Sheffield v Birmingham

During the first three seasons of its existence, the Birmingham FA followed the Sheffield Rules.
They only adopted the 'London Rules' of the Football Association when Birmingham clubs began to take an interest in the FA Cup.  Calthorpe, Aston Villa and Birmingham* entered in 1879.
The first representative match between the Sheffield an Birmingham Associations took place in November 1875.

Sheffield                                                                         Birmingham

E Bowling	(Exchange)		H.H Webster	(Birmingham*)
J.C Clegg	(Wednesday)		G Pears	(Birmingham)
W.E Clegg	(Wednesday)		J.H Cofield	(St George’s)
J Hunter	(Heeley)		F Bill	(Birmingham)
R Gregory	(Hallam)		J Campbell- Orr	(Calthorpe)
W.H Stacey	(Wednesday)		J Carson	(Calthorpe)
W Wilkinson			W.J Nicholls	(St George’s)
J Houseley	(Exchange/ Heeley)		F Barnes	(Birmingham)
Geo. Anthony	(Heeley)		W Hundy	(Aston Unity)
W.H England	(Albion)		J Cartwright	(Aston Villa)
J Morton	(Clay Cross)		J.T Eldridge	(St George’s)
W Orton	(Wednesday/ Exchange)		G. A Quilter	(Birmingham)

Birmingham Daily Post - 22.11.75

The description of Orton's goal is priceless!  Interesting to note the existence of the Sheffield Footballers' Accident Society. The insurance scheme was launched in 1867. Players paid in a shilling - if a football injury prevented them from working they received 12 shillings per week. 

* This club had no connection with the later Birmingham (City)

Corner Kicks

A corner kick, Falkirk vs Queen's Park 1914

Most of the changes in the Laws of The Game in the 1860s and 70s concerned what happened when the ball went out of play.
Here we will look at Law 7:

1863
In case the ball goes behind the goal line, if a player on the side to whom the goal belongs first touches the ball, one of his side shall be entitled to a free kick from the goal line at the point opposite the place where the ball shall be touched. If a player of the opposite side first touches the ball, one of his side shall be entitled to a free kick (but at the goal only) from a point 15 yards from the goal line opposite the place where the ball is touched. The opposing side shall stand behind their goal line until he has had his kick.

Notice that the ball 'going behind the goal line' wasn't out of play as such: there was still the matter of getting the touch on it.  For the attacking team getting the touch down meant a shot at goal from 15 yards (Some similarities to Rugby here - in early Rugby rules the 'touchdown' or 'try' counted for nothing, but depended on the 'conversion' to a 'goal') . I can only assume that the 11 defenders would line up between the goalposts and just behind the goal line. As the attacking players all had to be behind the ball when it was kicked and that the ball had to be shot directly at goal I imagine that very few goals would have resulted from this process,

1866
Following the February 1866 AGM  the FA adopted the Sheffield principle of using secondary scoring to decide matches finishing equal on actual goals:
...if a player of the opposite side first touches the ball after it has gone behind the goal line of his adversary, one 'touch down' shall be scored by his side, and in the event of no goal being got by either side, or an equal number of goals being got on each side, the side obtaining the greater number of 'touches down' shall be the winners of the match.

 It was a relatively short lived experiment, the touch down disappearing from the rules altogether following the 1867 AGM, being replaced by a free kick for the defending team to be taken within 6 yards of their goal. 


Sheffield, 1868
The corner kick first made an appearance in the revised Sheffield rules of 1868. Having dispensed with rouges (touch downs) Sheffield introduced the following:
When the ball is kicked over the bar of the goal it must be kicked off by the side behind whose goal it went, within 6 yards from the limit of their goal...
when the ball is kicked behind the goal line a player of the opposite side to that which kicked it out shall kick it in from the nearest corner flag...

The 1870  FA rules had when the ball is kicked behind the goal line, it must be kicked off by the side behind whose goal it went, within 6 yards from the limit of their goal. 
and in 1872 the FA adopted the 1868 Sheffield rule verbatim.





It was in 1873 that the FA rules gave us the clear distinction between a goal kick and a corner kick (though neither term was used):
When the ball is kicked behind the goal line by one of the opposite side it shall be kicked off by any one of the players behind whose goal line it went, within 6 yards of the nearest goal post; but if kicked behind by any one of the side whose goal line it is , a player of the opposite side shall kick it from the nearest corner flag post. 

As the corner kick fell under the category 'free kicks' it was not permissible to score a goal directly from a corner kick.

