Rugby Football in Nineteenth-Century Cardiff Gwyn Prescott
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University of South Wales 2059397 'THE NOBLE GAME IS NOT TOTALLY UNKNOWN HERE': RUGBY FOOTBALL IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY CARDIFF GWYN PRESCOTT A submission presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Glamorgan for the degree of Master of Philosophy June 2006 Rll Certificate of Research This is to certify that, except where specific reference is made, the work described in this thesis is the result of the candidate's research. Neither this thesis, nor any part of it, has been presented, or is currently submitted, in candidature for any degree at any other University. Signed Candiate .Vf-,Vw Signed Director of Studies Date ABSTRACT This thesis is the first detailed historical study of rugby in Wales at a local level. Drawing on previously unused sources, it provides fresh insights into the origins and early years of the game in Wales. It also throws new light on the significance of Cardiff to Welsh rugby in the nineteenth century as well as on the importance of rugby in Cardiff. Chapter One explores early football and the eventual emergence of organised rugby in South Wales from its casual and hybrid origins. Chapter Two looks at the expansion of rugby from the mid 1870s, when the distinctive characteristics of Welsh rugby began to appear, up to the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881. Chapter Three focuses on Cardiff during the last three decades of the nineteenth century with an in-depth examination and analysis of the range of clubs in the town and their institutional background. Chapter Four investigates the organisation of the game in Cardiff, the infrastructure used by the clubs and the social background of the players and administrators. Chapter Five considers the impact of the game on the life and popular culture of Cardiff. The thesis concludes that rugby very rapidly became the main sporting interest in the town and it experienced little serious competition from other sports until the end of the century. For many newly arrived citizens, therefore, rugby provided an accessible means of quickly entering into the social life of the community. Cardiff s unique economic and social structure determined the particular way in which the game evolved in the town. At the local level, neighbourhood clubs, largely involving working and lower middle-class players and administrators, were generally the norm, rather than institutional teams organised by social improvers. At the highest level of competition, an emphasis on civic pride meant that success on the field was more important than social exclusivity. The game was played, therefore, by representatives of all classes. From the outset, Cardiff was at the centre of rugby in Wales: rugby was also at the heart of the Victorian town's popular culture. DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my father Jim Prescott (St. Peter's School, Cardiff Centrals, Grange Baptists) who loved rugby football. CONTENTS PAGE Abstract j Dedication jj Contents in Acknowledgements v Abbreviations vi INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 1 'NEITHER DRIBBLING FISH NOR HANDLING FOWL': FROM FOOTBALL TO RUGBY 11 CHAPTER 2 'THE RUNNING BUSINESS': THE GAME IS ESTABLISHED 35 CHAPTER 3 'IN CARDIFF AND DISTRICT SURELY THEIR NAME IS LEGION': THE CLUBS 68 CHAPTER 4 'ADMINISTERED BY THE FEW, PLAYED BY THE MANY': ORGANISATION AND PARTICIPATION 99 CHAPTER 5 RUGBY 'FOOTBALL, OR, LIFE IN CARDIFF': THE WIDER IMPACT 124 CONCLUSIONS 140 in CONTENTS PAGE APPENDICES 150 APPENDIX 1 Welsh Rugby Teams 1880-1 151 APPENDIX 2 Cardiff and District Rugby Teams 1895-6 152 APPENDIX 3 Cardiff and District Rugby Teams 1886-7 154 APPENDIX 4 Social Background of Cardiff Players before 1878 155 APPENDIX 5 Competitions in Cardiff 1886-7 to 1899-1900 161 APPENDIX 6 Occupational Structure of Cardiff in 1891 164 APPENDIX 7 Cardiff and District Club Secretaries 1889-91 165 BIBLIOGRAPHY 167 TABLES Table 1 Cardiff and District Rugby Teams Recorded in Local Press 74 Table 2 Population of Cardiff and District 1871 -1901 76 Table 3 Comparison of Clubs in Teesside and Cardiff in 1888-9 98 Table 4 Cardiff and District Clubs' Dressing Rooms 1890-1 110 Table 5 Cardiff First XV Players 1885-6 116 FIGURE Figure 1 Annual Numbers of Cardiff and District Rugby Teams 75 IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Gareth Williams, without whose guidance, support and encouragement, this thesis would never have been completed. Like all good coaches, he always managed to keep me focused on getting the ball across the try line. Whether it was providing sources, or drawing on his unrivalled expertise to comment on all aspects of my progress, his help was invariably given with his customary good humour. The happiest outcome of my research is that I am now privileged to be able to call