We love having guest blogs hither at , together with and then when Roger Deason got inwards bear on about what he described equally 'the shambolic history' of early 20th century London social club Southern United, nosotros jumped at the take chances to order their floor! Enjoy, every bit we accept a dive into a football gild that was rattling much, 'what could've been':
Surrey was a stronghold of amateur football. The first professional person team inward the county was the long forgotten Southern United, founded in 1904, meaning they pre-appointment Crystal Palace in addition to Chelsea equally professional person London teams. Two of those teams are now well known. Southern United’s shambolic history is niggling known.
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| Brown'sec Ground - The home of Southern United |
Southern United were largely the brainchild of Baron William von Reiffenstein, a Scottish born stockbroker alongside a penchant for sailing just about the current of air. He played football, officiated, acting as linesman inward the 1899 Surrey Junior Cup Final as well as was a leading figure at West Norwood F.C. He used positions inside London in addition to Surrey F.A.’sec to tap players upwards for the Bantams. Contemporary rumours suggest West Norwood were amateur in bring up, non reality. In 1898 West Norwood paid Anerley £v to give up abode reward inward a Southern Suburban League check. The consequence was declared void in addition to the South London Press drily noted individual needed to explicate the concept of a league to the Baron.
That summertime, West Norwood’sec reserves walked out to grade Norwood United, stating they would play local men. West Norwood veteran H.F. Russell came out of retirement joining United, to play i final flavor amongst his friends. The Baron was involved inwards lodging a charge alongside the F.A. that Russell was a professional person, having accepted a retirement gift from West Norwood. The F.A. threw the accuse out. The final result bad blood saw the Baron voted off the West Norwood commission, a shareholder vote saw him restored. The Baron was a leading shareholder in the gild.
The Baron resigned from West Norwood inward February 1904, announcing he would reform Wanderers F.C. The gild were granted Middlesex F.A. membership on status they re-named every bit Middlesex Wanderers. They played 1 known jibe, losing v-i to Dulwich St Peter’second, earlier beingness expelled past Middlesex F.A. inward Oct.
The Baron had jumped transport, founding Southern United amongst the West Norwood Chairman William Hooton. Also on the Board was Royal Navy officer Patrick McGuire, contractor John Diddell, builder Richard Vidler, timber merchant George Richmond, some other man amongst links to West Norwood, too William Smith, publican at The Crown & Greyhound Dulwich. The club gained full Football Association membership inward June 1904, Surrey F.A. refused to admit professional person clubs. United secured admission to the South Eastern League as well as leased Brown’s Ground, Nunhead. The inaugural kit was mauve in addition to dark hooped shirts amongst black shorts too socks. The order was nicknamed the Southrons.
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| Nottingham Evening Post item Southern United'sec FA admission on 27 June 1904 |
Club captain Alf Hawley was the boy of a Spurs director. An amateur, he walked off the pitch playing for Spurs Reserves inward 1901, tired of abuse from his ain fans. McGuire used his links to sign players from a Royal Navy background. The United squad was a mixture of professionals as well as amateurs. The talented Miecznikowski brothers arrived. Walter is suspected to accept been declared professional afterward accepting a marriage ceremony gift from Clapton F.C. The South London Press warned third charge per unit professional clubs rarely worked financially.
On Th 1st September 1904 Southern United made their league debut at Brighton & Hove Albion, losing six-0 after being reduced to ix men past injuries. Goalkeeper A.B. Crake was 1 of the injured. He later on spent time inward jail for a concern fraud that almost saw an K.P. expelled from Parliament. On the Sat, United defeated Leyton 3-ii away, amongst a Leyton reserve making their numbers upwardly to xi. On Saturday 17th, United played their beginning F.A. Cup check, non yet having possession of their ground they surrendered dwelling reward to Croydon winning iii-0. The starting time true dwelling house game came on Oct 1st five Guard’second Depot inward the F.A. Cup.
In the go upwardly to the game United caused a stir by signing Tommy McCairs, Doncaster Rovers had offered him £three 10s a calendar week simply didn’t want to pay a £150 transfer fee. ane,000 watched a 1-i depict, the replay was held inwards Nunhead together with Southern progressed half dozen-one. Pritchard, injured at Brighton, returned to team after being taken to Clapham’sec Grand Theatre to be hypnotised by Ahrensmeyer. Sabbatum eighth saw the first league points gained; iii-two 5 Aylesbury United. The following week Woking visited inward the F.A. Cup as well as were defeated eight-1. The next circular saw Ilford visit Nunhead in addition to depart iii-ii victors, watched past near 4,000. The Southron’sec players employed past the Royal Navy were missing, confined to base afterward Admiral Rodjestvensky open burn on British trawlers believing they were Japanese torpedo boats.
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| Athletic Chat reports the 8-i FA Cup victory (eighteen Oct 1904) |
More misfortune followed inwards Dec, Southern United were reported for enticing C.W. Ryan to sign by Hitchin Town who held his registration. The 2 points docked proved crucial at the cease of the season, leaving Southern United bottom too facing re-election. They had failed to champaign eleven men several times at start team degree. The reserves had arrived at Thornton Heath amongst merely iv players. First squad gates had settled at around i,000, past March 1905 press references pass off to financial problems.
