WHEN FOOTBALL BEGAN

  MAGNIFICENT VILLA Aston Villa 9 Notts County 1 Villa – Allen 3, Hunter 2, Green 2, Hodgetts, own goal) County – own goal These two teams met at Perry Barr to play off a League fixture. About 4,000 people were attracted to the ground by the probability of witnessing a close and exciting game. In this hope they were disappointed, for the game from the kick-off to the finish was most one-sided, the visitors being outplayed by the home team. In the first half, Villa scored four times and in the second half scored five, the County only making a single point, obtained through a miss kick by Coulton. Archie Hunter kicked off, and the Villa at once attacked, but were kept at bay by Tom McLean. They returned to the assault, and Hunter made a fine shot, which Holland, the goalkeeper, partially saved, but Allen, rushing in, drove the ball through the post five minutes after the start. For some minutes, the County waged equal war with the home side, whose goal was attacked, but...

 The scorer of the first ever league hat-trick today in 1888 celebrated so wildly afterwards he was dropped from the Burnley team and later transferred. FIRST LEAGUE HAT-TRICK -15 September 1888 Bolton 3 (Brogan, Davenport, Cooper)  v.  Burnley 4 (Tait 3, Poland) Just like the previous weekend, Bolton, wearing white shirts, dark-blue shorts and socks, were to race into a three-goal lead before ultimately losing a thrilling encounter. Barbour set Wanderers rolling with a first minute effort that flashed just wide. Tyrer then shot just over and on five minutes some lovely play by Roberts set up Brogan for the opening goal. The scorer shortly after barged Bill Smith over the line as he collected a high cross, but had done so from an offside position and Burnley, wearing striped blue-and-white shirts, dark-blue shorts and socks, escaped. It was Davenport who ‘registered the second point’, arriving ‘like a steam train’to hit ‘a splendid shot’, reported the  Accrington Tim...

  HOW THE LADS KICKED OFF The origins of Sunderland AFC Mark Metcalf Many of today’s famous football clubs were set up by churches, cricket clubs and works’ teams. Sunderland AFC, however, is unique as it was set up in 1880 by a trade union. Within a decade, it was playing in the Football League and won the league title three times in the first five seasons in which it competed. Only six clubs have won more top flight titles than Sunderland, whose record of six is equal to Chelsea’s. Football as an organised club sport in Sunderland began in 1873. This, however, was rugby (union) football which was widely reported on by local papers over the subsequent years. Although the Football Association had been formed in 1863, the battle for supremacy among those who preferred to play the game with their feet over those who preferred the handling game was to rage on till after WWI. In 1879, The Times reported that the North was ‘rugby.’ That might have remained the case except fo...

  1896 HERO Wednesday win the FA Cup for the first time Kick off time at the 1896 FA Cup final - the first goal was scored within half a minute by Spiksley THER E WAS A SURPRISE when Wolves overcame Derby County 2-1 in their 1896 FA Cup semi-final with goals from Joe Tonks and Billy Malpass. Tonks had replaced David Wykes in the first team after the latter died from typhoid fever. It was the third time in eight seasons that the Black Country side had reached the final, losing 3-0 to Preston in 1889 and beating Everton 1-0 in 1893. Unlike Wolves, Wednesday were hoping to capture the FA Cup for the first time. The trophy was a new one as the original had been stolen. The Wanderers amateur team first won the original trophy in 1872. When they also became the first to win the competition three years in succession between 1876–78 they relinquished their right to keep the trophy on the understanding that any side equalling their feat would also return it to the FA. When Blackburn...