30.4.14

Boca Juniors






















Boca Juniors' Estadio Alberto J. Armando (La Bombonera), is one of the great monuments of world football. The current stadium development began in 1938. The previous stadium on the same site at  Brandsen y Del Crucero was home to the club from 1924 onwards . Here are some views from 1929.






28.4.14

Glossop (North End)



Glossop North End currently play in the North West Counties League Premier Division. founded in 1886, they played in the Combination and Midlands League before joining the Football League in 1898–99
They were promoted to Division One after just one season, but lasted just one season in the top flight.
On being promoted they dropped the North End from their name. Glossop is the smallest town ever to boast a league club. A remarkable statistic is that the population of the town in the 1910s was about 21,000- and in 1914 10,700 turned up at North Road to see an FA cup tie against Preston North End. 
The club were financed by local cotton magnate and Member of Parliament, Samuel Hill-Wood.



Among the big names to turn out for the club were John Goodall (34 games 1900-03) , Fred Spiksley (5 games 1904-05), Archie Goodall (30 games 1904-05) and Bob Jack (64 games, 1902-03).


season
League
FA Cup

1898-99
Div.2 2nd
R1
Promoted as runners up
1899-1900
Div.1 18th
Q3
Finished bottom, 9 points adrift, with only 4 wins
1900-01
Div.2 5th
IR

1901-02
Div.2 8th
R1

1902-03
Div.2 11th
R1

1903-04
Div.2 17th


1904-05
Div.2 12th
Q4

1905-06
Div.2 16th
Q4

1906-07
Div.2 15th
R1

1907-08
Div.2 17th
R4

1908-09
Div.2 8th
R4

1909-10
Div.2 6th
R1

1910-11
Div.2  14th
R1

1911-12
Div.2 18th
R1

1912-13
Div.2 18th
R1

1913-14
Div.2  17th
R2

1914-15
Div.2  20th
R1
A goal difference of -56 and just 6 wins saw Glossop finish bottom and fail to be re elected.

Here are the club colours...

27.4.14

West Midlands

We cannot overlook the importance of what is now known as The West Midlands conurbation in the development of association football in Britain.
The Birmingham County Football Association was formed in December 1875. The original members were:  Calthorpe, Aston Unity, Wednesbury Town, Wednesbury Old Athletic, Stafford Road, Birmingham FC*, Saltley College, Aston Villa, Tipton, St George’s, and  West Bromwich (Dartmouth).

Aston Villa, in the person of William McGregor, were the leaders of the movement to form the Football League.
Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion were also founder members. Interestingly both clubs were also almost exclusively 'English' in the era when Scotch Professors were to the fore.

West Bromwich Albion 1888. Goalkeeper Roberts in England jersey.

Aston Villa in 1888 with the Birmingham Senior Cup

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1888- red and white stripes.

Here is a head-to head table from the 13 seasons that all 3 teams were in the top flight.


P
W
D
L
F
A
p
Aston Villa
52
26
12
14
104
73
64
Wolverhampton Wanderers
52
19
15
18
85
87
53
West Bromwich Albion
52
15
9
28
78
105
39

Aston Villa were champions in the seasons 1893–941895–961896–971898–99, and 1899–1900.
A look at the FA Cup Finals from the 1880s and 1890s is also revealing:

Season
Winners
Runners Up
1885–86

West Bromwich Albion
1886–87
Aston Villa
West Bromwich Albion
1887–88
West Bromwich Albion

1888–89

Wolverhampton Wanderers
1889–90


1890–91


1891–92
West Bromwich Albion
Aston Villa
1892–93
Wolverhampton Wanderers

1893–94


1894–95
Aston Villa
West Bromwich Albion
1895–96

Wolverhampton Wanderers
1896–97
Aston Villa


West Bromwich Albion were the first of the 3 to experience relegation at the end of the  1900-01 season. 
Wolverhampton Wanderers were in the top flight until 1905/06, and Aston Villa remained until 1935-36.


* Birmingham Football and Cricket Club existed from 1869-1884 and have no connection with the present Birmingham City or their predecessors, Small Heath. 

26.4.14

The Lancashire FA

In January 1879 the Lancashire FA selected its first representative team. North Wales were invited to play at Darwen.
In the 19th century North Wales equaled Wales in football terms. South Wales was still very much a Rugby loving area. Association football in Wales was concentrated in Denbighshire, Montgomreyshire, Flintshire, Wrexham and the borders of Shropshire.
This was  a time when northern players were only beginning to be rewarded with England caps - North Wales, however, had 10 internationals on show.
Hargreaves scored Lancashire's goal with a header from a Tootil corner. North Wales equalised when Heywood shot from 20 yards (a remarkable thing judging by the reporting) and Doctor Greenwood collided with the goalkeeper, allowing the ball 'to slowly roll between the posts' .
2000 spectators were present at Darwen Cricket Ground , where the pitch was snow covered.


Lancashire FA
1
1
 North Wales
04.01.1879 Darwen Cricket Ground


W. Green
St Mark’s Blackburn
G
G. Glascodine **
Oswestry

F. Suter
Darwen
B
L.L. Kenrick (c) **
Oswestry

D. Greenwood*
Blackburn Rovers
B
H. Edwards **
Wrexham

C. Tootil
Turton
H
K. Crosse **
Druids

W.H Moorehouse
Darwen
H
T. Owen **
Oswestry

W.Y Hargreaves (c)
Bolton Wndrs  & Camb U
F
H. Sabine**
Oswestry

T. Bentley
Turton
F
J. H. Jones
Wrexham

T. Bury
Darwen
F
Digby Owen **
Oswestry

J.Yeates
Accrington
F
G. Savin **
Oswestry

R.J Gledhill
Darwen
F
W. Roberts **
Llangollen

R. Birtwhistle
Blackburn Rovers
F
Dennison Heywood **
Oswestry


·         England International

** Wales international



Llewelyn Kenrick in later life.

Knyvett Crosse


Doctor Greenwood- he was a member of a cotton manufacturing family (in 1881 the family company employed 280 workers). Doctor was his given name. He later won 2 England caps (he was 18 years old when this match was played).