Chapter 3. 1899-1914

Over this period a totally different picture is presented, and that more fully, thanks to the new LCC Staff Gazette. At the start of the previous season, the Soccer Club had resolved that it was desirable to establish such a magazine, and that the paramount Athletic Association should subsidise it. Now, in the autumn of 1899, the latter issued a circular, and then called a meeting on 1 December, the Clerk of the Council in the chair. A Committee was elected, met on the 4th, and appointed an Editor who was to publish his first number on 1 Jan 1900. In the three weeks excluding Christmas he accomplished this. The main contents for many years were the fully detailed accounts of staff club activities; indeed, in the course of an argument in 1905, it was stated to be primarily the organ of the Clubs. In our own case, we have 200/300 word accounts of matches, with frank comments such as “A and B were off colour”. The other ingredient in this first year or so was the involvement of the staff in the Boer War. An editorial commented that nearly all England was burning with enthusiasm at the possibility of a further addition to her possessions. By jingo!

1899/1900

The Rugby Club was defunct, but cricket was celebrating fifteen continuous years, and for soccer a new vitality was evident. A new Secretary called meetings very regularly and with more purpose; some men who had left to better their football locally came back, eg Carter (who took over the captaincy at full-back) from Clapton. Seven of the men from ’94 were still playing, and at least five pairs of brothers joined, with two trios, the Careys and the Blakes. W. H. Carey played on till the 1920 season and beyond. The one XI seems to have employed over thirty players altogether. One fixture with Eversleigh was played on Hyde Farm, Balham – not there now.

The Executive formed a Sub-Committee with the Club to seek a better ground for the next season and, in this connection, I quote from early numbers of the Gazette, in part attributable to a speech by the Chairman of the Council:

“There is in the service of the Council the making of a really first-class team, but esprit de corps seems lacking and some good players do not support the Club. Doubtless this condition would be improved if we were able to secure a good ground. We should then be able to play first teams instead of reserves and A XI’s.

The acquisition of a ground would give great impetus to sport, but any such within easy distance of Spring Gardens (Old County Hall) would be very difficult to obtain even at a very high price. A cheaper ground secured some distance from London would leave great difficulty in persuading men, living on the other side of London, to make the journey to a ground 12-14 miles out. In these days it is quite impossible to secure land at a reasonable price at a nearer distance from the centre.”

The impossible took a lot longer – over sixty years – before Jimmy Lyne and our Committee got Belmont started.

Players subs to the Association were still only 10/- for all sports, 7/6 for soccer only, cricket 5/-; they had laid on gold and silver medals for presentations, and that didn’t mean plated!

1900/01

We hired from Thos. Freeman (Builder) the former London and Westminster Bank cricket ground at Champion Hill, Dulwich for £30 pa, including goals, nets and marking, sharing it with Midland Bank; Dulwich Hamlet were later recorded on an adjoining pitch. The groundsman’s charge of 20p a week for extra services and lemons was met by a 1p levy on the players.

The dressing rooms were referred to as excellent and we no longer felt ashamed to meet teams of repute. There were evening practices in September and early October. The Committee decided that, for the first time, a Second XI should be run, but rapidly found themselves with three teams, all winning; the fixture list of course went for a burton and games were often arranged during the week after selection.

Comment on one game was that, owing to the heavy ground and greasy ball, the halves and forwards were not seen to advantage (Witan are still a dry-ground Club and often use the same alibi now!). Again, after a 6 - 0 win, the Council’s forward string showed fine combined tactics, probably such passing has never before been shown in the (10 year!) history of our football. The following editorial appeared in November:

“The Football Club is doing wonders this season. The first and, we hope, last accident fell upon Sedgwick (Comptrollers) who fell and broke his collar bone against Stamford Brook 3rds. He bore the pain like the plucky fellow he is and is now, we are assured, none the worse for the disaster.”

A curious resolution was yet again to adopt the Association colours of dark green and gold – what had they been playing in? Now, shirts were acquired and sold for 26p each, attention was drawn to the need to paint the goals white, and teams were again minuted each week.

Matches were played on Dec 22nd, 26th (two, am and pm), 27th and 29th, during which time the Works Dept. also held two practices.

