SUFC vs the Conference of Railway Superintendents | FA Cup 1899 vs Burnley

Phil Rose finds the stories of abductions, away days football specials and Victorian Accumulators.

Sheffield United FA Cup Winning team 1899

Words: Phil Rose

There now follows a spoiler. Sheffield United won the FA Cup in 1899. I'm having a go at writing the story of that cup run, one game at a time, for The Pinch. Here goes….

It's worth starting with how I got here. A while ago, I wrote an article for The Pinch about a game United played against a South African team in that cup-winning 1899 year. That needed a deep dive into Newspaper Archives. Honestly, I've never really come out of that dive. Wormhole after wormhole. For instance, football special trains: 

United were away at Liverpool in the league in November 1899. Two different Railway Companies were offering excursions to the game. From the Sheffield Evening Telegraph;

“MIDLAND RAILWAY.

COOK’S EXCURSIONS FROM SHEFFIELD.

SATURDAY. November 4th, to LIVERPOOL (League Football Match, “United” v. Liverpool) for 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 and 9 days, 8.25 and 11.5 a.m. Return 6.30 p.m.”

Are you reading that, you Calverts, you Pickards, you Kazs, you Handsworth Blades? An away match in Liverpool. With a NINE DAY stopover!!!

Equally intriguing was the excursion offered by the second company, the Great Central Railway from Sheffield Victoria. That offered;

"Passengers by the Day Excursion will, on production of railway ticket, be allowed to inspect R.M.S. “Majestic”."

The RMS Majestic was a White Star Transatlantic ocean-going steamship. Who wouldn't want to inspect that on a day out at Liverpool away?

So I'm telling the story of that cup run. But not just by regurgitating match reports. I'm going to dive into what life was like in 1899 for United and their fans.  

Burnley versus Sheffield United

The FA Cup First Round:

United were drawn away to Burnley in the First Round of the 1899 FA Cup. In those days, that was the last 32. Win three rounds, and you were in the semis. Now is a good time to remind you all: United were reigning League Champions and Burnley were newly promoted to the First Division in 1898/99.

The match was scheduled for Saturday 28 January 1899. United went into the game on the back of two straight defeats: 4-1 away at Stoke City and 3-1 at home to Aston Villa. Indeed, we had not won a league game since Boxing Day 1898, when we beat The Wednesday 2-1 at The Lane. Yes, that Boxing Day Massacre.

Sticking with Football Special trains. The Conference Of Railway Superintendents had met in the days before the Burnley tie to discuss cheaper fares for football fans. Classic WhatAboutery, as the proposal (from the FA) was kicked further down the road.

From the Sheffield Evening Telegraph:

“The question of reduced railway fares for football teams and their supporters came up for consideration the other day at a conference of railway superintendents. Certain recommendations were made, the nature of which, however, was not disclosed, as they have yet to be consented to by a conference of general managers. If a reduction is sanctioned, there is no doubt that the various companies will confer a boon on footballers all over the country, but, as was pointed out at the conference above alluded to, they would be laying themselves open to similar applications from all classes of the sporting community.” 

Training Camps

It had become popular for teams to go away from their hometowns for special training. Vaping the sea air at the beach, or taking the waters in Spa Towns. The Sheffield Evening Telegraph listed seven clubs that had gone to camp in five different places:

“In connection with the more vigorous game of football, it is a notable fact that just now many of the big clubs are sending their men away to one place or the other to get well prepared for the forthcoming Cup ties. Thus, Sheffield United and Liverpool are at Lytham, Wednesday have gone back to Matlock, where Stoke are also located. Everton are giving a trial to St. Ann’s, the Villa are at Buxton, while Notts Forest have chosen Skegness.”

The Blades had actually gone to their preferred Lytham Base on 16 January, the Monday after the 4-1 drubbing away at Stoke. Preparing for the upcoming games which would define their season.

“SHEFFIELD UNITED TO GO IN SPECIAL TRAINING.

As hinted in our columns last Monday, the Committee of the Sheffield United Football Club have decided to send their men away into special training, and on Monday next the members of the League team and also those who are probable reserves will journey to Lytham, where on the beach - at the Lisbon House - most of the next fortnight will be spent. The result should be of the utmost benefit, as the games against Aston Villa and Burnley (the latter in the English Cup) are fraught with the utmost importance to the club.”

