Harry Daft
Encyclopedia
Harry Butler Daft was an English footballer who played for Notts County
, with whom he won the FA Cup
in 1894
, as well as making five appearances as a left winger for the national side
. He was also an accomplished cricket
er, playing 200 first class matches for Nottinghamshire
between 1885 and 1899.
, before joining Notts County
as an amateur, whilst at the same time being a member of the Corinthians club. At this time he also played for Nottingham Forest
and Newark
, before the advent of league football. On the inauguration of the Football League
, he became more settled and in the inaugural season
he played in 19 out of the 22 games played by County, scoring eight goals. At the end of the season, County's poor league form resulted in them finishing near the foot of the table and having to apply for re-election to the league.
Daft made his first appearance for England
on 2 March 1889 against Ireland. England won the match "quite comfortably" 6–1, with John Yates
scoring a hat trick.
In the following season, he played twice for England, against Wales
on 15 March 1890 (won 3–1) and Scotland
on 5 April (a 1–1 draw). In the league, he made 19 appearances with ten goals as County again finished near the bottom of the league table and needed to be re-elected.
1890–91 saw a considerable improvement in County's form, and they finished the league in third place. Daft only missed one league appearance, scoring six goals. His two goals against Burnley
in the FA Cup
helped County reach the final
against Blackburn Rovers
. In the final itself, played at the Kennington Oval
on 21 March 1891, County were "a little overawed by the great occasion and especially by the FA Cup experience of Blackburn" who won 3–1.
Two weeks before the FA Cup Final, Daft played his fourth international match, against Ireland on 7 March 1891. Daft played at outside left and was amongst the scorers as England again won 6–1. This match was Tinsley Lindley
's final appearance for England, and he marked the occasion with two goals.
In the 1891–92
league season, he missed only two matches scoring 13 goals as County finished the season eighth in the table. At the end of the season he was selected for what was to be his final appearance for England. In the match against Ireland Daft played at inside left and was awarded the captaincy of a team that comprised only professionals, five of whom were making their international debuts. Daft marked the occasion by scoring twice, either side of half-time, as England won 2–0.
On 19 November 1892 County defeated West Bromwich Albion
8–1 with Daft and Jimmy Oswald
both scoring hat-tricks. Despite this, Notts County were struggling near the foot of the table and, after a dispute in January, Daft crossed the River Trent
to join Nottingham Forest
. Daft only managed four games for Forest and in the summer he returned to County, who by now had been relegated to Division Two
. In 1893–94 County reached third placed in the Second Division table, but failed to gain promotion after losing a test match to Preston North End
of Division One. Their best form that season came in the FA Cup
.
In the Cup, County overcame three Division One teams to make it to the final. Burnley
were defeated 1-0 in Round One at home. Subsequently, non-league Burton Wanderers
were beaten 2-1 at Burton. In Round Three, there was a derby against local rivals Nottingham Forest
with County managing a 1-1 draw away from home before easily defeating their arch rivals 4-1 in the replay to claim a place in the Semi-Final
against Blackburn Rovers
. In the semi-final, held at Bramall Lane
, Rovers were odds-on favourites to win; County, however, managed a 1–0 victory with Daft scoring the only goal of the game.
The 1894 FA Cup Final
was played at Everton
's Goodison Park
against Bolton Wanderers
, who had spent most of the season struggling near the foot of the First Division. Bolton fielded an under-strength side as a result of injuries to several key players, with others playing in less than full health, whereas County were able to field a full strength side. County soon took the lead and by half-time were 2–0 up with goals from Arthur Watson and James Logan
. Logan's goal followed "some excellent wing play from Daft." Logan scored twice more in the second half and ran out 4–1 victors, thus becoming the first team from Division Two to win the cup.
Daft continued with Notts County for the start of the following season, but in December 1894 he left to join non-league Newark
.
As well as his success at football, Daft was an accomplished cricketer and was also selected as a reserve for the England lacrosse
team.
