The Strange Case Of The Dog That Was Never Found : A Football TL

First of all, welcome back,
Secondly what does this all mean, especially to Glossop?

Thanks - was struggling to write the key part, but felt inspired. If Leicester can win the title, I can get on with my TL

As for Glossop, they are still in the League, and still have a wealthy backer. How far that will take them? Time will tell :D
 
1910-11 NRFU Season

The 1910-11 NRFU season had an unchanged list of entrant clubs, although stories began to circulate about some of the smaller clubs struggling to maintain their finances on an even keel, and having difficulty competing with the more financially robust organisations. Certainly, clubs such as Millom, Treherbert and Normanton were finding themselves consistently unable to move far from the bottom of the table, and had smaller gates than other strugglers.

In Lancashire, Wigan were still the team to beat and, while not quite as dominant as the previous year, they still topped the League by 6 clear points, ahead of a surprising Salford challenge. Salford played heroically in the play-offs, but still went down to a 24-12 defeat. It was rivals St Helens who prevented any talk of a repeat “Four Cups”, as they took the Lancashire Cup in dramatic style, beating Wigan 14-12 at Central Park. Coventry, Stoke and Liverpool City still remained towards the bottom of the league, but all appeared to be in good financial health.

Across the Pennines, there was closer competition. Holbeck, Hunslet and Hull were engaged in a title race that saw all three still have the chance to claim top spot on the final day. It was Hunslet who emerged victorious, but Hull had their revenge in the play-offs, securing a 6-0 away win in appalling conditions. Holbeck claimed the Yorkshire Cup, with an easy 20-6 victory over Bradford Albion. Newcastle and Hartlepools both showed some improvement on the pitch, and were rewarded with slowly but steadily increasing crowds.

In Wales, the League was enjoying a surge in popularity. This was helped by two factors. Firstly, the competition was much closer, with challenges to Ebbw Vale coming from Swansea and Llanelli. Secondly, Swansea enjoyed a high profile run to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup, defeating Leeds and Swinton along the way, before falling to Oldham at the penultimate hurdle. This success showed that the Welsh league was making significant progress, and discussions began about how to include the Welsh champions in the end of season structure. Swansea eventually claimed the title, while Ebbw Vale had some consolation in winning the cup, beating Cardiff 28-10 in the final.

The Challenge Cup final was played at The Willows, and saw Oldham defeat a spirited Bramley side 28-24 in an open, attacking game. The Championship final was at Elland Road, and Wigan underlined their status at the pinnacle of the game, handily dispatching Hull 22-8, claiming a hat-trick of titles, and their ninth trophy in three years.

The end of the season saw the NRFU in rude health, with clubs stretched from the banks of the Tyne to the banks of the Taff. And, once the league season had ended, the first Great Britain Northern Union tour was planned to take place…
 
1911 Great Britain Northern Union Tour to Australasia

Both the New Zealand and Australia tours of the NRFU had been successful, drawing large crowds and helping to establish the 13-man code outside of the heartlands of the breakaway. However, both tours were recognised as being too long, with increasing stress and strain on the travelling players and challenging logistics making the tourists criss-cross the country. The NRFU were determined to give a good account of themselves in the return tours, and so the GB team would have a smaller tour, with far fewer matches than the tours to the UK. This was facilitated by the Australian and New Zealand ‘District’ club structure, meaning fewer opponents.

As with the antipodean tours to Britain, a stop was made in Ceylon to break up the journey, and the Lions (as the team was retrospectively christened) played the Ceylonese national team in two matches. Both were fairly one sided affairs, with the visitors winning the first game by a margin of 42-8, and the second 36-0. Nevertheless, the local fans provided constant support, causing an unknown player to comment “If their play was as good as their crowd, we’d lose”.

The GB team then travelled on to Sydney, and had a week to adapt to the local conditions, before playing each of the 8 teams in the NSWRFL competition, and a Queensland representative side, ahead of a 3 match series with the Australian national side. The concentration of players in fewer clubs meant that the British faced far sterner tests on a continuous basis than the Antipodean tourists had previously, falling to defeats against Souths, Newtown and, in a particularly physical encounter, ladder toppers Glebe. A narrow win over Eastern Suburbs was coupled with easier triumphs over Annandale, Norths, Western Suburbs and Balmain. The match against the QRFL team was a close win for the tourists, and provided a boost for the ‘junior’ 13-man competition. [1]

The three match Test series was a very close run thing. The home side won the first game 10-8, Dally Messenger crossing for the winning try with a few minutes left. The tourists responded by winning the next match 22-12, setting the final Test as a decider. The final match was a thriller, as the lead changed hands 6 times, and, fittingly, the game ended as a 24-all draw. [2]

The tourists then moved to New Zealand, where a similar fixture structure was in place. Matches were played against the 6 ‘Original Districts’ (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, Dunedin and Nelson), as well as North and South island teams, prior to another 3 match series. The tourists suffered defeats to Auckland, and current Premiers Wellington, as well as to the South Islanders, but won the other games, including a 44-0 thrashing of Dunedin.