Over the season, all sides played short at regular intervals, apparently quite happily, apart from the week when two missing men were asked for an explanation; Mr Jones was (writing from the office at 17 Pall Mall East) not disposed to give one, but Mr J. A. Hutchins (referred to as the old Fulham back – perhaps means what it says?) had thought the game would be abandoned for fog; team cards were thenceforward printed “wet or fine”.

For the death of the Queen [Victoria] on 22 Jan 1901 and until after the funeral, all games were cancelled. [For the most recent death at that time, that of George 6th, the F.A. ruled that we play-on wearing black arm-bands: Ed.]

The three XI’s were drawn from 55 players, who moved freely up and down through the sides, the game was clearly the thing; the first team lost to Clapton A; our players guested for Richmond in their tour to Vienna and Budapest. No entry was made in the London, Surrey or Middlesex Cups.

Following a departmental final of “endurance and perfect good temper” the Club supper at Andertons was “more enjoyable than other public feeds because of enthusiasm, roast beef and good fellowship” [WOT! No wallop?] The music astonished the waiters, and the Chairman made “manly and sympathetic” reference to the man who had broken his leg.

1901/2

Full details, rules etc. of all staff clubs including ours were printed in the Executive handbook; the prior estimates to them of all our expenses, bar the ground rent, was £8.25. The Secretary and Captain were authorised to arrange an Easter tour if thought advisable. Regret was expressed that fixtures made for the three teams were not strong enough, as our own considerable improvement was not appreciated by the better London clubs. A few home dates were conceded to the Third XI to encourage regular availability.

Apparently, we were providing not only the ref and two linesmen at home, but also a linesman away. Eleven new players joined in the first fortnight, twenty-three over the whole season. On a date in November when Works were playing Valuers, the Club still fielded four sides; it was 1952/3 before we did that again.

The SE and Chatham Rly was referred to as “a goodly line” when it got the First XI to Reigate Priory in under two hours, but we played their reserves with a pudding rather than a ball.

One week, all our teams were sporting enough to turn up when the games were fogged off. It was resolved in Committee to send an ultimatum to the Poly that, owing to unpleasantness in our recent game, there would be no necessity to apply for a fixture in future.

Players were advised of the new F.A. rules “that the keeper can be charged when outside his six-yard semi-circles”. Moreover, “Kicking or jumping at an opponent [presumably when inside the penalty area] involves a penalty (unless not very bad when it would be a free kick).

[Ed. I believe a word of explanation is called for here. At that time, there was no rectangular 6-yard ‘box’; the 6-yard semicircles referred to were just that – semicircles, of radius 6 yards, centred on each goal post – the implication being that the keeper could not be charged when within those semicircles. There is no record of who invented this arrangement - possibly an ancestor of Dolly Parton?

Take a look at the photo below, taken at the 1901 FA Cup final between Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield United. You can clearly see the line of the bulging 6-yard semicircles. In 1902, the FA changed the laws again, introducing the penalty spot, the 18-yard box, and the rectangular 6-yard box. The quirky curves of the 6-yard semicircles were thus confined to footballing history.]

Vintage soccer match with players near a goal on a crowded field, surrounded by large audience."}

The First XI results were first class, with no games lost after Christmas, including beating Parthians, holders of the F.A. Surrey Junior Cup. The other two XI’s were only slightly less prosperous, all with very good goal averages.

On finance, the cost of lemons was charged to the Executive this year, and a paid advert put in the Gazette of old footballs, going cheap.

A member of the Council, in the chair at the Association AGM, expressed surprise that Islington Borough Council should have their own ground but we did not. His “sting in the tail” was that, if our Club members (only fifteen present) were to show enthusiasm and determination to make the Club successful, friends would not be wanting.

1902/3

The Association rated soccer their Club “par excellence” (and had started a fund, with their life Vice-President’s subscriptions, to buy a ground; further help welcomed). It was nevertheless found impossible to enter any cup or the Southern Suburban League by implication because of the irregular team structure: free-and-easy between the elevens, based on a small nucleus and many guest players. For instance, there were over thirty new men taking part, and well over a hundred in three seasons.

