OMTRFC CENTENARY 1882-1982

A HISTORY OF THE OLD MERCHANT TAYLORS' RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

O.M.O.M.T.R.F.C.T.R.F.C. RECORD 1882-1982 PPom"Int POints!'",m$ 1'1.o)'I:dPlaycd \\onWon ,-Lo t DrawnDu....-n 1'01For ",l;'~l.• ea on Playedl'bv.,d Won,,"00 I.,~t L',...:Irawn.... n Forh" ",/:'1.• "'-1582·83 6 4, , 2 0 """"I19JO·J130-31 2 t6 IO10 ,2 100300 2'i lR81-~ • 19 ,.\0 7•, 2 1931-32IQ}l-}:? 29,.""13I) 1511 I1 2,.. 0 ""25·1 1884-85 20" ,9 7 1I 1932-331932·)} 30lO 17 1113 0 r9 '"303'"~ ~O ~9 I) • 1 ,5-..6 '" 11 7, 2 1933-3-119J).}4 ,. 11 13 ,2 351'" ,..21 (I'om"(P 1nl S\~tmy.tcm'"Inuo.lu.a1)Introduccd) 19k351914·lS 31II 1411 11I- ,2 30'" 312m lW\-87- 7 1115 4, 6 ,5 35 11I1 1935·19J5·1636 ~6» 1·1 12 0 256"'" 257 • ~, 1!lll7-887- ISI 10 4•,,4 61" 21 1936-37193cr-J1 29,. 12" 1511 ,2 '"30-1 2 ,,8-...9 2311 16 ,2, 5 117 26 1937·319H-38 3111 13"1115 11 220"" 219l~9 1889-9(1 _6 19 1, I 31 26 10 15 1, 173 9- 0 ,. " •6 182 " 1931918·J9·39 10 11 I7l m 1890-9190· 1 19 10" 7 , .. 2" 1939-1519W-IS SH:l)l>:DE" 0 IW\\ ORIRLDI> WAR\HR '" 1891-9291·92 2·1" 13I) 3) 160 "3111 19·15-16I~S·lb 25 10 1I 19 137 1891·9)92·93 "2 19 ,,5• 2 176li6 ...5-1 19161946-1717 21" • 12" ,I '"156 292 (fr)'r'IncrcJ.cIJICRaIotJ"lromfrom 2"to 31 Pomt})POlnlS) 1917-11'H7-lS "30lO ,•9 21" 0 233'''' 370 1893-9193-91 2 ,9 12 7 9 97 19·11~'l--49-19 31II 10 19 •,2 '"2662M 3 0 ISQ~·9S1-95 "21 7 "II 3) "61 81"I 119-51949·'j{) II 16 17" 1, 326.» 276 1895-%95-96 ,."29 1010 " ,9 9 I11 1950-5119'iO-SI ""30lO 1016 1, 226,,. 2lJ.I< I 19 ,I \76 271 18%-9796-97 10 14 1 130Ik'" '"II' 2 19S1·'i21951-52 30lO "7 17. ISlJ1-9897- 27 11 IZI1 I I 2 211 1952-5319'i2-'j) 31 6 20 ,5 \61 317 " " '82 11 • " '61 '""7 t89iJ-9Q9 -99 "26» "11II 1113 ,2 110'10 '"IIII), 19'i3-5-119'i'·~ 2 10 '"16 ,2 I 3 327 1~-1900I 99-1900 ,.26 1,1 11 1I 210 20110' \954-55I~-SS 29" 11 .."16 ,2 ~ll'"01 276".'" 1900-lH190 -01 24 17" ,4 3) 63 71 19IcnS·')65-56 "29 11II 1115 3) I 277 1901-621901·02 "24 16 ,5 3, "'.2 '0110-1" I19"lt>-S756-57 "3111 1511 1·1 ,2 21'" 317 lClO2·0l190 -03 "23ZJ 1113 ,2 ".2262..'6 113 1957-519'i1-'iS 31II 11II "1117 3I '"320'10 ".'"326 I90HHI 03-01 25 14 11II• 0 193 II 195, -59 _9 1311 1115 ,I 210lib Jl 19\1lOS1901-05 24 "10 11I1 •0 20110''" ,..29'''' 1959-6019'i9·60""32 13I) 1115 1, 2,... 6 370"nb (.\\ookm(Modcrn ~ring" \".1luesValuc \J,;>pN)dOplCd) • I1964)./)10-61 3-1"~ 16 16 ,2 222n2 29 190'5-06 _9 ,.. 1961-62 II rl "', 19 5·06 16 12 ,I 316 36-1 I 61-62 32 1511 11 3I 306.. 1906-01I 06-07 14 17 276 1962-63I 62-63 22 11 ,9 ,2 299 191 25" " 3• '"'711 27. " 11 '" 1907-0190H18 "lO30 12• "I)17 I1 37HS 3 1963-1963-6-1 "32 , 2·1 0 215'"liS '"106 , , •3 531•• 1908·0')190 -09 25 "1115 9 ,1 31-J.I:! 263'" 1964-651964·65 "33II 9 "21 • 259 1909·1019 9·10 "_6 1115 11II 0 ",495 '"16.16 1965-66I 65-66 32 ,9 "20 3• 23'" Hi'"175 1910·11I'HO-II "30 I 11II •,I 5 21821 1966-67I 66-67 35" 11 22" ,2 292'''' 591 IQll1911-1212 17""7 19 0 71 169 1967-1967-6 31" 10 "21 0 ""2762U,I 6601'" 1912·1)1912-13 26 "15 10••,I 31ll.'" 15'" (1%8,(I 6 , 71,11, 75,7'S. "187& 81l)o,~r.nlo I vcr. ea." TourTuw ReRl"ultJulls Fxdudcd)hduJnf) 191j-14191 ·14 '"2717 "16I ,,2 III)H 158'"15 11%8·69 6 -69 311111 I ,2 301 511 19111 14-118 FIRH~Tr \\\X' ORI!)RLD \X'\1"\RR I1969-9·70ro 30lO 12 I" 0 337'"m 497'" ~g~lIw • 1918-19II -I Onc:ne matchINKh pla)'wplayed agaInst dwthe &honIhool 00n 1970-711910-71 3010 ,9 2010" 1 "',269 511'" 15thI"rh M;lr~hlarch I191919 16 0 (Try(fTllocrca)a110Incrca,cd 10 111'0011')POInt') '" 1919-20 ,.6 11 15 0 _29 39119'• 1971·72 3515 9 2·1 ,2 33.58 957 21 12 9 • _56 211 1972-73 37 10• 26 I 351 932 1920-211920·21 12 ", •0 '" 211 1971·n 17 10 " , )" '"'H! 1921·221921-22 "26 1311 1113 0 ''''363)61 JZ5325 197J.74I 73-74 II,.. 12 21" ,I 3Q3191 7QO 19U·2}1922-_3 27'" 12 1114 •1I 262 22116 6 1974·75197·1-75 31 ",9 2321 ,2 273171 670""fl71l 1923--4192)..?1 2 13 14 1I 3 I 310 1975-1975-7676 33B 3) 2Q,. ,I 257157 7267» " II 11 '")" '10 " 1921·2'i1921-25 "26 15 ,2 m22,.. 26 1976-171976-77 JlH 11 20 ,2 372I7Z 570 • 270 1977-7 32 III 11 II '"373 1925-261925·_6 26" 10" 1114 ,2 17. 372l7Z 1977-78 lZ '"11 3• 1>1 l7l 192b-271926- 7,. 2" 1511 13 1I lOl03 30110' 1978·19197 -79 29 " I 3) 21·121\ 371m 1927-2819 7-2 2 "1612 ,266.. 206106 1979·1979-800 "3)6 16• "19 ,I 37)" 19,.. • 191980-810- I 35 \0 22 3 245 45 \92S.:N192 -2 ,.,24 12" 12 0 246216 361)6' 15 10 " I '58 1929-3 "9 14 14 •,I 3_2 325 191981-821- 2 3111 ,9 22 0 :m273 12.120 1929-lO " 11 11 m l25 " • '" O.M.T. HONOURS