The three test series was provided a series of close matches. New Zealand won the first two games 22-16 and 18-14, before the tourists won the final Test, and last match of the tour by a 16-10 scoreline. [3]

The tour was seen as a massive success, with large crowds for each match, and Albert Baskiville, now retired from playing, saw that the international matches had massive potential. As well as proposing a regular series of tours, and an annual set of matches with Australia, he came up with an idea to cement the Northern Code as a global game. With six nations now having established the game [4], a World Championship could be organised…


[1] – The NSWRFL was always the premier competition in Australia, and is the basis of the modern Australian competition

[2] – The GB Lions toured a year earlier, and won all 3 games against the Australians.

[3] – The OTL 1910 tourists won a one off test 52-20. Here NZ RL is stronger, and much more of a match for the GB team.

[4] – Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon, Canada, USA
 
1911-12 Football League season

After the distraction of the Kingaby case, and the elimination of peppercorn contracts, the new season began with the old order apparently in place. However, it quickly became clear that some clubs had managed the new landscape better than others, and the new longer contracts meant that clubs that had made poor recruiting choices were in a worse position, potentially tied into player wages that they couldn’t support if crowds reduced. While no clubs had folded in the last few years, the League was still concerned about financial stability, and particular attention was being paid to club’s books.

In the league, it was predictably clubs in big cities, with larger fanbases, that tended to benefit, although the successful sides were not always those that would have been predicted. In the First Division, defending champions Sheffield United suffered particularly badly, dropping from title contenders to fighting relegation for most of the season. While their top flight survival would be secured, the poor performance was made even harder to bear as cross city rivals The Wednesday were one of the sides to challenge for the title, along with Fulham, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur. Eventually, the title returned to Stamford Bridge for the third time in four years, with Everton taking the runners-up spot. Everton had the consolation of finally getting their hands on the FA Cup again, beating mid-table Manchester City 3-1 at Crystal Palace.

The relegation spots ended up being contested between Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough and Stoke & Burslem United. In the end, SBU retained their place, two points ahead of Middlesbrough, and Forest finished bottom, a further three points adrift.

The Second Division promotion race was more straightforward. Bradford and Bolton quickly established themselves as a class above the rest of the division, and comfortably secured the promotion slots, with Bradford winning the title. At the other end of the table, Woolwich Arsenal and Crewe Alexandra were the two teams to go down, Hull City and the ‘Upstarts’ of Bristol Rovers flirting with relegation before securing safety. Woolwich suffered from the concentration of London teams in the League (seven), and a relatively poor ground, and lower crowds meant their ability to recruit was limited [1].

In the Third Division, recruitment was much more limited. Glossop, with the backing of Samuel Hill-Wood, invested heavily in players, and saw a large turnaround in fortunes, improving from bottom to fifth place. However, there was increasing concern about Hill-Wood’s commitment to the club, as he was now also an MP [2], and Glossop still attracted smaller than average crowds. Ahead of them, a four horse race developed between Croydon Common, Oldham Athletic, South Shields and Southport Central. It was the two Lancashire teams who emerged victorious, Oldham taking the title on Goal Average, and both finishing two points ahead of Croydon Common.

At the bottom, Southend, Carlisle and Chesterfield were the teams that faced re-election, with Cardiff City (now the only Welsh team in the league) just avoiding the cut. Cardiff were another side struggling to attract players and fans, with the Welsh NRFU and Welsh Rugby Union matches proving much more popular. When it came to re-election, the increasing reluctance of the League clubs to admit new members was evident. Only one applicant, Queens Park Rangers, had any level of support, but even they were eleven votes behind the current members. The other three clubs (Salford United, Luton Town and Huddersfield Town) only garnered four votes between them. And so, the League membership would be unchanged for the third season in a row.


[1] Arsenal nearly went under in 1910 OTL, and their crowds were significantly lower than Chelsea, for example

[2] – Elected in 1910 for High Peak
 
1911-12 NRFU Season

After the GB tour to Australasia, the Northern Union game appeared to be in rude health. Certainly, many clubs were still enjoying bumper crowds, and further enquiries were being made by interested parties about joining the NRFU, either via new clubs being established or Rugby Union clubs considering a code switch (which would come to a head in the next two years). But some smaller clubs were not doing so well. In Yorkshire, Normanton had to approach the League for financial assistance, and had finished near the bottom for the last three seasons. In the Lancashire section, Millom’s isolated location, and the lack of other Cumbrian teams, meant they too were struggling to compete, but their committee ran the club well. And in Wales, the valley sides were beginning to find it a challenge to retain players. The Welsh League took prompt action, and, after some rapid negotiations, Treherbert were wound up and a new side established in Neath.