Of the early trial games (evenings of 22, 23 & 24 Sept) it was observed that the pretty combination style which made the forwards so conspicuous last year was at times wanting, and the kicking of the defence unreliable. The Thirds, with ten men, lost to Norsemen reserves, but the First XI beat Vampire reserves. In one match, our eleventh man came on ten minutes from the end; those would have been the days for our Kevin Norris of the 1950’s and 60’s. We published in the Gazette that a Mr Braithwaite had been suspended for a month for twice failing to turn up. London Devonian’s explanation was accepted for them not turning up at our ground, and even not at their own; we should otherwise have reported them to the L.F.A., to whom we were affiliated as Juniors at 37½p.

Football apart, the Club was really rolling now, with dances (called Cinderellas) and smoking concerts as well as the supper; one such was recorded as the most successful staff function, a remarkable characteristic of the game of football being that it seemed to generate good fellowship far more readily than any other pastime. Many of that generation particularly remembered the races on Sports Day between rugby and soccer in full kit.

There was a Christmas tour to play Crawley, Petworth and Worthing on 25, 26 and 27 December, gate guarantees £1.25, £2.00 and £2.50 respectively. The first misfired somehow, but the latter two were won; the reserves drew at home on the 27th.

A Committee minute that we order flannelette shirts from the Civil Service Stores at 12½p to be supplied within a fortnight appears to have meant “or else”, since we finished up selling 17p shirts for 19p, members to advise the Secretary on their collar sizes. Within an overall estimate of £13 for the season, the three teams used 11 balls at £6 the lot, less £1.25 sale of used balls, with several stolen from the ground. [We manage, now, with about one each for our eight teams, but at £25 a-piece.] Referees were paid 25p.

A dance gave a profit of 14/9 and a concert 23/-. A subscription list was run for the Glasgow Evening News Fund for the Ibrox disaster, April 02.

At the end of the season, the Executive was advised that a new (and better) ground was wanted next year. The playing results were considerably inferior and the goal averages all adverse.

The season ended with our first of many tours abroad; this year was to Liege. See Chapter 9, Easter Tours Abroad, for more details. Results: Liege 4 – LCC 0; Verviers 2 – LCC 3.

1903/4

For this season, there is noticeably less administrative detail recorded, and more varied interest in the very full account of matches, for instance: -

Ware had guaranteed the fares for the First XI away but declined to cover our linesman; the five committee members on the spot decided the Club would pay.

We could not at first fix with Winchester FC for lack of a guarantee; two telegrams produced a game for Boxing Day, but we finished up refunding them 7/6 for the printing of their bills, presumably because we scratched.

On a much happier note, is the story of a very fine but not successful game away to Oxford City, and a very good spread afterwards at The Cups Hotel. They were then runners-up in the F.A. Amateur Cup, as again in 1913.

Two of our three Carey brothers played for Old Grammarians against us. There were a hundred spectators for our reserve game away against Slough.

In passing, Stamford Bridge was referred to as the London Athletic Club ground, not Chelsea.

After a bye we went out of the F.A. Senior Cup to Kent Royal Garrison Artillery against whom we were to have an epic League battle in 1910/11. There was the first reference to fixtures having been made by phone.

Socially, the Cinderellas were at Caxton Hall, one jointly with rugby, the supper and smokers at The Horseshoe, Tottenham Court Road; one of the latter had fifty attendants and lasted till 11.30 pm – wonder how they got home in those days?

All three teams played up to three men short for all or part of a game, but with the end of the Boer War, the Council was recruiting again and the Club stabilised, about thirty new names going through the books. Quite a few became regulars, and Jarvis and Nava were to stay on till after the First War. Results were regrettably parallel to the previous year, but perhaps not bad going against the opposition indicated.

The Easter tour was this time to Holland. Once more arranged by the Executive (with the Football Bund of Holland), transport arranged with Batavia Steamships, and sixteen players chosen to represent us, including Edwards of the 1894 side; he and two others apparently dropped out. The vital difference from current problems in organising foreign tours is that we acted and were accepted in all respects as a Senior Club and the consequential shares of gate receipts must have left our players with very little to pay.

This history would be the more readable and varied if the full tour accounts could be included (including post 1945) but, clearly, they can’t be accommodated; as a fair sample, room can perhaps be found for the full report of the 1904 expedition from the May Staff Gazette. (Ed. Subsequent to enabling publication on the Web, it has now been possible to incorporate details of many Tours, either in the main History document or in Chapter 9 which is dedicated to Easter Tours Abroad or in the various Words of Witan editions accessed from Chapter 12 of the History.)

