Lennox Football Club
Encyclopedia
Lennox Football Club was an English 19th century rugby union
football club that disbanded in the early twentieth century. It is notable for producing a number of international players and for its role in the Rugby Football Union
fight against professionalism.
. The origins of its name are open to speculation, with Lennox being an area in central Scotland
, and also a surname.
The club played at Clapham Common
and changed at the Clapham Dining Rooms. Within two years the club had a first class fixture list and had moved from Clapham to a ground next to the Greyhound pub in Dulwich Village
. At this time they changed their strip from the original dark blue with a badge to black, white and red hooped jerseys. They stayed in Dulwich throughout the rest of the 1880s and early 1890s, although in 1888 they had moved from Dulwich Village to Turney Road where they used the Crown Hotel to change. During their time in Turney Road their cricketing arm, Lennox CC, merged with Aeolian CC, also based on Turney Road, to form Dulwich Cricket Club, which still exists into the twenty-first century. From the 1890s, the home ground of the club was that of the London Athletic Club, situated in the Fulham Road, Chelsea. The original grounds were closed after the last athletics meeting on 24 September 1904, "and a new and larger track was made, partly on the same site, with a banked track for cycling and seating accommodation for 10,000 people. The new area of seventeen acres was still known as Stamford Bridge, and the L.A.C. opened with a meeting on 10 May 1905. During the winter months the ground is used by the Chelsea Football Club."
The club were affiliated to the Surrey county and won the inaugural Surrey Cup, first played for in 1891. However, they do not appear at this stage to have been considered a prominent London side having not been mentioned in Francis Marshall's 1892 publication, Football; the Rugby union game. However, in 1893 they gained more renown through the actions of H.E. Steed. On 20 September 1893, J. A. Miller of the Yorkshire county proposed at a meeting of the Rugby Football Union
that players be allowed compensation for bona fide loss of time. This was seconded by his fellow Yorkshireman M. Newsome. The honorary secretary of the RFU, George Rowland Hill, opposed this and he was supported by R Whalley of Lancashire
. A vote was cast and won by 282 to 136 votes in favour of declining to sanction the proposal for compensation for bona fide loss of time. Present at the meeting were an enormous amount of representatives from the north of England who had travalled to support the vote for compensation, having used two special trains for the purpose. However, H.E. Steed, of Lennox, described as a remarkable organiser, had already gained the proxies of 120 clubs against what was termed "professionalism".
The club maintained a first class fixture list into the early twentieth century but after their move from Stamford Bridge, they began to decline in favour and they became an almost nomadic side.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
football club that disbanded in the early twentieth century. It is notable for producing a number of international players and for its role in the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
fight against professionalism.
History
Lennox was founded in 1883, and as a sporting club played both rugby and cricketCricket
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...
. The origins of its name are open to speculation, with Lennox being an area in central Scotland
Lennox (district)
The district of Lennox , often known as "the Lennox", is a region of Scotland centred around the village of Lennoxtown in East Dunbartonshire, eight miles north of the centre of Glasgow. At various times in history, the district has had both a dukedom and earldom associated with it.- External...
, and also a surname.
The club played at Clapham Common
Clapham Common
Clapham Common is an 89 hectare triangular area of grassland situated in south London, England. It was historically common land for the parishes of Battersea and Clapham, but was converted to parkland under the terms of the Metropolitan Commons Act 1878.43 hectares of the common are within the...
and changed at the Clapham Dining Rooms. Within two years the club had a first class fixture list and had moved from Clapham to a ground next to the Greyhound pub in Dulwich Village
Dulwich Village
Dulwich Village is an area of Dulwich in South London's SE21 postcode area in England. It is located in the London Borough of Southwark."Dulwich Village" is also the name of one of the High Streets in the area. Residents in Dulwich Village have to pay ground rent to the Dulwich Estate a landowning...
. At this time they changed their strip from the original dark blue with a badge to black, white and red hooped jerseys. They stayed in Dulwich throughout the rest of the 1880s and early 1890s, although in 1888 they had moved from Dulwich Village to Turney Road where they used the Crown Hotel to change. During their time in Turney Road their cricketing arm, Lennox CC, merged with Aeolian CC, also based on Turney Road, to form Dulwich Cricket Club, which still exists into the twenty-first century. From the 1890s, the home ground of the club was that of the London Athletic Club, situated in the Fulham Road, Chelsea. The original grounds were closed after the last athletics meeting on 24 September 1904, "and a new and larger track was made, partly on the same site, with a banked track for cycling and seating accommodation for 10,000 people. The new area of seventeen acres was still known as Stamford Bridge, and the L.A.C. opened with a meeting on 10 May 1905. During the winter months the ground is used by the Chelsea Football Club."
The club were affiliated to the Surrey county and won the inaugural Surrey Cup, first played for in 1891. However, they do not appear at this stage to have been considered a prominent London side having not been mentioned in Francis Marshall's 1892 publication, Football; the Rugby union game. However, in 1893 they gained more renown through the actions of H.E. Steed. On 20 September 1893, J. A. Miller of the Yorkshire county proposed at a meeting of the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
that players be allowed compensation for bona fide loss of time. This was seconded by his fellow Yorkshireman M. Newsome. The honorary secretary of the RFU, George Rowland Hill, opposed this and he was supported by R Whalley of Lancashire
Lancashire County Rugby Football Union
The Lancashire County Rugby Football Union is the society responsible for rugby union in the county of Lancashire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having been formed in 1881...
. A vote was cast and won by 282 to 136 votes in favour of declining to sanction the proposal for compensation for bona fide loss of time. Present at the meeting were an enormous amount of representatives from the north of England who had travalled to support the vote for compensation, having used two special trains for the purpose. However, H.E. Steed, of Lennox, described as a remarkable organiser, had already gained the proxies of 120 clubs against what was termed "professionalism".
The club maintained a first class fixture list into the early twentieth century but after their move from Stamford Bridge, they began to decline in favour and they became an almost nomadic side.
Disbandment
Dick Tyson, in London's Oldest Rugby Clubs suggests the club were wound up shortly after the 1910–11 season. However, the official site of surrey county rugby lists past presidents of the county reveals that Lennox produced three presidents for the county and that the third of these was R.A. Sawyer, who served from 1913 to 1920. Although his term was extended due to the First World War and no rugby took place in that time, it would seem certain that Lennox existed when he took office in 1913.International honours
- Edward Barrett, played for England in 1903
- E. F. WalkerE. F. Walker (rugby)E.F. Walker was a rugby union international who represented Great Britain on the 1903 tour to South Africa. He represented Great Britain twice but never won a cap for his national side, England.-Early life and family:...
, toured South Africa in 19031903 British Lions tour to South AfricaThe 1903 British Isles tour to South Africa was the fifth tour by a British Isles team and the third to South Africa. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950....
with the Great Britain side - Sidney Nelson CrowtherSidney Nelson CrowtherSidney Crowther was a rugby union international who represented Great Britain on the 1904 tour to Australia and New Zealand.-Early life:...
, toured Australia and New Zealand in 1904 with the Great Britain side
Presidents of Surrey county
- T S T Tregallas (from 1903 to 1905)
- H E Steed (from 1905 to 1907)
- R A Sawyer (from 1913 to 1920)