TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY

If you happen to have the Daily Telegraph sports' section to hand, there is a very pleasant “Final Whistle” written by Alan Tyers about the football (soccer) close season. He is filling time by during the short break watching our Under 20s, 21s, Women, Andy Murray, Ben Stokes, rowing, greyhound racing etc etc.

Actually this led him onto write about Aussie Rules, which is one hell of a game, which of course, had its origins in England (or maybe Ireland?). Whatever its roots, Aussie Rules players are not over pampered like our Premier League stars and the clubs are not spoilt by excessive professionalism. Soccer did not get going until 1880, when Sydney students from The King's School took on the Wanderers, Australia's first official club and there is a thought that soccer may replace Aussie Rules eventually in popularity (and safety??).

The Melbourne Club, obviously based on the cricket club as well, Tyers states) is the World's oldest professional football club (yes, football includes everything) and was founded in May 1859. Their opponents for the past weekend was Geelong, a younger club, which registered as professional in July that year.

In Ireland, the Gaelic game had its origins around 1863, Ballygarvan appears to be the oldest documented club, though it is not clear if money changed hand then and in American Football, things happened a little later, when Allegheny and Pittsburgh Athletic clubs played out the first professional match in 1892.

In England it was the Lancashire Club of Darwen, a club that joined the Football League in 1891 but in 1879 played and paid two professionals from Scotland in what was, at that time, a strictly amateur FA Cup. The club was asked to withdraw Fergie Suter (below) and Jimmy Love from their team but this was over ruled and after the tie and two replays with them,  Darwen lost to the Old Etonians (truly amateur!!) 2-6.

Suter must have been a pro, having given up his job as a stonemason (he claimed English stone was too hard to work) and his place in Partick Thistle's team, to play football in England.

In 1883 Accrington's expulsion from the FA followed a payment of players and Preston NE and Bolton were disqualified from the FA Cup a year later.

Professionalism was legalized in 1885 and the clubs gradually joined the Football League in 1888.