Manchester United - First Film In 1902

Not the clearest of films but historical nonetheless. Interesting points:

1. How primitive Turf Moor looked in 1902

2. The small crowd of only 2000 spectators

3. The industrial background

The Nest - Former Home Of Crystal Palace FC

Two football league clubs have played in the past at grounds known as The Nest. One of these clubs is Norwich City, the other Crystal Palace. The latter relocated to their version after the demise of their bitter local rivals, Croydon Common.

This extract from the excellent site, Coydon Common Football Club , provides further historical details:

"The club [Croydon Common] subleased The Nest from the London Brighton and South Coast Railway in 1908 and it was home for the rest of its existence. The ground had been built some years earlier on the site of Selhurst Wood, the remaining part of which is still visible on the map. The lease was signed on 15 September 1908; the parties being The Croydon Common Football and Athletic Company Limited, The London Brighton and South Coast Railway Company and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England. The reason for three parties to this lease was that the Church Commissioners actually owned the land, the Railway had leased it from them and thus the club was subleasing it from the Railway. The lease was signed on behalf of the club by John William Bartlett (secretary), and John Stephen Fuller and Richard James Whiting (directors).
The lease stipulated that the ground could only be used for soccer or athletics or for "the holding of Flower Shows and School treats". As the ground was owned by the Church, the lease also prohibited its use for any purposes on Good Friday and Christmas Day and so the club played only away fixtures on these particular days. The ground was quite basic, having only earth banks around the major part of its circumference. These banks were topped by bushes known to the supporters as "The Jungle". When the club took over The Nest there was a small stand with seats on the northern side of the ground, but this burned down shortly afterwards. A new stand, significantly longer than the previous one, was erected to replace it. A cinder athletics track ran around the pitch.

Following the demise of Croydon Common, the Railway leased the ground to Crystal Palace F.C. and the club played there from 1918 until the newly built Selhurst Park was ready in 1924. When the Southern League's Division One became in effect the Football League's Third Division South in 1920, Crystal Palace had achieved what Croydon Common had failed to do - bring Football League matches to The Nest. After leaving the ground in 1924, Crystal Palace sublet it to a local side named Tramways F.C. The site is now occupied by Railtrack's Selhurst Depot. The whole site was completely levelled prior to building, so no trace of The Nest remains".

1913 Ordnance Survey map of location of ground - here The Nest is ground C on the map and is called the "Croydon Common Athletic Ground": Map

Crystal Palace's ground history, including details of their short incumbency at The Nest: Ground history

The site of the ground is now occupied by railway buildings, as photographed by Paul Talling. The Nest is referred to about a third of the way down the page (but stop off on the way and look at the sites of other extinct London soccer venues): Derelict London - Long Lost Grounds

A postcard of Croydon Common v Norwich, at The Nest in 1909

 

 

A further slection of photos of The Nest on the Cystal Palace FC BBS site: Photos

 

Manchester United Win First Charity Shield Match

The first F.A. Charity Shield match was contested in 1908 and was played by Manchester United and Queens Park Rangers. Held at Stamford Bridge, the match resulted in a 1-1 draw. A replay (unique in the history of the trophy) four months later at the same venue was won 4-0 by United.

Born out of the Sheriff of London Charity Shield, introduced in 1898-99 to be contested by teams of professionals versus amateurs, the new Charity Shield was originally intended to provide a showpiece encounter at the end of the season betwen the Football League champions and the champions of the Southern League.

From 2002 the competition has been known as the F.A. Community Shield.

To date the most successful teams in the competition are: Manchester United (15 outright wins, 4 shared), Liverpool (10 outright wins, 5 shared), Arsenal (11 outright wins, 1 shared).

A complete list of all matches can be found at:  http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/engsupcuphist.html

Further info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FA_Community_Shield

1908 match card: http://www.flickr.com/photos/manchesterunitedman1/2140325489/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/manchesterunitedman1/8203521137/in/photostream/

Daily Graphic newspaper feature of 1908 replay: http://www.flickr.com/photos/manchesterunitedman1/8203680733/

1908 match programme: http://www.flickr.com/photos/manchesterunitedman1/8203533917/in/photostream/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/manchesterunitedman1/8203534057/in/photostream/

1908 medal: http://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/CommunityShield/1907-08CharityShield.htm

Liverpool's First Supporters Song

Supporters' songs have played a very important role in the culture of soccer from early times. I was fascinated to read of the rediscovery in a local Liverpool newspaper in 2011 of "Hurrah for the Reds". Composed by W Seddon in August 1907, just 15 years after the founding of Liverpool FC, this was a hitherto unknown fans' song. Further details are on the excellent LFCHistory.Net site: http://www.lfchistory.net/Articles/Article/3145

You can even listen to a re-recording of the song: http://www.lfchistory.net/images/shankly.com/Hurrahfortheboys.MP3

Spurs Non-League Cup Winners

 

It is hard to imagine that certain of today's premier clubs were once relative minnows, competing outside their country's major league. Such was the case of Tottenham Hotspur in 1901, a strong Southern League side which vanquished a number of Football League teams, including Sheffield United in the final, to raise the F.A. Cup. In so doing they became the first and only non-league club to win the trophy.

This short clip records some of the action from the final. Note our old friend William "Fatty" Foulke in goal for Sheffield United.

Further references:

The formation of the Southern League: http://www.southern-football-league.co.uk/history/default.asp

Southern League role of honour: http://www.fchd.info/lghist/south.htm

Humble Beginnings Of Bristol City

Many professional clubs commenced life in rather humble surroundings. A photograph of Bristol South End's St John's Lane ground in 1895  keenly illustrates this. In fact you couldn't get much more humble than this (or more rural for that matter). Bristol South End ultimately became Bristol City and later moved to Ashton Gate in 1904. Their old St John's ground continued to be used as a local sporting venue until well after the Second World War.

Cycling race at the St John's Lane ground 1925: Photo

For those interested in the history of Bristol City this web page is a good starting point: http://www.otib.co.uk/index.php?/topic/118530-bristol-city-fc-the-history/

Steve Bloomer Story

Steve Bloomer was arguably the first great superstar of English soccer. Born in Cradley Heath, in relative poverty, he became one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time, playing for Derby County, Middlesbrough and England.

This short film describes the life of the great man, including the events of his internment in a prison camp in Germany during the First World War: Video

Steve Bloomer on his way to manage in Canada: Video

Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Bloomer