On the field, all the Leagues provided exciting title races. In Lancashire, defending champions Wigan were pre-season favourites, and were expected to win the league at a canter. However, strong challenges from St Helens and Salford meant that the title was still undecided with just a couple of weeks to go. Eventually, Wigan won their fourth title in a row by two points from both challengers, St Helens finishing second on points difference. Millom finished bottom, winning only two games all season. Salford had the consolation of lifting the Lancashire Cup, beating St Helens 16-10 at Wigan’s Central Park.

In Yorkshire, Hunslet slipped back into the pack, and the title race came down to a further improved Hull side, and surprise packages Wakefield Trinity, who improved from a poor 12th the previous season. In the final reckoning, Hull held on to win the title, while Wakefield ended up double runners-up, as they lost in the Yorkshire Cup final to Bradford Albion, by a score of 28-20.

The Welsh league continued to perform strongly. In terms of crowds, both the WNRFU and the Welsh Rugby Union were doing well, and competition between the two codes was fierce. Association football was the code that was suffering, with any Welsh players of any skill heading for England, and no national league structure in place. Welsh clubs acquitted themselves well in the Challenge Cup, although none got past the Quarter Finals this season. However the NRFU announced that the title play-offs after the following season would include Welsh representation, in a format to be determined.

Swansea won their second title in a row, edging out Aberdare, and the new Neath team finished bottom of the league, as most commentators expected. In the Welsh Cup, Swansea bowed out at the semi-final stage, beaten 12-10 by Mid-Rhondda. In the final, Mid-Rhonnda could not repeat their heroics, losing 22-8 to Cardiff.

When it came to the showcase trophies, it was a year for new names to be engraved. The Challenge Cup final pitted Hunslet against Salford, and it was the Yorkshire side who ran out 8-2 winners, in a game played in driving rain.

Meanwhile, in the Championship play-offs, St Helens shocked Wigan at Central Park, winning 16-8 in a determined display, so loosening defending champions grip on the trophy. In the final, they faced Hull, who had breezed past Wakefield 32-4 in their match. The final itself was a scrappy affair, with neither side displaying any real fluency. Perhaps fittingly, the winning try game from a missed Saints pass, as Hull grabbed a 14-10 triumph to record their first title.
 
1912-13 Football League Season

The new Football league season showed the continuing impact of the new order, with rumours circulating of various clubs in varying degrees of financial difficulty. As it was, the season was completed without any clubs going to the wall, but the spectre of another Manchester United remained high on the League’s agenda.

On the pitch, the title race was spread across three cities, as The Wednesday, Liverpool and Fulham all fought for the title, early leaders Everton falling away after the New Year. This year it would be the Sheffield club who emerged victorious, clinching their second title, just a single point ahead of Liverpool. Wednesday fans enjoyed the title even more as Sheffield United continued to struggle against relegation all season, finishing two points above the relegated duo of Bolton and Bristol City.

The Second division was a particularly tight affair, with a good run capable of catapulting any team into promotion contention, and poor form dragging them down towards relegation. Preston North End and Nottingham Forest were the teams that emerged on top of the pile and gained promotion, with just five points covering them and the rest of the top six teams, which covered Blackburn, Brentford, Middlesbrough and Birmingham. Meanwhile, at the foot of the table, three teams ended up on the same number of points (28). Goal average saved Barnsley, sending Blackpool and Southport Central down to the bottom division.

In the Third tier, Croydon Common romped to the title, losing only two games all season. The second promotion place was nip and tuck between Glossop and South Shields, and it was the north-eastern team who triumphed, winning a crucial game between the two sides in the penultimate round of fixtures to clinch promotion. At the end of the season, Samuel Hill-Wood confirmed that he would no longer provide additional backing to Glossop, and that “the club would have to stand on its’ own two feet”.

The re-election slots were filled by Rotherham County, Cardiff City and Bury. However, it was clear from the League’s scrutiny that Rotherham were struggling financially, and a degree of pressure was allegedly placed on the voting clubs. The upshot was that the Yorkshire side were voted out of the league (and would be one of the many clubs who failed to return after the Great War), and the well-backed and ambitious Queens Park Rangers were elected to replace them.

