Henry Cursham
Encyclopedia
Henry "Harry" Cursham was an English football
er and cricket
er. Cursham was born in Wilford
, Nottinghamshire, and played for Notts County
, as well as playing first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire
. He was born in Wilford
and died in Holme Pierrepont
.
. In a ten-year period, from 1877 to 1887, he scored 49. He got 48 in the Competition Proper and one in a Fourth Round Qualifying tie against Staveley. His biggest haul was six against Wednesbury Strollers
in an 11-1 win. Henry achieved this record while playing for Notts County
. He is also Countys unofficial top goalscorer of all time scoring 208 goals between 1877-78 and 1890-91, but only 53 came in competitive games.
Cursham accrued eight caps for the England national football team
, the first of which came in a 3-2 victory against Wales
in 1880. Cursham's first international goal came in just his second match
, in a 13-0 win against Ireland. He scored another one in a 5-3 home defeat against Wales
, and his final three came in a hat trick against Ireland on 23 February 1884; this was his final game for the national side.
. His second and final match was against a team of touring South Africans, coming at the age of 44, some 24 years later. Cursham was a lower-order batsman for the Nottinghamshire team. Cursham's brother, Arthur
was also a first-class cricketer and football player, picking up six international caps.
and has held the record since 1887 with 49 goals. The closest anyone has come to breaking the record is Ian Rush
when he scored his 44th FA Cup goal in 1998.
Cursham holds Notts County's all time FA Cup appearance record with 43 games played.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
er and 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. Cursham was born in Wilford
Wilford
Wilford is a village close to the centre the city of Nottingham, UK, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been described as a semi-rural village in a city. The village is bounded to the north and west by the River Trent and to the east by the embankment of the now closed Great Central Railway...
, Nottinghamshire, and played for 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 well as playing first-class cricket 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...
. He was born in Wilford
Wilford
Wilford is a village close to the centre the city of Nottingham, UK, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been described as a semi-rural village in a city. The village is bounded to the north and west by the River Trent and to the east by the embankment of the now closed Great Central Railway...
and died in Holme Pierrepont
Holme Pierrepont
Holme Pierrepont is a hamlet located south of the city of Nottingham in Nottinghamshire, England. It is in the Gamston ward of the Rushcliffe local authority in the East Midlands region....
.
Football career
Henry "Harry" Cusham is hardly a household name today but no player in history has scored more goals in the FA CupFA 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 a ten-year period, from 1877 to 1887, he scored 49. He got 48 in the Competition Proper and one in a Fourth Round Qualifying tie against Staveley. His biggest haul was six against Wednesbury Strollers
Wednesbury Strollers F.C.
Wednesbury Strollers F.C. were an English football club based in Wednesbury, Staffordshire who were active in the 1870s and 1880s.The club was founded in 1875 and played at Wood Green Lane, Wednesbury and later at The Trapezium Ground.-FA Cup:...
in an 11-1 win. Henry achieved this record while playing for 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...
. He is also Countys unofficial top goalscorer of all time scoring 208 goals between 1877-78 and 1890-91, but only 53 came in competitive games.
Cursham accrued eight caps for the England national football team
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...
, the first of which came in a 3-2 victory 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...
in 1880. Cursham's first international goal came in just his second match
1881-82 in English football
The 1881–1882 season was the 11th season of competitive football in England.-National team:England played Ireland for the first time. Their 13–0 victory is still the team's largest ever win.* England score given first...
, in a 13-0 win against Ireland. He scored another one in a 5-3 home defeat 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...
, and his final three came in a hat trick against Ireland on 23 February 1884; this was his final game for the national side.
Cricket career
Cursham's first-class cricket career began in 1880. He debuted in a draw against SurreySurrey 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...
. His second and final match was against a team of touring South Africans, coming at the age of 44, some 24 years later. Cursham was a lower-order batsman for the Nottinghamshire team. Cursham's brother, Arthur
Arthur Cursham
Arthur William Cursham was an English cricketer and footballer. He played football for England and for Notts County between 1876 and 1883. He played cricket for Nottinghamshire from 1876 to 1879 and for Derbyshire from 1879 to 1880.-Early life:Cursham was born in Wilford, Nottingham the son of...
was also a first-class cricketer and football player, picking up six international caps.
Records
Henry "Harry" Cursham is the current top Goalscorer in the FA CupFA 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...
and has held the record since 1887 with 49 goals. The closest anyone has come to breaking the record is Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
when he scored his 44th FA Cup goal in 1998.
Cursham holds Notts County's all time FA Cup appearance record with 43 games played.
External links
- Henry Cursham at englandfootballonline.com
- Henry Cursham at englandfc.com
- Henry Cursham at Cricket Archive