Lancashire Football Association

Though the introduction of Association football into Lancashire about the same period as the establishment of the Cup, the first of an innumerable succession of trophies of a similar kind, was a mere coincidence and in no way connected, it is curious, considering the conspicuous part Lancashire clubs have played in the competition of late years, that their origin should have been coeval The paternity of the Association game in Lancashire may be claimed by Mr. J. C. Kay, an old Harrovian, who subsequently made himself a reputation in another branch of sport, as a lawn tennis player of no small ability, as well as manager of perhaps the best organized lawn tennis meeting in the kingdom" that which takes place annually on the ground of the Liverpool Cricket Club. Educated at Harrow, it was only natural that the primitive game in use in Lancashire should have been based very much on the eccentric admixture of different codes to which young Harrow had been used for generation after generation. The introduction of the Association game into Lancashire was, in fact, in a very great measure the work of an old Harrovian, as, some twenty years before, the initiation of the movement which practically led to the revival of football on a proper basis was to a considerable extent the work of a few keen athletes who had graduated at his School. To East Lancashire, in particular, belongs the credit of fostering the game in its infancy, as well as of assisting in the development which has resulted in making Lancashire one of the most powerful influences in Association football Bolton, I believe, was the first place which took at all kindly to the new sport, and, under Mr. Kay's watchful eye, the Harrow game, or perhaps as near a reproduction as could be devised to suit local requirements, for a time supplied all the wants of the lads who were undergoing their novitiate in football. Practice took place in the evenings, and, in fact, the game was of a very primitive kind, followed after the hard work of the day had been completed. It was not long, though, before an attempt was made to evolve something like system out of the rough efforts of these pioneers of Lancashire football. The first result of this organization, I have reason to believe, was the Bolton Wanderers club, which has outlived the many, and some of them excellent, changes through which football has gone during the last quarter of a century, and still remains a power in the land; in fact, one of the most influential combinations of the same kind in the north of England.

CW Alcock 

The Lancashire F.A. is said to have its origins in a meeting held at The Volunteer Inn, Bromley Cross, on Saturday 28th September, 1878. John Lewis (Blackburn Rovers), T. Hindle, (Darwen) and W.T. Dixon, (Turton F.C.) are cited as the prime movers. Arrangements were made for a representative meeting of clubs to be held.

Burnley Express, 05.10.78.

Here is some information regarding the clubs mentioned in the above article:

Club	Founded
Accrington	1876		Founder members of the Football League.
Church	1874		Church is a village 1 mile from Accrington.
Myrtle Grove	1870		Later known as Rossendale. Blackburn Standard - Saturday 27 July 1878- JH Bentley Hon Sec Myrtle Grove FC (Cloughfold) seeking fixtures within 20 miles.
Clough Fold		Cloughfold is a small hamlet in Rossendale.
Enfield			There is an Enfield Cricket Club in Accrington.
Haslingden Rangers			Haslingden is a town in Rossendale. Neither of the clubs still exist, and their histories are scant. A Haslingden club joined the Lancashire Combination in 1905. I don’t know the relationship between this and the earlier clubs.
Haslingden Grane The Blackburn Standard consistently uses Grane, not Grange.
Blackburn Rovers	1875		Founder members of the Football League.
Park Road (Blackburn)	1875		England/Ireland international Jack Reynolds turned out for Park Road.
Livesey United (Blackburn)			In 1878 a Livesey United Cup was contested in Blackburn.
St George’s (Blackburn)
St Mark’s (Blackburn)			Blackburn Olympic’s opponents in the 1878 Livesey United Cup final. Later known as Witton.
Christ Church (Blackburn)
Bolton Rovers
St George’s (Bolton)
Emmanuel FC (Bolton)
Bolton Wanderers	1874		Founder members of the Football League.
North End (Bolton)			Were playing Rugby in 1878
Great Lever (Bolton)	1877		One of many Bolton based clubs- a number of stars represented Great lever early in their careers, including John Goodall, James Trainer and Denny Hodgetts. Alf Jones was capped by England whilst playing for Great Lever (which the old IFFHS site listed as a London club!)
Turton	1871		The Oldest Football Club in Lancashire- they played a form of the Harrow game (founder J.C Kay was a Harrow Boy) before adopting Association in 1874. Declined with the advent of professionalism.
Eagley	1874
Astley Bridge	1879		Claim a foundation date of 1880?!
Westhoughton
Darwen Rangers
Darwen Grasshoppers			A homage to Preston Grasshoppers? (1869)
Lower Darwen

Notable absentees - we must assume, given Mr Hindle's presence that Darwen are omitted from the report in error. Preston North End - possibly the Blackburn centered nature of the set up didn't encourage them?
The development of Lancashire football, paricularly Darwen and Turton is covered beautifully in Underdogs: The Unlikely Story of Football's First FA Cup Heroes by Keith Dewhurst.

