Author Topic: Professional Footballer at Sunderland AFC  (Read 2292 times)

Online arthurk

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Re: Professional Footballer at Sunderland AFC
« Reply #18 on: Tuesday 07 September 21 20:04 BST (UK) »
Just noting that I am distantly related to Tom Rowlandson, a goalkeeper. He mostly played for Corinthian FC, the London amateur side, but his family home was near Darlington and he played for Sunderland in 1903-04.

He was said by some to be the best amateur goalie of his day, and he also played for the England amateur side. Sadly, like so many footballers, he was killed in action in WW1.
Researching among others:
Bartle, Bilton, Bingley, Campbell, Craven, Emmott, Harcourt, Hirst, Kellet(t), Kennedy,
Meaburn, Mennile/Meynell, Metcalf(e), Palliser, Robinson, Rutter, Shipley, Stow, Wilkinson

Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline loobylooayr

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Re: Professional Footballer at Sunderland AFC
« Reply #19 on: Tuesday 07 September 21 22:10 BST (UK) »
Just noting that I am distantly related to Tom Rowlandson, a goalkeeper. He mostly played for Corinthian FC, the London amateur side, but his family home was near Darlington and he played for Sunderland in 1903-04.

He was said by some to be the best amateur goalie of his day, and he also played for the England amateur side. Sadly, like so many footballers, he was killed in action in WW1.

Sounds like he was a fine goalie, Arthurk. And such a shame he was lost in WW1.
My Hugh Wilson moved to play at Bedminster in 1901 - so their paths may not have crossed. Hugh was too old to serve in WW1 but I believe at least one of his sons did.

Looby :)

Offline Spelk

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Re: Professional Footballer at Sunderland AFC
« Reply #20 on: Tuesday 07 September 21 23:38 BST (UK) »
The British Newspaper Archive is the same data as is accessed on Findmypast. Both sites are part of Brightsolid.
There may be some differences in the search facility.

Offline loobylooayr

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Re: Professional Footballer at Sunderland AFC
« Reply #21 on: Wednesday 08 September 21 01:05 BST (UK) »
The British Newspaper Archive is the same data as is accessed on Findmypast. Both sites are part of Brightsolid.
There may be some differences in the search facility.

Thank you Spelk. I didn't know that. The search facility and the transcriptions on BNA are not brilliant. I think they rely on their users transcribing for them and therefore improving the search facility

Looby


Offline meadowbank

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Re: Professional Footballer at Sunderland AFC
« Reply #22 on: Wednesday 06 October 21 21:05 BST (UK) »
Earlier this year I published a Who's Who of Scotland football internationalists, so I can probably tell you quite a lot about the working lives of footballers in the Victorian era!  Many Scots were tempted south with the promise of a well-paid job at their trade, together with added money to play football, and a lump sum up front to sign on the dotted line.  Gradually the practice evolved into full-time football as the top clubs realised they needed to have the full attention of their players.

This is the entry for your ancestor:

Hugh Wilson
Born 18 March 1869 Bilboa, Mauchline, Ayrshire
Died 5 April 1940 Kilmarnock Infirmary, Ayrshire
Scotland v Wales 1890, 1902; England 1897; Ireland 1904.
Mauchline; Newmilns; Sunderland 1890-99 (Football League 1892, 1893, 1895); Bedminster 1899-1900; Bristol City 1900-01; Third Lanark 1901-07 (Scottish League 1904; Scottish Cup 1905); Kilmarnock Apr 1907-08.
Wilson won four caps over a 14-year period, gaining his first honour in 1890 at left half while with Newmilns. Later that year he turned professional with Sunderland where he really showed his class and took part in their glory years with three league championships in 1892, 1893 and 1895. Known as ‘Lalty’ he was famous for his long one-handed throw-ins, which apparently were responsible for a revision of the laws in 1895 to insist that throws must be two-handed. He was capped for a second time in Scotland’s impressive 2-1 win over England in 1897. He left Sunderland in 1899, aged 30, for the relative obscurity of the Southern League at Bedminster, which merged with Bristol City a year later. It might have indicated his career was winding down yet he was far from finished, and when he returned to Scotland in 1901 with Third Lanark he found a new lease of life. In six years at Cathkin, he was outstanding and won a Scottish League title, the Scottish Cup, two more Scotland caps and made an appearance for the Scottish League. His career finally ended in 1908 after a season at Kilmarnock, shortly before he turned 40. His son John was a noted left back with Hearts, Dunfermline and Hamilton.

Offline loobylooayr

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Re: Professional Footballer at Sunderland AFC
« Reply #23 on: Wednesday 06 October 21 22:27 BST (UK) »
Thank you for your reply meadowbank.
A lot of hard work and time producing a Who's Who - well done!

I'd love to be able to establish what kind of work Hugh undertook in Sunderland. He was a Lace Weaver in Scotland - I'm not sure he could have found work in the North East in the lace industry.

