Chapter 1.
1892-1899
The first two seasons are vouched for only in the recollections of the old timers. The Club was clearly operating then as both a casual and a strolling side.
1894/5
We surface as the L.C.C. Football Club (Association) in our Minute of July 1894, with the status of a Sub-Committee of the Central Athletic Association and Cycling Club. Their subscription of 10/- gave membership to all other clubs, who then drew funds and accounted for them (such as may we buy a football?). We of course had reps on the Association (chaired by the Clerk of the Council, as indeed he did for many service activities); they found and rented grounds, and governed through an Executive Committee (herein after “The Executive”). The word “Staff” was bracketed into our title sometime later at the behest of the elected Council, who feared they might be suspected of playing, as was indeed true of some of our local government opponents.
The first recorded team v Hanwell Asylum was: Herbert, Hooke, Edwards, Fastnedge, Snook, Nettleton, Comyns (capt.), Thompson, Waddington, Wells, Harwood (the Hon, Sec.). [Ed; the Asylums were the responsibility of the Council.]
Players appear to have been initially drawn from only two departments – Clerks and Comptrollers. The original Captain (in goal) was Monty Cox, later knighted as Clerk of the Council, but he shortly resigned after injury. Wells remembered with admiration his successor as captain, Comyns – Manager, Secretary and all else, including being the star player.
There was a struggle to keep one eleven going with no more than twelve younger men a year coming into the service, using a guest only in a crisis. The choice of fixtures was restricted by the distance which could be travelled after lunch – the offices did not close until 2pm on Saturdays. Fixtures were obtained from adverts in the Evening News – the one against Westminster Thistle ended in a free-for-all, but there was no aftermath – all you did was drop the fixture.
For a time, a very rough park pitch at Little Wormwood Scrubs in North Kensington was used, changing in the basement of a baker’s shop with primitive amenities. An early transfer to Wormholt Farm (now Wormholt Park in Hammersmith & Fulham) gave a much better playing surface but a shed to change in; these were shared with rugby; our rent 7/6d every other week; use continued for seven years and intermittently thereafter.
The original rules stated that the Secretary should fix games subject to the approval of the Committee, selected players should receive three clear days written notice, they to give one clear day in writing if unable to play; colours were French grey and red; the Committee could only suspend players with the concurrence of the Executive. The latter were responsible for the ground and all business management of the Club – for instance we had no Treasurer but worked to theirs. Accordingly, weekly Selection Committees were fully minuted at the start, but this had fallen off by the end of that first recorded season. A book was kept for signature “of members desirous of playing”. Twenty-five players overall did so desire, plus that evergreen veteran A. N. Other. Four names crept into the next season’s minutes, but not one result nor any further names in all the period to 1900.
A draft joint fixture list was agreed with the Rugby Club to be “printed on white or blue linen paper” but we disapproved of their unilateral action in printing other than in club colours.
We did however agree with them that the cross-bar should be altered, to be raised or lowered on a pulley, and that sponsors for presentation caps at 10/6d (52½p) should be sought. Other (joint) costs in £’s which have currently depreciated to about 4p may be of interest: -
A moiety of the cost of a carpet for the dressing room - 3/6d (17½p) - and a whistle - 7½d (3p)
Two telegrams – 6d (2½p) and 7d
Footballs – 9/3d (46p)
Line flags and poles – 1/- (5p)
Goal nets - £3
A ball was lost from the dressing room and the Secretary stopped one week’s ground rent.
For the benefit of an increasing proportion of readers, prices for the rest will be expressed in new pence.
In the season we met Alleyn, Old Owenians, Dulwich (?) and Clapham Rovers (“founders of the F.A. cup in 1871” who had playing for them R. H. Birket, a soccer and rugby international). The season finished with our affiliation to London F.A. for 12½p, and with the Secretary’s resignation being refused.
1895/6
The Secretary seems to have had his way over resignation since, apart from the AGM where it was resolved to have more matches north of the Thames, the Committee only met in July and September. There, they resolved that the Club colours should be dark green with gold sleeves and collars (a style which Arsenal later copied from us). Was red and grey ever worn?
1896/7
The AGM was even more demanding; they resolved to have only one Captain (it’s very unlikely they succeeded any better than we do now) and that results should be put in the Evening News. The two Committee Meetings this time were in September and February and the home ground at Wormholt Farm was retained at the increased rent of 75p per match.
1897/8
A new Secretary got regular normal Committees going but, apart from deciding not to attend the LFA [London Football Association] meeting, they only record three spots of bother. A Mr Wintle’s explanation of why he left the field without his Captain’s permission being deemed unacceptable, he was given a rest for several weeks; there was also the week when insufficient names were sent in and the Secretary was left to “select” (press gang) a team.
The Civil Service (also in at the foundation of the F.A. Cup) wrote:
“Your wire, scratching the return match with us on our ground, was received by me on Saturday morning having reached me after my office hours. I am very surprised that no explanation letter has followed; my committee is of the opinion that the treatment we have received is quite unjustifiable and I am to ask you to contribute 10/- (50p) toward the expense incurred by the first match (?) and the unnecessary outlay expended by us in the second.”
They got the explanation but not the “ten bob”.
1898/9
Nine men attended the AGM – a pity about the rule that the quorum was ten. The Committee they “elected” was left to find a Secretary who, in due course, was exonerated for spending, on postage and sundries, the money voted for a football – clearly, they were living from hand to mouth. He is also recorded as having protested to the LFA against the affiliation of the LCC Workfolk F.C. which was somehow thought to lead to confusion. Six shirts cost 65p, and the old ones not in use, were bought-in. It was later reported that the results were 5 won, 5 drawn, 9 lost.
This proved to be rather the end of an era, which seems to have operated wholly under the old pal’s act but, clearly, was worth-while enough to keep going securely and draw the loyal support of two regular referees from the staff, Hooke (later the Council Solicitor) and Wynn-Hollings. In Harvey’s view, the LCC had achieved a strong senior status. The fact that it was resolved not to enter for the London F.A. cup next season suggests that we had played cup games but, those and all else, are wrapped in silence.