I'r\"$llknl Kugb)' FOOlbclll Union; E. l'resC'otl ...... •...... 1920·22 M. F. Walen...... 1923·24 lion. Treasurer Kugby FOOlbclll Unum; E. I'rneou... . 1924·33 M. F. Waleu 1933·47 I'rnllkm Surrey Coumy K.F.U.; M. Shearman 1882·801 M. F. Walen...... •...... 1907·09 l'rCSI\kn1 Mllldl~x Counly K.F.U.: E. I'rneon...... •...... 1929-33 11.11. Hays 1937-46 l'rCSlde:m Ilcnfor

I'RESIDENTS OF HIE CLUB

MonlBgIIC." Shc:armall. •. ••• 1882-1921 J. R.lllingwonh...... 1968 Ilerbcrt 8.lIa)'l...... 1922-1948 I hs Gr:KC The Archbishop of S,r Wilham HldI:l1on.. . 1949·50 York, Dr. F. D. Coggan . 1969 Dr.J. G. F.lIO$ken 1951·52 K. M. Wilkms. . .. 1970 F. W. M. Draper...... 1953-54 11. L. Grn:r 1971 E.lluslusson , 1955·56 R. G. Turnbull...... 1972 RI. lIon.l.ord lIalky, 0."1 1957 L ByWlller 1973 S. W. Goble.. .. 1958 Sir Jarnes Bro n...... 1974 G.II~n . .. 1959 11. R. Rose 1975 N. I'. 8ulcy 1960 His llooour judge No;akcs 1976 Sir In-lOg Ganc...... 1961 His Gr:KC 'I'm- Archbishop of I". R. COvc-Smllh 1962 C:l.mcrbury, Dr. E D. Coggan 1977 o O·N. 1I0ds0n 1961 G. W. Boorh 1978 SIr 1:'T1nglon Kevilk 1964 1bc Hoooul'1lbleSir IrvmcGouldmg 1979 KI. Rev. JOO$l de: Blank 1965 A G. \'(1. Brown 1980 I)~vld Duc:11 . . 1966 F. Laws Johnson 1981 w. M. M~rcgor ...... 1967 T. F.lluskisson 1982

CAIYfAINS

L I-I. Gunner)' . .. 1882 Ko M. Wilkins 1914·J7 G. 11. \l:'clls ISSl T. F. Huskisson 1918 L U. Gunner)'.. .., ••• " .•• ,. 1884-9(1 N, Wyndh

"lltlJlh, tfldur1lnce. COllnlge. judgtmtnl, and ,00,,: all • sense or rair play. IIrt Il.Jn~ upon lht (oolbJll rlC'ld."