A Challenge Cup was introduced in 1879-1880 and the results of the competition were as follows:

First Round
20.09.79	Haslingden Association	2	1	Padiham
27.09.79	Darwen	7	0	Darwen Grasshoppers
27.09.79	Turton	9	1	North End (Bolton)
27.09.79	Emmanuel FC (Bolton)	0	6	Park Road (Blackburn)
04.10.79	Church	4	0	St Andrews (Blackburn)
04.10.79	Christ Church (Blackburn)	8	0	Bolton Hornets
04.10.79	Lynwood (Darwen)	5	4	Bolton Olympic
04.10.79	Great Lever (Bolton)	5	4	Clough Fold
11.10.79	Livesey United (Blackburn)	9	0	Halliwell Jubilee (Bolton)
11.10.79	Astley Bridge	6	0	Rising Sun (Bolton)
11.10.79	Cob Wall (Bolton)	0	3	Manchester Wanderers
11.10.79	Bolton Wanderers	5	2	All Saints (Bolton)
11.10.79	Lower Darwen	3	1	Darwen Rangers
18.10.79	Accrington	4	1	Halliwell (Bolton)
23.10. 79	Enfield	1	5	Blackburn Rovers (replay)
25.10.79	Edgeworth	6	1	Middleton
25.10.79	Eagley	5	2	Bolton Rovers
25.10.79	St Mark’s (Blackburn)	4	1	St Pauls (Bolton) (replay)
25.10.79	Lower Chapel (Darwen)	4	2	St George’s (Blackburn)
01.11.79	Darwen Foresters	wo		Haslingden Grane (did not show for replay)
Second Round
01.11.79	Lower Chapel	4	3	Lynwood (declared void)
20.12.79	Lynwood	1	3	Lower Chapel
08.11.79	Eagley	4	1	Edgeworth
22.11.79	St Mark’s	0	4	Accrington
25.11.79	Haslingden Association	1	12	Darwen (+3 disputed goals)
29.11.79	Lower Darwen	3	0	Livesey United
29.11.79	Blackburn Rovers	4	0	Bolton Wanderers (1 in some reports)
29.11.79	Great Lever	0	3	Turton
30.11.79	Manchester Wanderers	6	2	Church (+1 disputed goal)
06.12.79	Darwen Foresters	0	2	Park Road
06.12.79	Christ Church	1	2	Astley Bridge
Third Round
01.01.80	Accrington	4	0	Lower Darwen
10.01.80	Darwen	5	0	Astley Bridge
10.01.80	Blackburn Rovers	2	0	Turton (+1 disputed goal)
Turton protested that McIntyre and Campbell of Rovers were ‘not Lancashire men’ and therefore ineligible- The Lancs FA ordered a replay and according to a report in The Blackburn Standard (31.01.80) Rovers withdrew from the Cup. However, the Association reconsidered  and overturned the decision in a meeting on 14.02.80.
10.01.80	Manchester Wanderers	2	0	Park Road
17.01.80	Eagley	2	8	Lower Chapel
Fourth Round
07.2.80	Accrington	4	3	Lower Chapel
21.2.80	Darwen (+2 disputed goals)	11	1	Manchester Wanderers
	Blackburn Rovers	Bye
Semi-final
	Darwen	bye
06.03.80	Blackburn Rovers	3	1	Accrington (at Alexandra Meadows)

The final was played at Darwen's Barley Bank ground on 20.03.80. There were 9,000 in attendance and takings in excess of £160. The referee was Mr C.J Spencer, of Nottingham Forest assisted by Messrs. J.N Abraham ( Cheshire FA) and R.E Lythgoe (Birkenhead FA).

Darwen ran out 3-0 winners with goals from Bury, Gledhill and Marshall.

Darwen		Blackburn Rovers
Broughton	G	Howorth
Duxbury	B	Greenwood*
Suter	B	A Birtwistle
Fish	H	FW Hargeaves*
Moorhouse	H	Latham
*Marshall	F	Duckworth
*Rostron	F	Hanson
Gledhill	F	Brown*
Holden	F	Hindle
Bury	F	J Hargreaves*
R Kirkham	F	R Birtwistle

* England Internationals.

In good Victorian fashion the cup was presented 4 months later.

Liverpool Echo, 26.07.80

Tips for goalkeepers- L R Roose

A good goalkeeper, like a poet, is born, not made. Nature has all to do with the art in its perfection, yet very much call be done by early training, tuition and practice. A "natural" goalkeeper seems to keep his form without much effort. All the training possible will not make a man a goalkeeper. You must coach him, explain the finer points of the game to him, and show him the easiest and best way to take the ball to the greatest advantage, and how to meet this or that movement of the attacking forwards, and then he will be something more than a mere physical entity or specimen. Granted that the aspirant has the inherent and essential qualities in him to become successful, it is the early work and coaching that are the determining causes of after success, without which he can never hope to attain the ideal.

