Royal Engineers A.F.C.
Encyclopedia
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 eight seasons of the competition. The Engineers were pioneers of the "combination game", where team-mates passed the ball to each other rather than kicking ahead and charging after the ball.
The club was founded in 1863, under the leadership of Major Francis Marindin
.
, who was the secretary of the Football Association 1895–1934, states in his memoirs that the "combination game" was first used by the Royal Engineers A.F.C. in the early 1870s. Wall states that the "Sappers moved in unison" and showed the "advantages of combination over the old style of individualism".
Contemporary match reports confirm that passing was a regular feature of the Engineers' style. An 1869 report says they "worked well together" and "had learned the secret of football success – backing up"; whereas their defeated opponents had "a painful want of cooperation". An 1870 report says "Lieut. Creswell, who having brought it up the side then kicked it into the middle to another of his side, who kicked it through the posts the minute before time was called". In February 1871 against Crystal Palace it is noted that "Lieut Mitchell made a fine run down the left, passing the ball to Lieu. Rich, who had run up the centre, and who pinced another [goal]" In March 1871 against Wanderers F.C.
their victory was due to "irreproachable organisation" and in particular that both their attacks and their backing up were both "so well organised". Against the same opponents in November 1871, two goals came from passes: Betts to Currie, and Barker to Renny-Tailyour. In February 1872 against Westminster school
, the Engineers "played beautifully together" and Westminster played an extra back to hold out in defence.
, Derby
and Sheffield
in 1873. Wall's memoirs state that this tour introduced the combination game to Sheffield and Nottingham.
.
Their greatest triumph was the 1874–75 FA Cup. In the final against Old Etonians
, they drew 1-1 with a goal from Renny-Tailyour and went on to win the replay 2-0 with a goal each from Renny-Tailyour and Stafford.
The winning side was:
Their last FA Cup Final
appearance came in 1878
, again losing to the Wanderers. They last participated in 1882–83 FA Cup, losing 6–2 in the fourth round to Old Carthusians F.C.
.
in the 1880s, with the Football League
starting in 1888. In the early years, the Engineers was one of several amateur teams who could defeat the professionals in challenge matches.
The Army Football Association
was formed in 1888. Its teams were organised by battalion
, and later by regiment
.
The Engineers' Depot Battalion
won the FA Amateur Cup
in 1908.
Various regiments and battalions within the RE Corps have won the Army FA Cup:
Service Bn: Won 1903; Runners-up 1904, 1905
Depot Bn: Won 1907
Training Bn: Won 1937
Barton Stacey
: Won 1947
4th Training Bn: Won 1950, 1957, 1958
4th Divisional Engineers: Won 1969
32nd Engineer Regiment: Won 1970; Runner-up 1971
Training Regiments: Won 1980; Runner-up 1991, 1993
28 [Amphibious] Engineer Regiment: Won 1981, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002; Runner-up 1983, 1988
40 Army Engineer Support Group: Runner-up 1985
Several former engineers went on to represent their country.
whilst on the books of Royal Engineers A.F.C.:
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. In the 1870s it was one of the strongest sides in English football, winning 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 1875 and being Cup Finalists in four of the first eight seasons of the competition. The Engineers were pioneers of the "combination game", where team-mates passed the ball to each other rather than kicking ahead and charging after the ball.
History
Francis Marindin
Colonel Sir Francis Arthur Marindin, KCMG served with the Royal Engineers and was a key figure in the early development of association football. He was later knighted for his work in public services....
.
Combination game
Sir Frederick WallFrederick Wall
Sir Frederick Joseph Wall was an English football player and administrator. Wall played for the Royal Engineers, and after retiring became Secretary of the Football Association, a position he held from 1895 to 1934. He was knighted in 1930, and famously called Jimmy Hogan a traitor after the latter...
, who was the secretary of the Football Association 1895–1934, states in his memoirs that the "combination game" was first used by the Royal Engineers A.F.C. in the early 1870s. Wall states that the "Sappers moved in unison" and showed the "advantages of combination over the old style of individualism".
Contemporary match reports confirm that passing was a regular feature of the Engineers' style. An 1869 report says they "worked well together" and "had learned the secret of football success – backing up"; whereas their defeated opponents had "a painful want of cooperation". An 1870 report says "Lieut. Creswell, who having brought it up the side then kicked it into the middle to another of his side, who kicked it through the posts the minute before time was called". In February 1871 against Crystal Palace it is noted that "Lieut Mitchell made a fine run down the left, passing the ball to Lieu. Rich, who had run up the centre, and who pinced another [goal]" In March 1871 against Wanderers F.C.
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....
their victory was due to "irreproachable organisation" and in particular that both their attacks and their backing up were both "so well organised". Against the same opponents in November 1871, two goals came from passes: Betts to Currie, and Barker to Renny-Tailyour. In February 1872 against Westminster school
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
, the Engineers "played beautifully together" and Westminster played an extra back to hold out in defence.
1873 tour
The Royal Engineers were the first football team to go on a tour, to NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
and Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
in 1873. Wall's memoirs state that this tour introduced the combination game to Sheffield and Nottingham.
FA Cup
They played in the first-ever FA Cup Final, losing 1–0 at Kennington Oval on 16 March 1872, to regular rivals Wanderers. They also lost the 1874 Final, to Oxford University A.F.C.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...
.
Their greatest triumph was the 1874–75 FA Cup. 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:...
