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EAGLES OLDEST LEAGUE CLUB CLAIM AGAIN GROUNDED

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  NATIONAL FOOTBALL MUSEUM BACKS FA IN KNOCKING BACK CRYSTAL PALACE 1905 CLAIM TO BE LINKED TO THE 1861-1876 CLUB OF THE SAME NAME Six years ago, Crystal Palace came up with the absurd claim to be the oldest league club in the world. https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-crystal-palace-oldest-club-4111485 No doubt with an aim to profit from this claim the owners of the club that was formed in 1905 have spent quite a sum of money including by making a film. Initially it looked like they might get their claim recognised until Clive Nicholson and myself, who along with Clive’s dad Ralph, wrote the FLYING OVER AN OLIVE GROVE book on Fred Spiksley produced our own examination of the evidence. This work – Why the Eagles claim to be the oldest league club can be grounded - can be viewed at:- https://markwrite.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/01.-cp-11-may-update-2.pdf And whilst the FA never made a big fuss about this they later confirmed our view....
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'Scotch Professor' who left his mark on the beautiful game

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  To but the book got to:-  England's Scotch Professor: John Goodall 1863-1942: Amazon.co.uk: Metcalf, Mark: 9798170044177: Books    £12.99 
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GOODALL BROTHERS WERE THE FIRST TO PLAY FOR EVERTON

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    GOODALL BROTHERS WERE THE FIRST TO PLAY FOR EVERTON Taken from John Goodall: England's Scotch Professor 1863 - 1942 by Mark Metcalf Set for release in September 2026. Hardback £25.  Tom and Jimmy Costley are recognised as the first brothers to play for Everton. However, thanks to research in the summer of 2026 by Richie Gillham, secretary of the Everton FC Heritage Society, we now know that it is not the case. John Goodall debuted for Everton in February 1885 and his brother Archie debuted for Everton in December 1886.   Tom Costley debuted for Everton in August 1886 and his brother Jimmy, scorer of the winning goal at the 1883 FA Cup Final, debuted for Everton in January 1887. On the afternoon of Wednesday February 4 th , 1885 Great Lever’s John Goodall is likely to have walked to Pikes Lane where he guested for Everton in a 7-0 defeat where he lined up in the following side:- Charles Joliffe, Morris, Pickering, Welsh, William  Parry (captain), ...
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Bacup Boro 0 Atherton Laburnum 2

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HEADSTONE HONOURS SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY’S FIRST HILLSBOROUGH CAPTAIN

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   “It was a terrific, really terrific event, really  well organised.” NEW HEADSTONE HONOURS SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY’S FIRST HILLSBOROUGH CAPTAIN On Sunday 14 June a magnificent headstone was unveiled in Burngreave Cemetery to honour Ambrose Langley, the first captain of Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough, which opened in 1899 and where he led the club to their first League title in 1902-03.      Langley (second from right) and his team mates at the opening match at Hillsborough on 03/09/1899                                                                                                    Edited footage lasting 30 minutes - Ambrose Langley - SWFC - Headstone Unveili...
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75 years ago - England international rushes to Easington Pit gates to await news of an underground explosion

  75 years ago today a top flight footballer who went on to represent England and win the FA Cup was amongst those who rushed to the gates of Easington Colliery in the wake of the disaster that was to take the lives of 83 miners. Tommy Garrett, born in South Shields in February 1926, had recently suffered the disappointment of losing in the FA Cup Final to Newcastle United, for whom Jackie Milburn scored both goals in a 2-0 success. Left full-back Tommy had earlier lost in the 1948 FA Cup Final when Manchester United beat Blackpool 4-2. Tommy had joined the Seasiders after playing for Horden Colliery Welfare during WWII when he worked as a Bevin Boy at Easington Colliery. As the youngest of seven sons from amongst 12 children he had briefly joined his father Joseph Frederick Garrett there. According to his sister, Barbara Harle, “Tommy hated it” and whereas their dad worked all his life down the mines the youngster, whose older brothers were miners for most of their lives, soon mov...
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God and games helped form Manchester City

  God and games Like Everton, Manchester City owes its origins to a Church, in this case St Mark’s Church of West Gorton, an increasingly densely populated suburb that had been constructed on rural land from 1800 onwards. From the moment it was consecrated in 1865 Church organisers set out to develop a community spirit amongst local residents, many of whom were recent work seeking immigrants from rural England, Scotland, Ireland and the Continent, especially Italy and Germany. With little to do or places to meet after finishing work local youth were drawn to the thrill of bare knuckle fighting and Scuttling involving mass battles with rival gangs from Bradford or Miles Platting in which belts, slings, sticks and stones would be employed as weapons. Both sides would scatter if the police came on the scene only to reemerge at a later date. With West Gorton also beset with problems caused by alcohol the Church sought to develop alternative activities and Rector Arthur Connell en...
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