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Photo Quiz 1

The Referee Store
Cuthbert RJ Botheringham, scored the first-ever goal in a cup replay. Wagger and Fothbury both reported it as a "jolly good blooter".
 
Is it a coincidence or was your question prompted by the new Netflix series, "The English Game," in which he features?

Just started watching it myself and I have to wonder about the historical accuracy of the match reconstructions. I didn't think there was anywhere near as much passing and dribbling in the game in the late 1870's, as they show.
 
The series appears to have been poorly received and reviews aren't that favourable. Because football tactics are so very different nowadays, dramatisation of games will always be 'too modern'. There's very few people out there who could articulate reality to athletes or actors. 1870s Association football was more akin to Rugby Union as we would see today rather than Association Football.
I think this series illustrates an important time in the history of football and it's evolution from the Southern Gentlemen to the Northern Professionals. The 1879 quarter final saw Darwen include a couple of Scottish players, most probably "professionals", including the aforementioned Fergus Suter. This introduction of Scottish influence did change the tactics of the Northern clubs to more combination play which included passing. It was early days for this style of play but the fact that Darwen took the tie to a replay was an indication that changes were afoot.
By 1882, Suter was at Blackburn Rovers as they lost 1-0 to Old Etonians in the FA Cup Final at Kennington Oval (his revenge on Old Etonians and Arthur Kinnaird who beat Darwen in that 1879 game). This was the last FA Cup final won by a team of Gentlemen such as Old Etonians. The influence of Scottish players was widespread, the passing game more effective and the professional game was up and running.

Personally, I prefer A Captain's Tale featuring that well-known Geordie, Dennis Waterman but, even that is set nearly 30 years on from this series.
 
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