The FA Cup provided hope to those mid-ranking teams in the top flight, as a combination of the luck of the draw and upsets eliminated the all the title contenders by the quarter finals. The two teams that were to make it to the final were Bradford and Manchester Central. It was to prove the start of a great sporting year for one city…

Excerpt from “100 Years Of Football In The Shade”, Picador Press, 2003

Manchester Central approached their first FA Cup final in good heart. They had had a solid, if unspectacular season, and had finished two places above their opponents on the day, Bradford. More importantly, at least in the eyes of the supporters, they had beaten Bradford home and away in the league, and had overcome cross-city rivals Manchester City in the semi-finals. The green clad fans who descended on Crystal Palace stadium were confident of victory.

That confidence lasted for five minutes of the match.

After five minutes, Central half-back Joe O’Connor challenged for a high ball with Bradford left back Irvine Boocock [1]. Although the challenge was innocuous, and fair under the rules at the time, the players landed in a tangled heap, and a loud ‘crack’ was heard across the stadium. As Boocock got up, it was clear that O’Connor had broken his leg, and could not continue. As no substitutes were allowed [2], Central had to carry on with just ten players. They held out valiantly until just before the half time whistle, when Bradford took the lead.

The second half was one way traffic, and the Yorkshire side ran out easy 4-0 winners, most reporters agreeing that it was only poor finishing that prevented them from overtaking Bury’s record 6-0 win in the final. Regardless of the outcome, Central’s reputation as an unlucky team had another anecdote. Joe O’Connor returned to the side halfway through the following season, but would never get the chance to play in another cup final.

[1] A real Bradford City player.

[2] Not until 1965 in the League OTL
 
1912-13 NRFU Season

The summer of 1912 saw Normanton finally call time on their participation in the senior competition, dropping down to the amateur ranks on a permanent basis. Also, to the surprise of the administration, Brighouse Rangers were also wound up, the committee expressing difficulty in recruiting and retaining players as the main reason. This set the membership of both the Yorkshire and Lancashire Leagues at 18 for the upcoming season.

The NRFU Committee also announced the format for the Championship play-off. The Yorkshire & Lancashire League runners-up would play each other, the winner advancing to play the top team from the other League in the semi-final. The winner of the Welsh League would play the other champion in the other semi-final.

On and off the pitch, the game continued to be buoyant, with attendances solid, and title races featuring fresh challengers across the board. In Yorkshire, Hull retained their title, edging out Wakefield, and a fresh challenge from Huddersfield. Bradford Albion retained the Yorkshire cup, beating Leeds by twenty points to nil in a one-sided final.

In Lancashire, Salford shook off their tag as perennial chokers, winning the Lancashire League with three games to go, as Wigan suffered their worst season for several years, finishing all the way down in eighth place. It was left to St Helens and Runcorn to provide the title challenge, with Saints finishing as runners-up. Wigan consoled themselves by lifting a fourth Lancashire Cup, beating Swinton 17-14 in the final.

In Wales, Cardiff wrenched the League trophy from defending champions Swansea on the last day of the season, securing a vital win at the St Helens ground, therefore becoming the first Welsh entrants into the Championship play-offs. In the Welsh Cup, Aberdare became the fourth winner in four years, edging out Cardiff 28-24 in a high paced and thrilling final.

The Challenge Cup final mirrored the FA Cup final, as Bradford Albion faced Salford. The game was a lot closer than its’ round ball equivalent, but the end result was similar, as the Yorkshire side emerged victorious by seventeen points to twelve. It meant Bradford was home to both the FA Cup and Challenge Cup winners, a feat that has not been repeated since by any other city. Salford had now lost all five of their challenge cup final appearances.

The Championship play-offs began with St Helens visiting Wakefield, the home venue decided on the toss of a coin. However, Saints greater experience at the sharp end of the season told, as they ran out winners 12-4. This meant that Salford would host Cardiff and Hull would play St Helens in the semi-finals. In the end, both League champions won handily (Salford by 28-8, Hull by 22-12), setting up a clash at Headingly.

Hull went into the final as heavy favourites despite Salford’s excellent league form, and the fact that Salford had won a January meeting between the two 16-8. The Reds were able to turn the expectations on their head, and won far more comfortably than the final score of 18-14 would suggest, with two of the Hull tries coming in the final two minutes, long after any chance of victory had gone.
 
1913-14 Football League Season

While the main talk before the new season was financial, it was not, as opposed to previous years, about the risk to clubs stability. Instead, the main question concerned which club Samuel Hill-Wood was going to invest in after he had terminated his involvement with Glossop. Hill-Wood had made no secret of his desire to continue to be involved with the game, and was keen to find a club he could support alongside his duties as an MP. It was natural that a London side would be his end choice, but his final choice proved to be surprising, as he plumped for League new-comers Queen’s Park Rangers.

