VIC BUCKINGHAM FROM VARSITY FOOTBALL TO THE GREAT BETTING SCANDAL

As promised yesterday, Vic Buckingham deserves a mention. He was in top flight football from 1935 playing for Spurs through to 1949 in over 200 games. He always dressed very smartly and went to fancy parties, where he mixed with celebs like Lulu (look left) and Frankie Vaughan. (I hope you are old enough to know who these are. Remember now?) 

Vic loved theatre and shows, particularly musicals, which gave him ideas for extravagant training routines, based on what he saw on stage. He inspired his players by taking them to London to watch shows, hoping to give his players ideas for their warm ups and match play. 

Vic was a spirit of the 1960's, always bringing a "shot of colour" to his teams. He encouraged trickery and flambouyant ball mastery, with daily juggling competitions and fun and games in what might have previously been mundane training sessions. Sounds like my kind of coach! 

In 1949, all this convinced the FA that they should recommend Vic to the Oxford University AFC who played their annual Varsity Match against Cambridge, played at White Hart Lane. Bill Nicholson was the opposition coach at the time. Vic also coached the famous amateur club "Pegasus", whose team consisted of Oxbridge students, who dominated amateur football in the early 50s. Pegasus played an FA Amateur Cup Final at Wembley, in front of 100,000. They beat Bishop Auckland, from the north-east. He had a spell at Bradford Park Avenue, then a fully professional unit.

Playing at Tottenham Hotspurs, Vic  played with Bill Nicholson and Arthur Rowe. Rowe went to Hungary and learned his "trade" watching the inspirational Jimmy Hogan. The Spurs' method of "Push and Run" was introduced to White Hart Lane during his period as coach from 1949.  

Four years later he brought the same style of football to West Brom. Buckingham was under the influence of England's coach and FA lead, Walter Winterbottom, who modernised English football in the 1950s. Through the post war period, it was not just the idea of the "English Empire" that needed to be left behind but the assumption that it was the English that gave the world the game of football. Much had changed as England was being left behind in the modern game. The elimination from the final rounds of the 1958 World Cup proved the point. Remember the English FA was too proud to join in the first post-war World Cup in 1954.

In 1953, at West Brom, Buckingham almost took the Baggies to the first Cup and League Double in the 20th Century and at Sheffield Wednesday, in three seasons (1961-64), he took the Owls to Europe and under his regime the club stayed in the top six in the First Division. But, the club at the time, was involved in the "Betting Scandal", involving several Wednesday players who bet against their side from winning at Ipswich; they were David (Bronco) Layne, Peter Swan (an England international) and the talented Tony Kay.

In 1959 Buckingham, out of work at the time, went to Holland to help coach at Ajax, where he introduced "Total Football". Vic inspired Rinus Michels, the Dutch club's coach, who nurtured Johan Cruyff and the Dutch "school" of Total Football. Ajax won the Dutch league in 1959-60 and were runners-up the next season, the start of a long period of exciting positive football. 

 Back to earth, Buckingham worked at Fulham from 1965-8, after this, his coaching ideas were also transfered to Spanish football until 1972, where he had success at Barcelona and Seville. His last contracts were in Greece at Olympiacos and AC Rodos, a team relegated that season in 1976, so his magic touch may have waned. He died at Chichester, in 1995, aged 79.

Sources: Wiki, Pegasus (Ken Shearwood), The History of Sheffield Wednesday, Oxbridge Football Histories; "Mister" by Rory Smith and various other sources including the History of the FA Cup, "Rodos, where are you?" and Natty Scrubber's "Ajax-not just a kitchen cleaner".

THOMAS DEWAR:WHISKEY DISTILLER

March 5th 1904, The Charity Shield, originally also known as the Dewar Shield, is now known as the Community Shield. It was originally the annual  charity match on behalf of the Sheriff of London, competed for from 1898. The competing teams each season, were the best amateur side of the time, which was usually the Corinthian Football Club and a top professional side. In 1904 the opposing teams were the Corinthians and the side who had won the FA Cup the previous year, Bury FC. 

Played at the Queen's Club, the Corinthians' home ground (better known now as a tennis venue), Bury fielded ten of the side who had beaten Derby County 6-0 in the FA Cup final, the biggest winning margin in the prestigious Cup Final. With only 10 minutes gone, Bury were leading 2-0 but then the amateurs started to play with what was described as their 'wonderful dash' and the Corinthians, true amateurs who played an uncomplicated style, were soon 4-2 up at by half time and they eventually won the match 10-3. 