, they drew 1-1 with a goal from Renny-Tailyour and went on to win the replay 2-0 with a goal each from Renny-Tailyour and Stafford.
The winning side was:
- Capt. W. Merriman; Lt. G.H. Sim; Lieutenant G.C. Onslow; Lt. R.M. Ruck; Lt. P.G. von DonopPelham von DonopLieutenant-Colonel Pelham George von Donop was an officer in the Royal Engineers and later Chief Inspecting Officer of Railways...
; Lt. C.K. Wood; Lt. H.E. RawsonHerbert RawsonHerbert Edward Rawson was a Mauritius born English footballer who played once for England, and appeared in two FA Cup finals, winning the cup in 1875 as a member of the Royal Engineers.-Career:...
; Lt. R.H. Stafford; Lt. H. W. Renny-TailyourHenry Renny-TailyourHenry Waugh Renny-Tailyour was an amateur all-round sportsman who appeared for Scotland in some of the earliest international football and rugby union matches, remaining to this day the only player to have represented the country in both codes...
; Lt. A. Mein; and Lt. C. Wingfield-Stratford.
Their last FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
appearance came in 1878
1878 FA Cup Final
Match rules:90 minutes normal time.30 minutes extra-time if scores are level, at captains' discretion.Replay if scores still level.No substitutes.-Post-match:...
, again losing to the Wanderers. They last participated in 1882–83 FA Cup, losing 6–2 in the fourth round to Old Carthusians F.C.
Old Carthusians F.C.
Old Carthusians Football Club is an association football club whose players are former pupils of Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey, England...
.
Later years
Professionalism arrived in Northern EnglandNorthern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
in the 1880s, with 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...
starting in 1888. In the early years, the Engineers was one of several amateur teams who could defeat the professionals in challenge matches.
The Army Football Association
Army Football Association
Based at Clayton Barracks in Aldershot, the Army Football Association is the County FA affiliated to The Football Association for the administration of football within the British Army in the United Kingdom, Cyprus and Germany....
was formed in 1888. Its teams were organised by battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, and later by regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
.
The Engineers' Depot Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
won the FA Amateur Cup
FA Amateur Cup
The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when The Football Association abolished official amateur status.-History:...
in 1908.
Various regiments and battalions within the RE Corps have won the Army FA Cup:
Service Bn: Won 1903; Runners-up 1904, 1905
Depot Bn: Won 1907
Training Bn: Won 1937
Barton Stacey
Barton Stacey
Barton Stacey is a village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England, situated about seven miles south-east of Andover.-Civil Parish:The total area of the civil parish is 5,027 acres ....
: Won 1947
4th Training Bn: Won 1950, 1957, 1958
4th Divisional Engineers: Won 1969
32nd Engineer Regiment: Won 1970; Runner-up 1971
Training Regiments: Won 1980; Runner-up 1991, 1993
28 [Amphibious] Engineer Regiment: Won 1981, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002; Runner-up 1983, 1988
40 Army Engineer Support Group: Runner-up 1985
Club honours
- FA Cup Winners : 1875
- FA Cup Finalists : 1872, 1874, 18781878 FA Cup FinalMatch rules:90 minutes normal time.30 minutes extra-time if scores are level, at captains' discretion.Replay if scores still level.No substitutes.-Post-match:...
- FA Amateur Cup: 1908
England
The following six players played for England whilst on the books of Royal Engineers A.F.C. (with the number of caps received whilst registered with Royal Engineers A.F.C.):- Horace BarnetHorace BarnetHorace Hutton Barnet was an English football player who played for the Royal Engineers, as well as the English national side.-External links:** When the Sappers won the FA Cup...
(1 cap) - Alfred GoodwynAlfred GoodwynAlfred George Goodwyn was an English Royal Engineer, who represented his regiment at football. He was a member of the Regiment's team that was defeated in the very first FA Cup final. He also represented England in the second international football match against Scotland in 1873.-Career:Goodwyn...
(1 cap) - Herbert RawsonHerbert RawsonHerbert Edward Rawson was a Mauritius born English footballer who played once for England, and appeared in two FA Cup finals, winning the cup in 1875 as a member of the Royal Engineers.-Career:...
(1 cap) - Bruce RussellBruce Russell (footballer)Bruce Bremner Russell was an English international footballer, who played as a left back.-Career:Born in Kensington, Russell played for Royal Engineers, and earned one cap for England in 1883....
(1 cap) - Pelham von DonopPelham von DonopLieutenant-Colonel Pelham George von Donop was an officer in the Royal Engineers and later Chief Inspecting Officer of Railways...
(2 caps) - Cecil Wingfield-StratfordCecil Wingfield-StratfordCecil Vernon Wingfield-Stratford was an English international footballer, who played as a Forward.-Career:Born in West Malling, Wingfield-Stratford played for Royal Engineers, and earned one cap for England in 1877....
(1 cap)
Several former engineers went on to represent their country.
Scotland
The following played for ScotlandScotland 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...
whilst on the books of Royal Engineers A.F.C.:
- John Edward Blackburn (1 cap)
- Henry Renny-TailyourHenry Renny-TailyourHenry Waugh Renny-Tailyour was an amateur all-round sportsman who appeared for Scotland in some of the earliest international football and rugby union matches, remaining to this day the only player to have represented the country in both codes...
(1 cap)
External links
- Royal Engineers Sport Ministry of Defence
- Royal Engineers Museum When the Sappers won the FA Cup (1875)