Francis Sparks
Encyclopedia
Francis John Sparks was an English
amateur footballer, who played as a forward
. He won the FA Cup
in 1880
with Clapham Rovers
and made three appearances for England
, scoring three goals and being appointed captain.
, Essex
and played for St Albans
Pilgrims in 1873. He switched to join Brondesbury later that year for the rest of the season, and was part of the team defeated 5–0 by eventual finalists Royal Engineers
in the FA Cup first round in October.
Between 1876 and 1878 he played for Upton Park
before joining Hertfordshire Rangers
. His first England
appearance came against Scotland
on 5 April 1879. The match was played at the Kennington Oval and had originally been scheduled for 1 April but was postponed because of heavy snowfall. At half time, England were 4–1 down to the Scots. Charlie Bambridge scored early in the second half and his team-mates had levelled the score by the 75th minute. With less than ten minutes remaining, the Scots scored what they thought was the winning goal but the referee disallowed it as offside
. The English forwards then raced upfield with Bambridge scoring the winning goal, thus enabling England to claim their first victory over the Scots since 1873 in what was described as "the most exciting England and Scotland game to date".
Sparks then joined Clapham Rovers
, helping them to reach the final
of the 1880 FA Cup
. In the final against Oxford University
Sparks was involved in the winning goal; with the prospect of extra time imminent, Sparks "made a clever run down the wing, crossed to the waiting Clopton Lloyd-Jones
who had the simple task of slotting the ball between the Oxford goalposts to secure a one-goal lead." This was last appearance in an FA Cup Final for both teams.
In the month before the Cup Final, Sparks had made his last two international appearances. On 13 March he again played in the match against Scotland, this time played at Hampden Park
, Glasgow
. The match ended in a 5–4 victory for the Scots (the most goals England have ever scored in a game and lost). Sparks scored England's third goal, with two of England's goals coming from Charlie Bambridge, whereas Scotland's scorers included a hat-trick
from George Ker
. His Clapham team-mate, Norman Bailey
also played in this match, at half back
.
Sparks' final England appearance came away to Wales
on 15 March, when he was appointed team captain. Six players made their England debut in this match which England won 3–2 with two goals scored by Sparks. Thomas Brindle
, who also scored, had to leave the game in the second half due to injury, and England played on with ten men.
Sparks later represented Essex and London, and was a member of the Football Association
Committee from 1876 to 1880. He died on 13 February 1934 aged 78. He was also a member of the Wanderers
club.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
amateur footballer, who played as a forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
. He won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1880
1880 FA Cup Final
The 1880 FA Cup Final was contested by Clapham Rovers and Oxford University at the Kennington Oval. Clapham Rovers won 1–0, the only goal scored by Clopton Lloyd-Jones.-Teams:-References:**...
with Clapham Rovers
Clapham Rovers F.C.
Clapham Rovers was from its foundation in 1869 a leading English sports organisation in the two dominant codes of football, association football and rugby union. It was a prominent club in the late 19th century but is now defunct...
and made three appearances for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, scoring three goals and being appointed captain.
Career
Sparks was born in BillericayBillericay
Billericay is a town and civil parish in the Basildon borough of Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, has a population of 40,000, and constitutes a commuter town east of central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and played for St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
Pilgrims in 1873. He switched to join Brondesbury later that year for the rest of the season, and was part of the team defeated 5–0 by eventual finalists Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers A.F.C.
The Royal Engineers Association Football Club is an association football team representing the Corps of Royal Engineers, the "Sappers", of the British Army. In the 1870s it was one of the strongest sides in English football, winning the FA Cup in 1875 and being Cup Finalists in four of the first...
in the FA Cup first round in October.
Between 1876 and 1878 he played for Upton Park
Upton Park F.C.
Upton Park Football Club were an amateur football club from Upton Park, London in the late 19th and early 20th century, now defunct. As well as being one of the fifteen teams that played in the inaugural FA Cup, they also represented Great Britain at the 1900 Summer Olympics football tournament,...
before joining Hertfordshire Rangers
Hertfordshire Rangers F.C.