1905/06 saw Southern United bring together the Southern League Division Two in addition to London League, besides as two reserve team leagues, with a substantially increased budget. They were voted out of the South Eastern League, finishing behind Leyton as well as Chelsea inwards the vote. The nigh heart-catching signing was Fred Spiksley, ex Sheffield Wed in addition to England. He received a £10 signing on fee too £4 a calendar week, believing he would live involved inwards coaching. Fred was more function based. Trainer John Sayers was ex-armed forces and clashed with both Fred together with Jack Almond, ex Sheffield United. Jack left the gild.
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| Fred Spiksley (7 Eng caps) was a large signing for Southern |
On September 16th 1905, the get-go squad drew ane-1 at Leyton, the reserves drew two-ii at Barnet Alston amongst The Southrons fielding 20-1 professionals. Director John Diddell was taken to court for non-payment of a personal debt, his wife told the hearing he was as well busy playing football to make money. On Oct 28th, Chelsea visited Nunhead inwards the F.A. Cup, despite speculation Southern would cash in together with switch the agree. Chelsea won one-0 watched by seven,000. Three days later it was reported full England international Stanley Shute Harris had signed, no tape of him playing has been found!
With gates sometimes nether 500, finances were creaking. November 1905 saw a boardroom reshuffle. Money was constitute to sign goalkeeper Fred Mearns from Grays United, Fred played for Barnsley inwards the 1910 F.A. Cup Final. News of players beingness released arrived inwards Dec 1905. The same month saw the gild plough upwards and so tardily at Sittingbourne nearly of the crowd had gone home, earning a censure from the league. On Boxing Day Willesden turned upward with 9 men as well as no kit, the crowd largely refused to pay, the Directors issued an apology. Southern signed iii Willesden players, Willesden folded.
Financial issues saw Fred Spiksley get out, signing for Watford in February. With an average Southern League gate accept of £42, the guild couldn’t pay him £iv a week. John Sayers too departed. The guild was on the verge of collapse. It seems the Baron, who had announced his difference, returned to salvage the club. As the flavor progressed the professionals were increasingly replaced by amateurs. The reserves turned up alongside just eight players at 1 game – including the trainer as well as society linesman.
Swindon Town arrived inwards Nunhead on February 24th, to their surprise they found Southern United Reserves playing Barnet Alston. Swindon slapped in a charge, asking for their go costs dorsum. In March Southern travelled to Crystal Palace amid rumours it would be their last game. Percy Sprules departed at the cease of the gibe, signing for Fulham. Percy is amend remembered equally Chief Constable Peter Sprules MBE. John Wood departed, joining First Division Derby County. John was killed on the Somme inwards 1916.
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| John Wood, who left for Derby County, sadly died inwards the Somme inward 1916 |
March 17th saw Southern, at once wearing a striped kit, play Eltham in the Kent Senior Cup Semi Final hoping for a fund-raising last appearance. A shock iii-two defeat ensured it wasn’t to be. In April Southern were suspended from all footballing activeness over unpaid debts. The break was lifted, however the F.A. launched a four-man Commission to investigate Southern United. On April 30th the beginning team lost ten-0 at Swindon whilst the reserve squad lost eight-0 at home to bottom placed Chesham Generals. The season ended alongside Southern 6th inwards the Southern League Second Division too bottom of the United League.
The F.A. Commission reported over the summertime. Club Secretary Mr. T. Grimes, an ex-West Norwood player, was banned sine decease. The gild were suspended until all debts were cleared together with the lodge was ordered to appoint novel directors to classify the mess out.
Southern started the 1906/07 flavor a calendar week tardily due to the interruption. Deptford Invicta moved in to portion Brown’second Ground. September 22nd saw Dorking defeated 3-0 at Nunhead in the F.A. Cup, only about 700 showed upwardly. October 6th saw Redhill attract a tape crowd of 700 every bit they drew 0-0 alongside United inwards the F.A. Cup. The replay ended 2-2, a third tally was held at Croydon amongst Redhill winning 2-1. Before the calendar month was out the social club was suspended from all footballing activities over debts owed to 1905/06 player Frank Ransom as well as to Dorking. The money was establish; the state of affairs was straight off desperate. Southend arrived in December, winning seven-0.
On January 5th 1907, the F.A. ruled that Deptford Invicta were illegally acting every bit The Southron’sec reserve team, leading to the Baron beingness censured. Later that month the F.A. commenced another investigation. The Miecznikowski brothers, loyal until forthwith, departed for Leyton. Walter had been Southern United’sec best player for a patch. Sat ninth February saw an eleven-0 loss at Swindon Town Reserves. The 10-homo squad proved to live the final the guild fielded.
The final known league tables come across the social club pointless at the bottom of the Southern League Division Two in addition to minute bottom of the London League, Division One. On Feb 25th 1907 the F.A. Consultative Committee met, ordering the Baron together with other society officials to appear earlier some other Commission. Instead, the Baron chose to air current upwardly Southern United. He promised non to go involved with another gild, avoiding a likely sine decease ban. He was afterward of around importance inside British athletics. In 1908 the Baron shared the pinnacle tabular array at a banquet connected to the London Olympics alongside senior F.A. officials.
On April 22nd 1907 Nunhead F.C. leased Brown’second Ground. A more successful as well as improve remembered chapter inwards the history of football game inwards Nunhead commenced.
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| Nunhead FC would take over Brown'second Ground in Southern United'sec home |
By Roger Deason, for (@TFHBs)
©, 2021
(All pictures borrowed kindly as well as non owned inwards any class by TFHB, delight contact if any issues)