 | ||
| Full name | Barnes Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Knights | |
| Founded | 1862 | |
| Ground | Quintin Hogg River Pitches | |
| Chairman | Ranko Davidov | |
| Manager | Benjamin Lewis | |
| Website | Club website | |
Barnes Football Club is an association football club in Barnes, London. The club had great importance in the development of the game in the nineteenth century and was the first team ever to win a match in the FA Cup. [1]
Two other sports, cricket and rowing, were important in the foundation of Barnes FC:
A Barnes Cricket Club, playing on Barnes Green, is recorded from 1835. [2] In rowing, the Barnes and Mortlake Regatta took place in 1853, and annually from 1857. Barnes FC founder Ebenezer Morley took part in the 1858 and subsequent regattas, and served as the regatta's treasurer in 1860 and secretary from 1862. [3] [4] [5] The regatta was organized from the White Hart public house, the same address subsequently used by the football club. [6] According to an 1870 newspaper article, Barnes FC was "generally considered as an offshoot of the London Rowing Club". [7] According to Barnes FC (and Football Association) secretary Robert Graham, the members of Barnes FC were "recruited from the rowing element and the noted army cramming establishments of Messrs. Baty and Inchbald". Graham added that "J. Johnston, the owner of Pretender, ... plac[ed] his field, opposite his residence, Castelnau House, at its disposal for matches and the club's athletic sports". [8]
Both Morley himself, and his successors as FA secretary Robert Willis and Robert Graham, were keen oarsmen.
There is a significant amount of evidence indicating that Barnes Football Club was founded in 1862. This includes:
In 2005, a claim of an earlier foundation date was made by BBC sports presenter John Inverdale. Inverdale, citing unspecified "club records", wrote in The Daily Telegraph that Barnes Rugby Football Club (which Inverdale identified with Barnes Football Club) "were born" in 1839, and went on to "play fixtures against a whole mish-mash of teams of which no match results have been kept." [10] No other writer supported this claim, and the rugby club itself, via its website, does not claim to have been founded earlier than the 1920s. [11]
Ebenezer Cobb Morley was the club's first Captain. [12] The first known rules of the club, dating from 1862, banned running with the ball and "holding" or "hacking" an opponent. They specified that the "place for play" should be Barnes Green, and that the "balls and other property of the club" should be kept at the White Hart public house. [13]
Barnes FC's earliest recorded result, played at Barn Elms Park against Richmond F.C. on 29 November 1862, was a 2–0 victory. A contemporary newspaper report described the club as "only having been in existence a short time", but "already numbering a large number of members, and consequently powerful". [9] The club proceeded to draw the return match played at Richmond Green in December that year. [14] A match against Blackheath FC on 20 December went less happily. The Blackheath club played a rugby-style game, necessitating the adoption of compromise rules. "Very weak" play by Barnes resulted in a loss by two goals to nothing, with Morley narrowly escaping being "garrotted". [14]
Barnes FC was a founder member of the Football Association, with Morley being elected the Association's first Secretary, [15] and consequently being responsible for drafting its first set of laws that were published in December 1863. Morley subsequently served as President of the body, and "could be called the 'father' of The [Football] Association". [16] On 19 December 1863 Barnes participated in the first ever match under FA rules, against Richmond. The first three secretaries of the FA were all members of Barnes: Morley was succeeded by Robert Willis (1866–1867) and Robert Graham (1867–1870).
According to an undated list in the Football Association archives, probably dating from 1864, the colours of Barnes FC were "blue with white spots – a cap". [17] In successive editions of the Football Annual (from that magazine's first publication in 1868 until the club stopped reporting in 1881), the colours of the club were consistently described as blue and white stripes or hoops.