-History:The club received FA recognition in 1866, and were formed at some point before that. Rangers featured in the FA Cup between 1875 and 1881, making them the dominant side in Hertfordshire...
. His first England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
appearance came against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
on 5 April 1879. The match was played at the Kennington Oval and had originally been scheduled for 1 April but was postponed because of heavy snowfall. At half time, England were 4–1 down to the Scots. Charlie Bambridge scored early in the second half and his team-mates had levelled the score by the 75th minute. With less than ten minutes remaining, the Scots scored what they thought was the winning goal but the referee disallowed it as offside
Offside (football)
Offside is a law in football which states that if a player is in an offside position when the ball is touched or played by a teammate, he may not become actively involved in the play...
. The English forwards then raced upfield with Bambridge scoring the winning goal, thus enabling England to claim their first victory over the Scots since 1873 in what was described as "the most exciting England and Scotland game to date".
Sparks then joined Clapham Rovers
Clapham Rovers F.C.
Clapham Rovers was from its foundation in 1869 a leading English sports organisation in the two dominant codes of football, association football and rugby union. It was a prominent club in the late 19th century but is now defunct...
, helping them to reach the final
1880 FA Cup Final
The 1880 FA Cup Final was contested by Clapham Rovers and Oxford University at the Kennington Oval. Clapham Rovers won 1–0, the only goal scored by Clopton Lloyd-Jones.-Teams:-References:**...
of the 1880 FA Cup
FA Cup 1879-80
The Football Association Challenge Cup 1879–80 was the ninth staging of the FA Cup, England's oldest football tournament. Fifty-four teams entered, eleven more than last season, although five of the fifty-four never actually played a match.-First round:...
. In the final against Oxford University
Oxford University A.F.C.
Oxford University Association Football Club is an English football club representing the University of Oxford.-History:Formed in 1872, the club was a giant of the 1870s, winning the FA Cup 2-0 against Royal Engineers in 1874 and finishing the competition as runners up in 1873, 1877 and 1880, the...
Sparks was involved in the winning goal; with the prospect of extra time imminent, Sparks "made a clever run down the wing, crossed to the waiting Clopton Lloyd-Jones
Clopton Lloyd-Jones
Clopton Allen Lloyd-Jones was an English businessman and sportsman, best known for football and cricket. He played for the Clapham Rovers when they won the FA Cup in 1880.-Life:...
who had the simple task of slotting the ball between the Oxford goalposts to secure a one-goal lead." This was last appearance in an FA Cup Final for both teams.
In the month before the Cup Final, Sparks had made his last two international appearances. On 13 March he again played in the match against Scotland, this time played at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. The match ended in a 5–4 victory for the Scots (the most goals England have ever scored in a game and lost). Sparks scored England's third goal, with two of England's goals coming from Charlie Bambridge, whereas Scotland's scorers included a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
from George Ker
George Ker
George "Geordie" Ker was a Scottish footballer of the 1870s and 1880s.Kerr played for Queen's Park juniors, Kerland FC, and Alexandra Athletic before joining Queen's Park in 1877. Until 1878, Ker had played as a defender but converted to a striker in 1878...
. His Clapham team-mate, Norman Bailey
Norman Bailey (footballer)
Norman Coles Bailey was an English footballer from the late 19th century, who made 19 appearances for England playing at half back.-Playing career:...
also played in this match, at half back
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
.
Sparks' final England appearance came away to Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
on 15 March, when he was appointed team captain. Six players made their England debut in this match which England won 3–2 with two goals scored by Sparks. Thomas Brindle
Thomas Brindle
Thomas Brindle was an English footballer who played his club football at left-back for Darwen and Blackburn Olympic. He made two appearances for England in 1880, scoring once.-Career:...
, who also scored, had to leave the game in the second half due to injury, and England played on with ten men.
Sparks later represented Essex and London, and was a member of the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
Committee from 1876 to 1880. He died on 13 February 1934 aged 78. He was also a member of the Wanderers
Wanderers F.C.
Wanderers Football Club is an English amateur football club, based in London, that plays in the Surrey South Eastern Combination. Founded as Forest Football Club in 1859, the club changed its name to Wanderers in 1864....
club.