Football’s first call for goal line technology was over 120 years ago
Football’s first
call for goal line technology was over 120 years ago
Tottenham
Cakes and Bolton Pies! The Story of the 1901 FA Cup
Spurs and
Sheffield United faced one another in the final at The Crystal Palace. The game
attracted a crowd of, at least, 110,820 and in the scramble to be able to watch
all the action some spectators climbed on to trees.
The match was
to end in a highly controversial 2-2 draw with Spurs complaining bitterly afterwards
that United’s equalising goal from Cocky Bennett that denied them victory should
never have been allowed as it had not crossed the goal line.
Goal line
technology
As the book
outlines this led to ‘what may have been football’s first call for goal line
technology. The Athletic News on 29th April 1901 had heard
rumours that photographs existed which confirmed that the ball had not crossed
the line. “If placed on the line, the camera cannot lie in the matter of the legality
or illegal of goals. Literally and figuratively we await developments with
interest.”
It would be a
long wait. The international football association board officially approved the
use of goal line technology in July 2012.’
The replay at
Burnden Park, home of Bolton Wanderers was won, despite Sheffield United taking
the lead through Fred Priest, who scored in the first match, comfortably by
Tottenham Hotspur who scored through John Cameron, Tom Smith and Sandy Brown, his
twelfth of the tournament in which Spurs scored just 15. Brown had scored both
Spurs goals in the first game and scored in every round in 1901.
A large crowd
had been expected for the replay but, in fact, the official attendance was just
20,470, although the book believes there may have, in fact, been close to
30,000 in the ground.
Nevertheless,
local caterers were left with huge stocks of food, especially scones and pork
pies, and which resulted in the game becoming known as ‘The Pie final.’ Appropriately
enough in goal for the losing side was William ‘Fatty’ Foulke who weighed in at
over 20 stones and who, no doubt, enjoyed a good feed afterwards.
However, most
of the excess food went to waste or was sold off very cheaply.
Spurs had by
then headed back south by train and en route they enjoyed a marvellous
reception that was topped when they reached North London in the early hours of
the morning by an eager crowd desperate to see the FA Cup and pay homage to the
players who had won it. The victory by Spurs was the first by a southern side
since the Old Etonians amateur side won it in 1881-82.
The book is
available at £20 plus postage and packing by emailing Tottenhamcakes@gmail.com
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