'AllIltlla .IId Football' Tht Badmlnluo Ubr1lry by Sir Mont.gut Shtllnnln 1887. Foreword As someone who has been fairly closely associated with the Old Merchant Taylors' Rugby Football Club for more than half its first hundred years. it gives me great pleasure lO be asked to write a brief foreword for this book. How fortunate we are as a club to be able 10 produce a comprehensive Centenary History. The publication in 1902 of the Records 1882-1902, coupled with B. H. SI. J. O'Neil's History 1882-1949 and A. B. Geary's Taylorian contributions have given the authors a start that many clubs will have lacked and how splendid it now is to have in one volume our first hundred years. I think I am right in saying that many former players derive great enjoyment in reading past recordsl recalling games won and lost, tries scored and missed. but above all in remembering the good friends that they have made over their playing years. 1 am sure tOO, that future generations will derive much pleasure in reading of the exploits of their predecessors and have even greater pride in their desire 10 make the second hundred years of the GMT Rugger Club as memorable and pleasurable as the first. T. F. Huskisson Presidenl, OMT Society

Or. R. Co"t-Sm!lh lInd Fred Uusklsson j1.ht .11.·1« 10 Chrb Poll.rd for 1982/13 Chapter 1 An early innuence 1581-1882 In wntlng a history of the OMT R.F.C. it seems appropriate 10 record tbe contribution made by Merchant Taylors to the history of the game itself, since they are by no means insignificant. In fact, it was three hundred years before the formation of the OMT Football Club (as it was first known) that Richard MuJcastcr, our first Headmaster, had championed the game of 'football', a game which had traditionally involved the use of handling in preference to feet! In 1581, the year in which Mulcaster wrote of football in the "Positions", the Lord Mayor had ordered that it should not be played in the City. It was thought to be 'Nothinge but beastley furie and exstreme violence'. MuJcaster thought otherwise. 'The footeball play could not possibly have growne 10 this greatness that it is now at if it had not had great helpes to health and strength.' It was with this aspect of the game that he was chieny concerned. His idea was to reduce the numbers, put some responsible person in charge - 'the trayning maister' - and use football as a means of keeping boys fit. 'The fooleball strengtheneth and brawneth the whole body. It helpeth weake hammes by much moving and simple shankes by thickening of the nesh no lesse than riding doth.' Indeed, he would dearly have approved of the physical attributes of loday's game whilst objeeting to the same violent aspects which we now deplore, judging by the following remarks: "and to me the abuse of football is a sufficient argument, that it hath a right use; which ... being revoked to his primitive will both helpe, strength and comfort nature, though as it is now commonly used with the thronging ofa rude multitude, with bursting of shinnes and breaking of legges it be neither civil, neither worthy the name of any traine to health." Of course it is obvious that 'football' was not possible in fact within lhe confines of Suffolk Lane in any organised form. Nevertheless, these remarks of Mulcaster earned two much later tributes in this century. In the History of Football (1954) Morris Marples referred to Mulcaster as the greatest sixteenth century advocate of football. Perhaps more relevant to this history is lhe following remark of O. L. Owen in the "History of the Rugby Football Union (also 1954):- "Very appropriately, about the only schoolmaster of note to see in football an aid, instead ofa hinderanee to education, was the Headmaster of a school eventually to field one of the most famous of Old Boys, the Merchant Taylors." In fact kicking and handling as well as hacking an oponent's shins had been part of the game of football for many centuries and the origins of the game probably go back to the Greek and Celtic era. The Romans certainly had a comparable game (harpaslUm) as did the Vikings of a later period judging by the following contemporary reference from Egil's Saga (Penguin Classics). "Grim had just caught the ball and was racing along with the other boys after him. EgB ran up to him and drove the axe into his head right through to the brain." (Egil at the Ball-Game). Sadly it seems there was a hooligan element even before MuJcaster's day! However there is evidence to suggest that some, perhaps Roman, discipline eventually returned at least in the game as subsequently played, sometimes known as "camp­ ball" (rrom the Latin campus) or "hurling at goale", which games did seem 10 have defined boundaries and fixed goals. as opposed to "hurling over country" which was more of the Shrove Tuesday variety Slill played to this day where a steeple and clock tower 3 or 4 miles apart might serve as goals. Either way handling was the norm and not kicking and "dealing a foreballe" (Le. a forward pass) was nOt permitted in any of the more organised versions. Thus it is apparent in hindsight thatlhe real and major contribution made by Rugby School was not entirely the legendary run of William Webb Ellis in 1823. The most important innuence was the establishment of formal rules which distinguished the game from what was generally known at this time as the Harrow code or Cambridge rules from which 'soccer' developed, culminating in the foundation of various Clubs playing under Rugby rules and the Rugby Union itself in 1871. In addition in the same year the first ever International, ,with Scotland, was played in which I am pleased to record. there also figured the first Merchant Taylor International, John Edmund Bentley (of whom more later) along with the bulk of Old Rugbeians and Marlburians, In fact, whilst there were no distinct codes of football before then both the Rugby and the Harrow game (for example) were principally concerned with the ,Scoring of goals between the posts. Any player was allowed an unimpeded kick at goal from a clean catch (obviously the origin of the 'mark') but no other handling was permitted during the early 1800's at least. The rest of the game was far from being unimpeded since it involved a mass of pushing, shoving, dribbling and hacking in an allempt to score a goal or earn a 'try' at goal by touching down behind the goal line (although it has been suggested that this lauer aspect was also peculiar to Rugby School). William Webb Ellis seems to have ignored the principle of the mark by catching or picking up the ball and running in for a try at goal, which from an historical analysis, was an apparent 'reversion' to the age old forms of village football referred to previously. In other words, at that particular time Rugby School was going along what might be called the"Association" pathway because the major if not sole movement of the ball was through dribbling, even if a heaving mass of players might be involved. In the absence of any other authority one must therefore acknowledge that WilIiam Webb Ellis did create some material change at Rugby School which was quite significant even if it did reintroduce elements of the 'village game'. I mention this because his original innuence has since been decried, but it is possible that the game would not have developed without it. At any rate the game at Rugby must have changed if not reverted back to the extent that according to one notable authority in 1885 the game played at Rugby School in the 1830s and 40s was essentially the •'original game of football" which had survived in its mOSt recognisable form 8tthat school (altHough from what has been said, there seems to have been some lack of continuity), This Authority was none other than (Sir) Montague Shearman, former Oxford Blue (at football and athletics), later to become a High Court Judge and first President of the OMT Football club for many years. h was Shearman's remarks in "Football: Its History for five Centuries" that was responsible in part for the selling up of an Old Rugbeian Committee in 1895 charged with an enquiry into the origins of Rugby Football precisely because it suggested that Rugby School was not the primary originator in historical terms, Shearman believed, however, that open playing field facilities had been partly responsible for the game's development since 'collaring', 'hacking over' and the like "was not only risky to limb w,hen played upon a grass plot but when played in a walled·in space such as the cloisters at Charterhouse or on a small and confined playground with a nagged pavement, would have h«n probably dangerous to life." Shearman was clearly referring 10 his own experiences at Suffolk Lane and his subsequent knowledge of Charterhouse Square where the School moved to in 1878. He also suggested with good reason Ihat Westminster and Chanerhouse had games more akin to soccer Ihan Harrow or Elan, because of their restricted facilities, and that this was also less hazardous 10 clothing. His views have b«n supported as recently as 1979 by Carwyn James and