, who was one of the best batsmen of his day. At Trent College
he played for the college XI when only 12 and showed such increased skill as he played with his seniors that in 1885, when 19, he was tried for Nottinghamshire
in several games. He made his first-class debut on 28 May 1885 against Marylebone Cricket Club
and was top scorer for the county, making 23 in the first innings before being bowled by W. G. Grace
. He made his County Championship
debut at Yorkshire
on 29 June and went on to play in five championship matches that season.
The next season he appeared for Gentlemen v. Players at the Oval
and he assisted Nottinghamshire as an amateur until he turned professional in 1890. According to his obituary in Wisden
, he was "especially strong in defence, with skill in placing his strokes, he never suggested forcing ability and scarcely reached the high standard of his county's best batsmen". In August 1891, he played with his father in the county eleven, at Kennington Oval against Surrey
. Richard Daft had returned to the Nottinghamshire side after an absence of ten years because Arthur Shrewsbury
was forced to stand down through injury. Neither father nor son made any particular impact in this game, with Harry scoring 5 and 0, and his father 12 and 2 as Surrey won by an innings and 46 runs.
His best season with the bat was in 1894 when he totalled 596 runs at an average of 19.22. He achieved his first class top score at the end of August against Kent
at Trent Bridge
with 92 not out. Against Surrey at The Oval in August 1896 he carried his bat through the second innings for 77 in a vain attempt to save his side from defeat. His best bowling figures of 5-79 came in the County Championship match against Kent at Mote Park, Maidstone in July. His best season’s haul was 23 wickets in 1897.
Altogether, he scored 4370 runs, at an average of 15.89, took 86 wickets at 26.03 runs apiece, and held 81 catches in first-class cricket. Continuing in county cricket until 1899, he played his highest innings for Nottinghamshire, not out 103, against Northamptonshire
in 1897, but that was not a first-class match, Northamptonshire not being raised to the championship group until 1905.
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
, with whom 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 1894
1894 FA Cup Final
The 1894 FA Cup Final was contested by Notts County and Bolton Wanderers at Goodison Park. Notts County won 4–1, with goals by James Logan and Arthur Watson. Jim Cassidy scored for Bolton...
, as well as making five appearances as a left winger for the national side
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...
. He was also an accomplished cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, playing 200 first class matches for Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
between 1885 and 1899.
Football career
Daft was born at Radcliffe-on-Trent and attended Trent CollegeTrent College
Trent College is a co-educational, HMC independent day and boarding school. There are 760 pupils in the Senior School and 330 pupils in the Junior School, The Elms School...
, before joining Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
as an amateur, whilst at the same time being a member of the Corinthians club. At this time he also played for Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and Newark
Newark F.C.
Newark Football Club was an early twentieth century U.S. soccer team which played in several leagues including the National Association Football League and Eastern Soccer League.-History:...
, before the advent of league football. On the inauguration of the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, he became more settled and in the inaugural season
1888-89 in English football
The 1888–1889 season was the 18th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:A new competition, The Football League, started this season...
he played in 19 out of the 22 games played by County, scoring eight goals. At the end of the season, County's poor league form resulted in them finishing near the foot of the table and having to apply for re-election to the league.
Daft made his first appearance 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...
on 2 March 1889 against Ireland. England won the match "quite comfortably" 6–1, with John Yates
John Yates (footballer)
John Yates was an English footballer who won the FA Cup with Blackburn Olympic in 1883 and made one appearance for England in 1878 playing on the left wing.-Career:...
scoring a hat trick.
In the following season, he played twice for England, against 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 1890 (won 3–1) and 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 (a 1–1 draw). In the league, he made 19 appearances with ten goals as County again finished near the bottom of the league table and needed to be re-elected.