1904/5

New grounds had been mooted at Malden and Burntwood Lane but the ground we in fact landed on was Wandsworth Common, highly criticised, one of the pitfalls was going alternate weeks with rugby. In June an unspecified opportunity arose to acquire a ground, the Executive circulated an appeal to all staff, which quietly died. In a letter to the Gazette their Secretary defined the requirements as not less than 3 acres of pasture, under a mile from a station within 60 minutes (by steam) from Old County Hall. Given three years’ security, the Association would provide a dressing room.

The Club AGM was unable to find a Secretary to elect but did resolve to go in for a league or cup. The cup turned out to be the London Senior Cup, where we beat Mercians in the second round, then went out 0 - 2 to Wanstead, who had at least one potential international playing. A Secretary was presumably appointed by the Executive and, in October, was instructed to advertise in the press for reserve fixtures at a Committee Meeting which was over by 5:50 pm. Happy days.

The dressing rooms were burgled (in our week for two matches at home). One club, on their ground, are recorded as recruiting two spectators to play in bell-bottomed trousers. On another occasion our Thirds operated with at least nine half backs. Anyone like to number that in the current idiom?

A goalkeeper was authorised to buy gloves at 5/- and charge them to the Executive; the groundsman was charging 16/- a season for washing towels; goal posts came from Gamages, and Messrs A. Webber were asked to quote for footballs.

Against opposition rated “strong senior” in Nunhead, Parthian Vampires, the First Team had a good season, the Reserves disastrous, and the Thirds drew the comment that they had done better but were hampered by men playing in strange positions.

Easter Tour to Belgium. See Chapter 9 Tours for details. Results: Ménin 0 – LCC 4; Sportif 0 – LCC 2; Beerschot 1 – LCC 3; Vervier 6 – LCC 4; Mouscron 0 – LCC 8. Fourteen players, numerous difficulties, four won out of five games in five days. Guthrie 10 goals. Apart from the full report, of which this is a précis, the Gazette carried a twenty-plus-line detailed account of each game.

1905/6

This season (and the next) were let-downs on 1904/5 and drew the following comments:

‘From the Gazette Surely a staff of the magnitude [1800 – Ed] of the Council’s should be able to place three football teams in the field every week without the Captains’ having, on Friday and Saturday, to fill up the sides with obliging outsiders.’

‘From the publication “Football Club”. LCC is not coming along in such prominent fashion as I anticipated. The Club has been calling on a large number of players and, although it has been run in Senior competition [Ed. remember, there was no Amateur Football Association – this means Senior at national level eg. Isthmian, while professionalism was still somewhat tentative], nothing of any importance has been achieved. There is no reason at all why LCC should not be one of the strongest in London. I should say it’s only a matter of organisation to make a capital club, and I hope these lines will catch the eye of those who could be responsible for one of the smartest teams in London.

Counter by Gazette: The staff is certainly large … but officials are powerless to improve matters unless they receive active support from their football colleagues. The somewhat chaotic present condition, particularly the reserves, is not in any way due to mismanagement, but solely to lack of support.’

This time the AGM simply appointed a Committee and left the details to them; they started by ignoring all the AGM resolutions!

One of the unsatisfactory pitches at Wandsworth was retained, along with the Rugby Club; a first-class soccer pitch was taken at The Elms, Walthamstow. The all-in estimate for the Club for the season, including both rents, was £27.50, but we had to buy two (presumably oil) lamps.

The Council now took over the School Board for London, and their Soccer Club “amalgamated”, taking over our reserve fixtures en-bloc. Fixtures were made from week to week for two lower sides from the old club, but suddenly there weren’t enough players from the old 3rd XI, and we were unable to run a fourth team.

Stronger fixtures were thought to have been tailored to the new standard of ground and hopes expressed that teams would have a regular constitution with added keenness. In the London Senior Cup, we promptly went out 0 – 6 to “the somewhat professional style” of Clapton; Enfield, not unnaturally, beat our ten men by 8 - 0 in the Middlesex Cup.