The matches that shaped Association football- The 1870s

International Football in the 1870s

A number of matches during this decade left an indelible mark on the development of the game, as competitive cup football and international fixtures came into being. There were also developments and consolidations regarding the Laws of The Game that gave football a look that would be more familiar to a present day eye.

Scotland v England - 1872
After CW Alcock's attempt to organize international fixtures in 1870-71 the first truly representative international fixture took place on 30.11.72. If we follow FIFA's definitions this match shouldn't really count as a full international, as there was no Scottish FA, but that's pedantic nit picking. Queen's Park club served as a national association for Scotland until the inception of the Scottish FA in 1873,
It is a misconception that the Scottish team was Queen's Park in disguise- true, all 11 players were members of Queen's Park but there were 2 London based players included and dual or multiple club membership was commonplace. The England selection was geographically more diverse than one might expect (although JC Clegg's recollections suggest that there was a degree of north south divide in evidence). It was a case English muscle and hard work vs Scots guile and combination. 0-0.

The FA Cup 1871-72
Alcock's masterstroke- a knock out tournament based on the house matches of Harrow school. This signalled the arrival of competitive Association football and was a catalyst in the broader development of the game.
The first round of matches was played on November 11th 1871:

Upton Park	0	3	Clapham Rovers
Jarvis Kenrick is credited with the first ever FA Cup goal
Barnes	2	0	Civil Service
Maidenhead	2	0	Marlow
Hitchin	0	0	Crystal Palace
There was no replay-both teams progressed to the next round
The following matches were not played :
Queen’s Park	v		Donnington School
Failing to arrange to play this match did not prevent both sides from being placed in the draw for the next round.
Royal Engineers (walk over)	v		Reigate Priory
Wanderers (walk over)	v		Harrow Chequers
Hampsted Heathens (bye)

Sheffield v Glasgow - 1876

This was the in the third in the Sheffield vs Glasgow series of matches. The significance is that I believe it is the match that led to Clydesdale's JJ Lang becoming the first Scottish footballer to move to England in order to make his living from the game. 

The following is taken from everybody's favourite soccer history blog:

Sheffield 0 Glasgow 2 

 Bramall Lane 19.02.76

Again Sheffield Rules were played .
The press quoted odds of 5-4 on for Glasgow before the game.

6000 were  at Bramall Lane in wet conditions. The Telegraph comments on the lithe and wiry physique of the Scots and on their showing fine concerted play in contrast to the individualistic approach of Sheffield. There is reference to the bar (instead of the tape), and ends were changed at 45 minutes rather than after a goal. Andrews opened the scoring in the 20th minute.  

Glasgow's second goal came when goalkeeper Carr tried to make a quick throw out but hit Andrews on the legs, the ball rebounding into the goal. 

The usually partisan Sheffield press admitted that their team was outplayed both 'in speed and tactics'. 

London v Sheffield 1877
Up until this point Sheffield rules had existed alongside Association- similar but not the same- and were the favoured rules in South Yorkshire and the Midlands. In 1877 the last of the differences between the codes were resolved.
On 17.11.77 the 18th fixture between London and Sheffield (if we include the 1866 match) was the first played under the unified rules. The London side, led by Arthur Kinnaird, outclassed Sheffield and won 6-0.

Remnants v Darwen 1879

The Daily News 31.01.79

Not quite a team of mill workers - (Darwen had 2 Scottish professionals and a doctor in the side!), but this match represents the first real challenge to the old order in English football. Football in Lancashire was taking off- professionalism was on the rise and cup football had begun to grip the enthusiasm of the proletariat.
For the full story see Keith Dewhurst's Underdogs - essential reading for anyone interested in 19th century Association football.

The matches that shaped Association football- pre 1870

The earliest games in our list of influential matches predate the establishment of the Association.
Before 1863 there was no Association football, and throughout the 1860s the game was fluid in nature as experimental rules came and went, Spectators (and there were few) witnessed a change from an 'everyone behind the ball' game in which catches and handling played a significant role, as did touchdowns for a while, into something more akin to modern soccer, Having said that by 1870 Association football was still far from being the finished article. There were still no corner kicks or crossbars, ends were changed after every score, and the goalkeeper was not a recognised position

Football at Harrow - played with a pudding shaped ball...