1890–91 saw a considerable improvement in County's form, and they finished the league in third place. Daft only missed one league appearance, scoring six goals. His two goals against Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
in 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...
helped County reach the final
1891 FA Cup Final
The 1891 FA Cup Final was contested by Blackburn Rovers and Notts County at the Kennington Oval. Blackburn won 3–1, their second consecutive FA Cup Final victory, with goals by Geordie Dewar, Jack Southworth and William Townley. James Oswald scored Notts County's goal.-Teams:*Played 21 March...
against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
. In the final itself, played at the Kennington Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
on 21 March 1891, County were "a little overawed by the great occasion and especially by the FA Cup experience of Blackburn" who won 3–1.
Two weeks before the FA Cup Final, Daft played his fourth international match, against Ireland on 7 March 1891. Daft played at outside left and was amongst the scorers as England again won 6–1. This match was Tinsley Lindley
Tinsley Lindley
Tinsley Lindley was an English footballer. He was considered one of the 19th century's great centre forwards. His passes and shots at goal were very precise, he was very clever and an excellent team player. An elegant and technically superb player.He was the son of Leonard Lindley who was a lace...
's final appearance for England, and he marked the occasion with two goals.
In the 1891–92
1891-92 in English football
The 1891–92 season was the 21st season of competitive football in England.-Events:Three new clubs joined the Football Alliance, following the expansion of the Football League to 14 teams, and the defection of Sunderland Albion to the Northern League...
league season, he missed only two matches scoring 13 goals as County finished the season eighth in the table. At the end of the season he was selected for what was to be his final appearance for England. In the match against Ireland Daft played at inside left and was awarded the captaincy of a team that comprised only professionals, five of whom were making their international debuts. Daft marked the occasion by scoring twice, either side of half-time, as England won 2–0.
On 19 November 1892 County defeated West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
8–1 with Daft and Jimmy Oswald
Jimmy Oswald
James Oswald was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre forward in the 1891 FA Cup Final for Notts County as well as making three appearances for Scotland between 1889 and 1897.During his career he also played for Third Lanark, St Bernard's, Rangers , Raith Rovers and...
both scoring hat-tricks. Despite this, Notts County were struggling near the foot of the table and, after a dispute in January, Daft crossed the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
to join Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
. Daft only managed four games for Forest and in the summer he returned to County, who by now had been relegated to Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
. In 1893–94 County reached third placed in the Second Division table, but failed to gain promotion after losing a test match to Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
of Division One. Their best form that season came in 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 the Cup, County overcame three Division One teams to make it to the final. Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
were defeated 1-0 in Round One at home. Subsequently, non-league Burton Wanderers
Burton Wanderers F.C.
Burton Wanderers were a football club from Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England that spent three seasons in The Football League. In 1901, the club merged with Burton Swifts and formed a new club, Burton United.-History:...
were beaten 2-1 at Burton. In Round Three, there was a derby against local rivals Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
with County managing a 1-1 draw away from home before easily defeating their arch rivals 4-1 in the replay to claim a place in the Semi-Final
FA Cup Semi-finals
The FA Cup Semi-finals are played to determine which teams will contest the FA Cup Final. They are the penultimate phase of the FA Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world.- Location :...
against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
. In the semi-final, held at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
, Rovers were odds-on favourites to win; County, however, managed a 1–0 victory with Daft scoring the only goal of the game.
The 1894 FA Cup Final
1894 FA Cup Final
The 1894 FA Cup Final was contested by Notts County and Bolton Wanderers at Goodison Park. Notts County won 4–1, with goals by James Logan and Arthur Watson. Jim Cassidy scored for Bolton...
was played at Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
's Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, who had spent most of the season struggling near the foot of the First Division. Bolton fielded an under-strength side as a result of injuries to several key players, with others playing in less than full health, whereas County were able to field a full strength side. County soon took the lead and by half-time were 2–0 up with goals from Arthur Watson and James Logan
James Logan (footballer)
James 'Jimmy' Logan was a former professional footballer. He is most famous for scoring a hat-trick in the 1894 FA Cup Final for Notts County in a 4-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers.-Playing career:Logan started his career at Ayr F.C....