On Boxing Day, Oxford City won 4 - 0, but the game was reported to have been a hard and delightful exhibition of amateur soccer at its best, with not that much between the teams; City went on to win the Amateur Cup (against Bishop Auckland). We also faced considerable strength in Ware, Norsemen, Eversleigh and Aylesbury United.

Match reports became summaries instead of fully detailed, and personnel records are scrappy, but we did recruit Harvey, a leading light until 1914 and, from the Civil Service as second choice players, the amateur international Bryant brothers, who worked for the Council.

In this season we sent two reps to an LFA meeting to discuss admitting professionals. Vests were substituted for shirts, but this seemed to have as little effect on playing efficiency as in the much more recent season when Ricky Nelson took the First XI into short sleeved shirts to be in line with (I think) Real Madrid.

The Easter Tour to France and Belgium. Two games were won, but we lost in Brussels to the London side Emeriti (boasting a one-armed goal keeper), and in Lille to a team containing six or seven Englishmen.

1906/7

The Committee Minutes, results and reporting in the Gazette are all extremely sketchy this year – evidence of a trough from which the Club rose steadily over several ensuing seasons.

The year started with a new ground and with the F.A. asking for an explanation of our withdrawal from the LFA, to which echo answered (it became academic a year later). As the financial aspects are not mentioned, the ground switch is difficult to explain, but we, in fact, now had “select conditions” on 1½ pitches at Merton Hall, Wimbledon, which Poly had just vacated for Chiswick; London Devonians had the other ½ pitch.

The reserves entered the Surrey Junior Cup and took on Dulwich Hamlet with three new recruits in our side (result unknown), reliable men who would turn out regularly were found hard to obtain.

Our run in the Senior Cup produced one curious round. We lost 1 - 3 to a vigorous Chertsey side at home, but their protest (!) that our pitch was ten yards short was upheld; this apparently arose from a 10-yard difference between London and Surrey. We beat them 3 - 0 on their ground, but there is no further record of our progress. Their supporters were reported to be a bit rough; Harvey explains they were ‘brickies’ from an adjoining site, who had adopted Chertsey and pelted us with clods of earth.

Two reserve fixtures were cancelled for lack of players in October, and this continued off and on with all three sides. The Firsts lost with monotonous regularity - losing only 0 - 2 to Ware “showed an improvement”; the other two sides won the occasional game. At the end, the Secretary admitted his negligence in not reporting results, reported a season of disaster and misfortune with results far from creditable, and expected no better next season, though the Firsts had improved in the final month. No tour this year.

Harvey was fined 5/- for losing a football; subs (payable to the Executive for the last time) were 12/6. Acquarius joined the fixture list and Brimacombe the Club – he was with us at the re-union at Belmont in 1964 and the County Hall dinner in 1972.

1907/8

Taking sides against the Football Association on the issue of professionalism, we affiliated at the inaugural meeting to the Amateur Football Association (later finding it useful to affiliate also to the Middlesex County A.F.A.

During the cricket season, the wickets at Merton Hall had proved so bad and weedy that the Association withheld £40 rent. The court case against us ran from 11 am to 4 pm and we won with costs but of course had to move – to yet another ground next to Acton GWR station. Could be Penguin’s recent venue? The goals and nets were transferred across by one of the country’s premier removals firms, Pickfords.

Prospects were considered to be rosy again but, because of the split with the F.A. so near the season, fixtures were not that easy to come by. The Third XI was abandoned. Also, as only the F.A. was recognised abroad, there was no tour – next one 1909/10.

The Amateur Private Clubs Trophy and A.F.A. Junior Cup were entered. In the former we beat Oberon, who played the ‘one-back’ game, then drew 1 - 1 with Minerva before losing 3 - 5 away, all their goals from corners. The Reserves appear to have gone out of the Juniors to the same club, first go, possibly by default.

Guthrie, the 1st Team skipper, had died suddenly in the close season, and was clearly a very crucial loss; in spite of this and early injuries, by Christmas they were playing good football with six consecutive wins. The Reserves’ results were encouraging, though later, in spite of twenty new names added to the players’ roll, it proved difficult to field this side and no results were listed at the end of the season. However, two of the new men stayed until 1920 and the year ended with a strong recruiting drive.