The club took part in the first ever FA Cup in 1871–72, and was the first team ever to win a match in the tournament, on 11 November 1871 (most first-round games kicked off later that day; the only other 3pm kick-off ended 0-0). Barnes went on to compete in fourteen of the first fifteen editions of the competition, the last being in 1885–86. [18] The club's best performance came in 1878–79, when it reached the third round before losing 2–1 to Oxford University. [18] [19] It was also among the ten founder members of the Surrey County Football Association, in 1877. [20] Barnes club captain Charles Morice represented England in the first ever international association football match between Scotland and England played at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow in 1872. [21]
The club's subsequent history is more sparsely documented. There are newspaper reports of a club named "Barnes" playing in local leagues during the 1930s, 1950s, and 1960s. [22] A "History of the Football Association", published in 1953, stated:
Of the 'only and original' clubs forming The Football Association the Barnes Club alone has throughout the ages been an active and faithful member of The Football Association. [23]
Note also that a Barnes Incogniti Football Club played a friendly match against Racing Club de France on October 27, 1900, in Levallois, a match won 3–1 by Barnes. [24]
In 2002, Barnes Rugby Football Club claimed on its website to be the successor of Barnes FC, stating that "Barnes rugby club is one of the oldest in the country. Our earliest recorded match was November 1862 versus Richmond, played at Barn Elms.". [25] In 2005, this claim was amplified in The Daily Telegraph by BBC sports presenter John Inverdale. Inverdale, who stated that he was "[f]or reasons that I'm not altogether clear about, ... one of a number of vice-presidents" of Barnes RFC, wrote that "in 1839, according to the club records, Barnes RFC were born, playing fixtures against a whole mish-mash of teams of which no match results have been kept." [10]
In 2008, a much weaker version of this statement appeared on the rugby club's website, stating only that "Barnes Rugby Club is a club with a rich history and was established in Barnes in the 1920s. Although there are indeed possibilities that our earliest recorded match was in November 1862 versus Richmond and played at Barn Elms, it is from the 1920s that our true history is clear." [26] As of 2018, similar wording remains on the current version of the rugby club's website. [11]
In June 2021, the grandchildren of ex-chairman Mr. Leslie Kilsby, Janice Kilsby and Julie Burgess, along with local enthusiasts, re-established Barnes FC. [27] In November 2021, £4,937 was fundraised to finance the first season, with £1,395 coming from Sport England. Additional funding was raised from sponsorships with local businesses. [28] [29] [30] [31]
Ranko Davidov has taken a chairman role with a goal to develop the club into a modern sustainable community club. Mid-term plans are to earn semi-professional sports status. The club plays again under the Surrey County Football Association for the 2022–23 season. [32] Home ground for adult team is Quintin Hogg River pitches, modern facilities with 3G Pitch, 75 seaters capacity, floodlights, scoreboard and new changing rooms and hospitality area. Youth teams play London County Saturday Youth League in Barn Elms Sport Centre. [33] Ben Lewis is the first team manager. The Club quickly managed to achieve a 1 star FA accredited status. After finishing mid table in Surrey SE Combination League Div 2 in season 2023/24, the club moved to Kingston Premier Division (Step 8 of English football system).
The club is affiliated with Surrey FA and won the reward as Grassroots Club of the Year for 2023
| Season | Captain | Secretary |
|---|---|---|
| 1862–63 | Ebenezer Morley | [Unknown] |
| 1863–64 | Thomas Gregory | |
| 1864–65 | Robert Willis | |
| 1865–66 | ||
| 1866–67 | ||
| 1867–68 | Robert Willis | Robert Graham |
| 1868–69 | ||
| 1869–70 | James Powell | |
| 1870–71 | ||
| 1871–72 | P. Weston | |
| 1872–73 | Charles Morice | H. Ernest Solly |
The Football Association is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the amateur and professional game in its territory.
Barnes is a district in south London, England, part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It takes up the extreme north-east of the borough, and as such is the closest part of the borough to central London. It is centred 5.8 miles (9.3 km) west south-west of Charing Cross in a bend of the River Thames.
Blackheath Football Club is a rugby union club based in Well Hall, Eltham, in south-east London.
Barn Elms is an open space in Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, located on the northerly loop of the River Thames between Barnes and Fulham.
Ebenezer Cobb Morley was an English sportsman. He is regarded as one of the fathers of the Football Association (FA) and modern football.