The impact was immediate. QPR had been recruiting aggressively for their first Football League season, but the extra financial leverage that Hill-Wood was able to provide mean that they were able to pay significantly larger fees and higher wages than any other club in the Third Division. Indeed, QPR’s documented spending eclipsed many teams in the top flight.

When it came to the results on the pitch, Rangers romped to the Third Division title, losing just one game all season, and scoring 104 goals. The highlight of their season was undoubtedly a 13-0 thrashing of cross city rivals Woolwich Arsenal, in which every outfield Rangers player scored, a result which stands as QPR’s record league win to this day. Behind them, the rest of the division battled for the second promotion slot. Crewe Alexandra eventually finished second, just edging out Walsall Town. At the bottom of the table, St Helens Town had a poor season, winning just four matches, and finished well adrift. They were joined in the re-election slots by Darlington and Cardiff City, who were still struggling to attract large crowds with the completion of Northern Union and Rugby Union clubs. However, when it came to re-election, none of the candidate clubs were voted into the League.

In the Second Division, the pressure on the other London clubs was apparent, as all the talk was of how quickly QPR would progress. Fans of West Ham and Brentford were particularly vocal in their demands, and the two games between the dies were marred by a sour atmosphere that spilled onto the pitch. This cross-London rivalry remains intense to the present day. As it was, all the exhortations and efforts would be in vain. Bolton Wanderers won the title to make an immediate return to the top division, their third consecutive promotion or relegation. They were joined by Notts County, who finished three points ahead of Brentford. The relegation struggle quickly became a three way fight between Barnsley, Bristol Rovers and Brighton & Hove Albion. With three matches remaining, a Bristol derby between City and Rovers would prove pivotal, with City beating the “Upstarts” 3-0, a result which ensured Rovers went down. The Upstarts won their final two games to finish ahead of Brighton, who won none of their last six, allowing Barnsley to escape the drop.

The First Division saw Fulham start as favourites again, but a series of injuries to key players meant that they could only finish as runners-up, making a sixth year in a row the Stamford Bridge team had finished in the top three. The team that took advantage was Liverpool, who emerged from the chasing pack and won their third title. A rapidly improving Newcastle United side rounded out the top three. At the bottom of the table, Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers quickly became detached, and, despite late season rallies from both, the two sides were relegated with games to spare.

The FA Cup Final, once gain played at a sun-drenched Crystal Palace stadium, saw Liverpool, hoping to become the fourth team to complete ‘The Double’, face Newcastle United. In a fast and open final, in was The Magpies who emerged victorious by two goals to one, lifting the trophy for the first time. Both Newcastle goals were scored by George Elliott[1], with George Anderson [2] getting a late consolation for Liverpool. The two George’s would go on to play a single international game together for England, both scoring in a 3-0 win over Wales.

[1] – Elliott was a prolific striker for Middlesbrough OTL. He could as easily have ended up at Newcastle, or even Sunderland

[2] – Anderson was signed from Bury by Manchester United OTL.
 
1913-14 NRFU Season

The new NRFU season started with a stable line up of clubs. The regular fixture lists and strong local rivalries that were encouraged by the two League structure ensured that the vast majority of the clubs were in rude financial health. It also ensured that those clubs outside of the heartlands of the game were able to attract and retain talented players, and encourage them to move to develop their careers. On both sides of the Pennines, this was reflected on the field.

In Lancashire, Stoke emerged as strong contenders for the title, with the Athletic Ground becoming a virtual fortress as Stoke suffered a single home defeat all season. Fortunately for the other contenders, Stoke’s away form was mediocre, opening up the race. A resurgent Wigan pushed the Midlanders all the way, but it was Runcorn who took the title trophy back to Canal Street for the first time since the Lancashire League had been reformed. Wigan took the runners-up spot by a single point, qualifying for the Championship play-offs. Stoke’s form continued in the Lancashire Cup, where they came up against a Salford side who had only achieved a mid-table finish. However, it was the Reds who ran out 22-6 winners at Swinton’s Chorley Road ground.

Huddersfield cantered to a first Yorkshire League title, losing only three games all season. The runner’s up spot, and second Championship play-off spot was a close contest between Bradford Albion, defending champions Hull and surprise packages Hartlepools, who had only won six games the previous season. Hull prevailed in the final round of matches, winning the right to face Wigan in the finals. The Yorkshire Cup final featured two mid-table teams in Keighley and Halifax after a series of upsets in the earlier rounds. Halifax seized their opportunity, taking a comfortable 16-8 victory to lift the trophy.

Down in Wales, the league positionings saw less volatility, with Cardiff and Swansea battling for the title, the same as the previous season. This time, Swansea wrested the trophy back from their rivals, securing the title with two sets of matches left. Swansea then completed a remarkable Welsh season by securing the first “Double” of the Welsh competition, defeating Llanelli 26-18 in the final.

