Goal-Post

Victorian Premier League

Paul — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:35:16 +0000

What would the English Premier League look like today if its football clubs had retained their original Victorian names and colours? The league title would have been won by a works’ team of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. Newton Heath would be joined in the Champions League by Continue reading →

The Fight for the Association Cup

Paul — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:32:22 +0000

The West-End streets of London wore quite a holiday look on Saturday morning. There was the crowd of sprucely-dressed gentlemen from the universities, attired in the tallest of collars, the glossiest of hats, and the shiniest of patent leathers, who were up for the boat Continue reading →

Blackguardly and Disgraceful

Paul — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:00:06 +0000

In 1887, the Northern Echo printed an alarming yet undeniably amusing letter from Cleveland referee John Reed Jnr describing a match between Yarm and North Skelton that had resulted in ‘the most blackguardly and disgraceful scenes ever witnessed on a football Continue reading →

Penalty! Victorian Football’s Spot-Kick

Paul — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:30:24 +0000

The penalty kick was introduced to football in 1891, and was the brainchild of Irishman William McCrum. A goalkeeper for Mitford FC and a member of the Irish FA, McCrum proposed the penalty as a solution to reduce the number of deliberate fouls being committed to Continue reading →

How Upton Park Won Olympic Gold

Paul — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:35:39 +0000

Football was included as an exhibition sport at the second modern Olympic Games in Paris in September 1900. Great Britain was represented by a now-defunct club side, and no medals were ever awarded. Nevertheless, Britain has been retrospectively recorded as Continue reading →

The Longest Match

Paul — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:30:16 +0000

In 1898-99, a league match between the Wednesday (now Sheffield Wednesday) and Aston Villa took more than 15 weeks to complete. The first 79 and a half minutes were played on 26 November. Papers reported that the match had ‘created a great amount of interest in Continue reading →

Football’s First Referees

Paul — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:00:59 +0000

In 1841, one of the first recorded club matches took place between the Body-Guards Club from Rochdale and their local rivals the Fear-Noughts Club, with a cash prize and a barrel of gin up for grabs. Understandably, with so much at stake, the teams had to ensure a fair Continue reading →

Brodie’s Goal Nets

Paul — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:50:35 +0000

The goal net was invented by Everton fan and civil engineer John Alexander Brodie. He was prompted into action by a wrongly-disallowed goal that robbed his team of a victory against Accrington in 1889. Before goal nets, it was often difficult for officials to tell Continue reading →

Elephant Football

Paul — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:00:00 +0000

In the spring of 1899, the circus came to town. This was Lord John Sanger and Sons’ circus (‘no connection with George Sanger’), and was billed as ‘the largest and grandest show in the world’. A huge convoy of 60 specially-built road cars brought the ringmaster, clowns, Continue reading →

The Victorian Football Miscellany

Paul — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 07:30:01 +0000

The Victorian Football Miscellany is a quirky and fascinating collection of trivia, facts and anecdotes from football’s earliest years. Delve into an absorbing world of ox-bladder balls, baggy-kneed knickerbockers, and outstanding moustaches, and read remarkable tales Continue reading →