MIDDLESBROUGH FOOTBALL CLUB

PAGES FROM HISTORY

PRE-LEAGUE FOOTBALL - [ENTERED DIVISION 2 1899]

1880-81

 

Weekly Exchange - 29 January 1881

 

Five years ago the game of football was represented in this district by two or three clubs playing Rugby Union rules. To-day there are about twenty clubs, including most of our young men, of which two-thirds play the Association game. Indeed it is with the greatest difficulty the Rugby clubs get teams together. This branch of football is fast going out with old-fashioned notions and customs. The Association rules, however, are growing in popularity; it is the game of to-day and of the future. If fifty spectators witness a Rugby match , a thousand attend the Association matches. If the weather be favourable, on Saturday afternoons you may see the goalposts of different clubs stuck in every available plot of ground in Albert Park, Middlesbrough, and in many private practice grounds in the suburbs.

 

It was only so far back as 1876 Mr F. Thompson, a sterling dribbler, formed the Middlesbrough Association Club, which was the first in the district.

 

Now Whitby, Redcar, Marske, Yarm, South Bank, North Ormesby, Loftus, and Linthorpe have football clubs, besides many minor clubs in Ironopolis. The Middlesbrough Club in its early days practised in the Park, and after a little time played in a few matches, winning some, playing ties in the rest, but never losing. The same degree of success attended the young club for the next three seasons. Then it waxed bolder, and threw down the gauntlet to a couple of clubs who hailed from Sheffield, the head-quarters of the Association game in the northern counties. It was defeated on both occasions, but gained at the same time the honours due to a bold and plucky team. The spectators, from barely numbering 100 persons at he first match, had now sprung to a great crowd of three and four thousand; the club was relieved from a somewhat strained position, and could breathe freely financially. This season they have beaten all the local clubs who have had sufficient courage to oppose them, Redcar showing the greatest improvement of their opponents, playing two magnificent matches. The first team has also been the victors of hard fights with Hunslet (Leeds), Govan, Athol (Glasgow), and the Tyne (Newcastle).

   Having tried their ability and found it of a good quality, the players of the district are just now intent on forming an association, so that Cleveland may be enabled to meet and contest the present superiority of the Sheffield, Lancashire, and Southern Associations. They are also going to give a challenge cup to be competed for yearly, so that an additional impetus may be given to the progress of the game. The first match under the auspices of the new association will be played at Middlesbrough on the 5th of February against Northumberland and Durham Counties, weather permitting. As the frost at the time of writing shows every sign of breaking, the match is likely to come off. The under mentioned players have been chosen to take part in the trial match of those likely to represent the Association against Northumberland and Durham Counties at Middlesbrough on the 5th February :--

   Cochranes team : Goal, Howcroft (Redcar): backs, Fidler (Redcar), C.Bagnall (Whitby): half backs, Cochran (Middlesbrough); Yeo and Cruse (Redcar); left wing, Dales and Pickstock (Middlesbrough); centre, Kelleher (South Bank); right wing,  eadie (South Bank), and Whitehouse (North Ormesby).

   Ewbank’s team : Goal, Shearer (Middlesbrough); backs, Bastard (Middlesbrough), Bradbury (South Bank)’ half-backs, Peel, J.Harrison (Middlesbrough), and Rev E.J.D. Simpson (Whitby), left wing, Ingle dew (Linthorpe), and Hardwick (Middlesbrough); centre, Weatherill (Redcar); right wing, Jackson Ewbank (Middlesbrough), and W.Harrison (Redcar). Reserves -- Ransford, Sippen, Borrie and C.Booth.

Weekly Exchange - 26 March 1881

 

    We have before had to notice the rapid spread and the increasing interest taken in this truly manly and healthy game. From a school and Shrove Tuesday pastime it has become the active pursuit of thousands of young men for seven out of the twelve months of the year, and a re-occurring topic of conversation during the remaining five.

