CAPTAIN BEN

Bobby Crompton of Blackburn Rovers, captained the England football team between 1903 and 1914, when war intervened. He won 22 caps.
In those early days, the captain was chosen due mainly to his "behaviour" and diplomacy; the Football Association could not have a leader who didn't want to do what they said.

Cuthbert Ottoway was England's first international capatin the the first internation ever against Scotland on November 30th 1872.He was alos an MCC cricketer.

While we are in far history I shall also throw in Gilbert Oswald Smith, an Old Carthusian, an old boy of Charterhouse (School), in Godalming, Surrey, one of the "nurseries" of English football. He was regarded as the "first centre-forward".

In a famous international against Germany just before the SeCond World War (1938) in Berlin, the English team was told by the FA to "honour" their hosts by giving the Nazi Salute as part of the pre-match ceremony on the pitch. In a previous meeting at the Berlin Olympics, the England team did not give the salute and this didn't go down very well with Hitler and his mates.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlbLHviSTPc
The English players were livid but Eddie Hapgood, their captain, made sure they did what they were told, which was "right" for the occasion according to the FA and diplomats. England won 6-3!

In 1935 at White Hart London, in the "heart" of Jewish London, the English played Germany in a friendly international despite the demonstrations by the local Jewish Trade Unions against the Hitler's attitude and aggressive policies. The game went ahead.

The longest serving England football captains include Billy Wright who won 105 caps and was captain in 90 matches from 1948-59.
Bobby Moore's reign was from 1962-73 with 90 caps as captain.
Other long serving captains include:
Bryan Robson 1980-91 (65 times as captain), David Beckham 1996-2007 (59 as capt)

Today, Ben Stokes leads the English Cricket team in an international test match against the West Indies at Southampton. Ben, who is England's 81st captain, since 1876, was a bit of a lose cannon, but the selectors believe that he will do his talking , sensiblyboth on and off the pitch. England cricket captains do not have long spells, lasting rarely more than ten years, with the numbers of tests led obviously many more than in the past. W.G.Grace captained from 1888-99 but only in 13 tests....obvious reasons!
In modern times, Alastair Cook served from 2009-17 and was captain in 59 tests and 69 ODIs.
Joe Root was captain for three years and took part in 39 tests.

IN ALL MY TIME IN FOOTBALL, I DIDN'T WIN A THING.

7th of the Seventh Month 1982, Bobby Robson was appointed England manager having had considerable success at Ipswich Town and a vareity of other clubs across Europe. He originated from the North East and Bill Dodgin, the Fulham manager travelled to Middlesbrough to sign him as a player, when on Robson's doorstep was Newcastle United, who missed the chance.

Robson spent some time at Fulham FC, a club he described as not really likely to win anything and indeed they were relegated. So whenWest Bromwich Albion's manager,Vic Buckingham, came calling in 1956, he moved to the Midlands.
Bobby took the leap and stayed there for over 250 games. In 1962, following a dispute over pay and ambitions, he returned to Fulham where Rodney Marsh and Alan Mullery were giving the club some entertainment and life. Unfortunately both these "stars" were sold soon after Robson arrived.

In 1967 he went to Canada to play in Vancouver in a new North American Soccer League but although this looked promising, Fuham offered him their managership, so he left for England in 1968.

He then managed until getting the national job, learning from exotic clubs such as PSV Eindhoven, Sporting and Porto, Barca and Newcastle.
He took over the England job from Ron Greenwood who had also managed West Ham Utd and was moderately successful with a 60% win percentage for hjis country.

Robson was a football ambassador,  and who toured promoting the gamesomebody who listened to other coaches and who believed in "total football" following the lead of two great England coaches, Buckingham and Don Howe.

I remember watching (on tv) him score in 1961 in an Home International against the Scots, at Wembley when England won 9-3 in a remarkable match. His international career was ruined with injury in Chile at the 1962 World Cup. Bobby played 20 times for his country, scoring 4. His place was taken by Bobby Moore!

When Bobby Robson finished playing, he soon made his name in coaching and management and was the President of the Surrey Coaches Association. He ran coaching days at his club and I went to Portman Road for a Sunday session of coaching, which also involved a match for those who were able against an Ipswich Town club team on the main pitch and lunch after! Here's his statue at Portman Road.

On the Seventh of July 1990, Bobby managed England for the last time and this was a defeat to hosts Italy, in the FIFA World Cup 3rd/4th Place match, 1-2. Some say these "bronze medal" games mean nothing but playing the old foe certainly hit a nerve. It was also a land mark for Peter Shilton who retired after the game, having played in 125 England matches. Robson's win percentage was 50%. in 95 internationals.
(Capello holds the highest at 66% in 42 games, apart from Sam Allardyce who managed 100% in  1 game) Then come: Hoddle 60%, Ramsey 61%, Greenwood and Sven both 60!
Keegan worst 39% in 18 games,

I can tell you more about Bobby, but there's too much to keep you pinned to the screen. He was inducted in the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003, became a TV Pundit and he hosted a Cancer Charity, an illness that got him in July 31st 2009.
He has had an East Coast Line train and Port of Tyne boat named after him. The feature length film "Bobby Robson; More than a Manager" is worth seeing.