The Challenge Cup saw Swansea come within touching distance of a remarkable treble as they reached the semi-finals, only to lose a gripping contest by a single point, 11-10, to Hull. In the other match, Wigan pummelled Holbeck 36-10 to reach another final, where they dispatched Hull easily, 24-8, Lance Todd scoring two tries in what would be his final appearance in a Cup Final for the club [1].

The Championship play-offs provided a thrilling end to the season. Hull had to travel to Wigan, and although the score was closer, the end result was the same, Wigan winning 20-12 to set up a trip to Huddersfield, while Runcorn would face Swansea. The Welsh side ended their season with a brave display, but went down to defeat by 10-0, the Runcorn defence proving unbreachable. In the other semi-final, Todd again inspired Wigan to victory, scoring all his sides points in a 16-12 triumph to set up an all Lancashire final. The Final itself is regarded as one of the finest of the era, with Wigan’s attack coming up against Runcorn’s resolute defence. It was a low scoring affair, and with a few minutes remaining Runcorn held a 6-4 lead, before a moment of brilliance from unlocked the door, and Wigan scored to claim an 8-6 victory, becoming the first Champion not to win their respective League that season. In the six full seasons Lance Todd had played for them, Wigan had accumulated 13 trophies (4 NRFU title, 2 Challenge Cups, 4 Lancashire League titles and 3 Lancashire Cups) out of a possible 24.

And the year was completed by the NRFU making two major announcements. The first was the proposed introduction of an Inter-League Select completion, whereby teams representing each League (Lancashire, Yorkshire and Wales) would play each other in a 6 match competition at the start of the season. The other was that, after consultation with the other NRFU governing bodies, a World Championship would be held in England in 1915, with teams invited from Australia, New Zealand, Ceylon, Canada and the USA, alongside a Great Britain side…

[1] - Todd left Wigan at the end of the 13-14 season, heading to Dewsbury OTL. The same thing isn’t going to happen here, but The Great War is going to arrive on schedule, so this is only a one season spoiler.
 
Happy new year, and welcome back. Great update!
Thanks - New Year's resolution is to try and keep this moving with a bit more pace (hopefully at least one update a week). WW1 gives me a chance to jump forward after the next seasons, plus a quick trip around the world to see how things are developing
 
1914-15 Football League Season

The new football season started under a strange atmosphere. The outbreak of the Great War in July had led to many calls to cancel sporting activities (and indeed the 1914 Charity Shield between Newcastle and Liverpool was postponed), but the League decided (with tacit government backing) to continue to play. The FA Cup was also held. These decisions were not universally popular, and much abuse was directed at players who were seen as dodging their patriotic duty [1]. However, those expecting a quick victory were pleased to see at least some elements of British social life continuing as normal.

Against this back-drop, the season itself seemed to lack the spark that previous years had had. Crowds were down, and, as the season wore on, increasing numbers of soldiers were present, khaki groups stood on the terraces. In the First Division, the title returned to London, but it wasn’t to Stamford Bridge. Instead of Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur emerged as champions, finishing three points ahead of runners-up Aston Villa, with Fulham a further point back. The expected challenge from Newcastle was derailed by poor early season form, and they finished a disappointing eighth. The relegation battle was a four way scrap between Derby, Nottingham Forest, Manchester Central and Bolton Wanderers. Eventually the two midlands sides pulled away, leaving Central and Bolton for the drop.

The Second Division became another procession for Queens Park Rangers. Although not as dominant as their Third Division title win the previous year, the Hoops only lost three games, and clinched promotion with a month of the season remaining, eventually claiming the title by nine points. Far behind, the battle for the second promotion place was between Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with The Clarets clinching second spot in the penultimate round of fixtures. The relegation fight for far more wide ranging, with no fewer than seven clubs, all from the north, looking to be in trouble with a few games to go. South Shields had the worst defensive record in the division, conceding 93 goals, and this proved too much of a challenge for them to overcome as they finished last. Conversely, Oldham Athletic struggled to score, managing just over a goal a game, and they finished a point behind Stockport County.

In the Third, the news was better for the north. Blackpool and Southport Central were the teams that clinched the promotion places, with Bristol Rovers just missing out. At the foot of the league, four teams became detached, all with different financial challenges. Fourth bottom were Woolwich Arsenal, who continued to draw poorer crowds than their London rivals, and were hampered by an already outdated stadium. Third bottom were Cardiff City, who were playing the third most popular sport in South Wales, and suffering for it. Next came St Helens Town, facing an uphill struggle in a town that was fervently supportive of the Northern Union code. And last of all were Glossop, now without a wealthy backer. A small town club, with small crowds depressed even further by a lack of success on the pitch, Glossop only retained league status as the competition was officially suspended the day after the last matches had been played. Any re-election vote would take place once the resumption of the League was planned.