him a friend. There are many others who, in a variety of ways, also helped me to conceive, develop and produce this thesis and to them all I offer my sincere thanks. They include: Professor Chris Williams, Professor Dai Smith and Professor David Hillier (University of Glamorgan); Jed Smith and Sophie Walker (RFU Museum of Rugby); Martin Davies and Peter Owens (WRU); Bryn Jones and colleagues (Cardiff Library); members of the First Friday Research Group and staff, Glamorgan Record Office; and Dr. Mike Bassett (Barry RFC), the late Peter Cronin (Cardiff), Angus Evans (Newport), Roger Goode (Cardiff), Dr. Andrew Hignell (Glamorgan County Cricket Club), David Hughes (Penarth RFC), Steve Lewis (Newport), John Lyons (Narberth), Rupert May-Hill (Cardiff), Gareth Morgan (Australia), John Owen (Cardiff), David Parry-Jones (Cardiff), Mike Price (Neath RFC), Bleddyn Williams (Cardiff) and Martin Wills (Northampton). Finally, of course, I have to thank my family. Sarah, Anna and Sian all provided their father - a product of the pre-computer age - with invaluable help in the presentation of this thesis. With her usual patience, my wife Catherine has supported me wholeheartedly throughout the research. This thesis is as much theirs as it is mine. ABBREVIATIONS AFC Association Football Club C&DFU Cardiff and District Football Union CDFU Cardiff District Football Union FA Football Association FAW Football Association of Wales FC Football Club FU Football Union GAV Glamorgan Artillery Volunteers GRV Glamorgan Rifle Volunteers GWR Great Western Railway IFU Irish Football Union (Irish Rugby Football Union) IJHS International Journal of the History of Sport IRB International Rugby Board NU Northern Union RFC Rugby Football Club RFU Rugby Football Union RMA Royal Military Academy RU Rugby Union RWF Royal Welch Fusiliers SFU Scottish Football Union (Scottish Rugby Union) SWDN South Wales Daily News SWFC South Wales Football Club SWFU South Wales Football Union WFU Welsh Football Union WM Western Mail WMC Working Men's Club WRU Welsh Rugby Union VI INTRODUCTION 'The noble game is not totally unknown here.' ' During miserable weather in February 1883, a decision was made in Wales which was to lead to profound changes in the way rugby has been played ever since. Cardiff were due to play at Cheltenham College but, owing to the dreadful conditions, only a few players bothered to turn up at the station. So a team was hurriedly cobbled together using some of the reserves who were also at the station travelling to an away fixture. Despite this, Cardiff won the match, not least because of the play of Frank Hancock, who was making his First XV debut at three-quarter. Within two months, and after only five games for Cardiff, he was capped by Wales against Ireland. Hancock, who had recently arrived from Somerset to manage his father's brewing interests in the town, was already an established county footballer. It was a fortunate set of circumstances which brought him to Cardiff at a time when his leadership and tactical skills could be used to lasting benefit for the game. Impressed with his performance at Cheltenham, the selectors decided to keep him in the team for the following fixture with Gloucester. Not wishing to drop any of the regular three-quarters, they took the inspired decision to pick four and so a new system was bora. Cardiff continued to experiment with four three-quarters during the rest of the season and the following year. They sometimes reverted to three players, but settled on the new formation by the end of 1884-5, by which time other Welsh clubs were also occasionally selecting four three-quarters.2 Hancock is often credited with "inventing" the system but it On 14 Oct. 1878, the Western Mail published a letter from the Cardiff captain, Raoul Foa, who was responding to a suggestion from a newly arrived Devonian that a football club should be established in the town. Foa retorted ironically, and rather irritably, 'the noble game is not totally unknown here.' 2 South Wales Daily News and Western Mail Sept. 1884 to Apr. 1885 passim. The clubs included Swansea, Llanelli and Neath. When Penarth played Canton, both adopted four three-quarters, revealing that even junior clubs were prepared to innovate at a very early stage. SWDN 17 Mar. 1885. was his captain in those two seasons, Henry Simpson, who was the first to adopt it. Hancock, however, worked out the best method of applying the new formation and in so doing he helped to transform the game. In August 1885, he was unanimously elected captain. Hancock had a reputation for being a disciplinarian and his impact on the club was immediate. Up to that season, Cardiff had enjoyed success, but they lacked consistency. The chaotic circumstances surrounding his introduction to the club eighteen months earlier must have made him realise that a dramatic change in organisation was required if Cardiff were to achieve their potential.