. Logan's goal followed "some excellent wing play from Daft." Logan scored twice more in the second half and ran out 4–1 victors, thus becoming the first team from Division Two to win the cup.
Daft continued with Notts County for the start of the following season, but in December 1894 he left to join non-league Newark
Newark F.C.
Newark Football Club was an early twentieth century U.S. soccer team which played in several leagues including the National Association Football League and Eastern Soccer League.-History:...
.
As well as his success at football, Daft was an accomplished cricketer and was also selected as a reserve for the England lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
team.
Honours
Notts County- FA CupFA CupThe 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...
winners: 18941894 FA Cup FinalThe 1894 FA Cup Final was contested by Notts County and Bolton Wanderers at Goodison Park. Notts County won 4–1, with goals by James Logan and Arthur Watson. Jim Cassidy scored for Bolton... - FA CupFA CupThe 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...
finalists: 18911891 FA Cup FinalThe 1891 FA Cup Final was contested by Blackburn Rovers and Notts County at the Kennington Oval. Blackburn won 3–1, their second consecutive FA Cup Final victory, with goals by Geordie Dewar, Jack Southworth and William Townley. James Oswald scored Notts County's goal.-Teams:*Played 21 March...
Cricket career
Harry Daft was the second son of Richard DaftRichard Daft
Richard Daft was an English cricketer. He was one of the best batsmen of his day, the peak of his first-class career being the 1860s and early 1870s...
, who was one of the best batsmen of his day. At Trent College
Trent College
Trent College is a co-educational, HMC independent day and boarding school. There are 760 pupils in the Senior School and 330 pupils in the Junior School, The Elms School...
he played for the college XI when only 12 and showed such increased skill as he played with his seniors that in 1885, when 19, he was tried for Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
in several games. He made his first-class debut on 28 May 1885 against Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
and was top scorer for the county, making 23 in the first innings before being bowled by W. G. Grace
W. G. Grace
William Gilbert Grace, MRCS, LRCP was an English amateur cricketer who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time, having a special significance in terms of his importance to the development of the sport...
. He made his County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
debut at Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
on 29 June and went on to play in five championship matches that season.
The next season he appeared for Gentlemen v. Players at the Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
and he assisted Nottinghamshire as an amateur until he turned professional in 1890. According to his obituary in Wisden
Wisden
The Wisden Group was a group of companies formed by John Wisden & Co Ltd, publishers of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. As well as John Wisden & Co, the group included the The Wisden Cricketer magazine, Cricinfo – the world's highest traffic cricket website – and the Hawk-Eye computerised...
, he was "especially strong in defence, with skill in placing his strokes, he never suggested forcing ability and scarcely reached the high standard of his county's best batsmen". In August 1891, he played with his father in the county eleven, at Kennington Oval against Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
. Richard Daft had returned to the Nottinghamshire side after an absence of ten years because Arthur Shrewsbury
Arthur Shrewsbury
Arthur Shrewsbury was an English cricketer, and rugby football administrator, who organised the first British Isles rugby tour to Australasia in 1888, and who was widely rated as competing with W. G...
was forced to stand down through injury. Neither father nor son made any particular impact in this game, with Harry scoring 5 and 0, and his father 12 and 2 as Surrey won by an innings and 46 runs.
His best season with the bat was in 1894 when he totalled 596 runs at an average of 19.22. He achieved his first class top score at the end of August against Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
with 92 not out. Against Surrey at The Oval in August 1896 he carried his bat through the second innings for 77 in a vain attempt to save his side from defeat. His best bowling figures of 5-79 came in the County Championship match against Kent at Mote Park, Maidstone in July. His best season’s haul was 23 wickets in 1897.
Altogether, he scored 4370 runs, at an average of 15.89, took 86 wickets at 26.03 runs apiece, and held 81 catches in first-class cricket. Continuing in county cricket until 1899, he played his highest innings for Nottinghamshire, not out 103, against Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
in 1897, but that was not a first-class match, Northamptonshire not being raised to the championship group until 1905.