FLEETWOOD-NOWHERE

Jamie Vardy, who owes his start in footballing life to a youth place in Sheffield Wednesday's academy. then he went to Stocksbridge Steels FC below,

Halifax Town FC and Fleetwood FC and Leicester City since 2012, has joined the Premier League 100 Club. He scored 31 goals in his first FL season and he has now notched 101 goals after his latest match against Crystal Palace. This is remarkable since he did not make his football League debut until the age of 25 and his Premier League debut not until 27. He is the 29th player to be in the club.
Can you name the others?
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11712/12021189/jamie-vardy-in-premier-league-100-club-leicester-striker-scores-two-against-crystal-palace


His 6th season in the PL has brought a total of 206 appearances, which makes him the 12th quickest to reach the century of Premier League goals. He is in esteemed company with Kane and Aguero, the only "active players" who got there before him. Shearer might be added to this list, but of course isn't.

He also beat van Nistelrooy's record, scoring in 11 consecutive Premier League games.
Henry, Wright, Fowler, Ferdinand (Les), Cole, Owen (who also won the Ballon d'Or), van Persie and Hasselbank in the "club".

In terms of minutes per goal, he stands at 166 minutes per goal; Aguero, Kane, Henry, van Persie, Shearer, Owen and Wright line up with fewer.

Only Ian Wright is older than Vardy in reaching the 100th Premier League career goal.

Other top active English scorers: Ings, Rashford, Abraham, C-Lewis,Sterling

UN-UNITED CATHOLICISM

https://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/tommy-docherty-90-years.html
This blog came from a past event reported in the Daily Express on July 5th 1977.
We could blame George Best for getting the public interested in footballers lives (and wives), but a respectable manager??? It was carnage as the press swooped into Tommy's private life and discovered that he was having more than "a moment" with the wife of the club physio.

You will also note, having looked at Tommy's past career that this blog slips seamlessly from a recent blog on Preston North End into Tommy's private life! United's religious leaning were (are still?) towards the Catholic church, so the club had no choice but to sack Tommy, although since it was the "close season", they might have tried to wait it out! But no, United did the honorable thing!

So I'll let you mull over that for a while. (yes, it is a microphone in the photo and not a lolly)

Tommy left Old Trafford, but was soon back in business with Derby and then QPR; after a short spell in Australia he returned and did the honorable thing, marrying Mary Brown.

Tommy married Agnes in 1950 and they were together for 27 years, producing four children, two boys including Mick, who became a footballer and manager, and two girls.
Tommy's son, Mick produced the book above in 2008, based on memorabilia he found, left behind by his mother, when she died.

Tommy and Mary Brown produced two girls as the result of their marriage.


Tommy managed 15 clubs between 1961 and 1988...6 years at Chelsea and 5 at United. The rest were short spells!
Tommy senior is 92.

PLAY UP CORINTH-IN THE SOUTH

Went to Wentworth Castle yesterday; nearest settlement, Barnsley. The house and surroundings have stately gardens, sheep and deer fields, various classical buildings, splendid glass house (not open); all well looked after but sadly no facilities at the moment, due to Covid-19. But a good day was had by all:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wentworth-castle-gardens
It was last a teacher training college. I believe I may know one or two teachers who have studied there?

Part of the estate, which has all the features of an historic monumental garden, includes a Corinthian temple (circa 1766), ideal for a stop off snack in shelter, rolly polly down the grassy slope (not me) SEE ABOVE. It allowed me to reflect on the famous amateur leagues competed for in the South of England, which included The Athenian, Spartan, Isthmian, Delphian and Hellenic and of course the Corinthian League. You will note the classical links.

If you have no idea what is going here then:
Corinth: an historic Greek city state with two strategic ports, Corinthians a book in the bible.
Athenian: errr, Athens!
Spartan: yes Sparta
Hellenic: the Romans conquered Hellas, as they knew it.
Isthmian:relating to the isthmus which all geographers know is a narrow strip of land joining two bigger areas.
Delphian: a sanctuary in Greek where the "oracle" lived.

I must also refer to the Corinthian Casuals FC for their resilience in promoting amateur football, even today when they have retained their amateur status midst all the professionalism. If you don't know anything about the great side then you must watch the film, "Brothers in Football".
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9577520/

The Corinthian League was founded after the war in 1945 and was competed for until 1963 when they and the Delphian were absorbed into the Athenian League. Growing from 10 clubs in 1912, the  leagues merged and by 1963 there were 48 members, sponsored by Kingsmead.

The Delphian began with clubs such as Brentwood, Dagenham, Hertford Town and Edmonton.
The Corinthian League became rejected by the FA for its lack of numbers and so merged with the Athenian League.