Both a telegram and a letter of explanation were received from Richmond Idlers (!) for scratching on Friday. The AGM had voted the groundsman 25p for blowing up the balls; during the season he “found” us a new set of goal posts and was voted a 10p gratuity. We advertised in the Morning Letter for reserve fixtures, and there was a decision to provide Guildhall with tea, as they did for us. Two other modern friends of ours were encountered in Old Roans and Wandsworth Borough Officers. The Executive severed the constituent clubs financially – they should henceforward collect their own money and pay expenses, but assistance could be claimed.

1908/9

There is no AGM minute and indeed, between the few lines available, it is apparent that the Club was on the point of folding. However, H. H. Wilmott, till then and in later years a playing member of the Rugby Club, took on the job of Soccer Secretary, played the occasional game, and made the fixtures from scratch in only a couple of weeks, very largely with the Council Mental Hospitals, which we had played off and on for many years. These were of course first-class fixtures, Leavesden for instance were once a Spartan side, and Claybury turned out a recent Bolton Wanderers centre forward against us in this season. There would be a fire in the dressing room and all the conditions and hospitality exceptional.

Not unnaturally, Bertie Wilmott only ran one side, and the second and last Committee Minute is in November. He was a pretty remarkable man and remained very active for a long time in service and other sporting circles. I met him in unique circumstances at my Old Boys football dinner in the early 1950’s; I was Secretary of the Council Club, and he (as Chairman of Finchley Borough Parks Committee) opened his guest speech with “when I was Secretary of the LCC football Club …”.

In 1908, he also had to find a ground at impossibly short notice. For the first time under our Club’s own steam, and at our own cost, he found a splendid pitch with a man to look after it, at the LCC Avery Hill Park.

The first month’s results were good but again, by placing reliance on players not on the staff while our own good men were playing for Civil Service &c, there must have been quite a bit of rallying round; the third Carey brother appeared as a keeper.

There was a record of an away game against Barnet to the effect that they were a senior side and had had good games against Ipswich and Bowes Park (founder members of the Southern Amateur League). Our defence played a breaking-up game, the forwards had a field day, we won 3 - 2 and the local press stated that LCC were the smartest team to visit Queens Road that season.

The astonishing final note is that stronger fixtures were hoped for next year. Nothing came of an early resolution to tour, presumably because the F.A. were still maintaining their vendetta against the A.F.A.

Black and white team photo of L.C.C. Football Club from 1909-1910, featuring eleven men in suits, with some sitting and others standing. A soccer ball is visible at the front. Names of team members are listed below the image.

The above picture was presented to the Club by Brimacombe and hung over the bar at Belmont for many years until we relinquished the ground in1989.

1909/10

What we did have was a much stronger team of thirteen regular members. In Harvey’s view, the Club was at its zenith in this year and the next, and indeed as far as one can draw parallels it was probably the mid 50’s and in 1970 before we reached any such standard again; it’s a sobering thought that the sticks from these rockets come down very quickly.

Jarvis and two others played for the A.F.A. Kent side against City of London and others. J. Ray, a 6’ 3” full back, had been with the Club almost from the start, and was variously referred to as bald, a veteran, and the giant.

In the Private Clubs Cup, River Plate House were beaten 7 – 0; then we lost 2 - 3 to Olympic, surprise being expressed that the winning goal should be from a penalty – hands in A.F.A. football?

In the A.F.A. Kent Senior Cup, following a goal-less draw we went down 1 - 4 to Lee (SAL) but later beat them by the same score in a friendly; a curious comment on the first game was that the ground was really unfit, with several pools of water. The promised stronger fixtures were Margate, Tonbridge Wells, Weybridge, Dartford, Cobham, and again with the Asylums. One of the contacts comments that no difficulties were made in the office about early starts for the far-flung games. The six members at the AGM had decided to enter the Third Division of an A.F.A. league, but nothing came of it.

In an enjoyable and creditable game against Barnet, we won 3 - 0 with ten men and a co-opted spectator, a well-known player in the service. Although at the Saffrons we lost 2 - 6 to Eastbourne, a Premier side (and that meant infinitely more in those days), the game was fast and interesting, and they were only considered about one goal better. 200 spectators much enjoyed our 3 - 3 draw with Ramsgate St George.

By February the side was occasionally playing short again, lost three on the trot, had seven men with prior engagements on one day but, overall, we had enhanced our reputation greatly and had gained the confidence to deal with the heavier commitments.