Richmond Rugby Club is a rugby union club in Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs. It fields teams in both men's and women's rugby; the men's first team currently play in National League 1 following their relegation from the RFU Championship at the end of the 2022–23 season, while the women's first team play in the Women's Championship.
Barnes Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Barnes, London. The club currently play in the fourth tier of the English league system, National League 2 East, following an increase of fourth tier leagues from two to three.
In London, a diverse array of athletics stretching from football to tennis have further granted its city the spotlight throughout the world. London has hosted the Olympic Games in 1908, 1948, and most recently in 2012, making it the most frequently chosen city in modern Olympic history. Other popular sports in London include cricket, rowing, rugby, basketball, and most recently American Football.
Surbiton Football Club was a short-lived English association football club based in the London suburb of Surbiton, founded by members of Kingston Rowing Club. It was a founder member of the Football Association.
Built in 1886, and located in Richmond upon Thames, London, the Athletic Ground is a rugby ground, managed by Richmond Athletic Association, home to RFU Championship side London Scottish and National League 1 side Richmond. The first team pitch has a stand capable of seating around 1,000 people, though in the past temporary stands have been erected in the considerable space around the pitch to boost the seated capacity. Lower league side, Old Tonbridgians RFC, also play home games at the Athletic Ground. As well as rugby, a small football team by the name of Mortlake FC play at this ground.
Francis Maule Campbell was a significant figure in the history of association and rugby football.
Rectory Field is a sports ground in Blackheath in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in south-east London. It was developed in the 1880s by Blackheath Cricket, Football and Lawn Tennis Company and became the home ground of rugby union team Blackheath F.C. between 1883 and 2016. The ground has hosted international rugby matches and at one time, along with the Richmond Athletic Ground, it was the unofficial home of the England national rugby union team before the development of Twickenham Stadium. The ground was also used for first-class and List A cricket by Kent County Cricket Club between 1887 and 1972. The field is named after the Charlton Rectory that once stood at the site. It is used today by Blackheath Sports Club for cricket, rugby, tennis and squash.
Fernand "Fred" Bonsor (1862-1932) was a rugby union international who represented England from 1886 to 1889, he also captained his country. At club level he played for Bradford FC, and Skipton RFC.
Middlesex Rugby is the governing body for rugby union in Middlesex, England; Middlesex is a historic county of England that covers areas in the ceremonial counties of Greater London, Surrey and Hertfordshire. The historic county is still in use when referring to sport, and some businesses in the area. Middlesex RFU was originally created as the Middlesex County Rugby Club but within six years was being referred to as the Middlesex County Rugby Football Union and is now known simply as Middlesex Rugby.
Rugby union is one of the most popular sports, in terms of both participants and spectators in London. London has several of England's leading rugby union clubs, and the city is home to 13 teams playing in national leagues, and many regional amateur leagues regulated by the London and South East Division Rugby Football Union. However, several of these teams, due to necessity, have found homes at stadia outside the boundaries of the capital. The sport is well established, especially in the middle-class suburbs to the north and west of the city. Four of the twelve clubs currently in the Gallagher Premiership have London origins.
The following are events in the 1830s decade which are relevant to the development of association football. All events happened in English football unless specified otherwise.
Robert George Graham was a British sportsman and businessman.
This was the first season of Barnes FC following its foundation in 1862. Since a standard set of laws of football did not yet exist, Barnes drew up its own rules to govern play, choosing to prohibit carrying the ball. Though its rules stated that "the season shall commence on the first Saturday in October", Barnes FC's first game is not recorded until the end of November. In December, Barnes played Blackheath FC, a club which played a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball and "hacking". The resulting clash of styles forced "mutual concessions" to be made as to the rules for this game. It was nevertheless a lively match, featuring "dangerous mélées" in which club captain Ebenezer Morley narrowly escaped being "garrotted". In the first half of 1863, Barnes played against N.N. Club and Forest FC, two teams who, like Barnes, preferred a dribbling game; both would join Barnes in becoming founder members of the Football Association later that year.
East Sheen Football Club was an English football and rugby club from Surrey in England.
_1863_10_31.png){kind=link}