Harrow- 1850s
The Football Association's  Laws of the Game were developed in order to unify existing codes that were in use in various schools and colleges. The Harrow rules were one such code. Given the later importance of Charles Alcock in the development and promotion of the Association game, we must acknowledge the importance of Alcock's earliest footballing experiences.  Alcock attended Harrow from 1855 to 1859 ; he was in Drury's House. The Houses played each other for the honour of being 'Cock House'. It was the format of these knockout competitions that inspired the FA Cup.
The press (in particular Bell’s Life in London and Sporting Chronicle) carried reports on football matches played at all the leading public schools. I have only been able to find one contemporary press report of Alcock playing football at Harrow- Bell’s Life in London and Sporting Chronicle (12.12.58) has an account of a match between Rev. B.H Drury's and Rev. Dr. Vaughan's (the Houses took the names of the leading masters). Drury's won by 1 base to 0 (base was the Harrovian term for a goal)- the base was obtained by 'a capital kick by Mr Alcock'. The result confirmed Drury's as Cock House for the season.

Sheffield FC v 58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot- 1858
It is impossible to overlook the importance of Sheffield's contribution to the development of the Association game. The Sheffield Rules predated the Football Association by 6 years, and were adopted by many clubs and associations in the midlands. Sheffield was a frequent source of inspiration as the Laws of the Game evolved during the 1860s and 70s. During the early years of its exsitence the Sheffield club played scratch matches between its members. 
Sheffiled versus Hallam in 1860 is often referred to as the earliest club football match, however, there are references to Sheffield FC playing a team from the 58th (Rutlandshire) Regiment of Foot in 1858. Unfortunately I have not been able to find any accounts of this match.

Barnes v Richmond 1863
The Presidents side v The Secretary's side, played at Battersea Park on 9th January 1864 was scheduled to be the first encounter under the newly drafted Football Association Laws of the Game.  However, EC Morley et al were keen to get on with it, and on December 19th 1863 the very first game of football played under Football Association rules took place at Limes Field, Mortlake, between Barnes FC and Richmond FC.
 The 15 a side game, ' distinguished by no disputes about the rules' , ended in a 0-0 draw.


The Association game continued to be played on an informal basis throughout the decade, mainly by clubs in the metropolitan area. Sheffield football also flourished, and both sets of rules underwent gradual changes and slowly a spectacle bearing a closer resemblance to modern football emerged, as handling, fair catches and touchdowns were eradicated. 


London v Sheffield 1866 
The first representative match under the auspices of the FA.  Sheffield FC had initially asked the FA for a match with one of the FA member clubs. The FA however selected a Football Association XI, drawn from 4 metropolitan clubs- Wanderers, Barnes, NN's and Civil Service. 

The Youdan Cup 1867
February 16th 1867 saw first round of the first ever knockout football tournament. It was played under Sheffield Rules during a period where the 4 yard goal and the rouge were in use (thus distancing it somewhat from modern soccer). The eventual winners, Hallam, defeated Heeley 2-0 (and 2 rouges to 1) in their first round match. 

Middlesex v Kent-1867
Another venture masterminded by CW Alcock to stimulate interest in the Association game was an attempt to introduce inter county matches.
The first of this sporadic series was due to take place on November 2nd at Beaufort House, but Lord Ranelagh, being in dispute with the Amatuer Athletic Club, in whose name the ground was leased, withdrew his permission for his land to be used, and the game was played 'in the wilds' of Battersea Park. The match ended in a 0-0 draw.
The ground was described as being 'in wretched order' but the match itself ('a most stubbornly contested game') was given a good write up.
In these days in which the FA were working hard to spread the appeal of the game it is worth remembering when reading enthusiastic and glowing reports of 0-0 draws played in unfavourable conditions that the author might well have been none other than C.W Alcock! 


Queen's Park v Thistle- 1868
I'm not going to turn these posts into a catalogue of the first games of all significant clubs, but i'll make an exception in the case of Queen's Park. Queen's Park assumed the status of an institution within the Scottish game in its earliest days, and fulfilled the functions of a national association. As with Sheffield (above) the earliest games were between scratch sides drawn from club members. 
On 1st August 1868 Queen's Park had their first fixture against outside opposition: Played at the Recreation Ground (South Side Park?) fellow Glaswegians,Thistle FC were beaten by  'two goals within an hour'.
Having kept a clean sheet in their debut match Queen's Park didn't concede a goal until March 1875 and their unbeaten run went on until 1876.

Wanderers v West Kent 1869
 In the 1860s London's football was played in public parks such as Clapham Common and Battersea Park. There were no enclosed football grounds. 
On Saturday October 9th 1869 The Wanderers v West Kent was played at the Kennington Oval, the home of Surrey Cricket Club. This arose from CW Alcock's involvement with Surrey Cricket Club.
As well as generating (negligible) income for the cricket club in the winter months, it meant that the Football Association now had access to a large enclosed venue capable of accommodating thousands of paying spectators. During the course of the following decade The Oval became a regular venue for club fixtures and hosted big events such as FA Cup Finals and semi finals, internationals, and The Varsity match.