The FA Cup Final was the last competitive match to be played in England in 1915. Because of wartime travel restrictions, it was played at Villa Park in Birmingham, rather than Crystal Palace [2]. It featured Everton, in their sixth final in ten years, against the holders Newcastle United, whose improved form in the League had coincided with the start of the cup competition. What was to become known as the Khaki Cup Final (due to the large number of soldiers in the crowd) [3] was a fitting end to the season, with two teams giving their all in an enthralling match. Newcastle took an early lead before Everton appeared to have got their hands on the trophy with two quick goals at the start of the second half. The Magpies were not to be denied, and an equaliser with six minutes to go took the fight out of Everton. Newcastle stormed forward and scored the winning goal with just two minutes remaining on the clock, retaining the trophy, which they would hold until 1920…


[1] As per OTL. Punch had some cartoons showing a degree of contempt for the players.

[2] OTL it was held at Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United. Here, neither club nor stadium exist.

[3] Also as per OTL, although that one was won by Sheffield United, beating Chelsea
 
1914-15 NRFU Season

As was the case for the Football League, the new NRFU season opened under the shadow of war, and questions were asked about the appropriateness of sporting competition at such a time. Nevertheless, the season kicked off with the roster of clubs remaining constant and the new Inter-League Trophy acting as a curtain raiser. However, there was one immediate effect of the war, as it was decided that the proposed World Championship would have to be postponed until the conflict had finished.

The different Leagues took very different approaches to the pre-season competition. In Yorkshire, both home games were played at Headingley, and the squad selected was dominated by players from Huddersfield, Hull and Bradford Albion. Over the Pennines, the Lancashire League responded to concerns about the impact of more games on certain teams by selecting a squad which contained one player from each team in the league. The venues for the two games were different as well, with Stoke being selected for the game against the Welsh league, while the game against the Yorkshire League was played at Salford’s Willows ground. The Welsh League took a view between the two, with every club having a player in the squad, but the majority selected from the defending champions Swansea, who also hosted both home games at their St Helens stadium. Unsurprisingly, the results reflected these differing approaches, as the Lancashire League lost all their games, and Yorkshire won all theirs. The Welsh/Yorkshire clash in Swansea was the closest match, with the white rose county running out 18-28 winners. There was plenty for the governing body to consider, and, as it would turn out, they would have a few years to consider it.

The Welsh League was expected to be a procession for Swansea, and despite initial challenges from Cardiff and a much improved Barry side, the title was a foregone conclusion by early February. Swansea eventually claimed the title by 10 points. They were denied a double celebration by Barry, who knocked them out in the semi-final of the Welsh Cup, before going on to beat Llanelli 26-16 in an open and free-flowing final.

In Lancashire, the League was much closer. With four rounds of matches to go, there were five teams still in with a realistic chance of the title: Runcorn, Salford, St Helens, Wigan and surprise packages Swinton. While Swinton fell short in final reckoning, a crucial victory over Runcorn was pivotal in allowing cross-city rivals Salford to sweep in and claim the title in the final week of fixtures, while Runcorn had to settle for second place and a slot in the Play-Offs. Runcorn got some measure of revenge as they won a pulsating Lancashire Cup final against Swinton by a 32-24 scoreline.

Finally, the Yorkshire League season fell midway between the two stools, with Huddersfield, Hull and Leeds mounting strong title challenges. Eventually, Huddersfield emerged top of the pile, with Hull just a couple of points behind in second. Hull did gain a measure of revenge as they lifted the Yorkshire Cup, beating Huddersfield in the final 14-10.

In the Challenge Cup, Huddersfield again came up agonisingly short of adding another trophy, as Leeds bested them 14-10 in a hard fought game, the winning score coming with just a few minutes remaining. The final is well remembered for the number of uniformed soldiers in the crowd, as had been the case for the FA Cup final.

The play-offs took place under muted circumstances, as the Great War dragged on, and people realised that, like football, the League season was likely to be suspended. Runcorn travelled to Hull in the first match, and lost an uninspiring game 6-0. This sent Swansea to Huddersfield, and Hull to Salford. Swansea nearly pulled off a shock win at Huddersfield, taking a half time lead of 8-4, but the Yorkshire side proved too strong in the second half, running out 22-10 victors. Meanwhile, Salford had an easier time of things against Hull, and ran out 20-0 victors, in a game that wasn’t even as close as the score suggested. The Play-Off final was a tense, tight affair, with both clubs playing excellent defence against inventive and flowing attacks. It was Huddersfield who prevailed 10-8, but the outcome was in doubt until the final moments of the game.
 