Using the correct pun, not all these visits to the seaside and spas went swimmingly. Remember that both Wednesday and Stoke were in camp at Matlock. They were actually playing each other in the First Round at Olive Grove the day United were at Burnley. 

“I may say that I have heard that some of the Stoke players at Matlock have been in revolt, and several have been sent back to the Potteries. This is by no means pleasant news for supporters of the team, nor does it reflect any credit on the offending parties.”

Ooohhh dear. I don’t know what’s happened there - revolt (strong words mate) and several sent home. Earlier in the month, Bolton Wanderers had gone to Rivington Baths to prepare for a league game (against Wednesday at Olive Grove as it happens). This time the shenanigans were described as gross insubordination (even stronger words mate). Moral of the story: be careful sending your team to the seaside or spa, they’re likely to just get pissed.

“From all accounts certain members of the Bolton team were guilty of gross insubordination during the time they were in special training at Rivington baths, the result being that one of the half-backs has been suspended, while others have been cautioned.”

Pre-Match Press Conference

I’m not sure who took the pre-match presser, but here’s what we’ve gleaned.  Preparations for the match had gone well at the Lytham training camp. Although there was some doubt about Fred Priest, the Inside/Outside Left. The rumour was he’d picked up a knock way back in October against Newcastle. Despite being in and out of the team since then, it seems he’s never completely recovered.

United waited until the morning of the match before naming the eleven.  There had been the usual disruptive press coverage during the week. A ludicrous report from Scotland hinting that United’s failure to beat Villa last weekend was because they didn’t have enough Scottish players in the team. Pure Clickbait.

The Starting XI

In the event, Priest did make the start. And although the spine of the team remained unchanged, there were three changes up top. Frank Becton getting the gig at inside left, Billy Beer coming in at inside right and George Hedley at centre forward. Jack Almond, Charlie Field and Michael Whelan missing out. 

So, we’ve got Bill Foulke in goal (his birth certificate had him as Foulk, his Mum preferred Foulkes, but he liked Foulke). Harry Thickett wide right, Peter Boyle wide left. Tommy Morren in the middle of the three. Tommy had been an amateur at Middlesbrough and his skipper there, Phil Bache, signed pro at Reading. Money talks and he persuaded Tommy to join him at Reading for the moolah. So, Tommy hops on a train from Boro to Reading. If you consult the relevant timetable, you’ll see that journey required a change at Sheffield. George Waller was Sheffield United trainer at the time, he’d played football and cricket in Middlesbrough and knew Tommy Morren. So, as you do, on the day Tommy made his way to Reading, George went to the Midland Station to hijack the deal and get Tommy to The Lane. According to reports, George has basically nicked Tommy’s bag and put it in a waiting cab, with Tommy chasing him. He played that afternoon in a reserve match, and we signed him after the abduction. Yes, really. 

Anyway, Old Harry Johnson on the right outside Tommy Morren. Nudger Needham with the Armband at left half. Cocky Bennett outside right, Billy Beer inside him, George Hedley in the middle up top, Frank Becton inside left and Fred Priest out left. Subs? Nah Mate.

I’ll let the Sheffield Daily Telegraph take up the story:

“BURNLEY V. SHEFFIELD UNITED.

UNITED MAKE A DRAW.

AN UNPLEASANT GAME.

(By Our Own Reporter.)

There were all the elements of a Cup tie about this game at Turf Moor on Saturday, football for the greater part being rough and unpleasant to watch. In this direction, both teams were to blame, but Burnley unquestionably claimed the biggest portion and at least five of the visitors were at some time or other incapacitated, though, fortunately, not seriously. The game, too, was to some extent spoiled by the condition of the ground, which was frostbound and very slippery in places. In consequence, the ball was very lively, and required a good deal of judgement to keep under control. The Sheffielders adapted themselves more to the circumstances than their opponents, and fully deserved the highly-creditable draw which they effected. Indeed, it is rather questionable if they did not really win, for in addition to Hedley scoring a very fine goal, which was disallowed, most of the members of the United eleven confidently say that Bowes palpably scored the equalising goal by a judicious use of his hand.”

FFS. Usual Burnley away story - piss poor pitch, five clogged, a goal needlessly ruled out and Bowes has caught it and thrown the equaliser in. FFS.

Beer headed one in in the first five minutes.

