James Ward (footballer)
Encyclopedia
James Thomas "Jim" Ward was a part-time footballer who was part of the Blackburn Olympic
team which won the FA Cup
in 1883, playing at left back.
machine operator by trade. He was part of a team of tradesmen and weavers who achieved a small level of success in the 1880s, backed by local iron
foundry
owner Sid Yates and coached by former England
player Jack Hunter
. Their greatest success came when they overcame the dominance of local rivals, Blackburn Rovers
, and the amateur teams of southern England
to win the FA Cup
in 1883
. In the final (against Old Etonians
played on 31 March 1883 at the Kennington Oval
) Ward, together with fellow full-back captain Albert Warburton and goalkeeper Thomas Hacking, were able to keep the Old Etonians forwards at bay thus allowing the fitter Olympics side to come from behind to claim the cup with a 2–1 victory after extra time. At the time of the final Ward was just 18 years old.
Ward continued to play for Olympic in the years after the Cup Final victory. He was selected for the England team
for the match played at Leamington Road
, Blackburn against Wales
on 14 March 1885, replacing Arthur Walters at left back. The match resulted in a 1–1 draw.
He subsequently became a licensee in Blackburn, and he is believed to have died before 1900.
Blackburn Olympic F.C.
Blackburn Olympic F.C. was an English association football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire in the late 19th century. Although the club was only in existence for just over a decade, it is significant in the history of football in England as the first club from the north of the country and the...
team which 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 1883, playing at left back.
Career
Born in Blackburn, he was a cottonCotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
machine operator by trade. He was part of a team of tradesmen and weavers who achieved a small level of success in the 1880s, backed by local iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
owner Sid Yates and coached by former 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...
player Jack Hunter
Jack Hunter (footballer)
John Hunter was an English footballer who won the FA Cup with Blackburn Olympic in 1883 and made seven appearances for England between 1878 and 1882 playing at half back.-Career:...
. Their greatest success came when they overcame the dominance of local rivals, 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....
, and the amateur teams of southern England
Southern England
Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct...
to win 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 1883
1883 FA Cup Final
The 1883 FA Cup Final was contested by Blackburn Olympic and Old Etonians at the Kennington Oval. Blackburn Olympic won 2–1 after extra time. Jimmy Costley and Arthur Matthews scored for Blackburn; Harry Goodhart for Old Etonians.-Teams:-References:...
. In the final (against Old Etonians
Old Etonians F.C.
The Old Etonians Football Club is an English football club whose players are taken from previous attendees of Eton College, in Eton, Berkshire.-History:...
played on 31 March 1883 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...
) Ward, together with fellow full-back captain Albert Warburton and goalkeeper Thomas Hacking, were able to keep the Old Etonians forwards at bay thus allowing the fitter Olympics side to come from behind to claim the cup with a 2–1 victory after extra time. At the time of the final Ward was just 18 years old.
Ward continued to play for Olympic in the years after the Cup Final victory. He was selected for the England 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...
for the match played at Leamington Road
Leamington Road
Leamington Road was an English football stadium situated in Blackburn, Lancashire. Blackburn Rovers played there from 1881 until 1890, when they relocated to Ewood Park, where they have remained ever since....
, Blackburn 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 14 March 1885, replacing Arthur Walters at left back. The match resulted in a 1–1 draw.
He subsequently became a licensee in Blackburn, and he is believed to have died before 1900.
Honours
Blackburn OlympicBlackburn Olympic F.C.
Blackburn Olympic F.C. was an English association football club based in Blackburn, Lancashire in the late 19th century. Although the club was only in existence for just over a decade, it is significant in the history of football in England as the first club from the north of the country and the...
- 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...
winner: 18831883 FA Cup FinalThe 1883 FA Cup Final was contested by Blackburn Olympic and Old Etonians at the Kennington Oval. Blackburn Olympic won 2–1 after extra time. Jimmy Costley and Arthur Matthews scored for Blackburn; Harry Goodhart for Old Etonians.-Teams:-References:...