THAT'S THE SPIRIT

I really want you to subscribe to the Non League (Football) Paper because there are so many little snippets that would entertain you. Mind you I have all day to indulge in this weekly product, so I have time to find the up to date league table for the TWR BI FOLDS Wearside league and note that locals Penistone Church FC sit top of their Northern Counties East league Div 1.

I was however distressed to read this column on page 33 this week.

The Corinthian Casuals FC represents what was once regarded as the best of amateur football. The Corinthians were established in the 1882-3 season to boost English football and to produce a team that would beat the Scots. In the seven years before the foundation of the club, the Scots had won the annual home international match six times. English football was in turmoil. Between 1883 and 1890, 88 English caps were awarded against Scotland and 52 were Corinthians. Things changed.

The growth of professionalism in England attracted Scots across the border, so English clubs were gaining quality "foreigners" into their ranks and Scottish clubs were losing their best performers. The Scots players got better as they played in an improving league and the English players were not picked to play at the higher level, being unable to play first team football.

The Corinthian Legacy was to: play to win; play fair; observe the laws of the game; respect opponents, refs, crowd, team mates; accept defeat with dignity; promote soccer; reject corruption, racism, violence; help others resist corruption; honour those who defend soccer's good reputation.
THAT IS A CODE OF CONDUCT!

It has been a long time since the Corinthians merged with another truly amateur club, the Casuals and of course the club joined a competitive league (Rymans Div 1 South) and play in the FA Trophy, so there is bound to be an edge to their games but enough is enough!

I suspect the last time the C-Cs was reduced to fewer than 11 men in a game was when one of their players had come together with an opposing player and "brought him down". Believing this to be against the spirit of the game, the C-C player would "send himself off"! politely leaving the field. Likewise with penalties, if the ref awarded the opposition a penalty, the C-Cs goalie would leave his net and allow a free shot, believing this to be fair retribution for such an unspirited act! The referee is always right. If only!
ps remember the Corinthians of Brazil were founded by the English pioneers.