In the other positions in the field success is dependent upon combined effort and upon the dovetailing, of one player's work with another. With the goalkeeper it is a different matter entirely. He has to fill a position in which the principle is forced upon him that "it is good for a man to be alone" - a position which is distinctly personal and decidedly individualistic in character. His is the most onerous post, and one which is equally responsible. Any other player's mistakes may be readily excused, but a single slip on the part of the last line of defence may be classed among the list of the unpardonable sins - especially when the International Selection Committee is on business bent. His one mistake or lapse may prove more costly than a score of errors committed by all his fellow clubmates put together....

Everything that the aspirant to first-class rank attempts to accomplish should be marked by a steady, quiet confidence. There should be nothing, to denote the novice about his play, albeit a champion in embryo. As a rule, men are clever at a game because they are fond of it, and when a man is fond of anything in which he takes part, he does not usually or as a rule scamp such work as he participates in.

Players with intelligence to devise a new move or system, and application to carry it out, will go tar. And for that reason the possession of personal conception and execution is desirable, although a "player with an opinion" nowadays which is not in consonance with the stereotyped methods of finessing and working for openings is shunned to no small degree, as though lie carried about with him the germs of an infectious disease.

A goalkeeper, however, can be a law unto himself in the matter of his defence. He need not set out to keep goal on the usual stereotyped lines. He is at liberty to cultivate originality and, more often than not, if he has a variety of methods in his clearances and means of getting rid of the ball, he will confound and puzzle the attacking forwards....

A goalkeeper should be one possessed of acute observation and independent thought. He should be aggressive, and have the fighting instinct or spirit in him, and if in combination with a modicum of "temper" - so called - he will be none the worse for that. Temper is only a form of energy and, so long, as it is controlled, the more we have of it in a custodian the better. He should know every move of the game as well as he knows the alphabet, and study the mysteries of attack and the intricacies of defence, at the same time carrying his individual attitude with perfect balance. If he can give to his work the spice of a little originality, it will prove to be his advantage. Stale minds rather than stale bodies and muscles are responsible for many of the indifferent displays we read of. When a person's mannerisms seem part of the man, unconscious and necessary to the full self-expression of his work or play, it is folly to attempt to cramp one's methods for the sake of conformity to a general type. When, however, they are foreign to his role, they become a just source of irritation, and the reason for their adoption is possibly found in the fact that the person who has aped somebody's methods, which were in turn sub-aped by others, was suffering at both extremities of his person in that lie was the possessor of a swollen head and had grown too big for his boots.

The fairest judgement of a man is by the standard of his work, and the best goalkeeper is the one who makes the fewest mistakes. Perfect custodians are not in evidence in this mundane sphere. There certainly are degrees of comparison in the best of goalkeepers, albeit of a limited kind, as the tactics indulged in by keepers are merely matters of personal equation...

There is a speculative element in every goalkeeper's venture from under his posts. Leaving one's goal is looked upon as a cardinal sin by those armchair critics who tell a goalkeeper what he should do and what he should not do, and administer advice from the philosophic atmosphere of the grand stand. They wobble mentally, in proportion with the custodian's success or want of success in rushing out to meet an opponent even when the result is as inevitable as when a man's logic is pitted against a woman's tears. A goalkeeper should take in the position at once and at a glance and, if deemed necessary, come out of his goal immediately, even if things were not what they at first seemed. Never more than in this case is it true that he who hesitates is lost. He must be regardless of his personal consequences and, if necessary, go head first into a pack into which many men would hesitate to insert a foot, and take the consequent gruelling like a Spartan. I am convinced that the reason why goalkeepers don't come out of their goal more often is their regard for personal consequences. If a forward has to be met and charged down, do not hesitate to charge with all your might. If you rush out with the intention of kicking, don't draw back but Kick (with a capital K!) at once.

If a thing is worth doing at all, it is worth doing properly and with all one's energy, and he who gives hard knocks must be prepared to accept hard knocks in return. A goalkeeper should believe in himself. If you don't have the confidence, it is a moral certainty your backs cannot, and their play will show it by lying close to goal and doing most of your work. As a consequence of this, the half-backs have too much defence thrown upon them, and are thus hampered, and cannot feed their forwards, so that there is a weak display all round which takes its origin from the defects of one man, and a want of confidence in the last defensive unit on the side.