John Reason in the BBC's World of Rugby. Indeed Ihey considered Ihal since Ihe rugby game was not possible in the cobbled streets of industrial lawns any more Ihan sir Montague's nagged courtyard, it would explain the growing popularity of the association game. This seems a Iiulc too simplistic since 'football' (with handling) is supposed 10 have been born, or at least very much active, in the streets (according to Mulcaster el af) and the success of both games depends in the ultimate on proper playing fields, as Shearman suggested. It also tends to ignore the rise of great rugby clubs in industrial regions, especially the orth of England, which was particularly prominent before the breakaway of the RugbY League in 1893. One must accept. however, that a round ball is easier to kick on a cobbled street and some form ofassociation football is possible between two or more boys (with one in goal) whereas the shape of the rugby ball and objects of the game do require specific numbers and proper control or discipline which impose a limiting factor. (Although ironically an even more complex game also developed from the same source in terms of American football to the virtual exclusion of soccer, there is evidence in Shearman's book thal this had an Irish origin.) However it is possible perhaps that the organisation of sport at City schools, like MTS, which had to travel to distant fields had some innuence, compared to RugbY where the game was organised by the senior boys in the clost next door. With a master in charge the more hazardous elements ofthe rugby game which still included the deliberate hacking ofshins in the early days may well have recommended the less robust form of football played at Eton, Harrow and Charterhouse to begin with, even although they did at the material time have open playing field facilities adjoining them. At any rate what did MTS actually play in the mid-19th century? For this one must rely on certain remarks from Or. Baker, Headmaster from 1870-1900, In a report to the Merchant Taylors Company he stated that 'The School Football Club dates from 1859 and plays under Rugby Union rules'. He does nOt disclose his sources of information about this important date and the second part of the statement, which seems likely in the mid·1860s, was probably not correct for 1859, as appears from the following extract in The Taylorian of June 1924 from Charles Costeker (1858-62):- "I had first better explain that we played whal was then called the Harrow game, upon which Soccer was afterwards founded. Our battle-ground was in Victoria Park, and we knew as much ofthe Rugby game as a Hindoo knows of skating, 'Someone (possibly a Master who knew nothing of the distinction between the Harrow and the Rugby game) arranged a malch belween the School and the Royal aval College, New Cross'. I am not sure of the dale, but it would be, 1think. either in March, 1861, or 1862. Neither can I recollect the number nor names of our team, but I remember H. R. Hand was captain (1855-63) and that the following were present, namely, J. P. Billing (1855-61), F. J. Wadd (1854-61), Herbert Turner (1857-65) and I. We went 10 New Cross and the dilemma rapidly developed when we reached Ihe ground. They didn't know the Harrow rules and we didn't know the Rugby. It was a fine, bright day, and I remember Billing making the brilliant suggestion that we should get over the difficulty by playing crlcket instead of football, which suggestion did not, however, commend itself to our opponents, who clinched it by pointing out that they had neither bat, ball nor Stumps. They said that we had challenged them 10 play football (which for the reason above stated was probably true), and that such a challenge presupposed a knowledge of the game they played on our part. We then cut the cackle and began playing a game 'wc did nOl understand'. How many goals we were beaten by I have nOt the faintest recollection. I can remember that Wadd was a remarkably good tackler, and that Hand showed some promise of being a useful 'half-back'. also that billing's nose was in somebody's way, and being knocked OUI of joint required straightening. As to my own doings I and a New Cross youth had a great kicking duel at 'oulrance'. These were the days of unrestricted hacking, and I feel sure Ihat as a side we were 'more shinned against than shinning.' I must have so Ihoroughly enjoyed the rough and lumble of the game that on leaving School I joined the Richmond Football Club, with whom I regularly played for three or four years, the only other London Rugby club at that date being Blackheath. J believe it was with prophetic foresighl of Ihis match Ihat Publius Syrus wrote his 439th maxim, 'Practice is the best of all instructors." Of course it would be interesting 10 know for certain why lhe School took up Rugby during this period in the mid·)860s. 11 seems likely that this was due in part to the close relationship with SI. Pauls School. We had apparently shared the Eton and Middlesex crickel ground at Primrose Hill and in 1871 SI. Pauls was one of two schools who had attended the inaugural meeting of the Rugby Football Union. No doubt we had joined wilh St: Pauls in the rough and tumble of lhe early game following the match with the Naval College, but one theory is of interest, notably Ihat the oldesl regular fixture between English Schools was in fact belween Merchant Taylors and St. Pauls, from 1871, or "possibly earlier", according to an article in the 'Field' magazine. It seems these early games were played in Victoria Park Hackney, and Dr. Baker had complained in 1872 10 the Merchant Taylors Company that "boys were obliged to dress and undress at a Public House (in any rooms they can get) where smoking, billiards and drinking are going on around them. Such lemptation should be removed at all coSts." (AppareIHly the goal POStS were al.so kept in the public house adjacent 10 the Victoria Park ground which was presumably anolher good reason for going there!) In facllhis was also a problem for the cricketers on their ground in having to change al Ihe Elon and Middlesex Tavern. However, Rugby football was not purely confined to school·days, though it seems that the 'hacking' COntroversy was also one of Ihe reasons for the initial popularity of the Association game for adults. There was no Social Security for those who failed to work Ihrough broken limbs. But this did not deler some in those rather militaristic days of the Victorian Empire, and old boys from Rugby and other rugby playing schools such as Marlborough soon inOuenced the formation ofseveral clubs in addition to the game at Oxbridge. To begin with, this inOuence was fairly random in terms of the variety and conlent of the clubs. unlike Scotland where 'F.P.' (former pupil) clubs were predominant for many years. However, Blackheath Proprietary School who played M.T.S. in the 18705 was clearly the primary innuence in founding the Blackheath Club in 1860 and Marlborough, in respect of the Marlborough Nomads (bolh founder members of the Rugby Union in 1871), whereas Rugbeians tended to gravitate lowards Ravenscourt Park or Richmond founded in 1861, originally under the Harrow Rules. Th~ first English Old Boy clubs which still exist seem to have been the Old Paulines in 1871, Old Blues rrom Christ's Hospital rounded in 1873, and Old MilhiUians in 1879, though w~ w~re reliably reported as having dereated th~ 'newly-rormed' Old Paulines in 1890 and both lh~ Milhitlians and th~ Blues have had a break, the latter ror ten years rrom 1883 arter their Captain died on the pitch. For our part it is well­ known that the Merchant Taylor media F. S. and W. Alrord had b«n instrumental in rounding the Wasps in 1867 amongst others rrom the Middlesex Hospital. Indeed the Taylorian or December 1924 reports that "A. J. Sari (1863-66), Resident Manager or the ew Grant Theatre, Southampton", whose proressional name is Arthur Weston, sends us an interesting account or the roundation in 1867 or the 'Wasps' Rugby Football Club by six O.M.Ts. - F. S. Alrord, W. Alrord, R. S. Brown. H. G. Brown, J. W. Sari and himselr. 'This Cub,' he writes, 'is really the first Old Merchant Taylors' Football Club, although we did not confin~ it to M.T.S. boys entirely. The first meeting was held in Or. AJrord's house (Fred's rather) at Hav~rstock Hill, in De«mber, 1867. Other reports sugge:stthis meeting took place at the Eton and Middlesex Tavern itselr, but maybe th~y just adjourned there! How~ver there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the School. though a novice und~r Ihe Rugby rules in 1861, was suFficiently proficient not only to found a major club but also to produce its first international in the first ever International by the end of that da:ade. In fact it is perhaps strange that John Edmund Bentley was not referred 10 in Costeker's account of the match at New Cross in 1861 as he was certainly a contemporary. He played at hair-back in the first tWO Internationals, against Scotland at Raeburn Place in 1871 and the Oval in the rollowing year in the days