Sheffield FC and the Football Association, 1863

Bell’s Life in London and Sporting Chronicle 05.12.63

The above is a letter from W. Chesterman, the Hon, Sec. of Sheffield Football Club which was read to the meeting of the Football Association held on December 1st 1863.  Mr Chesterman makes observations and suggestions. The Sheffield Rules had been in operation since 1857, and, as was to be the case with the Association Laws of the Game, were evolving on a year by year basis.
By 1877 the Sheffield and Association rules had converged completely.

Sheffield v Newark, 1869

Nottinghamshire Guardian 10.12.69

Further evidence of the rather shambolic state of football in the 1860s. Newark short handed, unscientific in their play and a lack of clarity regarding the code.
We were somewhat surprised to find them not playing the Football Association Rules, inasmuch as the Sheffield Club are members of the Association... this comment by the (Nottingham) reporter reveals the confusion that persisted 6 years after the FA had set out to standardise the laws of the game. Sheffield, of course, was something of a special case- the Sheffield Association observed their own code of rules as they converged with those of the Football Association, eventually unifying  in 1878.
Newark Town, currently of the Central Midlands Football League: North Division proudly display the foundation year of 1868 on their club crest. 

Sheffield v Manchester 1868

Sheffield Daily Telegraph -  04.04.68

As we can see from the result (2 rouges to nothing) this was a game played under the Sheffield Rules. Whilst acknowledging the importance of the Sheffield Rules I avoid devoting too much space on this blog to Sheffield Football in the 1850s and 60s. As the subtitle says- Association Football around the world.

However, I found this brief snippet of interest for 2 reasons:

1-Manchester. We have seen how football really took hold in Lancashire in the 1870s and 80s, (50% of the original 12 League clubs were from Lancashire) and yet Manchester itself was not  represented until the emergence of Newton Heath and Ardwick, and then they did not consistently command high positions. 
2- Sheffield FC joined the Football Association in 1863, even though they retained their own code until the 'merger' of 1877. The Football Association was formed with the intention of unifying the various football codes. And here, 5 years on, a Sheffield journalist rues the absence of a general code of rules.

Officers of The Royal Engineers (Chatham) on Tour

In December 1873 the Royal Engineers went on tour to Sheffield and the Midlands. The Engineers team were all serving officers and the tour was arranged around periods of leave.

The three games played are often credited with introducing the Combination Game to a wider audience.

Although the exact origins of a systematic approach to playing association football in concert with one's team mates is very difficult to pin down, but documentary evidence supports the deployment of such tactics by the Engineers from the late 1860s, predating the culture shock of the 1872 England Scotland international in which the 11 Queen's Park players used tactics that were supposedly completely alien to the English. 

Sheffield and Rotherham Independent 09.12.73

The Sheffield Daily Telegraph 22.12.73

The Engineers were an adaptable lot- they were not averse to playing Sheffield rules (they went as far as playing Rugby rules on occasions). Note the reference to the throw in and the Sheffield reporters preference for the kick in. I remember a similar debate re surfacing in the 1980s!
The Sheffield FA team who played against Glasgow in the 1870s were in turn praised and damned for using a combination game unusual among English sides. 

The Mr Owen referred to is Rev. John Robert Blayney Owen. He later played for England. Owen was at Trent College and would have turned out for Derbyshire had it not been for the injury he sustained in the match at Sheffield. 
H.W Renny-Tailyour was injured for the Sheffield game, which he umpired. He returned for the Derbyshire game. 

The Derbyshire Times 24.12.73

A capital luncheon- before the match, and a splendid banquet afterwards.  It is implied that a different set of rules was employed in each half of the Derby game. 

The Standard 26.12.73

Nottingham Forest had been in existence since 1865. Their splendidly Dickensian named captain, Samuel Weller Widdowson, known as the inventor of shinguards, was impressed by the Engineers' use of a pyramid formation. During the course of the nest decade this became standard throughout Association Football.

20.12.73	Sheffield Association	0	4	Royal Engineers	Bramall Lane
				Rawson, Van Donop, Olivier (2)	c 3,000
22.12.73	Derbyshire	1	2	Royal Engineers	South Derbyshire CC
	Gadsby			Rawson, Van Donop
23.12.73	Nottingham Forest	1	2	Royal Engineers	Trent Bridge
	Spencer			Van Donop, Ellis