Bramall Lane…
March the 15th, 1873
Vs
“…the players of both teams were photographed before the game…”
“…A new stand has been erected & additional earthworks provided for spectators…”
Sheffield XI
London XI
“…Sheffield’s Rules are to be used ‘til Half-Time, London’s after that…”
…First Half commences…
Sheffield’s skipper & Goal minder…
John Marsh
& “…arguably the most important individual of the Wednesday Football Club’s fledgling years…”
A fledgling Wednesday, 1874
…will be hoping to keep a London line led by the Wanderers lively little* Lord…
Arthur Kinnaird
“…without exception, the greatest player of the day…”
…very firmly at bay!
Arthur & John…
…Total Footballers !!
(*…Footballers were Footballers in those early days, not partitioned into Centre-Forwards, Goal-Keepers or Left-Backs etc, & Foxes in either Boxes, Arthur & John would’ve been accustomed to playing in each & every one of them…)
*…It’s said that the XI’th Lord Kinnaird stood barely Five Foot Four on his tippy- toes…
The Wanderers -
Winners of 5 of the first 7 F.A Cups…
Little Tin Tales, 1872…
Sheffield’s famous Footballing Brothers Clegg are found to be in fine form for Sheffield, for sure…
Charles
…up top…
…Oh, fiddle !
Willy
… are clearly having the better of their illustrious Southern opponents…
…round the back…
Charlie Clegg…
“…very fast with the ball, gets him-self within sight of the enemy’s Goal-Posts, unleashes an unerring shot…
…& puts the Northern Association ahead…
It must’ve been a sweet, sweet moment for the elder of the Brothers Clegg - Charles had found himself the only Northerner in the original England side that took on Scotland at Partick in ‘72-
None of his Southern ‘toff’ team-mates, of whom a grand total of four are in the London Line-Up, would so much as even acknowledge his existence…
“…it was a severely bitter experience for Charles…He scarcely got a kick & became convinced that his mostly ‘Old School’ & varsity team-mates were deliberately not passing to him…”
J Caton
“…Some members of the England XI were such unbearable snobs & not too much troubled about a simple ‘man fra’ Sheffield…”
Wickets & Goals, 1926
J.C Clegg