On 5th March 1938 at White Hart Lane, a record crowd of 75,038 attended Tottenham's FA CUP 6th Round tie against Sunderland. Raich Carter scored the only goal that gave Cup holders Sunderland their 0-1 victory

Two well known professionals played in this game; Vic Buckingham who became one of the cirst players to go abraod and bring back coaching styles and knowledge from Europe and Arthur Rowe also a pioneer in the game. Rowe led Spurs to the First Division Championship in 1951 and introduced the "One-Two" passing game! he became a coach to Ardingly College in Sussex in his "retirement". Buckingham's career deserves a blog to himself, he was a bit special. He is not Tommy Trinder!

To the left is the Sir Thomas Dewar Cup, provided by the named Scottish Whiskey distiller, was played for from 1898 in America, best known as the Dewar Cup, it was the trophy awarded to the winner of the National Challenge Cup/Lamar Hunt US Open Cup competition, as a tribute to his works promoting soccer in the U.S. in the early 1900s. This is the oldest competition in the USA.

Dewar (below) also gave a trophy for the best Thoroughbred Race Horse in the USA and in cycling, the Dewar Challenge Shield was first competed for in 1901. 

There is also a named challenge cup competed for by members of the Serpentine Swimming Club in Hyde Park, since 1925.

This blog has been produced with help from the all conquering Wiki and several other sources.

 

KIT CHANGE BY CHAPMAN

 At Arsenal FC's historic ground, Highbury, on March 4th 1933, Herbert Chapman, the legendry manager of The Gunners from 1925-34, ordered a change in kit style, to stimulate interest and therefore success. The traditional all dark red shirts (below) were changed to red shirts with white sleeves. https://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/the-arsenal-kit

Chapman, always an innovator, who has been mentioned on this blog many times, ordered the change expecting that the new colours would help his players pick out their colleagues on the pitch more easily. I guess that the opposition would gain a similar advantage!

Well, the logic didn't work straight away, for in their last match in the old kit, Arsenal thumped Blackburn Rovers 8-0 at Highbury, a convincing "farewell". In their new strip, at Highbury again, they lost to Liverpool 0-1. 

On March 11th they drew away at Leicester 1-1, then lost the next two games v Wolves and Newcastle, both 1-2. BUT from April 1st (yep, April Fool's Day), Arsenal won the next five; 5-0, 4-3, 4-2, 2-0. 3-1. For their last game of the season, on April 29th, was at home, against Chapman's old club, Huddersfield Town, This ended 2-2. Their last fixture was at Sheffield United where they lost 1-3. Colour convincing?? 

Arsenal were the top club in this era: Cliff Bastin, to the left wearng the old kit, played there from 1929-47, scoring 150 goals in 350 games.

First Division positions were: 1930-1 1st// 31-2 2nd// 32-3 1st// 33-4 1st// 34-5 1st// 35-6 6th// 36-7 3rd// 37-8 1st// 38-9 5th//. WAR 

They were FA Cup winners in 1929-30, beating Chapman's Huddersfield, then runners up in 1931-2 and won the FA Cup again in 1935/6.

Mind you, Arsenal from 1970-1, have been top flight champions or have been in single figure positions in the First Division and Premier League, every season except for 1973-4-5-6, 1982-3, 1992-3, 1994-5 ** and in 2020-1 are 10th at the moment-Covid affected!

** Wegner, of course, was the manager 1996/7 to 2017/8.

References: Wiki of course....but many other websites and some local knowledge too!

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3994718670252035536/3868622030500126015

WINS WINS WYNNS!

In victories between 2010-11 Pep Guardiola's Barcelona won 16 games in a row in La Liga, a record in Spain. In Europe Benfica racked up 29 successive in the years1971-73. Al-Faisaly SC, serial winners Amman, playing in the Jordanian Pro League won 32 matches on the trot between August 2001 and Marhch 2003. (nicknamed the Blue Eagles), they were founded in 1932.