Excerpts from “A Different Ball Game: The History of Ball Sports in America”, John R. Fitzpatrick, Picador, 2007

“The 1910s are a pivotal period in the development of the various football codes in the United States – had things gone another way, one can easily imagine a single sport becoming dominant across the entire nation, either through the collapse of one of the rival games in meaningful participation, or through simply tapping into whatever the appropriate cultural zeitgeist would be. However, a combination of geography and personality meant that three games developed in parallel.”

“Association Football (or soccer as it is commonly known) was particularly robust in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and St Louis, the latter forming an unusual outpost. Competitions also existed in New England, based around Boston, and at an amateur level in a few other locales. Rather than a single league structure, there were regional leagues, of which the National Association Football League (in reality a New York & New Jersey competition) and the Allied American FootBall Association were recognised as the premier competitions “

“After agreeing to play in the Newark team, he [Meredith] was immediately vocal about the running of the game, able to cite numerous examples from his time in England. The Association of Professional Football Players (APFP) was formed in 1911, and, alongside the AFA and Leagues, became a powerful voice within the game. The working relationship with the APFP was a key element of the AFA retaining control of the game in the USA [1]”

“With Meredith in the side, Newark FC became challengers for both the NABL title, and the American Cup, although fixture conflict started to become an issue [2], Newark’s 1913 campaign thwarted after they had to play two matches on the same day”

“It was after Newark won the 1914 NAFBL competition, while Bethlehem Steel FC won the AAFBA, and the American Cup [3], that the idea of an organised National Championship was first mooted. Both clubs claimed to be ‘National Champions’ and a war of words erupted in local newspapers, with both sides having fervent local supporters. While the AFA would not sanction any kind of play-off, calls for a one off match to be arranged were loud. The seeds of the initial US National Championship had been sown”


“American (Gridiron) Football was dominant in the Midwest, in a broad swathe from western Pennsylvania, through Ohio and onto Illinois, although Buffalo and Rochester in New York state also had active teams. The Ohio League was established as the premier competition in the sport by 1910, and is the predecessor of the current NAFL : indeed, many of the current franchises can trace their lineage back to teams from this era. However, no formal schedule of matches existed, and teams were responsible for arranging their own games. As such, Ohio League champions, while regarded as probably the best teams of the era, are not included in any NAFL lists of champions”

“By 1915, it was clear that the clarity a regular season structure brought to soccer was instrumental in avoiding disputes over who the ‘true’ champion of a league was. Teams would avoid playing powerful rivals [4] in order to avoid defeats, and the status of ties not counting in the final percentage used to determine standings led to some heated debates about who the best team really was [5]. Ohio League teams would also play against out-of-state teams, matches that would boost the coffers but not count towards the final standings”

“At the 1915 league meeting, an historic decision was made. Firstly, the League would have a formal fixture list. Secondly, select out-of-state teams would be invited to join. Thirdly, once the League line up was confirmed, the teams would be split into 2 divisions in order to promote local rivalries, and a play-off between the champions of each division would determine the single true champion. Finally, to reflect these changes, the league would be renamed as the National Association of Professional Football Clubs (NAPFC), a name that was more hopeful than geographically accurate”

“In the western coastal states, the NRFU code was beginning to dominate, both at a club and college level, and this extended over the border into Canada as well. Two leagues for clubs were started in 1913 – the California Northern Rugby Union (CalNRU) established the California Rugby League and the Cascadia Northern Rugby Union (CasNRU) was formed, which included teams from Oregon, Washington and British Columbia [6]. Taking their cue from the NRFU in England, a play-off between the champions of the CRL and CasNRU was organised as a season finale”

“The switch to NRFU at college level in California also held for the time being, although it led to issues with intra-university competition, as the most other colleges still exclusively played the Gridiron rules. The upshot was that only Californian universities that maintained teams in both disciplines were able to play games outside of the west coast in the 1910s”


[1] – OTL, the AFA was usurped by the AAFA, which would become the USFA. Here, with the players working with the AFA, things are different

[2] – This was an issue OTL – Cup matches were often scheduled at the same time as league matches, and neither side would give way.

[3] – As per OTL

[4] – Without mandated fixtures, it was easy to schedule a bunch of weaker teams to pad your record

[5] – True. A team with 9 wins and 3 ties would have a 1.000 percentage (0.875 with modern rules where a tie counts as 0.5 win and 0.5 loss) whereas a team with 11 wins and 1 defeat would be 0.917. Under modern OTL rules, the second team would be champions.

[6] – No chance of getting these acronyms confused. The CalNRU organises the CRL, and the CasNRU uses the same name for the organisation and the league.
 
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