  This is more especially due to the formation of Association rules, by which football is made a game of adroitness and skill, instead of one of brute force : the rules are easily learnt by the spectators and it is not uncommon to hear the ladies discuss the “dribble,” the “pass,” and “tackling” in knowing tones. They are among the most enthusiastic supporters of the game, and add by their presence a charm to all good matches played in Middlesbrough. Players are from every rank in life, from the richest to the poorest; clerks on their half-holidays cull the greatest amount of the exercise, so necessary for them, from it; millmen and shopmen, in fact most of those who can find or make time, meet on one common ground on Saturdays - the football field. The ironmaster and the ironworker bid adieu for a time to wages squabbles, and good humouredly shoulder each other in their eagerness to see some favourite distinguish himself, or to witness some critical point of the game. Even the dog handicap men, a numerous body in Middlesbrough, are influenced to speak of something else but dogs by football, and by nothing else. We heard of one of them a few weeks ago remark with a desponding voice that he had “wun a pund” last week, and knew if he went this he could win another, but he would “far rayther be at a football match.” At the same time a fancier, leading a couple of dogs, asked “whey had wun?” and on being told Cleveland, exclaimed emphatically “The best darned lads in England,” and on being told by ten goals to nil, in more emphatic terms exclaimed, “The best  darned lads in the world. Only bring those Sheffielders who licked us last year, and I’m blest if we don’t put  hof the ‘andicap.”

    Most spectators have nothing of the importance of a dog handicap to postpone, but a great many sacrifice a great deal to share in the excitement of a good game. In Middlesbrough five years ago there was one club and the attendance of spectators at matches might be put at nil, or thereabouts; the latter may now be numbered by the thousand and the former by the score.

    Early in the present year a few energetic players, belonging principally to the Middlesbrough Football Club, thought the time had arrived when the clubs in Cleveland and the North Riding should combine together, so as to obtain the required strength to engage in tussels with the County Associations, and to encourage the game generally. This was done, and the Cleveland Football association has sprung into active life. It has for its first President the bearer of the honoured name of Zetland, and among the vice-presidents such names as Lord Helmsley, Milbank, Wilson (M.P.), Bolckow, Cochrane, Gjers, Belk, and Dunning. Eleven clubs are enrolled, having a total membership of over four hundred. It has played two matches - home and return - with Northumberland and Durham counties, winning the first by two goals to nothing, but losing the other by two to one. Everything promises well for the future. The Scotch association  commenced operations in 1873 with eight clubs, which has now increased to over 140, with a total membership of over 7,000. Of course, Cleveland cannot be compared to Scotland , and we only mention the above facts as an instance of the growth and extraordinary popularity of the game.

    There is one thing needed by the Association, and that is a Challenge Cup for competition by its members. Whatever little abuses may hang around these competitions , one thing is certain, and that is they help greatly to spread this, the finest of games. Most associations have such a cup and the ties give rise to considerable interest wherever they are played. Englishmen like something to show as the result of their pursuit of the “sacred light of honour.”

    As the challenge cup must be a permanent one, and only held by the winning club for a year; the battle being fought anew each succeeding winter, it must be a cup to be a credit to the North Riding. We hear the committee of the Association  think 100 guineas will suffice to purchase an excellent one. They have issued an urgent “whip” to footballers to subscribe what they can afford, It cannot be expected so large a sum will be forthcoming from the players, therefore it is intended to issue an appeal to the gentry and tradesmen so that the sum required may be subscribed within the next few months. Those of our readers who are willing to assist in the laudable efforts to establish firmly and spread a fine and innocent mode of recreation can do so by sending a subscription to the hon. Treasurer, Mr J.Bastard, National Provincial Bank, Middlesbro’; or to Mr J.Reed, jun., hon.sec., North-street, Midbroughdles.

    It may be mentioned that the Scottish Association has given to various charities sums amounting to no less than £2,055, during the last five years, and the Birmingham Association over £100 in two years. These are facts creditable to these associations and to footballers generally, and make us believe that football infuses a healthy spirit in the votaries of the game.