“...naturally greeted by a torrent of cheers from Sheffield’s partisans.”

“Then Hedley got through, and though Hillman came out to meet him the United centre forward just tipped the ball past him and into the net, but for some reason, not quite clear, the referee, after consulting his linesmen, awarded the home team a free kick.”

Toman equalised for Burnley just after the 20-minute mark. But, it was that man Beer again on 35. Another header going in off the post to put us 2-1 up. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph were having none of the equaliser in the second half:

“The home forwards were now going particularly strong, however, and Bowes rushed the ball through six minutes from the restart, the score thus being placed level once more.”

“Rushed” doing a lot of heavy lifting there - literally. Still, the AwayDay Blades did us proud again;

“It is gratifying to know that some 500 people took advantage of the excursion run by the Great Central Railway, and these enthusiasts made their presence felt unmistakably during the course of the game. They were but 500 in the midst of 12,000, but making up for lack of numbers by splendid enthusiasm, cheered the Sheffielders on to repeated exertion.”

£364 taken at the gate. And we’re all back at The Lane on Thursday “by mutual consent”.

The Other Lot

Wednesday also drew their tie. Two all at home against Stoke City. But, there were right japes and giggles at half-time at Olive Grove. The scoreboard geezer put up that United were losing - to disappointed silence. He realised he’d got it wrong, as we were actually winning 2-1, and changed the scoreboard - to ringing cheers. Yes, you've read that right. United winning away was cheered by the Wednesday crowd. Bitter, I can believe, but bitter disappointment!!!

“When the half-time score was put up at Olive Grove of the match at Turf Moor, showing Burnley 2, Sheffield United 1, there was a stony silence around the ground, which showed how bitter the disappointment was. When , two minutes later, these scores were transposed, a ringing cheer went up, which showed just as clearly how glad Sheffielders were to find the other Sheffield team making so plucky a fight.”

Your Acca

I know what you’re thinking. Great result at Turf Moor. Limbs from the AwayDay Blades. Bring ‘em back to The Lane. But…

“How did my Acca get on?”

Well, in 1899, your main Acca Action was a weekly Football Skills Competition. The coupon, listing fifteen matches, was printed on the previous Saturday. Punters only had to predict as win, lose, draw - no need for correct scores - let alone number of corners. The first column of predictions was free. Extra columns were one old penny each (send stamps, ask your Dad). If you sent a Postal Order (ask your Mum) for one shilling, you got an extra, thirteenth column. Making fourteen columns in all for a Bob (5p). If any game wasn’t played, they were credited to the punters as if they’d predicted correctly.

Completed Coupons had to arrive at the Telegraph Office on High Street before Noon on the Friday before the matches. Postcards claiming wins or near misses had to be with the Telegraph by Noon on the Tuesday. What’s that Mate?

No, sorry, there wasn’t an App.

The week after the Burnley game, the Sheffield Evening Telegraph reported:

“No competitor succeeded in giving all fifteen results correctly.”

But some blaggers just couldn’t help themselves.

“Prize claims for fifteen correct results were received from: G.B., London; J.S.M., Magherielt; W.H.T., Hull; and W.V., Bristol.

The coupons were examined and found to contain five or six errors.”

Five or Six incorrect predictions and you still put a claim in, that’s taking the piss Lads. Honesty is the best policy revealed the winners;

“The Consolation Prize of £20 will be divided in shares of £10 each between the following two competitors, each of whom gave fourteen results correctly: Mr. William Loughton. 130, Welholme Road, Grimsby, Lincolnshire; and Mr. Henry Simpson, 1. Bradleys Buildings, Ravensdale Street, Scunthorpe, near Doncaster.”

Interesting that they published so much detail. I have searched the archives high and low, and there is no evidence of a Mr Simpson from Scunthorpe being burgled for £20 in the preceding days.

The Sheffield Evening Telegraph and Sheffield Daily Telegraph quotes have been transcribed from The British Newspaper Archive. Some biographical information on players has been taken from; Sheffield United Football Club, Who's Who by Denis Clarborough and Andrew Kirkham.

Congratulations, You Have Just Been Informed By The Carrier Bag Firm. I don't tell stories, I FIND stories.

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Phil Rose is a Foot Soldier in the Carrier Bag Firm. He Blogs and Tweets about Beer and Football at @ball_sup and http://ball-sup.blogspot.com.