t'~ InltmatllMlal- J. E. Renllty 'Indilll far It" when there were 2O-a-side. According 10 Anhur Guillemard who also played in those games and can be considered one of the founders of the RFU, Bentley, who played for Ihe Gipsies Club, was very fasl and much helped by his weighl and strenglh "which on one occasion at ChislehurSl enabled him to run-in carrying IWO of his opponents on his back as if they were rag dolls", His obiluary in Ihe Taylorian of 1914 recalls the facllhat "he appeared at the South Africa v. England Match lasl year wearing in his butlon·hole the old English rose Ihat had figured on his jersey in his International Matches. My friend (who observed Ihis) mosl truly says Ihat there was a tinge of pathos in the incident". We should be justly proud of his panicipation in Ihe first ever Inlernationals, when considering that the School had been a complele novice in the art of Rugby fool ball when he himself was there. There were in fact two more Merchanl Taylor Internationals before the formation of the OMTs, these being the brothers H. H. and A. S. Taylor of Blackheath, the lauer also gaining a Blue at Cambridge, and the former a medic, of St. Ororge's Hospital. H. H. Taylor played in 5 Intemationals alongside the likes of Lennard Stokes, Anhur Budd and Temple Gurdon of Richmond, and has the notorious dislinction of missing the night train and hence a sixth cap for Ihe game against Scolland in 1881. He was a "first-rate half back, wonderfully quick on the ball and at utilising an opening in his adversaries' defence. He ran low and very strongly, though not very fast, and used his arms with great effect; his lactics in point of anack were his besl points, and he did excellent service for England." A. S. Taylor gained his firsl two caps in Ihe next season at full·back and was by contemporary accounts a deadly tackler. There was Ihen a gap of four years before his next two caps, following il seems a knee injury al the time and the famous dispute over rules which caused a one-year gap in Internationals. It may be interesting 10 note thal at this time England was also represented by players from Swinton, Halifax, Leeds and Wakefield TrinilY whose history was somewhat divergent. In any evenl il is apparent from the above that the School had been playing the rugby game for some years by the time it moved 10 Chanerhouse Square in 1878 and was already producing players as well as one club ofsome significance. The first ever Taylorian in '1hat year makes a lelling remark about the progress made by a young member of the 3rd XV, namely one Leopold Hansburg Gunnery. He can only have been 14 at the time but four years laler he was to become Ihe founder of the Old Merchant Taylors Football Club .... CHAPTER 11 Tht firsl Ytars 1882 - 1889