The Dinner was held at the Boulogne Restaurant, Gerrard Street, the musical talent above average.

There were three Tours during the year – see Chapter 9, Easter Tours Abroad, for details; results were as follows; the first Tour was at Easter, to France: Occident FC 2 – LCC 10; 2nd game against them, Occident FC 3 – LCC 0; and then Amiens 0 – LCC 3. In April and September, played 2 games against Olympique Lillois of Lille; both were drawn 1 – 1.

The next tour abroad would not be until 1966.

A quotation from “Amateur Football”, the organ of the A.F.A., makes a good wind-up for such a season:

“J. H. Jarvis, the LCC captain, is one of the keenest. He plays at inside left and picks up many a goal with a capital volley-shot. Has played for the Civil Service. A popular member is L. M. Nara, deputy skipper and one time Secretary, at centre half. He has played in Norfolk County football, secured his cap on four or five occasions, and may interest Middlesex County selectors. D. M. Harvey at left half is also worthy of a trial.” [Jarvis had also played for Nunhead; Ed]

From 1908, when there was no AGM, the formal records of the Club comprise the Minutes of two Committees, followed by four AGM’s (the first two undated) and nothing at all in 1913. This apparent absence on any normal structure makes this season and the one that followed all the more remarkably successful, but also presumably explains the ensuing collapse. Rugby were running three sides.

A curious side-light on life at County Hall / Spring Gardens was that meetings of the Athletic Association and other staff societies continued to be chaired by chief officers or even members of the Council, which could have had something to do with the fact that there was only one entrance to the building; it was still a very matey place in 1925.

1910/11

We were rejected by the Southern Amateur League but, as directed by the nine men present at our AGM, entered our first season ever of competitive football in the South East London Amateur League. Continuing as Secretary, it became apparent that Wilmott was also Treasurer since the severance from the Executive; a new name appears with W. J. K. Crawforth who was to be very important to the Club and, in his way, to the Service as a whole.

Over a dozen further new players, for only one XI, permitted the side to be kept up to strength throughout and, by the end of October, we headed our new league; between whiles, drew 2 - 2 with Barnet and lost our first game (to Middlesex Asylum) in the February.

After a bye and a walk-over in the Kent A.F.A. Senior Cup, we beat Oaklands though a man short, then came to the game of the season in the semi-final before up to 700 spectators. The opposition was New Crusaders, mostly old Blues, including five brothers named Fairfield and two internationals; they had been a famous side even under the F.A., and were without doubt the top A.F.A. club after the Corinthians. We held them for the first half but the heavy going broke our combination, their play was found to be quite bewildering, and LCC went down 1 - 8 (B. S. Fairfield 5). It must have been something of an event for our men who were there.

There is detail of the quality of the mental hospital games. The First XI travelled by brake between Watford and Leavesden, had a very good game, a very hot bath, tea and supper, gave a concert to the inmates, and then joined the staff dance. Pity we can’t sing for such hospitality these days. A new contact that will mean something to some post-1945 members was Ravensbourne FC.

On 10 April 1911, the last League game was against 3rd Kent Artillery. Harvey recalls that we only needed one point for the championship, and the opposition was well up the table. He himself was bitten by a dog which ran on to the field before the game, and the bite had to be cauterised by an Army doctor. Artillery were unlucky not to open the scoring, but the Council took two good goals before the interval. The game became faster, Artillery used their weight freely and took a goal, but never looked like equalising.

At the Dinner celebrating the championship, Percy Merriman (later of the Roosters and Editor of the Staff Gazette) and many Club members, provided the entertainment.

During the season Carey and Brimacombe had played for the League representative side, and the latter with Jarvis, Harvey and Nara for Kent F.A.; someone had been reading Amateur Football. Several of our reserve team played in the County Junior side.

The last tourists for very many years were the five who joined Old Owens when our own fell through. They played in Paris against the English club Eversleigh, in Rome before 3000 spectators including an LCC Member, and in Havre a team containing two internationals, which Owens beat 9 - 0. The summary of the tour was good weather, good fellowship. Summary of the season: won 28, lost 5, drawn 7, for 63, against 36. In the league we won 13 and drew 3 out of 16.