FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION 150 TODAY - BRIGG TOWN FC ALMOST AS OLD

The national press boys are going to town today as it's the 150th anniversary of the Football Asssociation being formed - and the birth of The Beautiful Game. Although our own Brigg Town FC were not quite there at the beginning (October 26, 1863) they came into being only a year or two later  and are now the oldest surviving club in Lincolnshire. Brigg Town follower Bob Taylor, who takes a keen interest in the history of the game and the Zebras' past glories, has been looking into how much football has changed since those early days. Here are a few of his findings...

PENALTY GOAL: Before the Football League started there was no penalty kick law. If a defender (other than the goalkeeper) saved the ball with his hands, the referee could award a goal IF he thought the ball would have passed between the posts The penalty kick rule was introduced in 1891 after many changes to the rules of the game. 

PENALTY KING: Alf Ramsey (later Sir Alf), the former Tottenham Hotspur full-back and later England Manager, was once England's penalty king, scoring a vital goal against Austria in 1951 and banging home an equaliser against The Rest of the World team in 1954. Arsenal's Eddie Hapgood headed home from a penalty kick when he fired a high shot, which the goalkeeper fisted out to him.

FIRST FINAL: In 1871 a trophy having been purchased for £20, the first FA Challenge Cup draw was held with the names of twelve teams drawn out of the hat of one of the F.A. officials. Fifteen teams had originally entered for the cup but three dropped out because they couldn't afford the entry fee of 5 shillings. After the first round, all ties were played at Kennington Oval, home of Surrey Cricket Club. It was here that the first final was played in 1872 between the Wanderers and the Royal Engineers in front of only a few hundred people, most of whom got in free. The Wanderers won 1-0. 

NOT ALL-ENGLAND: Scottish and Irish clubs took part in the "English" Cup Competition in the early days. Blackburn Rovers went up to Scotland to play Renton, who were inspired by a Bagpipe player to win the game. Partick Thistle F.C. were drawn to play against Cliftonville in Ireland away and travelled by boat for the fixture. The Belfast Amateur team were beaten 11-0 by the Scots - and did not compete again in the F.A.Cup. 

PROUD PRESTON:  Preston North End set up a Cup record when they beat Hyde 26 -0. In 1887. In another game, they beat Earlstown Wanderers 19-0. At half time in this game, the Preston players switched positions and Nick Ross went from full back to centre forward and scored eight goals. 

B-RUM GOINGS ON: Aston Villa won the cup in 1895 but it was stolen from a shop window whilst on display and was never seen again. The F.A. had to provide a new cup and were able to have an exact model because in 1893, when Wolves won the trophy, each of their players was presented with a small silver replica of the Cup. It was from one of these that the second F.A. Cup was modelled and Sheffield Wednesday were the first winners of the new trophy. 

WALK-OVER WIN: West Bromwich Albion were drawn to play a Welsh team called "The Druids" but the Welshmen didn't turn up so West Bromwich kicked off, scored a goal against no opposition and that was the end of the match! 

MASS INVASION: Aston Villa and Preston North End played a semi-final game at Perry Barr in Birmingham when a crowd of 30,000 invaded the pitch and it seemed as though the game would be ruined but two soldiers borrowed  cab horses and helped to force the rioting fans behind the touch-line. Preston won the game.