The removal of the School from Suffolk Lane to Charterhouse Square in 1878 gave tremendous impetus to a wide "aritlY of Merchanl Taylor aClivities. In that same year the Taylorian first appeared; it quickly established itself as the chronicle of all evenls connected with the School, ils societies, il5 spon, and its Old Boys. At this lime too the standard of football improved, dut to the innuence of F. G. Bampfylde, who in the manner of the lime often played for the School, although he was onc of the maslers. Then. at the cnd of 1880, came the Old Boys' Reunion at a Crowded dinner. which led to Ihe foundation of the Merchant Taylors' School Club. AJthough the idea of starting an Old Merchant Taylors' FOOlball Club was first mooled at this lime, when it was proposed 10 play a few games in the Christmas holidays, the first real intimation of its actual foundation is 10 be: found in the following notice in the- "Taylorian" of July. 1882:- "OLD BOYS' CRICKET AND FOOTBALL CLUB Sir. t shall be happy to receive the names of any a.M.T.'s who would desire 10 join the 'Old Boys' Cricket and Football Club'. I have already been successful in obtaining 20 names. There is evcry hope that the Club will be allowed to use the new ground at Brondesbury. As there arc delails IQ be discussed, viz.:- amount of subscription. sum to be paid for use of ground, pavilion, etc., I have obtained the Head Master's permission to call a meeting in the School library during July. In the meantime I shall be glad to receive any suggestions. I am, Sir, Yours truly. L. H. Gunnery". Shortly after this Leo Gunnery and H. C. Green called on Momague Shearman la invite his suppon. This he willingly promised if Gunnery would undertake to remain faithful to the Club through thick and thin. come good or evil times; otherwise the Club would simply follow in the wake of other Old Boys' Football Clubs, which had been started with enthusiasm, but had speedily perished through lack of support and management. Gunnery undertook to do this and kept his promise well. He must certainly be regarded as the founder of the Club, and was for many years iu leading spirit. Backed by many enthusiastic comrades, he played right on through the period when the Club was building up its reputation, until it became recognised among the leading clubs of the Kingdom. He did not play his last match until November 10th. 1894, having completed 201 games in the process. When once it had been definitely decided to bring the Club into existence, a meeting of Old Boys took place at the School, and as a result a few matches were arranged. In connection with this we find a notice in the "Taylorian" of October, 1882: "The Old Boys' Football Club has arranged a few matches (Rugby and Association); we wish them a successful season. For membership apply to L. H. Gunnery, Messrs. Cassell & Co., La Belle Sauvage Yard." The mention of Association appears somewhat amusing now, but certain members present at the meeting were apparently anxious to play matches under the sister code; however, the Club annals show no trace of any game of Association ever having been played apart from the reference in Gunnery's scrapbook to onc game against the Civil Service when the ground was too hard for the proper fixture to be played! In the earlier years of the Club's history there were a vast number of difficulties to be overcome, and of these the first and foremost was that the Club could not rely on the support of those who, having left the School prior to the birth of the Old Merchant Taylors' Football Club, had already become attached to other Clubs in the metropolis. Among these the best known were the brothers H. H. and A. S. Taylor, the two Internationals previously mentioned who were contemporary. In addition Montague Shearman. formerly of the Gipsies like Bentley and subsequently Richmond. had reached his period of retirement from the game and only played three times for the Old Boys. Others such as R. R. H. Lockhart-Ross of East Sheen and Surre~ Association played twice and A. E. Taylor of the Civil Service Club six times. Another player, A. C. Arthur Hughes of Upper Clapton, left them to join the Old Merchant Taylors and played a significant pan as a player for thirteen years as well as Honorary Secretary from 1885·1891. He did in fact hold the record number of appearances (243) by the time of the 1902 history. There were also, as in subsequent years, several varsity Old Boys who could only assist in the vacations, and numbers whose services were claimed by the hospitals. Consequently it was often difficult to raise a XV and on many occasions we were compelled to take the field tWO or three short rather than scratch the match, which has shades of subscquent XVs! However, Gunnery never failcd in his enthusiasm to make the Club a success and in later years was rcwarded by results that must have exceeded his greatest hopes. During the first few years we cannot have been considered as a First Class Club though Rosslyn Park consistently figured amongst the fixlUres with many successes in our favour. We also played Richmond. the Old leysians and Milhillians, Marlborough omads. the Hospitals and teams now defunct such as Belsize, and Clapham Rovers, who played under both codes and actually won the F.A. Cup in 1880. The first Tours were to Brighton at Christmas, although by 1890 we had begun the trek to Gloucester and Cardiff. and Blackheath now figured as the opening game of the Season It was a time when the game was still somewhat different to today and relied heavily on forward action. Indeed packing down by nine forwards with no set position had only been introduced in 1875 as opposed to a melee of pushing. shoving and dribbling towards the othcr end by thirteen forwards before then when there were 20-a-side. In fact the numbcr of forwards continued to nuclUate from 9 to 8 to 7 and back again. as we shalt see. Quite properly, administrative mallers were taken most seriously by Gunnery and his collcagues and no doubt this was in part the foundation of the subsequem quarter century which produced no less than five O.M.T. Internationals. In consequence the early Club Minutes do nOt provide any historical material apart from faro and figures cxctpt perhaps: for the rather amusing notion (or motion!) that we may not have been quite such a 'closed' Club as we thought judging by the following Minute in 1884:- "That anyone who has been closely connected with the School (with the exception of present members of it. who are Honorary Members of the Old Boys FC in officio) should be eligible to become an honorary member of the FC on payment of an annual subscription of 55. After an objection that Ihis motion would include the School Poner, had been quashed as frivolous. this motion was carried"! On a more serious nOle I should perhaps record that Club caps were awarded and a Club badge designed and worn and a Cup proposed for an appropriate competition at School. Did this materialise? If not. perhaps it should in recognition of l. H. Gunnery's success in founding what was to become. in his own time. a First Class 'Football' club. IsI XV 1885/861. IQr. T. Dhon, .:. P'tsCOll, 1-1. C. Grtell.lI. 8. Cart.nihl. E. If. Gunnff). M. A. NkholllS, W. L. Cummlns.C. H. Wtlls.I•. U. Cunntl'} (npl.), A.llughu, C. \\. Cummhu, W. A. Ruck, P. R. A. WlUoullhby.

