Before programmes, tannoy systems or giant screens, fans who wanted to know the teams bought a match card: Sheffield Wednesday v WBA in January 1893

 In the early years of football there was no match-day programme and so, in the days before decent tannoy systems, never mind giant screens, noticeboards or the internet, anyone who wanted to know the side prior to kick-off bought a match card, costing a penny. (1d)

At The (Sheffield) Wednesday these were produced for matches at Olive Grove (where Wednesday played between 1887 and 1889) by the legendary cricket and football scoreboard printer, Billy Whitham.




However, the card for the WBA match on 2nd January 1893 was inconclusive with the left back position to be filled by either Albert Corbett Mumford, nicknamed ‘Clinks’, who had dropped into a more defensive role after over six years with the club, or James Brown who had yet to make his league debut in Wednesday’s first season in the Football League.

Brown did, in fact, play against WBA in what proved at the time to be Wednesday’s biggest league victory at 6-0 with goals from Alec Brady, Harry Brandon, Robert ‘Sparrow’ Brown, Alexander ‘Sandy’ Brown and two from Fred Spiksley. (not Spikesley as listed on the card.)

Victory took the newcomers to third place but a subsequent run of 9 defeats and 1 draw in ten meant that only a last gasp victory at home to Notts County kept Wednesday out of the Test Match Zone and away from relegation.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

125th Hillsborough anniversary celebration kicks off campaign for new headstone for Ambrose Langley, the first captain of Hillsborough.

Image
  125 th Hillsborough anniversary celebration kicks off campaign for new headstone for Ambrose Langley, the first captain of Hillsborough. One hundred Sheffield Wednesday fans enjoyed a special evening on Saturday to mark the 125 th anniversary of the opening of Hillsborough on September 2 nd 1889 when Wednesday beat Chesterfield Town 5-1 in the first game at the famous old ground. © Mark Harvey                                                                                                                                             © Mark Harvey   ...
Read more

Let’s name the New Wear Footbridge after SAFC founder James Allan because its opening will connect the SAFC of today to the spot where it was formed

Image
  Let’s name the New Wear Footbridge after SAFC founder James Allan because its opening will connect the SAFC of today to the spot where it was formed When the 250m New Wear Footbridge opens later this year it will help   create a smooth and safe connection for pedestrian traffic from the city centre to the 'Stadium of Light’ and will eventually bring together Sunderland's Sheepfolds area with Keel Square in the city centre. Hopes are that the £30m+ structure will help spur thousands of new jobs and homes over the next decade and during which Sunderland AFC will celebrate its 150 th anniversary. With this mind then is it not time that the founder of the club James Allan was publicly recognised in the City and so why not name the new bridge after him? The location of the bridge is also perfect to name it after Allan, who became SAFC secretary, because it is as close as can be to the former Rectory Park Schools . This is where Sunderland and District Teachers’ Associati...
Read more

65 years ago today Turf Moor is packed with 54,000 fans who witness a dramatic East Lancs FA Cup tie like no other

  12 March 1960 54,000 pack out Turf Moor for an FA Cup battle royal with Blackburn Rovers Dramatic comeback Talen from a 2010 book by Mark Metcalf called the FA Cup: Fifty Years On. Not surprisingly, the Blackburn encounter captured the imagination of the east Lancashire public – the two clubs still have a rivalry that matches any from Glasgow, the North East or north London. It was all-ticket with the capacity set at 54,000 and tickets with a face value of 3 shillings exchanged hands for at least treble that outside the ground beforehand. Mick McGrath recalls the excitement: “After the Spurs game I felt we had a chance and when the draw came out and we would play Burnley if they won their replay then the whole town was abuzz. People were asking for tickets, and ‘Do you fancy your chances?’ “In those days teams like Burnley and Blackburn had a chance of keeping hold of their good players because the maximum wage meant that someone moving still got paid the same, althou...
Read more