Consistency should be aimed at. A goalkeeper on whom you cannot rely or depend is like a man to whom you ask an inconvenient question, and who prevaricates in his answer. He should not be one of those who "keep" one day with extreme brilliance, and another day make repeated and egregious mistakes. His work should be notable for its uniformity and in distinct contrast to the curate's egg, which was found to be good only in parts...

If a player has the ability to keep goal, he should set about trying to improve his style. He may possibly be a little unfinished at first, but he is bound to improve if he combines with the agility of youth a matured observation of the game which time alone can give. A sure eye, a perfect sense of time, and a heart - even as big as a hyacinth farm - are necessary to a goalkeeper's art, for it is an art of the rarest type. He should be as light on his feet as a dancing master, yet nothing is more reprehensible in a goalkeeper than taking wild, flying kicks, or using his feet in any way when he can use his hands, as there is safety in numbers and two hands are better than one foot. When he does kick, his kicking should be accuracy itself, so as to land the ball exactly where he intends. There must be boot behind the ball, muscle behind the boot, the intelligence behind both. He should be as cool as the proverbial cucumber, and good temper is an essential. Excitability and an uncontrollable disposition or temper are antagonistic to good judgement, and the goalkeeper who is devoid of judgement is useless for all practical purposes.

If a player is mapping out a goalkeeper's career for himself, his course should be one of moderation, regularity, and simplicity. Nothing is ever achieved without effort or even sacrifice in one's pastimes, as in the higher walks of life, and only a study of its points and experience will educate him up to the standard expected of him. Let a player take that for granted, and he will succeed.

The Book of Football  1906.

Colours of Every Club in Scotland Kept in Stock

This advertisement dates from 1876. Victorian sports kit seems to have had little to do with comfort. The ball has a button at each pole- the buttonless design arrived in the 1880s.

This Scottish player is wearing a cowl on his head.

Meuwsen beker (Amsterdam) 1912-1914

1912
In April 1912 an Easter tournament was played at Amsterdam- the trophy was donated by famous hat-dealer, J. S. Meuwsen.
The following teams participated:

Ajax (Netherlands)

Antwerp  (Belgium)  

FC Lloyd (Germany)
A Bremen club, probably representatives of the Dynamo Lloyd automotive factory.

GVC (Netherlands)
Wageningen based GVC (Go Ahead-Victoria Combination) are one of Netherlands oldest clubs, formed in 1903 as a merger of Go Ahead (founded 1886) and Victoria (founded 1889). In the seasons 1910-1911 and 1911-1912 GVC were runners up to Sparta Rotterdam in the national championships. The games were held in Het Houten Stadion.

07.04.12	Antwerp	5	0	FC Lloyd
07.04.12	Ajax	1	2	GVC
08.04.12	GVC	2	1	Antwerp
08.04.12	Ajax	6	0	FC Lloyd

1913

For the 1913 edition Ajax were joined by:

Werder Bremen (Germany)
Founded in 1899- the Green-Whites were founder members of the DFB (1900).

Cercle S. Brugeois  (Belgium)  

Founded in 1899 as Cercle Sportif Brugeois by former students of the Saint Francis Xavier Institute. Cercle won the Belgian national championship in the 1910–11 season.

West Norwood  (England)   
This tournament teaches us much about the gulf in class between English and continental football at the time. Although London's West Norwood had employed professional players since 1903 they were in the Isthmian League and the season had seen them finish bottom with a record of p 20 w 3 d 3 l 14. They had last played in the FA Cup in 1906- 07, losing 9-1 to Accrington Stanley of the Lancashire Combination. They did however win the London Senior Cup that season. West Norwood were badly affected by the relatively successful Crystal Palace moving into their neighbourhood.
The club had originally been formed as Stanley FC in 1887. They became West Norwood in 1889. Having played in a variety of locations in south London they settled at Herne Hill. In 1915 Crystal Palace of the Southern League took over this stadium and West Norwood slipped into decline.  

11.05.13	Ajax	1	0	Werder Bremen
11.05.13	West Norwood	3	0	Cercle S. Brugeois
12.05.13	Werder Bremen	1	0	Cercle S. Brugeois
12.05.13	West Norwood	1	0	Ajax

1914

West Norwood returned to defend their title, Ajax again hosted. The other participants were:

Stade Français (France) 
Now better known for Rugby Union, Stade had been operating a football section since 1888.

Groningen VC   (Netherlands)  
West Norwood notched up a second successive victory over Ajax. Their showing in the  Isthmian league had also been improved- 10th out of 11 ( p 20 w 4 d 3 l 13).


      

12.04.14	Ajax	2	1	Stade Français
12.04.14	West Norwood	5	1	Groningen VC
13.04.14	Stade Français	6	2	Groningen VC
13.04.14	West Norwood	1	0	Ajax

Special thanks to Mark (www.voetbalkroniek.nl) for help with missing results.

The Gallant Rooster