The Athenian League was founded in 1912 and folded in 1984. It had 16 clubs in 1963, then absorbed the Corinthian and Delphian clubs but disbanded in 1984.

Clubs went to the Isthmian and Southern League.

The Isthmian became a more prestigious league but has recently been absorbed by the National League. Successful clubs from the Isthmian included Sutton United, Walthamstowe Avenue, Tooting and Mitcham, Hendon and Enfield and of course Guernsey!!
All these clubs were successful in the south and made their mark in the FA Cup, FA Trophy and FA Amateur Cup (before it was turned into the FA Vase).
It was founded in 1905 and grew absorbing other leagues, with 82 clubs in 4 divisions;
Premier, North (south east). South (south east) and South Central.

The original Isthmian clubs included the Civil Service, Casuals, Clapton, Ilford and London Caledonians; all sworn to amateur football and clubs had to be "invited" to join the league. There were no trophies or medals and the motto was "Honor sufficit"...honour is enough.
Today promotion from the Isthmian Premier is to the National League South and there are three regional divisions feeding the Premier.

The 1970s challenged the "Isthmians" as professionalism became common place and amateur football was no longer "official" by 1974-5. The Corinthian Casuals, true amateurs! faced a dilemma.....pay players and compete midst the new professional breed or stay amateur and do their best!! The Casuals never faltered and survive, playing the game in the correct manner.

PRESTON NORTH END

Wednesday, 1st July was a milestone for this ancient club when they played Derby County at home and lost 0-1 in the Championship. They played their 5000th League game and a first ever league match in the month of July. We "blame" Covid for the latter.

Preston's first fixture was in the 1888-9 season when they met Burnley on September 8th, winning 5-2, following a late kick off at 3.50pm due to the delayed arrival of the visitors.

Football League games were played "rigidly" on Saturdays apart from Boxing Day and by the end of the season, Preston, "The Invincibles", had not only won the First Division Championship, their league season ending on February 9th, but also had played four FA Cup ties after that leading to the Cup Final at The Oval on March 30th against Wolverhampton Wanderers, a 3-0 victory, Preston achieving The Double.

Preston had played 22 games, won 18 and drawn 4; Scoring 74 and conceding 15. Their closest rivals were Aston Villa who had taken a draw off them.

The 5000th game left Preston not quite "invincible", having won 1940, drawn 1284, lost 1776.
Goals for 7408 Against 6969.
Top flight games: 1720, 2nd level 2000 3rd 1058 4th 222. I'm sure the numbers won't add up...I bet some of you will try the addition = 5000!! Oh, ye of little faith...

Close to PNE in games played in the league are Notts County 4986, Burnley 4936 and then of course are Wolves, Derby C, Bolton W, WBA, Bury, Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield United. Which other clubs are in the "original 12"?
Worth looking at the original clubs in the 1888 Football League and asking why they don't match up.

Influencing factors are there are clubs that played in the original competition in 1888 and those who have stayed the course (eg not Notts County in the National League). Some have played in "lower divisions" where there are more fixtures.

On August 19th 1890, Preston played Aston Villa at Hampden Park at Baseball!
In 1889-90 Preston won the First Division.
1890-1 Runners Up
1891-2 Runners Up
1892-3 Runners Up
1893-4 14th/16!! So with various matters at the club causing a loss of form, The Invincibles, had to play in a "Test Match" against Notts County and won 4-0 to survive in Division One.

FOOTBALL CHARGE JULY 1st 1916

Colonel Treeby 1/1/12 displays one of the balls used in the charge.
On July 1st 1916, the East Surrey 8th Battalion Rgt was preparing for the "Football Charge" at Moutauban, France. Captain Wilfred P Nevill took with him 4 footballs, no doubt in his possession to entertain the chaps in free time! BUT realistically, as his troops dribbled across the battle field, to take their minds off the prospect of being mown down by German guns. Head down and charge!

His platoon was to cross "No Man's Land" and his troops cheerfully referred to the event as "The Great European Cup Tie-Final. East Surreys v Bavaria. Kick Off at Zero".
This was inscribed on one of the balls


Another ball referred to the 1 and 1/4 mile dribbling competition. Match v Death.
another stated in capitals "NO REFEREE" which implied there should be no mercy shown.

Leading his troops, Captain Neville fell early to machine gun fire. One of the balls was recovered and Neville, who was an old boy of Dover College, had his memory cast in bronze as a statue at the school and each year,  around November 11th, he is the centre piece of the school's Rememberance Service. His grave stone is below.
http://thebignote.com/2016/07/01/the-8th-east-surreys-at-montauban-billie-nevill-carnoy-military-cemetery/

850 Burials were at the Carnoy Memorial Cemetery, with only 30 or so unidentified.There were approx 20,000 deaths and many more casualities at the end of all this.

This headstone records Neville as an East Yorkshire man but was actually East Surrey after he changed regiment.
This link will tell you more about the two World Wars...and other blogs of mine also will.
It is terrific!!!! This link I mean, especially......
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/9-facts-about-football-in-the-first-world-war