Hardman was later chairman of Manchester United.
Dicky Bond	Preston North End	outside right	8	2
Bond left the military in order to turn professional. During the 1914-18 war he rejoined the army, and was a prisoner of war.
Herbert Smith	Reading	left back	4
An amateur, he also played for Great Britain in the 1908 Olympic games.
Joe Bache	Aston Villa	inside left	7	4
Charlie Roberts	Manchester United	centre half	3
It is remarkable that a man who was reckoned to be so complete a centre half only earned 3 caps. Roberts, as we know, influenced Vittorio Pozzo and was also a labour activist.
Harry  Linacre	Nottingham Forest	goalkeeper	2
Linacre kept a clean sheet vs Scotland
Arthur Bridgett	Sunderland	outside left	11	3
7 of Bridgett’s caps came against continental teams (unusual at the time). His England goals came in Vienna (2) and Budapest (1)
Frank ‘Tabby’ Booth	Manchester City	outside left	1

1908

As winners of the football tournament at the 1908 Olympics the Great Britain team received one gold medal. Players were also awarded with this marvelous neo-classical certificate.  Designed by the famous cartoonist and illustrator Bernard Partridge, the certificate shows Victory (with the wings) between Britannia and Hellas.  The certificate describes the team as England- which they were- England Amateurs. 

Edgar Chadwick

Edgar Chadwick was the last man to participate on the first day of the Football league to still be playing at the highest level.
Having played as a professional for his hometown clubs, Blackburn Olympic and Blackburn Rovers, Chadwick featured at inside left in Everton's 2-1 win over Accrington at Anfield on September 8th 1888. His last league appearance came in a division 2 fixture on 28th April 1906. Chadwick was in the Glossop team that lost 2-1 at home to Leeds City.
In addition to Everton and Glossop Chadwick had played for Liverpool, Burnley and Blackpool, making a total of  413 League appearances (127 goals) and 41 FA Cup appearances (16 goals). During his time at Everton Chadwick  won the Football League championship  (1890-91) and was on the losing side in the 1893 and 1897 FA Cup Finals.
His League career was punctuated by a spell at Southampton in the Southern league where he tasted defeat in a third FA cup Final (1902).
Chadwick played until he was 39, finishing his career with Darwen  in Lancashire Combination 1908
A compact (1.67 m) inside forward Chadwick also made 7 appearances for England, scoring 3 goals. 
On his retirement Chadwick moved to Germany to coach- employing retired English pros was en vogue on the continent at the time- and it was in the Netherlands that he found his niche. Chadwick coached Vitesse, Sparta Rotterdam (winning the national championship) and HVV. In addition to this he coached the Netherlands national team on 24 occasions , taking bronze at the 1908 and 1912 Olympics. He was also at the helm when England Amateurs were beaten 2-1 in 1913. 

Mr John Lewis

For myself, I would take no objection to hooting or groaning by the spectators at decisions with which they disagree. The referee should remember that football is a game that warms the blood of player and looker-on alike, and that unless they can give free vent to their delight or anger, as the case may be, the great crowds we now witness will dwindle rapidly away
John Lewis, The Much Abused Referee (1906)


John Lewis had a long and varied career in football, his 5 decades of devotion to the game seeing him feature as a player, a referee and an administrator. He held senior positions ( vice-president) of both the Football Association and the Football League.

Originally from Shropshire, Lewis moved to Lancashire at the age of 20, and played for Darwen, then the leading club in the north west. 

John Lewis  (back row centre) with Blackburn Rovers, 1875

The club with which Lewis is most closely associated though is Blackburn Rovers. 
On 5th November 1875, along with Old Salopian Arthur Constantine, Lewis organized a meeting at the St Leger Hotel in Blackburn at which  Blackburn Rovers Football Club was founded. Lewis was appointed as treasurer, and was in the XI when Rovers played their first game on 11th December 1875. 
During the early days of Blackburn Rovers Lewis still turned out for Darwen, although by the end of the 1870s the two clubs had become bitter rivals.
In 1878 Lewis was actively involved in the founding of the Lancashire FA. 
It was the next phase of Mr Lewis' career for which he is best known, and which provides the reader with the most entertaining and enlightening insights into football in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His playing days behind him,  Mr Lewis became  'Prince of Referees'.
He was a puritan who swept aside all who confronted him with boundless energy and unflinching honesty  (Inglis 1988). This of course, often brought his into conflict with spectators, clubs and players.  He abandoned matches in which players misbehaved, suspended matches at which crowds were disorderly, and thought nothing of leaving the field to confront spectators who pelted or abused him. 
 Mr Lewis, known as 'Honest John', devoted every penny of expenses paid to him as a referee to charity and was a fervent teetotaller.
He refereed the FA Cup Finals of 1895, 1897 and 1898. He frequently refereed on the continent and took charge of the 1908 Olympic Final.
Mr Lewis was widely recognized as the leading referee of his day, but unsurprisingly was acquainted with controversy.