 

Between 1919-1924 Sparta Prague won 54 games in a row in thre Czechoslovakian League and added 3 more in an "end of season mini-tournament" and one more in a national play off in 1922. In 1923 Sparta scored 94 goals as they won all 15 matches to clinch their fifth title in a row (who were they playing against?). They became known as Iron Sparta. The team was managed by John Dick, a former Arsenal and Scottish centre-half, The club goalkeeper, Vlasta Burian (below), added a bit of colour to the season being a multi-talented cabaret artist, comedian and manic depressive! They don't make them like they used to.

His first movie was filmed in 1923 and so successful was he that he was dubbed "The Kind of Czech Comedy". He also had a rose named after him and was unsuccessfully persuaded to run for President.

In the more recent seasons, Manchester City have made history follwoing their victory over Wolves this week, Real Madrid had a similar run of 22 wins in 2014, Bayern 23 in 2020 including a Champions League win over PSG and on their way beat Barcelona 8-2 in the Q-finals.

Ajax clocked up 26 victories in Johan Cruyff's time and The New Saints (TNS), of Oswestry Shropshire (Welsh League) won 27 games in 2016 beating such giants as Aberystwyth Town, Llandudno and Rhyl. They were even invited to play in the Scottish Challenge Cup meeting Forfar and Livingstone. 

TROPHY FOOTBALL AT THE END OF THE DISTRICT LINE

 It's FA Trophy time 

and as usual there is a number of ex-League clubs hoping to revive their fans memories of "silverware".

The draw has been made and the two semi-finals to be played on March 27th (hint hint my birthday) include: 

Hereford v Woking and Notts County v AFC Hornchurch, bringing together a couple of ex-FLeague clubs and Woking who have been famous for their Cup history (remember Tim Buzaglio?) and the less well known AFC Hornchurch, from Essex.

In the Quarter-finals, Hereford beat Aldershot away 1-1 (3-5 on pens): Hornchurch beat Darlington 1-2 away: Notts County beat Oxford City 3-1 at home; Woking beat Torquay 1-0 at home.

Clubs that lost in the 5th Rd: Leamington away lost to Hereford 1-0: Aldershot beat Solihill Moors 3-2: Hornchurch beat Maidstone 5-4: Darlington beat Wealdstone 4-1: Notts County beat Havant and Waterlooville 2-2 (2-4pens): Woking beat Sutton Utd at home 1-0:Torquay away beat Southport 2-0: Oxford City at home beat Peterborough Sports 2-0.

AFC Hornchurch, from the Isthmian League, was founded in 1923 (important Cup date??)  They were founded as Upminster Wanderers and is sited in the "Hammers" Heartland-indeed David Sullivan (WHU chair) comes from the town. Like all clubs there have been ups and downs. Their first season in the Conference South saw them reach the FA Cup first round again. However, shortly before the match the entire squad was released due to financial problems. The club carried on with several debutants and youth players and the team lost the match against Boston Utd 5–2, and subsequently, the club folded in 2003-4. It was reformed as AFC Hornchurch, starting again in the Essex Senior League. It's been up since then. By 2018-19 the club was in the Conference Premier, known as Hornchurch FC and have been up and down, now in the Isthmian Premier.

Their best FA Cup performance so far, was in 2003-4 when in the First Round proper, they beat Darlington from the FL 3rd division 2-0 and then lost to Tranmere Rovers 0-1 in Round 2. Does anyone know why "The Urchins"? apart from the East End chatter........

STONES IN SCOTLAND

The Lockdown is getting to me, I forgot to post yesterday's BLOG so you have "two for one" a great offer. Yesterday's is about Blyth Spartans...look back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEIE0NWvqTc&feature=onebox

  v

and today it's the delights of the Scottish BetFred Cup Final with the bonus of a 9 minute selection of the best of the game, won by a goal from Shaun Rooney. His great uncle Benny also played for the club 1966-73 over 200 times. No relation to Wayne.

You know, it doesn't get much better than this: Livingston v St Johnstone.

