Royal Engineers A.F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Royal Engineers AFC is a football team founded in 1863, under the leadership of Major Marindin of the Corps of Royal Engineers, the Sappers. They enjoyed a great deal of success in the 1870s, winning the FA Cup in 1875.
Contents |
[edit] History
The 1875 Cup winning side was:
- Capt. W. Merriman; Lt. G.H. Sim; Lieutenant G.C. Onslow; Lt. R.M. Ruck; Lt. P.G. von Donop; Lt. C.K. Wood; Lt. H.E. Rawson; Lt. R.H. Stafford; Lt. H. W. Renny-Tailyour; Lt. A. Mein; and Lt. C. Wingfield-Stratford.
The team drew 1-1 against Old Etonians with a goal from Renny-Tailyour and went on to win the replay 2-0 with a goal each from Renny-Tailyour and Stafford.
The Royal Engineers were the first football team to go on a tour, which they did to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield in 1873.[1]
The 'Engineers' were the equals of the northern professional Football League teams, regularly beating them up until the late 1880s and were arguably the last bastion of the once great 'gentleman' teams. They have maintained their character as an amateur team (as was the tradition early on in football history) and have not played in top competition since the 1890s, competing instead in matches against other armed forces teams.
[edit] The Royal Engineers and the development of the passing game
Sir Frederick Wall (who was the secretary of the Football Association from 1895-1934) states in his biography that the combination game was first used by the Royal Engineers A.F.C. in the early 1870s, in particular prior to their 1873 tour of Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield .[2][3][4] Wall states that the "Sappers moved in unison" and showed the "advantages of combination over the old style of individualism". He goes on to state that they were the first "to show the value of combination in Sheffield and Nottingham.[5] Wall attended and regularly refers to the 1872 international match in his account (see below) and speaks very highly of many Scottish teams and players he does not attribute the combination game to either of these.
[edit] Royal Engineers in 1869
As early as 1869 the Royal Engineers football club is documented in a contemporary match report as having "worked well together" and "had learned the secret of football success - backing up"[6]. In this match failure of the opposite team was attributed to "a painful want of cooperation" against the Engineers.
[edit] Royal Engineers in 1870
Another contemporary match report clearly shows that by 1870, ball passing was a feature of the Engineers style: "Lieut. Creswell, who having brought it up the side then kicked it into the middle to another of his side, who kicked it through the posts the minute before time was called"[7]
[edit] Royal Engineers in 1871
Although brief, contemporary match reports confirm that passing was a regular feature of the Engineers' style. For example in a match of February 1871 against Crystal Palace it is noted that "Lieut Mitchell made a fine run down the left, passing the ball to Lieu. Rich, who had run up the centre, and who pinced another [goal]" [8] In a match of March 1871 against Wanderers their victory was due to "irreproachable organisation" and in particular that both their attacks and their backing up were both "so well organised"[9] In November 1871 similar passing tactics are described in a contemporary account of a game against the Wanderers in which two goals were scored through tactical passing: "Betts, however, soon seized his opportunity, and by a brilliant run down the left wing turned the ball judiciously to Currie, who as judiciously sent it flying through the strangers' goal in first rate style"[10] Later in the match it is reported that "Lieut G Barker, turning the ball to Lieut Renny-Tailyour who planted it between the posts"[11]
[edit] Royal Engineers in 1872
There is evidence that opponents sometimes adjusted their playing style to counteract the organisation and passing of the Engineers. For example in February 1872 against Westminster school a brief contemporary match report states that: "The school captain took the precaution of strengthening his backs, deputizing HDS Vidal to cooperate with Rawson and Jackson and so well did these three play in concert... they succeeded in defying the... RE forwards" [12] What is most notable about this report is that it confirms that the Royal Engineers "played beautifully together"[13]
[edit] Summary
The accounts cited above all confirm that the Engineers were playing a passing game of cooperation and organisation with both their forwards and their defence. The Engineers are the first side to be considered to play the game "beautifully". All of these developments clearly occurred before and independent of the 1872 match between England and Queen's Park FC.
[edit] Club honours
[edit] International players
[edit] England
Several former engineers went on to represent their country. The following six players played for England whilst on the books of Royal Engineers A.F.C. (with the number of caps received whilst registered with Royal Engineers A.F.C.):[14]
- Horace Barnet (1 cap)
- Alfred Goodwyn (1 cap)
- Herbert Rawson (1 cap)
- Bruce Russell (1 cap)
- Pelham von Donop (2 caps)
- Cecil Wingfield-Stratford (1 cap)
[edit] Scotland
The following played for Scotland whilst on the books of Royal Engineers A.F.C.:[15]
- John Edward Blackburn (1 cap)
- Henry Renny-Tailyour (1 cap)
[edit] References
- ^ Wall, Sir Frederick (2005). 50 Years of Football, 1884-1934. Soccer Books Limited. ISBN 1-8622-3116-8.
- ^ Wall, Sir Frederick (2005). 50 Years of Football, 1884-1934. Soccer Books Limited. ISBN 1-8622-3116-8.
- ^ [Cox, Richard (2002) The encyclopaedia of British Football, Routledge, United Kingdom]
- ^ History of Football
- ^ Royal Engineers - Football - History
- ^ Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, Saturday December 18th 1869
- ^ Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, Sat November 5th 1870,issue 2
- ^ Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, Saturday February 25th 1871, issue 2, 643
- ^ Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, Saturday March 18th 1871,issue 2, 646
- ^ Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, Saturday November 18th 1871,issue 2, 681
- ^ Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, Saturday November 18th 1871,issue 2, 681
- ^ Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, Saturday February 17th 1872,issue 2694
- ^ Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle, Saturday February 17th 1872,issue 2694
- ^ Club Affiliations - Royal Engineers
- ^ Scotland players - Royal Engineers
[edit] External links
- Royal Engineers A.F.C. at the Football Club History Database
- Royal Engineers Museum When the Sappers won the FA Cup 1875
- History of the Royal Engineers football team
- Home Page of the Royal Engineers