His handling of  the 1898 FA Cup semi-final replay drew complaints from the losers, Southampton. Saints were leading Nottingham Forest with ten minutes left to play when Mr Lewis took the players off due to blizzard conditions. He then restarted the match despite the  weather worsening, Forest scoring twice in the last few minutes.  

Trouble ahead...Mr Lewis oversees the toss in the Olympic Final of 1920 with  Émile Hanse and Karel Pešek.

Mr Lewis had the misfortune to referee one of the most notorious matches in the history of international football. He was 72 at the time! Taking charge of the 1920 Olympic gold medal match between hosted Belgium and Czechoslovakia (assisted by 2 ex England internationals, A.E Knight and Charles Wreford-Brown), Mr Lewis awarded Belgium a penalty in the 6th minute, there was also some dispute over a second Belgium goal on the half hour. When Mr Lewis sent off Czech left back Steiner in the 39th minute the Czechs walked off and the match was abandoned. 

See:
League Football and the Men Who Made it by Simon Inglis

Underdogs: The Unlikely Story of Football's First FA Cup Heroes by Keith Dewhurst 

Denmark- early internationals

If the ELO Ranking system is applied retrospectively, Denmark become the World number 1 ranked side on  17.5.1914.
This followed victory over the Netherlands in their 13th international. 

Denmark's first official international had seen them kick off international tournament football at the 1908 Olympic Games :

1908

Date					Venue
19.10.08	Denmark	9	0	France B	London White City
Denmark took 10 minutes to open their account in international football, Nils Middelboe  opening the scoring. They were 4 up at half time.  Vilhelm Wolfhagen got 4 goals as Denmark romped home. Sofus Nielsen got the 9th. Denmark’s trainer was Charlie Williams- the former Manchester City goalkeeper.
22.10.08	Denmark	17	1	France A	London White City
Sofus Nielsen had scored a hat trick by the 7th minute. He went on to get 10 goals in all. Wolfhagen got another 4.  3 days into their international football history Denmark had clocked up 26 goals, 11 of them by Nielsen. French football had 2 governing bodies at the time, both of whom entered teams for the Olympics. The A and B designation does not reflect the merit of the teams, theoretically they were equals.
24.10.08	England Amateurs (GB)	2	0	Denmark	London White City
The Olympic Final. This is not a bad result when one considers the drubbings that England’s Amateurs routinely meted out.  In the 10th match played by the selection, this was the narrowest victory they had achieved.
05.05.10	Denmark	2	1	England Amateurs	Copenhagen
Quite a sensational result. Poor weather conditions, goals from  Lindgren (10.) and Wolfhagen (75.)
21.10.11	England Amateurs	3	0	Denmark	London  Park Royal
Was Martin Axel Tufvesson the Faroe Islands’ first international footballer? England sportingly allowed a substitution when goalkeeper Hansen broke his ankle.
30.06.12	Denmark	7	0	Norway	Stockholm
The Stockholm Olympics. 3 goals from Ole Anton Olsen on debut.
02.07.12	Denmark	4	1	Netherlands	Stockholm
04.07.12	England Amateurs (GB)	4	2	Denmark	Stockholm
The Olympic Final. Charles von Buchwald left the pitch injured after 30 minutes, with England leading 2-1. Denmark battled hard but this turned out to be a routine victory for the British side.
06.10.12	Denmark	3	1	Germany	Copenhagen
The Danish public were now more football minded. 10,000 were at this game. Nils Middelboe had played in every one of Denmark’s matches to date, and he got 2 goals here.
25.05.13	Denmark	8	0	Sweden	Copenhagen
05.10.13	Sweden	0	10	Denmark	Stockholm
Poul Nielsen got a hat trick in each half.
26.10.13	Germany	1	4	Denmark	Hamburg
All 4 goals for Poul Nielsen.
17.05.14	Denmark	4	3	Netherlands	Copenhagen
1-3 down at half time. 3 goals for Poul Nielsen.

Sofus Neilsen 

Nils Middelboe 

Poul Nielsen

Denmark and Sweden in 1913- the 10-0 game.