Thanks for sharing Hugh's entry. I have uncovered a fair bit about his long career. He certainly was a force to be reckoned with right up until he hung his boots up for good. Lalty is apparently Ulster-Scots slang for fu  ;D or, inebriated - gives a wee nod to the personality of the man !
Thank you too for the footnote on his son John - I knew John was a professional footballer too and that he had been in Royal Scots in WW1 and injured at the Front. Turns out, he was one of the many Hearts players who enlisted - some of whom , sadly, as you will know, did not make it back.

Cheers,
Looby :)

Offline Bill 4423

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Re: Professional Footballer at Sunderland AFC
« Reply #24 on: Sunday 10 October 21 12:43 BST (UK) »
Hi all,

I wonder if anyone has any knowledge about the early days of Sunderland AFC?


Hi Looby, here’s a bit of history of Sunderland football club during your ancestor’s time (and before). Although it does not mention him in this match given his standing in the team at that time I suspect he was injured.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1895_World_Championship_(football)

Look at the nationality of both teams. You will realise how he maybe ended up in Sunderland. Sunderland AFC as we know them was started off as Sunderland and district teachers association football club 1879/80 (or something very similar) by a Scotsman – James Allen, from Glasgow (ring a bell?) who was teaching in Sunderland.
They played at a ground off Newcastle road, probably a mile or so from where Roker Park was, until around 1898 when they moved to Roker Park (the football ground).


Offline KGarrad

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Re: Professional Footballer at Sunderland AFC
« Reply #25 on: Sunday 10 October 21 13:35 BST (UK) »
Earlier this year I published a Who's Who of Scotland football internationalists, so I can probably tell you quite a lot about the working lives of footballers in the Victorian era!  Many Scots were tempted south with the promise of a well-paid job at their trade, together with added money to play football, and a lump sum up front to sign on the dotted line.  Gradually the practice evolved into full-time football as the top clubs realised they needed to have the full attention of their players.

This is the entry for your ancestor:

Hugh Wilson
Born 18 March 1869 Bilboa, Mauchline, Ayrshire
Died 5 April 1940 Kilmarnock Infirmary, Ayrshire
Scotland v Wales 1890, 1902; England 1897; Ireland 1904.
Mauchline; Newmilns; Sunderland 1890-99 (Football League 1892, 1893, 1895); Bedminster 1899-1900; Bristol City 1900-01; Third Lanark 1901-07 (Scottish League 1904; Scottish Cup 1905); Kilmarnock Apr 1907-08.
Wilson won four caps over a 14-year period, gaining his first honour in 1890 at left half while with Newmilns. Later that year he turned professional with Sunderland where he really showed his class and took part in their glory years with three league championships in 1892, 1893 and 1895. Known as ‘Lalty’ he was famous for his long one-handed throw-ins, which apparently were responsible for a revision of the laws in 1895 to insist that throws must be two-handed. He was capped for a second time in Scotland’s impressive 2-1 win over England in 1897. He left Sunderland in 1899, aged 30, for the relative obscurity of the Southern League at Bedminster, which merged with Bristol City a year later. It might have indicated his career was winding down yet he was far from finished, and when he returned to Scotland in 1901 with Third Lanark he found a new lease of life. In six years at Cathkin, he was outstanding and won a Scottish League title, the Scottish Cup, two more Scotland caps and made an appearance for the Scottish League. His career finally ended in 1908 after a season at Kilmarnock, shortly before he turned 40. His son John was a noted left back with Hearts, Dunfermline and Hamilton.

Fascinating stuff!
I started following Bristol City in the 1966-67 season; lived in Bedminster for a while; know both Southville and St John's (areas of Bristol associated with BC in the early years).
Moved on to ice-hockey in early 1970s!
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline loobylooayr

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Re: Professional Footballer at Sunderland AFC
« Reply #26 on: Sunday 10 October 21 15:49 BST (UK) »
Hi all,

I wonder if anyone has any knowledge about the early days of Sunderland AFC?


Hi Looby, here’s a bit of history of Sunderland football club during your ancestor’s time (and before). Although it does not mention him in this match given his standing in the team at that time I suspect he was injured.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1895_World_Championship_(football)

Look at the nationality of both teams. You will realise how he maybe ended up in Sunderland. Sunderland AFC as we know them was started off as Sunderland and district teachers association football club 1879/80 (or something very similar) by a Scotsman – James Allen, from Glasgow (ring a bell?) who was teaching in Sunderland.
They played at a ground off Newcastle road, probably a mile or so from where Roker Park was, until around 1898 when they moved to Roker Park (the football ground).

Hi Bill 4423,
Thank you for your reply.
Agree - Hugh must have been injured to miss such an important match !
I've been researching Hugh's career for some time and find the history of The Scotch Professors very interesting. The first Liverpool football team in 1893 was nicknamed 'The Team of all the Macs' due to the number of Scots on the team.
Samuel Tyzack 'headhunted' or perhaps 'football-boot-hunted' Hugh after he represented Scotland in 1890 playing against Wales. Scotland won 5-0 and Hugh scored the first goal. Whether Tyzack made his approach to Hugh dressed as a priest is not known ;D

Thanks again,
Looby :)