I~ XV 1191.911. to r. H. R. SW.lma., H. R. C. Hillle)'. A. S. GHat. W. J. P_I, J. S. Tu",~, H. C. Grten, A. N. Wrir, J. Pnl"lOlI, E. Pracoll (eapt.), E. H. CUllnft")'. G. F. Al'1lO4d. L. H. c....."". A. C. HU'Ms. S. P. ComWl. N. Pam.m. T.km 11 StM'lford Brldlt Cbd_ durtn, IlIlt "or! lWO ynr co-lmlncy wllh Okt IAylllns. Chapter III 1889 - 1914 The following quarter of a century, until in fact the enforced break caused by the First World War, was the period during which the Club established itself as a First class side. It was a period of great distinction both on and off the field and included the captaincy of Ernest Prescotl and Mark Waters, both of whom went on to become Presidents of the R.F.U. and for many years successive Hon. Treasurers of the Rugby Union. Prescott from 1924 to 1933 and Watets until 1947. Perhaps of more relevance to this history was the emergence of a number of International O.M.T.s of whom J. E. Raphael was undoubtedly the most prominent. However. the importance to an emerging Club of any International, let alone a small 'squad' is hardly insignificant and one must equally acknowledge the respective contribution of the following:- . C. Aetchcr (England), W. I. Cheesman (England), C. T. 0' allaghan (Ireland) and J. G. "Jock" Will (Scotland). The first period. still under Gunnery, and then Prescon, saw the firm cstablishment of first class fixtures such as Blackheath at the beginning of the season, where it remained until recent times. Other fixtures in the 1889/90 Season included Oxford University (then pre·Varsity Match), London Welsh, Gloucester, Cardiff. Cambridge University (poSt Varsity Match) and (somewhat condescendingly) London Scollish "A". NOt surprisingly, for a first Season against such opposition, all but the Scottish and Welsh gamcs were lost. though none by any great margin. in what was otherwi~ one of the best ever seasons for results (W .190.1 L.6). However one must record that the victories included the School (a traditional fixture which was never an easy victory in the early years). Tonbridge School and Haileybury College. Ernest Prescoll succeeded Gunnery and was Captain from 1891-96. Although he failed to obtain his Blue at Cambridge he figured in Lhe Varsity team on several occasions. He was apparently most popular with his team and this no doubt contributed to two more highly successful seasons in 1891 (W.13 0.8 L,J) and the following year .1892193 (W.19 0.2 L.S). The last results included victories against both Universities, Leicester and the Harlequins. HowC'·er. in the first of those years no less than seven matches ended in a pointless draw and this in part reflected the rather stereotype domination of forward play referred to in the last Chapter. There was little or no heeling as such up to that period and foot rushes or dribbling were still very much the order of the day. Whilst these aspects continued for some years there was nevertheless a growing appreciation of the value of a more open game outside the scrum. Against Gloucester on Boxing Day 1890 we had employed four three quarters for the first time against the four fielded by some redoubtable opposition (though we 1051 by J try to nil). It seems that Cardiff had been instrumental in this change (by reducing the number of forwards from 9 to 8) and the same system was used on the tour to South Wales the following year in which we also learned the art of wheeling (although apparently a Yorkshire innovation). In fact up till then most novel changes had occurred in the forwards, still experimenting with numbers and methods of scrummaging, even, apparently the novel an of passing the ball, though still nOt heeling it as a primar)' object! At an)' rate, it is interesting to record that the art of wheeling the scrum is believed 10 ha"e been 'imported' to London as a result ofour Christmas tour to South Wales in 1892. They drew the first game at ewport on January 1st 1893 and despite a heavier pack were somewhat surprised at the wheeling tactics employed by the home side. The story then goes that they lost to Swansca by 8 points to nil thc following day before a 6,000 crowd, practised wheeling on an adjacent cliff top the day aftcr and defeated Cardiff on the 4th January. In fact, according to a local newspaper of the time. they rapidly employed the "Welsh screw forward" "Quitc beautifully" against Swansea and visited Tintern Abbey the next day. Wherever the practice took part, the talc is generally believed to be true but although contemporary commentators also reckoned our forwards to be the "best in the metropolis" it is also fair to record that Newport, Swansea and Cardiff were all heavily depleted as a result of the England v Wales match the same week. their absentees having included the lcgendary Arthur Gould, W. J. Bancroft, and the James Brothers who were the first to 'go orth' for a fee before the breakaway of the Rugby League in the suetteding months. It is perhaps relevant at this point [0 include some of the anicles by A. 8. Geary, previously referred to in the Foreword. since they serve as first hand descriptive knowledge:- "The writer of these articles first saw the Old 8o)'s play at Stamford Bridge during the season of 1892-93. when the men of the earlier generation were at their zenith. and the picture that is called up to the memory of the matches witnessed at that distant period leaves one particular outstanding impression. The Old Boys were very often in their opponents' "25" for three-Quarters of the game. They arrived there largely through anacks made by the forwards. who wheeled and broke away en masse with the ball at their feet, and often made 60 or 70 yards at a time. Once in the neighbourhood of their opponents' goal, either the forwards attempted to break across the line, or left the ball behind them for one of the half-backs to make a dash for the line. Combined attack outside the scrum was almost unknown. Occasionally a three-Quarter would obtain the ball by accident or through the mistake of an opponent, but concerted passing was practically never attempted. When our opponents crossed the half-way line they met with an extraordinarily strong resistance. Our half-backs (especially N. Parham) followed round the scrum like eau, three-Quarters and backs tackled their opponents with deadly accuracy, and once our forwards obtained the ball they would usually be back in their opponents' territory before much time had elapsed. There were also many of our ou.tsides who were very efficient at finding touch at long range, while the forwards were ex[remely active in spreading across the field to assist their outsides in defence.

