11.12.13

Julian Sturgis


The early days of Association Football, when the game was essentially amateur and the preserve of University and Public School students, presented us with players who could boast of far more varied accomplishments.
For example, the libretto of this Romantic Opera was written by Julian Sturgis, who played in 2 FA Cup Finals.
Sturgis joined the Wanderers in 1872, making his first appearance in a 2–0 defeat by the Royal Engineers on 30 November 1872. The FA Cup was originally conceived as a challenge cup, so Wanderers automatically qualified for the 1873 FA Cup Final as the cup holders, having won the inaugural competition the previous year. Although he had made only a handful of appearances during the season, Sturgis was selected for the final.
In 1876 Sturgis  played for Old Etonians against his former club, losing the replay 3-0 following a 1-1 draw. 
Sturgis was born in the United States, and he did not become a British Subject until 1877, so he enjoys the distinction of being the first American to play in an FA Cup Final.