I always thought that lads (and lassies?) north of the country were tough and could play under any conditions. In a true "blow" to this image, Blackburn Rovers let the north down, on this day, in 1891, when they fled the pitch in a Lancashire derby against locals Burnley, at Turf Moor. The Rovers made it to half time, but were 0-3 down, by then. The Rovers' players, bar one, decided that the conditions were too harsh, cold and miserable.
After the ten-minute interval, the Burnley players returned to the pitch, but there was no sign of their opposition. Referee, Charles Clegg waited four minutes and then started the second half, with just enough Rovers players, seven, on the pitch to be "legal". After two Rovers players were sent off early in the half, all of the Rovers players, except goalkeeper Herbie Arthur, left the field, claiming they were too cold. The referee, Clegg, did not stop the game, thus making Arthur play on his own against the eleven Burnley players. Then Rovers "won a free kick", presumably for offside?? Herbie prepared to take the indirect free kick but had nobody to pass to. Of course, the present day "law" would only allow the game to continue if there were 7 or more players on the team....
Herbie, below, left the club at the end of the 1891–92 season, having made a total of 40 league appearances for Rovers. With Blackburn he won the FA Cup on four occasions, in 1883–84, 1884–85, 1885–86, and 1889–90 and also earned seven England caps between 1885 and 1887.
By 1901 he had taken over his father's business and later worked as a mill furnisher, with business interests in Manchester. He was an official of the Lancashire Automobile Club and the Manchester and North of England Orchid Society, as well as a committee member for the 1927 Blackpool Flower Show.
| Senior career | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Lower Bank Academy | |||
| King's Own | |||
| 1880–1890 | Blackburn Rovers | 19 | (0) |
| 1890–1891 | Southport Central | 13 | (0) |
| 1891–1892 | Blackburn Rovers | 21 | (0) |
| Total | 53 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 1885–1887 | England | 7 | (0) |
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