Each one of the outsides was told off to mark his vis-a-vis only until he had put his man OUt of action; but morc of this will be written later on, when we deal with the system of defence adopted throughout the club's history, Here wc need only mention that among the olltsides of those days B. S. Cave. S. P. Cornish, E. H. Gunnery, and . Parham stood out in special relief for their powerful defencc. Our two great defects in the early nineties were inability or reluctance to hecl cleanly. and lack of scoring power. Half-backs like L. H. Gunnery and . Parham often made brilliant dashes on their own. which resulted in a $Core, but they had very little ... 0 .... A 1 '\1 A (' II 11 I l' AT M..... I ....." AI (.' "~II ,. I 1" 1I \; tl • 1, .... 1,\ .1 II I foIl...I...... ". I Ill. 11 M \\yoll .. ,

TIw Ont 1.01140" Jidt 10 lour i" t~oa rftalii"J 11 TOIMS Easln- 1194. Th' '"Ill .... JJoonl) '0 bttl" I to-Ittllnr) or tb' Old IJftr ho. .illl Rosdf" Plrk Irln- 1.'0 KtiOftJl 1I Stlmronl 8rid~, idea of opening up !.he game in the modern fashion. The resull was that time after time..... hen ....e had been pressing our ad..ersaries hard for the greater part of the match. v.e either just scraped home by the smallest of margins. dre.... the match. or ....ere beaten on the POSt afler having had terrilorially all the best of the game, It was even said by the sarcastic that wc travelled to many a ground with the deliberate intention. not of winning, but of preventing our opponents from winning the game. In any case, our defence was so much Stronger than our attack - or at least the clinching of our allad - that for years our opponents considered it a feather in their caps to score many points against us. This was the more surprising when we recall that for more than half the matches of that period we had in the team at least onc three·quarter of exceptionally fine scoring powers in the person of S. P. Cornish, who would have shone in any of the fastest of modern four three-quarter lines. But possibly the comparative lack of pace of the majority of the outsides who then played was onc of the essential factors which prevented us from making any serious attempt to revolutionise our style. Statistics are notoriously dull affairs, but the following are eloquent in illustration of the above remarks, In 1889-90 wc played 26 matches and lost 6, Four were lost by a single score. Our opponents only crossed our line 14 times and 16 ofour opponents failed to score at all. In 1890-91 6 matches out of 7 lost were lost by a single score, and only 14 tries were scored against us in 19 matches. In 1891-9224 matches were played, of which only 3 were losl. No less than 8 were drawn, and in 7 there was no score at all. Only 9 tries were scored against us. while 16 of our opponenlS failed 10 cross Ihe line. In 1892-9326 matches were played. Five were losl - 4 of Ihem by the barest possible margin. Fourleen tries were scored against us, and of these 7 occurred in tWO matches - againsl Blackheath and SandhurSI - who were Ihe only opponems 10 cross our line more than once. Eighleen opponents failed 10 register a single try. Compare the above with the IWO mOSt SUC1:essful ~asons in Ihe years before the ~ar. In 1911-1227 matches were played. 0 less than 40 tries were recorded against us, and only 7 opponems failed to penetrate our defence. In 1913-1427 matches were played. Only 8 of our opponenls failed 10 cross our line, while 36 tries were registered againsl us. As these lines are being wnuen the Club will have r~ently returned from what must have been for many of the younger members their first tour. and they must have realised, whatever the resultS of the matches, thal the spirit of cameraderie plays an enormous part in the success of a club like our own. When we took through the old records it is liltle shorl of miraculous that Ihe Old Boys from a single London day school can have succeeded in holding their own with many of Ihe best first-class clubs in England and Wales. Let us take the season of 1891-92. when we only lost 3 malches out of24. Thai year we defeated Oxford University, Cardiff, and other fine teams, while we drew wilh ewport, London Scoltish and Old Edwardians. Only 9 tries were scored against us throughoul the whole ~ason. The next year we ~ere victorious against both 'Varsities. Leicester. and the Harlequins, and again drew with the London Scoltish. Only 14 tries were scored against us. These results were largely due to the spirit with which the players were actuated. No sacrifice was considerfiltoo great, and men spared neither lime nor trouble when the imerests of the club were concernfil. The two seasons referred to above were the first years of E. Prescou's captaincy. L. H. Gunnery had resigned at the end of the season 1890-91, although he eominufilto play. and did nOt play his last match for the 1st XV until November 10th. 1894. He had engineered the team from second-class football to engagemenlS with many of the besl clubs in the south of England and Wales, and an achievement of this nature indicates ability closely akin to greatness. Prescolt was skipper from 1891-96. He found the Club on the nood-tide ofsuccess. and those firsl tWO years were possibly the besl in our whole history, and have been dealt wilh above. Owing 10 various causes the succeeding years of his captaincy were not marked by the same success. Some of Ihe best players went abroad or retirfil from the &ame. Certain of the velerans had passed the zenith of their powers. but. in the absence of new talem from the School. felt constrained to continue 10 play. We no longer possessed the almosl invincible packs of the precfiling seasons, which had compensated for our lack of scoring power; our defence outside the scrum was no longer of that sterling character which had enabled us to rank among the besl defensive sides in the South of England, and we failfil to adapt ourselves to the changes which the game had gradually undergone. Our allack was no stronger than before, and practically no attempt was made to improve it. With all these disadvantages, our dogged defence and our esprit de corps, with the preservation of many good club traditions, enabled us 10 continue to give redoubtable sides a hard game, and we never made the miSlake of weakening our card of fixtures. The virtue of this poliey was.seen subsequently, when we once again began to obtain better material from ·the School.