The game played at Hampden Park experienced the following stats:  

           Livingston v St J         Game stats: there is hardly a cigarette paper between them

Shots                 3          5        

On Target          1          3

Possession        51       49

Yellows              2          2

Fouls                 12        13

Corners               5          6

This trophy was first played for in 1946-7, Betfred sponsors the Scottish League Cup, a tournament that involves all professional clubs in Scotland, initially sorted by north and south locations. In its 75th season, the group stage was made up from small divisions of eight teams from the 2019-20 Scottish Premier and all ten teams from each of the other three Scottish divisions, as well as the winners of the Highland and Lowland Football Leagues. The 40 teams were divided into two sections – North and South – with each section containing four top seeds, four second seeds and 12 unseeded teams. Each section was drawn into four groups with each group comprising one top seed, one second seed and three unseeded teams.the clubs played in 8 groups of five, one game versus each other. In the second round the top clubs in Scotland join in.....guess them?? and they are seeded with those who have qualified through playing matches. Celtic (defending holders and winners of the trophy 19 times) lost to Ross County so maybe they didn't take it too seriously? Rangers beat Falkirk 4-0 but went out to St Mirren. 

Six Premier League clubs ended up in the Quarter-finals (8 teams) along with two Championship (2nd tier) Clubs, Alloa and Dunfermline. Through to the semi-finals (4 teams), St Johnstone and Livingston beat Hibernian and St Mirren, respectively. A month later on February 28th we had the final. It was Livingston's first triumph and Rangers slunk away earlier knowing that they had missed the opportunity to make it 28 titles.

AND the Livingston club was founded in 1943, in a "new town" in West Lothian, Scotland. Originally Ferranti Thistle and engineering works team, they went to Edinburgh's Meadowbank Stadium, becoming Meadowbank Thistle in 1974. In 1995 they relocated to West Lothian and took the town's name.

St Johnstone FC founded at the local cricket club, in 1884, in the town of Perth, which was orginally known as St John's "Toun", the church sited at the centre of the town. It was dedicated to St John the Baptist, Agnus Dei, The Lamb of God, as seen on the club badge (you will need to look closely);

BLYTH CUP SPIRIT

The top clubs in the England FA would play six FA Cup ties if they went to the Final. In 1977-8, Blyth Spartans became the third Non-League club by February 27th 1978 to reach the FA Cup 5th Round (last 16) since World War 2.Their first round was played on September 17th and 5 months later they were playing their 11th fixture through 9 rounds.

In this round they could have had a "dream" tie against Newcastle United however the Magpies lost their previous replayed tie to Wrexham. Tough luck for Blyth, but they pulled out all the stops and drew at Wrexham, bringing the Welsh club to the North-east and in this case to St James' Park, Newcastle United's famous ground. 

42,167 came through the turnstiles and witnessed Blyth almost doing it, but they lost 1-2 to the Welsh league club and missed out on an even "plummer" draw against Arsenal in Round 6. The Gunners, of course, went to the final that season and lost to Ipswich Town 1-0. 

Blyth's route to this piece of cup history started with a "not needed" in the Preliminary Qualifying Round. In the Qualifying Rd 1 they beat locals, Shildon 0-3 away. 

Then in QR2 they drew at Crook Town 1-1 and then won 3-0 at home. 

QR3 involved an away tie at Consett, with a comfortable win 1-4 and in 

QR4 there was an away tie at the formidable and famous Bishop Auckland, 0-1. Now into Proper Rds.  

Round One involved at home tie against Burscough from across the Pennines, a 1-0 win. 

Round Two involved a home tie against league side Chestefield, a 1-0 win. 

Round Three took Blyth south to Enfield, a 1-0 win. Six Non-League clubs reached this round: These two, Scarborough, Wealdstone, Tilbury and Wrexham.

Round Four was a daunting tie at Stoke City-no problem with a 2-3 win . 

Round Five was away v Wrexham drawing 1-1 in Wales and losing the home fixture 1-2 at St James' Park.

Ironically Wrexham were very much giant killers themselves, beating Newcastle United in Round Four holding them 2-2 and winning 4-1 at home. They had beaten Bristol City in R3, 3-0, after a 4-4 draw. In R2 they beat Preston 2-0 at Deepdale and in R1 Burton Albion 2-0 at home.

Wrexham had been to the Quarter-Final in 1973-4 and 1977-8 and are now in the National League.

In 1878 Wrexham won the first Welsh Cup. They founded from a cricket club in 1864, making them the sixth oldest football club. They were the third oldest league club and the oldest club in Wales.

Blyth have been to Round 3 previously in 1971-2 v Reading  2-2 and 1-6, 2008-9 v Bristol Rovers 0-1 and 2014-5 v Birmingham City 2-3.