Oldest England photo
Thursday, 08 May, 2008
What is believed to be the oldest ever photograph of an England team has been discovered by a Derby historian.
A Derby historian, Peter Seddon, has found what is believed to be the oldest ever photograph of an England football team.
He discovered it as he scanned microfilm files of an old Derbyshire newspaper and it is said to feature the England team that played Scotland at the West of Scotland Cricket Ground in Glasgow on 4 March 1876. It was only the fifth international ever played by England, a 15,000 crowd watching them go down 3-0 to the Scots.
We know the England line-up for the fixture and a helpful caption helps to put names to faces, some for the first time.
England's 'keeper was Arthur Savage, who played for a 'Crystal Palace' club that had no connection with the present-day Championship outfit. He was described as 'big and red-bearded' and 'a sound custodian and reliable'. He was beaten three times on this occasion, with two of Scotland's goals coming in the first 11 minutes.
Four of the England team played for FA Cup-winning sides. Full-back Edgar Field won it with Clapham Rovers and half-back Frederick Green won it once with Oxford University and twice with Wanderers. Hubert Heron won it three times with Wanderers and England's captain, his elder brother Frank, won it alongside him in 1876.
The England team that finally gazes out at us after all those years includes a Chartered Accountant, a Barrister, a Vicar, a District Registrar and a Colliery Proprietor.
'Custodian' Savage, probably born in Australia, may have let in three goals - but he certainly didn't pick the ball out of the net three times. They didn't have nets in those days and it was more likely that a tape was streched across the top of the posts than a crossbar.
The photograph can be seen by clicking here.